Aidan Vanhoof

Sometimes, when I’m feeling good, I try really hard not to think about what billionaire property developer Zygmunt Wilf’s trying to do with the Second Watchung Mountain Ridge forest in West Orange, NJ. Essentially, he’s attempting to blow it up. Yes–blow it up, all to build a 496-unit housing development atop it. At the moment, the mountain is untouched, healthy land essential for various ecosystems and wildlife conservation efforts, meaning environmental groups are scrambling to prevent Wilf’s company, Garden Homes, from developing on it.

Economically, New Jersey is subject to a housing crisis. Housing’s scarce, meaning housing is pricey. But projects like this won’t help, as the housing it’d create isn’t accessible, being far away from any schools, downtown areas, or grocery stores. The few who could access it would be the wealthy, those for whom affordable housing is not made.

This isn’t worthy of our support. It’s not economically beneficial and it’s environmentally idiotic. None except Wilf and his band of investors will gain.