Petitioning: Mayor and Township Council of Montclair (cc: Township Manager Stephen Marks; PSE&G)

On November 10, the Montclair Township Council may vote on Ordinance O-26-39, the Municipal Complex Redevelopment Plan. The plan makes a public utility a permitted principal use on the municipal lots at 205 Claremont Avenue (Block 2311, Lots 12, 14 and 15). That would allow a PSE&G electrical substation.

These lots sit a few feet from apartment buildings on Claremont Avenue and North Fullerton Avenue, local businesses, and some of the busiest sidewalks in Montclair Center. This is not an industrial area.

The plan conflicts with Montclair’s own rules:

• The Master Plan says appropriate uses here include “residential, professional office and surface parking.” Utilities are not on the list.
• The plan’s own Adverse Influences clause bars uses that cause undue noise, vibration or electromagnetic disturbance.
• No public document shows which other sites were studied, what criteria were used, or why they were rejected. As of April 2026, PSE&G’s public target was Valley Road and Portland Place. The move to 205 Claremont has never been explained.

We ask the Township Council to:

1) Remove public utilities (Use F) as a permitted use from O-26-39 before the vote.
2) Publicly release the site-alternatives analysis, the selection criteria, and the documents that support choosing 205 Claremont.
3) Answer residents’ questions in writing, on the public record, before any vote or any agreement with PSE&G.

If Use F is not removed before the vote, we ask the Council to postpone the vote on O-26-39 until PSE&G’s site-selection study and the terms of any proposed agreement with PSE&G are made public.

If you live or work in Montclair, please sign the petition. Add your street in the comments.

Please attend the Council meeting on November 10 at 7 PM at 205 Claremont Avenue.