WEST ORANGE, NJ — West Orange Planning Board member Jerry Eben resigned from his position as a trustee of the Downtown West Orange Alliance during the nonprofit’s Dec. 21 meeting following some tense exchanges and a near vote to remove him from the board.
Eben announced his resignation just as DWOA Chairman John McElroy called for the vote, which is legal according to the alliance’s bylaws. Specifically, the bylaws state: “A trustee may be removed with or without cause by affirmative vote of two-thirds of the entire board.”
But Eben did not allow his colleagues to decide his fate, instead reading a letter stating his decision to leave of his own volition while also criticizing the board and township administration. The licensed architect said the administration and several trustees are “truly not set on improving the aesthetics of the downtown, as I have been actively trying to do for nearly four decades.” And that is bad for West Orange, he said, because the downtown area will never improve if its problems continue to be overlooked.
“Design excellence is the foundation for a livable community,” Eben said. “An attractive locality draws residents and visitors alike. It brings commerce and tax revenue into the community. Our mission should focus on ‘bringing us back from the brink,’ not ignoring the obvious existing degradation of a once proud and historic area.”
But Eben did not go quietly; prior to resigning he demanded that McElroy read the charges prompting the removal vote, at one point insisting he wouldn’t leave his seat until McElroy did so. However, the chairman said he would not discuss those reasons publicly and that Eben had already received a letter from the board regarding his potential removal so the reasons should be obvious to him.
“I think you’re very well aware of what this is about,” McElroy said. “You’ve been talked to about your actions.”
When Eben repeated that he wouldn’t leaving without hearing the charges, McElroy answered that no one was asking Eben to leave, but “we’re just voting you off the board.”
This did not sit well with Lewis Dorf, a trustee who recently joined the board. Though he was aware that Eben had had conflicts with some members of the alliance and township administration, Dorf said he had not been asked his opinion as to whether Eben should be removed, adding that the matter had never been discussed during any meetings. He said he would like to hear the charges too — otherwise it would be unfair.
“It does sound to me like a kangaroo court,” Dorf said. “You’re telling him he’s being voted off the board when the whole purpose of this meeting is to discuss whether or not he should be voted off the board. You’re coming in here with an assumption, which is outrageous. Just because you’re the chairman of this committee doesn’t give you the right to just dictate what the nine or 10 or 11 people on this board or going to do or presume what the outcome is going to be.”
McElroy responded that the board has had “problems” with Eben long before Dorf became involved but, due to Eben’s “combative nature,” the board did not want to have a conversation about the issues during the meeting.
The tension even continued when Eben was in the midst of resigning. Dorf noticed that McElroy was scrolling through his phone while Eben was reading his letter, prompting him to ask: “Don’t you owe him the respect of listening to him instead of being on your phone?” The chairman did not answer.
Speaking to the West Orange Chronicle after his resignation, Eben said he was shown no respect during the meeting. And while McElroy never revealed why the board tried to remove him, Eben said he knows the reason. According to Eben, Mayor Robert Parisi asked him to resign from both the DWOA board and the West Orange Planning Board in May, a request Eben refused. As a result, he said, the DWOA board was “doing the mayor’s bidding.”
“The mayor got his way,” Eben said in a Dec. 22 phone interview. “This is his way of getting me off the board.”
But Parisi said such an idea is “ridiculous,” pointing out that the DWOA is an autonomous body that makes its own decisions. Though he acknowledged that he did ask Eben to resign, the mayor said he never directed the board to do anything. Parisi said the trustees likely tried to remove Eben for the same reason the mayor himself wanted him to resign: his “belligerent behavior.”
“He treats people like garbage,” Parisi, who originally appointed Eben to the board, told the Chronicle in a Dec. 22 phone interview. “He had sent out any number of offensive emails personally attacking people, and I felt that his behavior was completely unprofessional. And as long as he was representing me on that board, I did not think that was called for. So I asked him to resign.
“He can blame everyone else he wants,” Parisi continued. “But if myself and 10 members of that board all felt he shouldn’t serve there, then maybe he needs to look at himself.”
Eben denied that he ever sent belligerent emails or treated anyone poorly. Instead, he said, he is merely honest in his opinions that West Orange could look a lot better than it currently does. A key reason for that, he said, is because the township does a bad job enforcing zoning ordinances and property-maintenance rules. He said he has complained for years about issues such as Dumpster doors being left open, storefronts not being swept, and a light pole that has been leaning for more than two years at the 7-Eleven on Central and Valley.
As an architect with nearly 50 years of experience — including stints as a national board member for the American Institute of Architects and a president of the AIA’s New Jersey chapter — Eben said the infractions are glaring to him and he cannot understand why the township has not acted.
“There are hundreds of those violations throughout the whole town,” Eben said. “And nobody cares. Nobody has done anything about it.”
The mayor said Eben has brought issues to his attention, but added that Eben has proved to be factually incorrect many times. Parisi added that Eben may have grievances because he was not hired as the township’s planner or zoning official, two positions he said Eben has lobbied for in the past. And while Eben may have problems with the township’s efforts, Parisi has no complaints.
“The administration is comfortable with how we enforce the zoning laws of this community,” Parisi said.
West Orange zoning official Geniece Gary-Adams did not respond to request for comment before press time Jan. 3.
According to Eben, he did offer to handle planning, zoning and property-maintenance duties for the township when Parisi took office in 2010 and then-planning director Susan Borg was about to retire. But he said the fact that he did not get those jobs has no bearing on why he complains. He also denied that he has made factually incorrect assertions adding that many of the issues he brought up in the past are still present today.
At the same time, Eben said the DWOA should be doing more to help businesses in the Special Improvement District. Events such as the Mayor’s 5K Run/Walk and Holiday Open House are nice to hold, he said, but they do not do anything to bring people downtown beyond one day. He said helping businesses improve their appearance will make the area more attractive and residents more willing to shop there.
DWOA Executive Director Megan Brill said the alliance has always done this; in fact, Brill said the organization spent more than $10,000 in matching grants in 2016 to help roughly 15 businesses improve their storefronts, with improvements such as signage, lighting and power washing. She said the alliance also offers seminars so owners can learn about ways to improve their businesses.
Looking ahead, Brill said the DWOA plans to focus on addressing design issues in 2017. She said letters will go out to property owners detailing the rules for how stores should look so they can make repairs. If necessary, the alliance will knock on their doors and personally explain what needs to be done, Brill said. This was done recently when Brill and Trustee Mike Brick got a new chicken restaurant in town to remove an awning that residents complained about on social media.
Additionally, Brill said the DWOA will look into ways of beautifying Main Street, including the addition of planters and the dedication of resources to cover more frequent street power washing and garbage removal. Overall, she said, the nonprofit will continue to build relationships with business owners for the betterment of all.
“You can’t just send letters or make phone calls,” Brill told the Chronicle in a Dec. 22 phone interview. “You need to have a face-to-face relationship with them so things will change. And things are changing.”
The DWOA Board of Trustees is also set to change now that Eben has resigned. Since Eben was appointed by the mayor, Brill said Parisi will have to choose a replacement, though there is no deadline for doing so. Parisi said he has not considered anyone for the job yet.
The remaining trustees had mixed emotions following their colleague’s departure. Brick said he was glad Eben had resigned so the board did not have to vote him out; without being specific, he said he was torn about the situation.
“It’s regrettable on a personal basis but necessary on a professional basis,” Brick told the Chronicle after the meeting.
Trustee and Councilman Jerry Guarino said the situation was tough for him, as he has known Eben for 35 years. While he did not want to get into why Eben was almost removed, Guarino did say he hopes Eben will not become a stranger.
“Even though he resigned, I hope he still comes to our meetings,” Guarino told the Chronicle after the meeting. “I hope he still gives his input. All I can say is, I just wish him the best and thank him for his years of service.”
McElroy declined to comment on Eben’s resignation. But the chairman, who was re-elected into that position at the meeting, did say he was looking forward to making the DWOA’s annual events better than ever in 2017. He added that he is looking forward to taking advantage of the benefits the Edison Village redevelopment project will bring to the downtown area when completed.
In all, McElroy is optimistic about the year ahead.
“I want to continue moving in a positive direction to help the downtown of West Orange,” McElroy told the Chronicle after the meeting’s adjournment.
Meanwhile, Eben said he will continue trying to help the township through his work on the Planning Board. Though he is critical of the way the town looks now, he said he loves West Orange and wants to see it prosper. That is why he has served on the Zoning Board, Environmental Commission and the Main Street Development Corporation — the precursor to the DWOA — in addition to his time with the alliance and planning board.
Still, Eben said he cannot help but think the DWOA is losing out on an asset now that he will no longer be there to analyze business plans and offer his architectural experience.
Photos by Sean Quinn
Eben resigns from DWOA board before he can be removed added by Sean Quinn on
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