Photo by Sean Quinn
An informal subcommittee of the South Orange Planning and Zoning Committee is considering how to best use the site of Marylawn of the Oranges Academy, which has been closed since 2013.
SOUTH ORANGE — The South Orange Planning and Zoning Committee has created an informal subcommittee to consider what can be done with 445 Scotland Road, which was the site of Marylawn of the Oranges Academy until it closed in 2013.
The subcommittee, which consists of trustees Mark Rosner, Sheena Collum and Steve Schnall, was formed in mid-November, after Seton Hall University withdrew its application to develop the land for its graduate medical education school, according to Collum. Though the property is owned by the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth, she said the subcommittee is a way for the village to ensure the land is used in the best way possible by building a consensus among local stakeholders.
“Shortly after Seton Hall withdrew its application for the Marylawn site, we quickly realized we needed to be proactive with this property,” said Collum in an email to the News-Record on Monday, Dec. 22. “By engaging with various stakeholders, we hope to make recommendations for zoning changes, if any, which would open up opportunities for the Sisters of Charity to market conforming uses for the site.”
In its one meeting so far, Rosner said the subcommittee discussed options for the land with village administrator Barry Lewis Jr., village counsel Steven Rother and representatives from the Montrose and West Montrose neighborhoods, as well as the South Orange Historic Preservation Committee. He said another meeting is planned for January, with as many more as necessary to take place.
The issue at this point, however, is the fact that the subcommittee currently cannot actually do much, Rosner said.
“Right now, we are waiting for some legal opinions about the zoning and we are also waiting for the Sisters of Charity to get back to us about whether we can actually visit the property,” Rosner told the News-Record in a phone interview on Friday, Dec. 19. “They just have not returned the phone calls so far.”
Donna Sartor, the Sisters’ director of communications, told the News-Record the Sisters are not commenting on the matter at this time.
Rosner said the property, which also includes the Victorian-era Graves mansion, is currently zoned for five to seven single-family residences, though the subcommittee is looking into the tolerance for building more houses on the site. He said an older zoning allowance would permit 10 to 12 single-family homes.
Regarding what residents want, Rosner said the subcommittee has heard feedback calling for some single-family houses along with the preservation of the Graves mansion. Though the mansion has not been individually designated as a historic site, Lewis called it a key contributing structure in creating the Montrose Park Historic District, which would affect future plans for the property.
“It would come under the review jurisdiction of the village’s Historic Preservation Commission,” said Lewis to the News-Record in an email on Monday, Dec. 22. “Any demolition application would have to be reviewed by the commission and could then be subject to a waiting period for any demolition.”
Of course, nothing can happen without the permission of the Sisters of Charity. According to Collum, the Sisters are not involved with the subcommittee. In fact, the subcommittee does not even know the Sisters’ plans for the property, other than that they are definitely trying to sell it and are advertising it for uses that do not conform with current zoning regulations — namely multifamily homes — at a total cost of $8 million.
What might compel the Sisters to sell the property sooner rather than later is the fact that, according to Lewis, the village recently added it to its tax rolls, effective Thursday, Jan. 1. When the land was still being used as private Catholic school for girls, it enjoyed tax-exempt status; now that the academy is closed, the site is eligible for taxation.
“The amount of taxes on the property for 2015 cannot be determined at this time, as it requires knowing the 2015 tax rate and the aggregate assessed value of taxable properties in the village,” Lewis said. “However, based upon the assessed value determined by the assessor and applying the 2014 tax rate, the total taxes would be approximately $200,000.”
As for what the subcommittee itself would like to see built, Rosner said he is just thinking in terms of what would work in the area. He said before the Seton Hall deal fell through, the village met with two developers who both later declined to move forward with any projects. But one proposed the idea of building townhouses on the site, which he said could still be a possibility, depending on zoning allowances.
“I know what is realistic for it,” Rosner said. “I know townhomes would work. I cannot tell you that that would be my ideal choice, but it would be acceptable to me.”