Planners Urge Standards For New Elmwood Gardens

The Elmwood Gardens housing complex was declared in need of redevelopment in October 2011, but how it will be done is still under discussion.

The Planning Board heard Thursday from Michael Sullivan, lead planner for Clarke, Caton and Hintz, on issues regarding a redevelopment plan. The firm is preparing the plan and the discussion included parking strategies, density and possible expansion of the site as well as ways to make the project "green."

The talk soon became a polite tug of war between Sullivan, who cast things in light of what a developer might or not be willing to do, and the board, with members holding out for desired design standards.

"The developer is not first here," acting chairman Ron Scott-Bey told Sullivan.

On parking, the board specified 1.1 spaces per dwelling unit, but Sullivan said in other places, low-income housing developments calculate .9 or 1 per unit. He also suggested that because West Second Street is 45 feet wide next to the site, on-street reverse-angle parking could be employed. But the board did not want any parking on the street and asked whether the site could be enlarged through acquisition of adjacent properties.

Reverse-angle parking is where drivers back in to a space. Asked whether there are any studies on its use, Sullivan said studies show it is much safer than face-in parking and is easier than using a 90-degree space. Board member Horace Baldwin asked for examples of its use in New Jersey.

"Flesh it out a little more," he said, asking whether its use in Plainfield would be a pilot project..

But Sullvan said the only example he had seen was in Pottstown, Penna.

The Elmwood Gardens site formerly had a density of 31 units per acre, but the board wants 18 per acre for the new housing. Sullivan repeatedly cited how tight it made the plan, necessitating trade-offs. For example, the plan calls for a community room for tenants' use, but as far as adding open space, Sullivan said residents could walk to a nearby park.

Board member Willliam Toth raised a concern about inclusion of green initiatives, such as solar panels, bike routes and personal outdoor space. Sullivan called it a "tough proposition" to fit the latter items into the proposed grid pattern for the new complex..Solar panels would trigger other compromises, he said.

Toth also inquired about LEED certification, but Sullivan said developers say they want LEED standards without the $50,000 certification.

Board member Gordon Fuller asked whether the Authority would still be the landlord at the new complex and Executive Director Randall Wood said it would come back to the Housing Authority after 15 years.

The meeting adjourned with some questions still unanswered, such as comparative density and parking allowances in other low income housing complexes.

Meanwhile, at a Nov. 26 special City Council meeting, Wood said all the Elmwood Gardens tenants have been relocated. At the Nov. 12 meeting of the Plainfield Municipal Utilities Authority, officials said the authority has a "memorandum of understanding" with the Housing Authority to dispose of debris when Elmwood Gardens is razed and they hope to have a contract once the demolition begins.

The concerns about conditions at Elmwood Gardens go back many years (see 2008 post here), but notable figures, including the late Mayor Richard L. Taylor, grew up there and urban fiction author J.M. Benjamin based his book, "My Manz And 'Em," on his experiences there. On Thursday, Planning Board member Sandra Chambers recalled growing up there. She wanted to know how it will be decided which relocated tenants can go back and whether there will still be a basketball court.

"People have nice memories," she said.

--Bernice