Mayor Jackson Stepping Down From The Planning Board After This Blog Revealed Potential Pay to Play Issues

The past few blog posts here have been about Mayor Jackson potentially violating Montclair’s ethics ordinance by receiving contributions from developers while possibly negotiating development deals with them. As of Monday, when this blog first shed light on some of the shady business deals happening in our town, Mayor Jackson served on the Planning Board.

Well now it appears that Jackson will be stepping down from the Planning Board. Says the Montclair Times:

“The commission's former representative, Martin Schwartz, will remain on the Planning Board as Jackson's appointee, essentially replacing Jackson.”

Coming just a couple of days after this blog’s first post on mayor’s possible backroom deals, the timing of this decision doesn’t seem coincidental. Maybe the mayor/developer thought he could avoid a potential future conflict? Or future scrutiny?

Also, this blog would also love to know if there’s any real beef between Jackson and Schwartz over the MC Hotel and Centroverde development project. Back in January, Schwartz said they were pushing back on the “ugliness” of the projects:

“Many residents worry that the developments will add large, bulky buildings to the streetscape, detracting from the historic quality that differentiates Montclair from some of its less picturesque neighbors. The designs, they argue, could be found anywhere along the state’s strip-mall-strewn roads.

The developments are “going to look absolutely hideous,” said Jason DeSalvo, a Montclair resident. “They’re basically sheer walls. It’s like a concrete canyon,” he said.

“We are pushing back on the ugliness,” said Martin Schwartz, a member of the Montclair planning board and a critic of the developments. “We are saying we want redevelopment — we just don’t want it to look like Route 46 New Jersey.” ”

And when Schwartz questioned Planning Director Janice Talley on whether she was “really in favor of opening the floodgates for unbridled development here,” his comments struck a nerve with Jackson. Jackson characterized his comments as “facts-challenged, bad form, and perhaps [having] a touch of demagoguery.” Those are some fighting words!

“Clearly, there is a feeling by many residents that our planner does not really support a preservation-directed, neighborhood character approach to redevelopment,” says Schwartz.  “Based on the excessive heights and bulk parameters originally proposed in the first master plan draft which put people up in arms, and the mass and density she didn’t stop for the first CentroVerde project [Valley and Bloom] while the redevelopment terms required the project to blend in with our downtown, it appears Ms. Talley is really in favor of opening the floodgates for unbridled development here.”  Many Montclair residents themselves have directly demanded more municipal preservation and protections of historic structures, both publicly at meetings and in research Talley herself conducted through public feedback for the master plan.  Talley, though, defends her stewardship of redevelopment projects in Montclair.

“My role is to facilitate the development of plans through coordination of consultants, subcommittees, the Planning Board and the public, ” Talley tells Baristanet.  “I am not a decision maker, but a facilitator in this process, and the plans that have been prepared over the past four years are the result of many different voices.  Recent redevelopment plans have included extensive design standards which were not a part of previous redevelopment plans.  The purpose of these design standards is to help ensure that new development fits in with the context of existing neighborhoods.”

Mayor Jackson was more direct in response to Schwartz’s observations.

“I consider Mr. Schwartz a friend and I respect his opinion on matters of planning and development,” the mayor said.  In this instance, however, I have to characterize his comments as facts-challenged, bad form, and perhaps [having] a touch of demagoguery.”

It’s great to see that Schwartz is replacing Jackson. This blog isn’t the only one to support the preservation of Montclair’s historical assets. A little while back Saving Montclair made an appeal to keep Schwartz on the Planning Board. This blog is glad he kept him, but curious about the whole turn of events.

It seems Jackson was weary of the increased public scrutiny as he stepped down from the Planning Board just 2 days after this blog’s revelations. This blog will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates on the matter as necessary. And this blog will continue to investigate issues like these. In fact, this research has led to further findings that will be detailed here over the next week. Stay tuned…