Jocelyn Mathiasen is running for a third term on the Borough Council, trying to position herself as a mainstream opponent of overdevelopment, just as she did In 2018, when she first ran for Council using the slogan “Keep Chatham Chatham.”
Ms Mathiasen’s anti-overdevelopment posture is totally inconsistent with her six-year tenure on the Council.
During that time, she has never opposed, or even failed to promote and vote for, any step toward every overdevelopment scheme that has ever come along, including at Post Office Plaza and River Road.
Alert: this Monday 2/27, the Borough Council will vote on a new site plan that dropped on Friday, adding a surprise third floor to the 2-story project our Council revealed in December, as shown below.
Don’t miss this chance to see and comment before it’s too late to make a difference.
Come to the Council meeting this Monday 2/27, 7:30 pm, at Borough Hall, 54 Fairmount Avenue, upper level.
At last we have some idea what the new apartment house on Bowers Lane might look like:
This is the view from the railroad embankment, alongside which there will be space for at least 17 cars. The short end of the L-shaped building runs along Bowers Lane. We have yet to see the sides that will be visible from the streets and public parking lot.This is a similar design, but with flatter dormers and a bit more trim
Here’s a glimpse of the proposed floor plan presented by Bergen County’s United Way and Z Plus architects at a public meeting conducted by Borough Planner Kendra Lelie:
Tha is the proposed floor plan for the lower level, which includes seven family apartments and a community room with a prep kitchen.
The proposed upper level has eight family apartments, including two three bedroom units.
Of course, that design is only the first step. Our Planner has promised a collaborative decision-making process known as a “charette.”
What will the place look like from Bowers Lane, or from Post Office Plaza?
Will the route along the south side of the Annex (from our public parking lot to Bowers Lane) still be a road, or only an alley?
Maybe the windows on the first floor should be a little higher so the headlights in the parking lot don’t annoy residents? Or might tall bushes suffice?
Will there be a sidewalk between the parking lot and the building?
Will the requisite electric charging station take up one of the scarce 17 parking spaces? Will non-residents be allowed to use it?
Where will the new residents park their bikes, scooters, and strollers?
Yes, we must build a 15-unit apartment house at Post Office Plaza.
But exactly what it will look like is up to us. Borough planner Kendra Lelie has promised a so-called “charette” process, in which all stakeholders work together to determine the outcome.
Yesterday morning, after three tense public hearings, Morris County Superior Court Judge Stephan Hansbury soundly rejected the Kushners’ brazen attempt to cram an unpopular 100-rental unit project on mostly public land behind our Main Street Post Office.
That decision frees Chatham Borough to meet part of its affordable housing requirements by building a 15-unit apartment house there, as our Mayor & Council voted on May 2.
For a quick summary, watch the video of Mayor Kobylarz’s comments in this Tap story:
For details, check out the records at e-courts, culminating in this final court order finding Chatham in compliance with its affordable housing obligations through September 29, 2026:
Will the Kushners accept that outcome and let Chatham build some affordable housing at Post Office Plaza, or will they continue to sue, appeal, and otherwise try to block progress? Stay tuned here and at this FB group:
Care about the plans for Post Office Plaza or the future of Chatham Borough?
Come to the Final Compliance Hearing
Now rescheduled to be heard before the Hon. Stephan C. Hansbury, J.S.C., Monday, November 14, 9:30 am, at the Morris County Courthouse, Morristown, NJ.
Looks like the Kushners will never give up trying to seize control of Chatham’s Post Office Plaza.
They’re still kicking and screaming to a Morris County Judge, even after he denied them standing, our Mayor announced the timetable for a better plan for that spot, the Borough Council voted to backstop the cost up to $6 million, and the Special Master seemed satisfied.
