Luxury housing in Highland Park

An interesting slow-motion debate is continuing in Highland Park (right across the river from campus) a small 2 sq mile borough with about 18,000 residents. A proposal has been made to convert an old industrial site along the tracks into a 178-unit development of luxury apartments and townhomes. At a public meeting the other night, the public was not able to comment but did ask questions:

Avalon Bay has asserted that changing the zoning to allow the residential community would be "deintensifying" agent because of diminished truck traffic that would be traveling the adjacent roadways.

Several residents were suspicious of that claim.

"So the extra 300 people down the block from me will make it less intense for me?" Rein asked.

Lange said "Yes."