Tonight's City Council agenda (Oct. 6) includes a necessary first step toward East Second Street revitalization, a four-year contract for city managers, another pothole repair plan and indications of environmental problems near police headquarters.
The meeting is 7:30 p.m. in Municipal Court, 325 Watchung Ave. Items accepted tonight will be up for voting at the regular meeting, 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14 at the same location.
- The council may authorize the Planning Board to conduct an investigation of properties in the East Second Street Neighborhood Commercial District to see whether they are in need of revitalization/redevelopment. A previous proposal in 2005 was never acted on. In 2012, students of Dr. Roland Anglin of the Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Policy developed strategies for plan for revitalization of the East Second Street corridor. The resolution to be considered Monday directs the Planning Board to make a formal study, hold a public hearing and send a recommendation back to the council, which may then direct the Planning Board to make a redevelopment/rehabilitation plan.
Merchants and residents of the district expected $1.2 million in Urban Enterprise Zone funds to be committed to improving the area and appeared before the council twice to plead for action. Finance Director Ron West said the UEZ funds that were turned back to the city still need an accounting. The planning process must also be honored before any expenditure.
- Legislation to be discussed tonight will give members of the Plainfield Municipal Management Association 1.5 percent cost-of-living increases annually from 2014 through 2017.
- Patch Management of Fairless Hills, Pa. is in line to receive up to $42,000 for pothole repairs throughout the city if the council approves its contract. The same firm received a $35,000 contract in April for pothole repairs.
- Among other sites, a study of 301-327 East Fourth Street revealed the need for further investigation for contaminants including heavy metals and "extractable petroleum hydrocarbons." The engineer's report notes former uses for coal and oil storage and the historic presence of factories at the site which point to the need for further investigation. As noted in the link above, the site was suggested as a possible location for a skateboard park in 2013. The site is just east of police headquarters.
The agenda has many other items of interest and bloggers will no doubt be spinning out stories and comments throughout the week before the regular meeting.
--Bernice
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Here we go again with another study. Anyone with half a brain knows the area needs revitalization, redevelopment and rehabilitation. It has needed it for years. Before we waste time and money on another study, lets focus the efforts on the downtown. If we start at the core of the problem instead of simply patching up areas here and there, the fix will come on its own over time. Lets start at the train station on North Ave. Clean up the station. Put in some nice landscaping around the station to make it more attractive to users. Fix the sidewalks. Replace the dead or missing trees. Provide some nice benches to sit on. The kind with arms all the way down so you cant sleep on them. Provide an area for the taxis to pick up and drop off their fares without blocking the roadways. Make sure the lighting is working. Pave the road to eliminate all the pot holes. Work with the business owners to cleanup their facades, windows, etc. Come up with a nice signage plan that can benefit the business' and attract more to come in. Get the junk off the sidewalks. Get the music inside the stores. Once we clean up this area, then it can be expanded to the next block and so on and so on. We already have Landmark working on restoring some of the buildings. Lets ride his coat tails and continue the improvements. Just a few tips of the obvious.
ReplyDeleteMight as well sell all the fancy paving equipment the town bought a few years ago when we were sold on city staff doing the work
ReplyDelete