The governing body is set to review and vote to approve (or deny) the redevelopment plan for the project “West Webster Avenue Area 1” which is locally known as the Hunter property.
The parcels of land involved are on West Webster Avenue next to the train tracks across from 7-Eleven and run from Locust Street all the way to the little league fields.
The Roselle Park Municipal Land Use Board (MLUB) reviewed the redevelopment plan and unanimously agreed that it is consistent with the borough’s master plan.
The four (4) points brought out by the MLUB which mayor & council will review are:
- Shared parking should not be automatically allowed in the plan. The MLUB suggested that the issue of shared parking remain an issue for the board’s consideration and something to be determined on a case by case basis.
- The redevelopment plan should provide more clarity as to who maintains the lighting at the premises set forth in the plan which is along a path that will be used by the public as part of a bike path.
- The redevelopment plan should explicitly add language that addresses three-bedroom residential units which are required under affordable housing laws.
- The redevelopment plan should address the use of the words/phrases ‘shall’, ‘should’, ‘encourages’, and ‘strongly encourages’ because the plan defines the difference between shall and should but not the difference between encourages and strongly encourages. In the plan ‘should’ is defined as something that a developer is encouraged – but is not required – to do.
The recommends were the result of discussion from the MLUB during their meeting where they approved the plan (link).
Council can agree or dismiss any or all of the recommendations provided by the MLUB. The governing body can incorporate any of the recommendations from the MLUB and proceed to the next step, which is negotiating the actual redeveloper’s agreement. If the governing body adds any changes are of a substantive change to the plan that were not part of the MLUB recommendations, the entire process will need to begin again with another review from the land use board.
The difference between the plan and the agreement is that a redevelopment plan sets forth the parameters of what can be developed in a specific area – how tall, how many units, types of units, parking, lighting, landscaping, etc. The redeveloper’s agreement is the specific proposed development that will go in that area. For example, a redevelopment plan can have a limit of a certain number of residential units, but a developer can have an agreement which sets a number lower than what was allowed for in a plan.
The redevelopment plan for Hunter has a maximum limit of four stories at 50 feet with 60 residential units. The plan allows for commercial space on the ground floor.
The four (4) matters are listed as resolutions 346-18 through 349-18.
Members of the public will have the opportunity to ask questions and/or make comments on these matters before council votes during the first public portion of the municipal meeting which is set to start a 7 p.m. on Thursday, December 6th. The meeting will be at the Roselle Park Municipal Complex located at 110 East Westfield Avenue.
A copy of the redevelopment plan is included below:
Download West Webster Avenue Area 1 Redevelopment Plan