The South Orange Planning Board is considering an ordinance to change the zoning code to allow the Orange Lawn Tennis Club at 305 Ridgewood Road to subdivide its property and develop a portion as townhomes.
BNE Real Estate Group is the suitor interested in purchasing a portion of the property and developing it as 27 town homes. The development would take up about one third of the current 16-plus acre site.
A Representative of the club, Peter Shapiro said, “Without the sale, the club cannot survive. The sale will allow the club to extinguish its debt, and put it on a secure financial footing going forward. Without the sale, the club will be forced to close, and to sell off its entire property for development. The choice comes down to this: develop a portion of the property and allow the club to continue as a historic South Orange institution, or close the club and develop the entire property. We would overwhelmingly prefer the first alternative. The interests of the club and of its neighbors are fully aligned in wanting to limit the impact of the development. We are committed to working with the community to do so.”
An online petition against the idea has gathered more than 260 signatures. Why not invite a builder to construct a few homes that would be more in character with the neighborhood, and retain more nature than a high-density project such as the one proposed? The area supports homes that regularly fetch between 700k and over a million.
NJ Train Town Tidings 