Billionaire NFL owner wants to build affordable housing on a pristine NJ hilltop and locals are mad as hell

Locals in West Orange, NJ aren’t just shouting from the rooftops — they’re shouting about what might be built above them. A billionaire’s bid to transform a pristine hilltop with Manhattan skyline views into a nearly 500-unit apartment complex is the latest drama in a decades-old land use battle in the tony town — and this time, the argument involves affordable housing.Owned by the family of Minnesota Vikings co-owner Zygmunt “Zygi” Wilf, the 120-acre wooded parcel in the Watchung Mountains will be developed by Wilf’s Garden Homes, a real estate firm, NJ.com reported.Besides clearing roughly 30 acres of woodland, the developer’s vision includes a four-building, four-story complex with amenities like a clubhouse and pool.Of the 496 units, 100 are designated as affordable housing.While the plan goes to help satisfy the township’s state-mandated housing obligations, locals say the environmental and public safety risks are simply too steep.“Public safety and irreparable environmental harm trump, if you will, affordable housing,” said Joseph Pannullo, president of grassroots group We Care NJ, in an interview with NJ.com.The roots of the current plan trace back to New Jersey’s controversial Mount Laurel Doctrine — a series of court rulings requiring municipalities to provide their fair share of affordable housing.West Orange, like many other towns, has faced pressure to comply.

The saga began back in 2006, when the Wilf’s proposed a less inclusive project for the property, which was rejected over similar concerns — including flooding, steep slopes, and limited emergency access.Finally, in 2020, local officials struck a court-approved deal with developers — Garden Homes got the go-ahead, so long as it introduced an affordable component that helped the town meet its mandate. “It’s a situation where the law is very coercive from a municipality’s point of view,” West Orange Council President Joe Krakoviak told Realtor.com.“Munic...