MONTCLAIR, N.J. – Councilor at Large Peter Yacobellis will host his second annual Montclair Community Town Hall on Wednesday, October 12th at 7:00pm at the Montclair Art Museum.

“I ran on a promise to be as engaging, transparent, and communicative as possible with the public. There is a lot going on in our town — a lot of successes, several failures and significant change. This is a chance for legacy and new residents to come together and meet each other and ask me all of the tough questions they want. No question is off limits,” said Yacobellis

Residents are asked to RSVP in advance to ensure the space is set up to accommodate everyone. Masks are required. Residents can RSVP here.

Yacobellis will present his thoughts on a few pressing topics and take plenty of questions from attendees. Those who wish to participate virtually will be able to do so by watching live or by replay on YouTube. Virtual attendees can submit their questions in advance and Yacobellis will intersperse real time questions with those questions submitted in advance.

Yacobellis previously hosted a general Town Hall in March of 2021 that can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/khGlOyUwEKg. Earlier this year, Yacobellis hosted a Town Hall dedicated to understanding Montclair’s form of government and budget. That can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/bxwbuOpL0ro

Event details, links for streaming and question submission will be sent to all who RSVP, in late September.

Elected at the height of the pandemic in 2020, Yacobellis has now entered his third year in office, banking several significant accomplishments over the first two years. Yacobellis currently serves on the Town Council’s Economic Development Committee and Municipal Services Committee. He is a liaison to the Housing Commission, Landlord Tenant Advisory Committee, People with Disabilities Committee, Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee and more. Yacobellis also volunteers with the Montclair Foundation, Montclair Mutual Aid and runs Out Montclair.

I am committed to not engaging with our Council until they restore remote public comment at their meetings. Yet, I will shamelessly piggyback their communications to engage their Montclair target audience on local issues.

Today, it is about climate change and connecting some dots on all the property development Montclair has undergone and will continue experiencing. Many agree that time is not a luxury and lessons-learned hindsight is perishable benefit. OK, I’ll get to my point today.

Our development applications currently go through an approval process that is, kindly speaking, inadequate to our stated priority of forestalling climate change. We are without a Sustainability Element in our Master Plan. We have Green Building guidelines, but they are disproportionately below what is necessary. And these new buildings will be with us until at least 2060.

Buildings are responsible for 40% of all U.S. annual energy use. Buildings generate 30% of our greenhouse gases. To add one local datapoint, 20% of energy use by Montclair State’s audited buildings is attributed to just lighting.

Maybe we should better align our land uses, buildings design standards, and their ongoing impact with the climate crisis. Let’s start with some low-hanging fruit.

The last Council created an additional land use body – the Development Review Committee. The purpose was to hold a one-off “vetting” of the first iteration of development applications, before they reached the required land use review body. The goal was to improve application quality, identify potential points of conflict, and streamline the concept-to-shovel timeline. Basically, improve quality & merits in the design stage, before it is presented at a full hearing.

The DRC looks at all kinds of things they know. They don’t know sustainability. They do not have a Township expert sit in on all major site plan reviews. They could. They don’t. That would be fine if sustainability was a run-of-the mill consideration. But, I think by the level of community discourse, it deserves to be elevated and more widely integrated into our land use processes.

Second, the Montclair Center BID Board should revisit their published Sustainability Statement. It’s about 5 years behind the times and they need to get out in front of climate change to be a trusted voice.

I’m sure many have seen the Township’s announcement last week that the residential electricity aggregation program (Sustainable Essex Alliance Energy Procurement Cooperative ) is going on hiatus until sometime next year, hopefully not longer. We will now return to PSE&G as our supplier because the renewable marketplace is not competitive.

No worries. The the Climate & Energy page on the Township’s web site reminds us, “ On America’s road toward cleaner energy, a healthier environment, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change, the first step – before acquiring renewable energy – is to first “reduce the use”, by lowering the demand side. We just have to refocus back to Reduce the Use.

The web pages also highlight that, “Over the past five years, due to our on-going efforts to save money and share services, Montclair has joined a local government aggregation pool for purchasing electricity.” The percentage of renewable energy in this program is 25%.

Unfortunately, Montclair’s municipal electric spending has increased over 50% from 5 years ago. Cleary, in this one datapoint, we are dramatically increasing our municipal carbon footprint and now it is compounded by the lack of any residential component offset. And, fyi, we have concurrently increased our other greenhouse energy usage.

And coming back to my first post about the DRC proceedings, the DRC is where developers make their initial case for requested variances and waivers from the land use boards. Variances and waivers are evaluated on balancing the negative impacts with the positive public good. Such approvals grant the right, that runs with the land, to obtain what is not permitted by our ordinances. This forum is, to me, the first opportunity where the horse trading over variances begins. The DRC can comment both to add their support or to any excessive imbalance…and choose to include such comments in their report to the board hearing the application. Want to guess how many times they have included a climate based concern in their reports?

GOOD NEWS! Our household was notified that upcoming Superior Court Jury Duty service will be via Zoom! As we all know, COVID is no longer, so I guess the Court decided to continue this convenient alternative to fulfill our civic needs.

I don’t want to ignore the local climate change impact of our Water Utility.

Key parts of its infrastructure include two pumping stations, 3 wells and two storage tanks. The Director of Utilities has said the Water Utility’s electrical usage is massive in comparison to any other of our municipal uses. Pumping water around is very energy intensive. I would guess the annual electricity budget alone is in 7-figures. The pumping stations and their surrounding land alone cover 3.5 acres…much of it left undeveloped for related reasons.

I would hope this Council would challenge the Water Utility to make a public sustainability presentation which would include touching on solar panel installations (or other energy saving measures) on these particularly well-suited properties.

Frank, You are talking to yourself again. I know you are hung up on climate change but Montclair is not the center of the universe. In fact, we could shut down all power usage in town forever and there would be no environmental impact…but…if you want to set a meaningful example how about bringing this idea to the powers that be. No materials or products sourced from China to be used by any municipal contractors. Take it a step further and apply the ordinance to all private construction as well. Chinese manufacturing and worldwide mining practices dwarfs the pollution the USA contributes to climate change. China will not voluntarily change its ways and as long as America turns a blind eye, why would they? Contrary to local opinion communism isn’t all that benevolent.

I’m hung up on abating climate change. Of course, we are not going to do anything about it and I’ll be dead before we reach one intermediate target. This is why my posts are part tongue in cheek. I look and read various stakeholder pronouncements and I chuckle, and chuckle, and chuckle. The Montclair Center BID is my current favorite source.

They have taken local entitlement to a professional level compare to us residents. They were not like this in their early years. Read their Spring minutes about the question of height downtown. (Yes, they are back to calling Montclair Center downtown…so now we have to change the signs to say “Where the city meets downtown and the suburb beyond”). OK, people say scary things. But, someone chose to memorialize these things in their minutes. Wow. wow.

Their resolutions call for members to initiate pollutions “spills”. OK, they are not asking for oil, or gas, or chemical spills. it is just light pollution spills.

And they want engrave invitations to our public meetings…even though they get a personal audience with 2 Council members on their board. So now, I need to call up all 300 members ahead of a Planning Board hearing and ask them to join us. Please. Seriously?

I don’t totally blame the members for their ignorance and entitlement. I blame their board. They absolutely know better but allow it to continue without correction. They don’t bother to educate their members in these key regards like, no, you don’t get engrave invitations in Montclair to attend a public meeting.

Hence, I paint them with the entitlement broad brush. And I want my French designer sidewalk sweeper back.

If we disregard the talk, Montclair has taken next to no actions. Yes, we are doing things to fortify ourselves for the impacts of climate change, but only nominal steps for reducing use.

Frank, I think what you are saying is that Montclair talks a great game but…. Let’s face it, it easy to put a sign on your lawn, easy to have a gay pride day, buy a Tesla to feel good about yourself, (cough, cough) cancel this and cancel that but to actually get things done….we can’t even open a pool or repair a towpath bridge. Montclair hates Trump. We got that going for us. I remember skating at Wollman Rink when it first opened. The good old days when someone showed the government how to get things done.

Yes, those were the days and I’m in awe of your memory. The Wollman Rink’s first season was 1950-51. Opening during the zenith of McCarthyism. The Rosenberg’s trial in progress in the SDNY, a bus ride away.

Some writer wrote, a little later, about how great…The Mason Jar? A Bell’s Jar? Something like that. Never read it myself.

Trump’s strength is building buildings & deftly manipulating vacuums in accountability. Remember, Montclair successfully built its own outdoor skating rink (with the help of the Montclair Skate Club). So, I wouldn’t give Mr Trump a whole lot of credit for fixing Wollman. I will give him total credit for his Atlantic City efforts.

Come on Frank, don’t let your hatred blind you to the facts. Wollman was a disaster until the Orange man stepped up. Granted he did profit from it but he deserved it. Your biggest complaint about Montclair is building buildings and deftly manipulating vacuums in accountability. Go figure…. Yes, the MSC built Clary and deserve a huge thank you. Great job by the town blowing the McMullen donation.

Getting back on topic about priorities and educating people, here is a ridiculous idea… but, it might strongly work for my French designer sidewalk sweeper:

https://www.archpaper.com/2022/08/new-york-city-department-of-sanitation-artists-adorn-trucks-large-scale-works/

Imagine… if Montclair believed in sustainability… and ran a similar project on the topic because, maybe, it might, some day, over the rainbow, be one of our priorities. Nah. Let’s focus on putting up advertising signs at Kaveny Field and the new skate park. This is more our speed.

Frank, What would you rather have a new roof, repaired rotting wood, a freshly painted house, and clean gutters or a nice shiny Tesla in the driveway? Montclair choses a Tesla with a Ukrainian flag and BLM stickers. Infrastructure isn’t very sexy.

”Infrastructure isn’t very sexy.”

Yes. But, very useful. The Council’s & Planning Board’s #1 justification to create redevelopment areas is “aging infrastructure”.

Where they don’t want to build up, we miraculously can line the aging pipes. Where we want to build up, we absolutely have to replace the aging pipes.

I don’t get Teslas. Their design reminds me of the Calvin Klein sportswear sensibility. Monochromatic solids, minimalist lines to best accentuate the occupant as beauty. Design Functionality: equivalent to a Model T.

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