Expansion considered for Upper Greenwood Lake neighborhood commercial zone

The question of whether to expand a Neighborhood Commercial Zone on the western side of Upper Greenwood Lake has been referred by the Township of West Milford Council to the West Milford Planning Board for its consideration and review.

Extension of the Neighborhood Commercial (NC) zone along Warwick Tpk., on the western side, to Florence Road is the section under discussion.

The Township Council, at their Feb. 16 meeting, adopted a resolution referring the matter to the Planning Board. The request asks the board to conduct a Master Plan reexamination, to review that specific area to allow such an expansion, and if not in conformity with the Master Plan, to make that update to the Master Plan.

“Assuming expansion is in conformity, either with the existing Master Plan or upon update, the Township of West Milford might introduce an ordinance that might allow such expansion and be consistent with the Master Plan,” the Council’s resolution said.

Presently the Utopia Deli at 355 Warwick Turnpike at the top of the mountain begins the short present business zone. The long existing Pioneer Tavern, back to the 1940s days of Fritz Seifert, is across the road. The area has been known as “Pioneer Corner” for a long time.

When the tavern was first in business decades ago, the township did not have ordinances controlling land use. Since the Upper Greenwood Lake community was started in the 1930s, many rules and regulations have been put into place in the township. Ed and Diane Murphy and their son Ned (all deceased) owned the property where Utopic Deli is located. They had an auto repair garage business when they owned the property.