Hopes to center revitalization around city train stations surfaced very early in the first term of Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs, now completing her second term and aiming for a third. In 2006, the mayor advocated having four "transit villages," a state designation that singles out a municipality for special assistance in such revitalization.
Click here to read Plaintalker's post on those early plans.
There was a flaw in the thinking at that time, as the administration wanted these "villages" to spring up around four city train stations, two of which had long since been demolished. And the designation goes to the municipality, not a train station, so there could never be four transit villages here, even if the defunct stations were somehow revived.
The thinking has evolved more toward "transit-oriented development," though officials still intend to apply for transit village designation in 2013. Meanwhile, an ordinance establishing seven zones for "Transit-Oriented Development Downtown" has passed on first reading and will be up for a public hearing and final passage at the City Council's Nov. 19 meeting. Plaintalker missed the Oct. 1 presentation on the TODD zones due to being in Seattle, but will give a detailed report before the hearing.
Readers can learn more about transit-oriented development here. Just as the advent of the railroad brought about the city's expansion and prosperity in the late 19th Century, TOD principles are held up today as the key to 21st Century revitalization for municipalities with train stations. May it be so for Plainfield.
--Bernice
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Bernice,
ReplyDeleteYes! We need your expertise to tell the story of how Plainfield is moving towards TOD. I have seen the proposal and must say that the Planning Department and those involved on the planning deserve all the praise we can give them! I think this time around we could be looking at a feasible plan, I truly hope, for the sake of us all, that everything works out.
Back when I was working for the City we put together a Transit Village designation proposal for the state to consider. What the state official said at the time -- about 2004 -- is we had all the necessary eligibility criteria in hand except a designated developer -- the mass transit location and a redevelopment plan which included Transit Oriented development criteria. Developer Frank Cretella came to Plainfield in mid-2005 under Al's term and was designated either around that time or under Sharon's first term (I can't remember which). Regardless he is still here and has been a designated developer for the North Ave Redevlopment Zone for years now so why didn't the city submit an application for designation before now?
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