Hearst Castle is 68,500 square feet.The Breakers is 62,482 square feet. Will Montclair be getting the Comodo Castle at 60,000 square feet?
Melih Abdulhayoglu, CEO and founder of the Clifton-based Comodo companies, who according to Forbes has a net worth of $1.8 billion, is the Montclair resident looking to substantially increase his footprint in Montclair, with a controversial mega mansion that could rival The White House in size.
The proposed Montclair mansion, if built to plans submitted so far, would be 60,000 square feet — practically presidential in size when you compare it to the White House, which checks in at 55,000 square feet of living space (and valued at $400 million).
The compound would be built on a site, abutting the Eagle Rock Reservation, where two former historic Montclair homes were bought and then razed.
Homes ranging from 20,000-30,000 feet can be found in Alpine, New Jersey, but a compound anywhere near this size is unheard of in Montclair.
The proposed Lloyd Road mega mansion would not be the owner’s first teardown. Abdulhayoglu is the owner of a Montclair home that was previously an expanded ranch home. Sold in 2004 for $849,900, the 1950s-era home was subsequently torn down and replaced by a much larger home.
I would be shocked if a casually informed resident didn’t see this possibility. Do people really think these old houses exist in some invisible amber? That in spite of these mansions being built all around us, it wouldn’t happen in Montclair? Did anyone ever read the Master Plan? How about just the Executive Summary? Know what it is? Yeah. I’m outraged!
Montclair’s voters have spent our political bandwidth in the last ten years on facilitating growth & development. We have used any remnant (a word that has risen to prominence with the local, pro-development lexicon) bandwidth on buffing our township image. Now, there is not a thing we can do about these 2 lots and the lot across the street. Yes, they can throw some spitballs, but nothing beyond temporary.
This is Montclair v24.1. There will be more to come. They are called market forces. It will not be just in the 3rd Ward…although this project has found the right ward to build in. No, all along the ridgeline where there is undeveloped lots. The University is going to double in size. Watchung Plaza is another ‘growth’ opportunity. We are going to introduce more flexile zoning soon that require less review. More 2-family zoned lot will have 4, 5 & 6 units on them.
It’s what we vote for in our Council (2x) and in our Master Plan (which we discussed for 6 years!). So enough of the faux outrage. This is latest version of Montclair.
Mr. Abdulhayoglu should be allowed to build this project. Let him cut down, as our ordinance allows, some old growth trees blocking his NYC view. We get an equal amount of new, younger trees as per the ordinance’s design.
If people don’t like it, then they can change the values and the people.
The Samuel Wilde House, a large stone castle http://www.digifind-it.com/montclair/pages/P2407.php?zoom_highlight=Samuel+wilde+house was demolished to build the Montclair Public library. The demolished contemporary house on Upper Mountain (demolished by the same person who demolished the two Lloyd Road houses) was beautiful before it was painted white. It was by East Orange architect, Edward Bowser Jr., I remember. There were beautiful star magnolia trees.
frankgg,
I first have to say I thoroughly enjoyed your October,2018 MDW Historic Montclair podcast on PodClair. Thank you! Great job!
I remember the demolition of the house on the SW corner of Watchung & U. Mtn.
As I recall, they left one wall standing which I understand it then technically does not count as a demolition.
One of the problems a new demo ordinance will have to deal with.
I don’t know if you have had a chance to look at the site plan for this mega-mansion. Once past the obvious features, I was struck how the design features seems to strongly lend themselves to both entertaining and privacy/security. I do worry about the lighting plan. Combined with the removal of the trees for an unobstructed view to the East, this mansion could easily be renamed Lumens on Lloyd. Let’s hope the applicant shows some sensitivity to the minimize over-illumination of First Mountain. Unfortunately, there are now several aesthetically distressing examples along the ridge line.
https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-9gefp-9cc6cb Thank you so much Frank! Here is the link to the Montclair History podcast that Montclair Design Week produced last year for MDW. We’re working on some more for this year’s MDW.