The scarecrow at the corner of Grove and Watchung is dressed for the new season, and still looks out over the Marlboro Inn. But whether the scarecrow looks out over the inn next Christmas is very much up in the air.
The fate of the inn may be decided in court on Friday, when lawyers for Montclair, developer Steve Plofker and a group called the Marlboro Inn Preservation Association slug it out in court. MIPA argues that the town acted improperly when it failed to landmark the building last summer, despite the recommendations of the Historic Preservation Commission.