Westfield Advocates for Responsible Development (“Westfield Advocates”) is an independent, non-partisan, not-for-profit organization that brings residents together to amplify their voices to advocate for responsible and appropriately scaled development projects in the Westfield community’s public interest. 


Campaign 2024

MAKE A GIFT TODAY: SUPPORT WESTFIELD ADVOCATES

PROTECT OUR TOWN FROM OVERDEVELOPMENT TO STAY SUBURBAN:

Your contributions are critical to support our legal challenges against overdevelopment including actions to correct major mis-steps in historic preservation and urbanization.

  1. One Westfield Place: legally enforce proper development process, support master plan compliance to inspire responsible development and bring Hudson Bay Co. back to the table. Keep the nature and quality of our town, let's stay suburban!

  2. Work to rescind the 'Area of Rehabilitation' and 'Area of Redevelopment' from our town ordinances and resolutions.

  3. Work to change the State Redevelopment Law. See draft NJ State Legislative bills A1037 and A1038 sponsored by Assemblywomen Munoz and Matisoukis January 2024.

  4. Build community consensus and be a voice of residents for all future development coming down the pike.

Checks can be made out to and mailed to: Westfield Advocates, PO Box 2595, Westfield, NJ 07091

Town Council Change Is On Its Way

January 2, 2024

Swearing In Ceremony - Westfield Municipal Building

  • Process Matters

  • Transparency Matters

  • Responsible Development Matters

Town Council will now have 4 new council Ward representatives to add balance for future discussions and decisions.

We look forward to critical thinkers, independent voices and thought leaders.

Westfield Advocates is a 501c4, independent, non-partisan, not-for-profit organization that brings residents together to amplify their voices to advocate for responsible and appropriately scaled development projects in the Westfield community’s public interest. 

Our goal is to prioritize reasonable development that maintains the suburban character of our town, full transparency in local government and fiscally responsible decisions impacting the future of Westfield. We support initiatives that enhance education, improve infrastructure, and promote economic growth while maintaining the suburban character and scale of the existing town. We believe by working together, we can build a stronger and more prosperous community for generations to come. Join us in our mission to make Westfield a better place to live, work, and thrive.

Your contributions are critical to support our legal challenges against overdevelopment is a major step to cross-correct major mis-steps in historic preservation and urbanization.


The Sophia: Prospect Street & Ferris Place

The Sophia: Prospect St. & Ferris Pl
The Sophia: Prospect Street & Ferris Pl
  • 60 Units + Retail on less than 1 acre

  • 4 Stories

  • Relocation of the designated historic home to accommodate parking

A lawsuit has been filed by our organization on behalf of our fellow residents, and we need your financial support to maintain this legal challenge!

After significant opposition from Westfield residents in all 4 Wards, 2000+ signatures on a petition requesting a scaled-down plan and substantial feedback during Town Council and Planning Board meetings, resident input and requests to delay final vote were ignored. 

Overwhelmingly, the residents of Westfield acknowledged the rights of the developer to build and have simply requested a scaled down version, more fitting with the neighborhood and compliant with existing town of Westfield zoning restrictions. THIS WAS IGNORED. 

As a result, “Westfield Advocates” was formed and commissioned an attorney, who enthusiastically took our case in the Fall of 2022.

The presiding judge determined our case had merit and the hearing was held on October 27, 2023, and on December 14, 2023 the judge issued her ruling in favor of the Defendent, the Planning Board.

On January 25, 2024 we filed a Notice of Appeal to preserve our rights as we consider our legal options.

If you care about this project and are frustrated with the lack of citizen representation, please donate, share with others and help us reach our goal!

Donate to the Prospect/Ferris Legal Fund

One Westfield Place

  • 65 Feet Tall/ 5 Story Buildings at Lord & Taylor site

  • 13,000 Sq. Feet of Retail at Lord & Taylor Site

  • South Side parking lots sold in no-bid deal

  • 2 Office Buildings & 2 Parking Garages at So. Side lot

  • Net loss of 35 parking spots

  • Separation of North & South Side

  • Not part of our Affordable Housing Obligation

  • Forfeited conventional taxes and un-necessary, risky PILOT financing

  • 35 inconsistencies with our Master Plan

Westfield Advocates has filed a law suit on behalf of our fellow residents. Read more here.

Once again, concerns regarding size, scale, traffic, parking, financial assumptions, support for our downtown Central Business District and irreversible destruction of our historic town character were ignored by our Mayor, Town Council and Planning Board.

Constructive, reasonable alternatives were ignored.

Our Town Council has recklessly approved this plan but your voice still matters. Sign our petition, donate to our legal fund, spread the word and join our Facebook group for updates. Learn more about alternatives below.

Donate to the OWP Legal Fund

Read the full article here and donate to the OWP Legal Fund and Ferris-Prospect Fund above!

One Westfield Place

Ferris - Prospect (The Sophia)

Westfield Advocates File Lawsuits on Behalf of Residents


One Westfield Place Alternate Feasibility Analysis

See the alternate view on the town's feasibility analysis and case for PILOT tax break for OWP which was presented to the Mayor and Town Council in advance of the Town Council meeting on Tuesday, 3/14/2023.

Read the report here



Boulevard heading towards South Ave, before and after One Westfield Place

Apartments on Lord & Taylor Site, Townhouses across the street - View looking west on North Avenue

Apartments on Lord & Taylor Site, -View looking east on North Avenue

Planning Board and Town Council Approve of Lord & Taylor/Train Station Redevelopment Plan, disregarding Westfield Advocates Inconsistencies Report Submission

Westfield Advocates and subject-matter-experts in traffic, city planning, architecture & finance reviewed the Master Plan, the Unified Land Use and Circulation Element (ULUC) and the Lord & Taylor/Train Station Redevelopment Plan to ensure the Redevelopment Plan consistency with the Master Plan.

We found over 35 inconsistencies with the Master Plan and submitted a formal document to the Planning Board and Town Council, requesting a PAUSE in approval of the Plan until the inconsistencies were addressed.

The Planning Board did not acknowledge them and approved the Redevelopment Plan unanimously. The Town Council also disregarded our concerns and approved the Redevelopment Plan 7-1 (Councilman Parmalee was absent and Councilman LoGrippo voted ‘No’)

With their vote to approve the Redevelopment Plan in it’s current iteration, our Town Council told the people of Westfield that the Master Plan is irrelevant, as they disregarded any inconsistencies and approved this plan.

See our document


The Redevelopment Plan has been published and it’s WORSE than we thought

Building heights at the Lord & Taylor Site have increased to 75 Feet and Retail space has increased to 13,000 square feet, which can include shopping, restaurants and breweries. Read the plan here.

This creates a second, self-contained business district that competes with our downtown and does not support it.

Our Town Council has recklessly approved this plan but your voice still matters. Sign our petition, spread the word and return to this website for updates.

One Westfield Place


The fight for transparency and true community input is not over!

Sign our Petition to voice your objection to the current plan for One Westfield Place, the irreversible damage it will cause to our downtown, the lack of transparency during the 4 years of planning and refusal to provide answers to critical questions about financing and revenue assumptions.

Time is of the Essence! The Redevelopment Plan, which finalized outrageous zoning changes (75 Foot Tall buildings at the Lord & Taylor site and 55 Foot Tall Buildings in our downtown) has been approved 7-1 by our Town Council and Mayor.

Next, is the Redevelopment Agreement, which will finalize financing, bonds and the PILOT agreement. We still have many unanswered questions about the financing of this project.

See our list of open financial questions here.

Sign the Petition and request a lawn sign above.


Our Mission

Westfield Advocates for Responsible Development (“Westfield Advocates”) is an independent, non-partisan, not-for-profit organization that brings residents together to amplify their voices and contribute professional development expertise to advocate for responsibly programmed and appropriately scaled development projects in the Westfield community’s public interest. 

In recent years, the voice of Westfield residents has been ignored by our elected officials as it pertains to future development and the best interests of our town. 

As a community-based volunteer organization we will promote public transparency and respect for planning and development best practices that will maintain and enhance the existing architecture, livability, and sense of place that has been enjoyed and celebrated as the essence of Westfield’s classic town character and charm.

We will advocate for our community on development projects that are ‘rushed’ through the approval process, lack transparency in contract bidding process, use questionable sources for traffic & environmental studies and do not recognize the thoughtful input from the residents that our officials represent. 

To be clear, Westfield Advocates fully supports the addition of affordable housing units in a properly scaled redevelopment project. We reject any suggestion that this citizen group has any concerns in this regard.

Prospect Street-Ferris Place Development (The Sophia)

A lawsuit has been filed by our organization and we need your financial support to maintain this legal challenge!

After significant opposition from Westfield residents in all 4 Wards, 2000+ signatures on a petition requesting a scaled-down plan and substantial feedback during several Town Council and Planning Board meetings, resident input and requests to delay final vote were ignored. 

Overwhelmingly, the residents of Westfield acknowledged the rights of the developer to build and simply requested a scaled down version, more fitting with the neighborhood and compliant with existing town of Westfield zoning restrictions. THIS WAS IGNORED. 

As a result, “Westfield Advocates” was formed and commissioned an attorney to evaluate legal options for our voices to be heard.

If you care about this project and are frustrated with the lack of citizen representation, please donate, share with others and help us reach our goal!


Learn More about One Westfield Place

Unfortunately, the same pattern is emerging with One Westfield Place: the massive redevelopment plan for the Lord & Taylor site & downtown that will alter downtown Westfield forever.

Major aspects of this project were decided with no public input and is already in advanced stages of development, with very little time for public input. Learn more here and follow the timeline through the press here.

We will continue to add updates here and join us on Facebook and Instagram

Volunteer

We Need Your Help!

TIME & TALENT: One thing Westfield has in abundance is an extremely talented citizenry in a wide range of professional fields.

We need your time and expertise to help with legal, land use/development, engineering, environmental impact, traffic, fundraising, PR, community education, petitions, letter-writing campaigns, social media and more.

We need vocal citizens to regularly attend and engage at meetings of the Town Council, Zoning and Planning Board

We need you to spread the word for fundraising and to get more people educated, informed and involved!



Contact

We’d love to hear from you!

Please contact us with any questions.

Email
westfieldadvocates@gmail.com