DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,
On April 24, the Township Council voted 6-0 to approve a lease for a senior center in part of the Mills Building at 60 South Fullerton. Are 6-0 and 60 more than a coincidence?
Sincerely,
Sixth Sense
I plan to drive 60 mph on the Parkway to put some distance between myself and your silly question.
DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,
The Mills lease start date is December 1, correct?
Sincerely,
Late-Fall Paul
Correct. A day that also kicks off National Car Donation Month. If I start driving today, I figure I can reach Cape May by December before giving away my motor vehicle.
DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,
As you’ve discussed before, the coming senior space is both great news and “interesting” news. Can you once again explain what you meant?
Sincerely,
Rabid Redux
Montclair’s many seniors pushed hard for, and deserve, this long-awaited space. But the center is also a way for the interim township manager and a certain developer to try to burnish their mixed reputations. This fact was verified by Sir Mix-a-Lot.
DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,
The rapper? Yes, interim manager Michael Lapolla had a mixed record before helping to broker the senior center deal, and is hoping to continue in his high-paid post after a new Council is sworn in on July 1. Meanwhile…
Sincerely,
Summer in (the Suburb Meets) the City
…the Placek Family Foundation-owned Mills Building is connected to developer David Placek, who’s hoping his currently too-big Lackawanna Plaza redo will be re-approved by the Council before people start observing National Not Observing Anything Month.
DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,
And “interesting” that the seven-months-in-the-future lease is being rushed through by the lame-duck Council despite some details with the Mills Building not yet being worked out. Comment?
Sincerely,
Swift, But Not Taylor
Amazing how fast the Council is with some things and how slow with other things as it meets at 205 Claremont. It’s like “The Tortoise and the Hare” — Aesop fable number 226 that has more of a 205 vibe.
DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,
Meanwhile, I wish our town’s officials had been better at observing National Cyber Security Awareness Month (which really exists). Why do I say that?
Sincerely,
Cy Young and Cy Old
Well, last year’s cyber attack on Montclair was bad enough, but it took about NINE MONTHS for our municipality to recently inform some residents that their Social Security numbers and other personal info was accessed. Nine months is not only three-quarters of a year but three-eighths of two years!
DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,
That delay is horrible.
Sincerely,
Bad News Bared
Also three-sixteenths of three years.
DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,
Was this the biggest data breach since what happened to Lt. Commander Data on some memorable episodes of “Star Trek: The Next Generation”?
Sincerely,
Make It Sew
You just reminded me of National Spaceship Donation Month.
DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,
Donating spare spaceships leaves more room for seniors to park their cars in the Mills Building lot.
Sincerely,
V.A. Culls
Did you just say something? I was busy returning Ray Bradbury’s “R Is for Rocket” book to the library next door.
DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,
At 50 South Fullerton! Is that address and the Council’s first senior center vote of 5-0 on April 10 more than a coincidence?
Sincerely,
Fifty Is Nifty
I also plan to drive 50 mph on Route 3 to put some distance between myself and your second silly question.
Dave Astor, author, is the MontClairVoyant. His opinions about politics and local events are strictly his own and do not represent or reflect the views of Montclair Local.
It’s a “Hub”, not a Senior “Center.”
2 rooms, one of which is for staff offices. Possible use of other parts of the building is vague, at best.
Activities will still mostly be spread around town at other facilities.
We’ll see what Dec. 1 brings.
Thank you for the comment, Jussi TT van Vick! I referenced that in the column by saying the senior center would be “in part of” the Mills Building, but I appreciate the clarification. More of a senior “space” than a senior “center” coming to Mills, and, as has been said, there will still be senior activities at the Edgemont Park House and Glenfield Park’s Wally Choice Community Center after the Mills lease begins on December 1.
@ daveastor- understandably this is your opinion column and you’re free to write what you want. I do think my reputation is only “mixed” among those who have never met me.
We’re all humans; we all want certain things and have a distain for others – however, don’t judge those you don’t know. My family and I have been contributing to Montclair well before developing- ask around. I remember the echo from years past that can still be heard throughout town “let’s find a local developer to build Lackawanna.” Remember those chants?
Good things are hard to do- a saying in our house. Let’s not get lost through the process and remember that we’re all humans. We can disagree- but let’s leave the petty name calling and innuendo out of it.
“The Developer”
PS- the invitation is always open to meet. I just hate to think what such a meeting could do to alter your “opinion.”
Thank you for your comment, David.
I had heard that you contributed to Montclair before getting into the development business here; good for you! But once a person becomes involved with something like the Lackawanna Plaza redo, they shouldn’t also be involved with another deal with the township. It gives the appearance — whether justified or not — of currying favor; of a quid-pro-quo of sorts. In this case, before the Township Council votes again on the (currently still too big) Lackawanna plan, you’re helping the Council and the interim township manager with the agreement to make part of the Mills Building a senior space. Putting the nicest spin on that, you’re doing a good thing for the township and for seniors. Putting a more cynical spin on it, you’re creating a situation that could indirectly lead to more future earnings for you in the development sphere.
What someone is like personally is irrelevant here; actions are what is important. I’ve observed and/or met prominent officials and businesspeople in Montclair who seem like nice people but have criticized their actions.
David P,
As long as you’re here would you share you position on the Historic Preservation’s recommendation to designate the Label Street Historic District?
Ah, this is so cute! Dave Placek wants to invite Dave Astor for coffee to change his “opinion”. I’m not surprised because Dave Placek appears to have “met for coffee” with about half the town and “opinions” got changed indeed. Peter Yacobellis seems to have been a heavy contributor here, if not the catalyst.
Sadly, the Town seems to have gotten fractured in the process. Not just over Lackawanna, but over broader/deeper issues that came out in the wash. Stay strong and don’t change, Dave. I mean Astor.
Thank you, discipulus! I enjoyed your comment, and the way you ended it. 🙂 Yes, some major developers — whether they’re nice people or not — have had too much influence/power in Montclair. Can’t totally blame them for trying to wield that influence/power; it’s the responsibility of our elected and appointed officials to push back on that wielding when the results would not be positive for our town. Unfortunately, too many of those officials have not pushed back; they’ve enabled.
@ daveastor- I’ll help keep your column alive with all the things we’ll work to achieve in this town. I welcome your criticism and appreciate you sharing your “opinion.”
@ Frank Rubacky- I believe you mean the Label Street Manufacturing Historic District. Oh wait, last minute name change after it was disputed that no manufacturing buildings remain. Happy to discuss with you anytime, give me a shout.
@discupulus – I thought the whole idea was to meet people around town and see what they want for the town, but I get the frustration that we all don’t want the same thing.
Thank you for the reply, David. I also keep the column alive by gleaning tips from Mary Shelley’s novel “Frankenstein.” 🙂
Dave P,
Thank you for your reply. Thank you also for giving me the measure of you as the man.
Dave P,
I don’t have strong feelings on Lackawanna, other than I think it should be developed and have a supermarket. The current project seems a bit big but I’m not an expert on this.
What I am bothered by is how unseemly some of the process was. How it became political, and how it split the community. Many say that you will do what you want “at all cost” and they are bothered that you seem to have had some backdoor dealings with the Mayor and (former) Councilor Yacobellis. I’ve heard from a number of residents that they were disgusted by THAT, not by the project itself.
In other words, folks don’t like the fact that you inserted yourself smack in the middle of politics. I don’t remember guys from Ironstate doing anything like that.
“I’ll help keep your column alive with all the things we’ll work to achieve in this town.” – David Placek
Hm. I’d like to think that Dave Astor’s column will stay “alive” with or without Mr. Placek achieving all these “things”.
Frank:
“(…) measure of you as the man”? What do you mean by that?
I have nothing personal against Mr. Placek. Don’t know him but seems like nice enough a guy. He did something nice during Covid – I remember it was in the paper. But others here (and elsewhere) are right – looks like his dabbing in politics did not serve him well. I gather it’s not a coincidence that those that the candidates he supports are all in favor of his project.
Anyway, developers in general tend to get a bad rap, but not all are bad. Are you guys familiar with Bob Silver of Bravitas? Not only a good guy (lifelong phillantropist), but his work is just incredible! He is a bona fide artist at heart – I was absolutely blown away by some of his work. Discipulus mentioned Ironstate. Rock solid company. Some folks dislike Seymour Street development, but those guys were stellar as far as performance/professionalism goes. I know because I’ve heard from someone who worked on part of the project.
Going back to Mr. Placek, I’m quite curious how that Iris project will turn out. I haven’t had a chance to read about it much yet, but some say it looks okay on paper.
Thank you for your latest comment, discipulus. There certainly could have been more public input sought earlier in the process of the Lackawanna Plaza plan that was put together after Pinnacle dropped out. And I agree that a redevelopment (with a supermarket) is needed but…a somewhat smaller, somewhat different redevelopment.
Thank you for the kind comment, McAlistair! There are indeed enough things, good and bad, happening in Montclair to keep any weekly satirical column alive. And a conveniently located hospital (Mountainside) if any weekly satirical column has a life-threatening health issue. 🙂
Scriberman,
Unlike Lackawanna Plaza, Mr Placek has no financial interest in the Label Street properties. He is just a tenant of one of the historic buildings and a resident of Montclair. I hoped his reply would inject his personal values & beliefs. The phrasing of my reply simply acknowledged the success of my question’s purpose and, hence, a better understanding of the man.
Thank you for the comment, Scriberman! Yes, when developers directly or indirectly help candidates or officials already in office, it can be problematic. The “return on investment” they might get can be quite worth it for the developers.