Zoning, Planning Boards Meet This Week

I intended to write about two land use board meetings this week, but drifted away on the internet to musings on Imbolc, Brigid, Groundhog Day and other things that mark the quickening of the earth.

Snowdrops

Back to the original topic. The Zoning Board of Adjustment meets tonight (Wednesday,.Feb. 1) at 7 p.m. in City Hall Library, 515 Watchung Ave. and the Planning Board meets at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 2 in the same location. Agendas are online here.

Items of interest at the Zoning Board include the application proposing a laundromat at 400-406 West Front Street. A Google street view shows renovations at the former Sears Showroom, and a Union County Economic Development Corporation report describes it as a $1 million-plus project.for nine apartments  and retail use. I don't get around as much as I used to, so the Google image was quite interesting to me.

The applicant, Front Street Realty LLC, wants to install 32 washers and 18 dryers on the first floor.

Gavett Place Properties LLC (above) is applying to add a 400-square-foot studio apartment to 130-140 East Second Street, which has 12 apartments and ground-floor retail space. 

430-432 West Second Street

Judging by the date on the application, Alvin and Venus Hannah's case dates back to 2013. I wrote about their complicated situation in 2012, when they were seeking help from the community after a fire. The Hannahs are asking the Zoning Board for an interpretation of the city Land Use Ordinance regarding outdoor storage, in addition to other questions.

There are two other applications listed, but the list may change for various reasons. Last month, three of the five cases to be heard were carried to tonight's meeting.

On Thursday, the Planning Board agenda has no applications, but a Capital Project Review of the proposed Rushmore Playground Concession Stand and Restrooms Upgrade may be of interest. At the Jan. 17 City Council meeting, the project came into question. From a post on the council meeting:

Council members demanded more information about a concession stand and restroom upgrades at Rushmore Playground at a cost of $232,800. Toliver said it was "too much" and asked for details of the proposed construction.
The contractor is Hahr Construction of North Plainfield. Toliver asked what other concession stands the company had built and Rivers said she looked up the company online and didn't see where he built a concession stand.
City Administrator Rick Smiley said he could get the council "the schematics and what the contractor proposed."
The discussion included a mention of another concession stand (see details here) that cost $193,952.
"Maybe we should table this until we see what we are getting for our money," Rivers said. And tabled it was, unanimously. 

--Bernice

The Struggle Is On

Last week I heard a radio interview with Mayor Mick Cornett of Oklahoma City and was impressed by how articulately he described his city, its strengths and its needs. His comments reminded me that mayors in the current climate must be their cities' best ambassadors to state and federal government and other funding entities. In another interview Cornett and other mayors said political infighting must be set aside for the sake of maintaining and advancing their cities.

Having covered seven administrations as a reporter or blogger, I have seen a broad range of approaches to the role of mayor - diplomatic, kleptocratic, shunning phonies, hiring cronies,  acting regal, barely legal, governmental, kind of mental, up to the task, don't even ask! Some think the title is all about them, some understand they are stewards  for a term. Iron fist in velvet glove, or acting purely out of love ...

Well, the filing date for the June primary is April 3. The mayoralty and two City Council seats are up for election this year. In this heavily Democratic city, folk wisdom is that winners of the primary will take the general election in November. Plainfield Republicans are outnumbered more than 14 to 1 by Democrats, but there could be a GOP candidate or two this year. On Primary Day (June 6), independent candidates can file to be on the Nov. 7 ballot. I would not be surprised to see some spoilers emerge to water down votes for the primary winner(s).

If you think "fake news" is bad, wait till you get a load of fake campaign charges in the local elections. Last year a Facebook troll created an account and added all kinds of "friends" before the primary, then started slinging mud in the name of "truth." It retreated into its lair after November, but has slithered out again, so make sure your ish-detector is in full effect of you go on the local Facebook page.

One of the phrases I have heard about Plainfield politics over the years is "crabs in a barrel" - people just clawing over each other to reach the top. In the Trump era, individual ambition may have to yield to a united front for survival as resources dry up and vital programs are gutted. We are already seeing the people marching and resisting as those in power take aim not only at entitlements, but basic human rights.

Here's another phrase I am hearing in 2017: "Trump, escucha! Estamos en la lucha!"

--Bernice

Happy Year of the Rooster!

Happy Lunar New Year

to all who are

celebrating!

(more about the holiday)

Child Care Center Approved At Senior Building

A new 80-unit age-restricted apartment building downtown will have a child-care facility on the ground floor.

Bella Vita Estates spans a former parking lot between Roosevelt and Westervelt avenue, with the entrance on Westervelt. On Jan. 19, Neighborhood House Director Carol Presley asked the Planning Board to approve use of retail space for a child care center for up to 120 children.

Neighborhood House has child care centers on West Fourth Street and also on East Front Street in a retail strip owned by the developer who built the new apartment building. Presley said the new center would have eight classrooms with 15 children and two teachers each, for a total of 16 or 17 adults. The application also included a playground "down the street," she said.

Parking requirements for the center would be based on the number of employees and would differ from those for retail use, Planning Director Bill Nierstedt said. Presley said employees of the East Front Street center would also be parking on the lot, bringing the total to 29 spaces needed.

She said there would also be six spaces reserved for drop-off and pick-up, as parents must personally escort their children into the center. Not all parents would be driving, however, she said, as some walked to the location and others were dropped off by vans that also transported parents to work.

Hours for drop-off would be from 7 to 9 a.m. and children would be picked up between 2:30 and 5:30 p.m..

The playground, built through the Kaboom! program, is on a lot that Neighborhood House owns, Presley said. Some questions arose over how the playground was initially approved. The board asked for screening, lighting and trees for the playground as part of the approvals granted on Jan. 19.

The Planning Board usually meets on first and third Thursdays of each month. The January 19 meeting included the annual reorganization. The next regular meeting is 7:30 p.m. in City Hall Library, 515 Watchung Ave. See more about the Planning Board.

--Bernice

New Signage For DQ and The Coffee Box

A four-decade business and a brand-new one will both benefit from a Planning Board Zoning Board decision on signs.

Dairy Queen

Attorney Albert Cohen called the Dairy Queen on South Avenue "part of the fabric of the community for 40 years" as he presented the signage application to the board last week. Donna Albanese-DeMair, whose family has operated the popular business, appeared with Jeff Spelman, proprietor of The Coffee Box to tell why the new signage is needed.

The Coffee Box

The building that houses both businesses is set back 100 feet from the street, which was not a problem until a developer received approval to build a 15-unit apartment building next door, all the way out to the sidewalk. The signature red roof of the Dairy Queen will not be seen by west-bound drivers. An existing street-side sign for the DQ and the new business, The Coffee Box, would also be harder to see.

Though bound by requirements of the Dairy Queen franchise, Albanese-DeMair worked out a plan with the board to alter the signage for more visibility.

The board allowed one year to complete the work, by which time the two businesses may have a lot of new customers who will only have a short walk for lattes and croissants or the latest DQ treat. Eleven properties were acquired and cleared to make way for 212 new luxury apartments right across the street.

--Bernice

See Historic Homes The 21st Century Way

Plainfield's six residential historic districts attract hundreds of visitors with their house tours, both for the architectural marvels and the exquisite interiors. But thanks to a 21st Century innovation, you don't have to wait for a walking tour of the Van Wyck Brooks Historic District.

A discussion of a "walking tour app" at Tuesday's Historic Preservation Commission meeting sent me to the VWB web site to check. There it was, with an introduction to the district, maps of each location and details of each home's origin and architecture.

If you have free time on the next unseasonably warm winter day, call up the link and try it out. By chance, I used to live in one of those mansions, when it was a communal household in the early 1980s. I loved the old clawfoot bathtubs and  beautiful woodwork in that place. When we were disbanding, I took a flashlight and looked in all the nooks and crannies. I consider the turtle to be my totemic animal and was thrilled to find a small pewter turtle in a kitchen cabinet.

But enough about me and the turtles. Visit the Van Wyck Brooks Historic District web site and click on "Walking Tour." I believe it was adapted from a print version of a self-guided walking tour several years ago.

Other districts may be interested in developing apps for walking tours, and HPC commissioners mentioned possibly having one for Plainfield's downtown, which has several 19th Century buildings. I know when I am downtown I often stop in my tracks to admire a facade with fascinating details.

 
Next time you are walking on East Front between Park & Watchung, look for this 1888 building.

And say hi to "downtown guy" for me!

--Bernice

UEZ Rehabs To Reap Tax Breaks

The city's entire Urban Enterprise Zone is in need of rehabilitation, the City Council agreed in approving a resolution that paves the way for five-year tax abatements for UEZ property owners.

Upon completion of improvements and approvals from tax officials, "Taxes remain the same for five years," Deputy City Administrator Carlos Sanchez explained at the Jan. 17 council meeting.

Elissa Cohen, whose family operated Suburban Jewelers in the UEZ for many years, questioned the resolution in public comment, saying an impact study should be conducted before any such action. But Sanchez said her concerns were covered in the original impact study on the tax abatement.

Sanchez said the five-year abatement itself was "not new" and had been on the books since 1978.

The process of declaring the UEZ in need of rehabilitation  goes back a way itself. From the resolution:

On August 14, 2016, City Council adopted resolution R-324-16 directing the Planning Board to conduct an investigation as to whether the Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ) satisfies the statutory criteria of the Local Redevelopment and Housing Law in order to be determined to be an area in need of rehabilitation. On October 20, 2016, the Planning Board conducted a public hearing and concluded the UEZ as well as adjacent and contiguous areas separated by public rights-of-way do satisfy the statutory criteria. 

The UEZ formerly brought revenues into the city for improvements within the zone. Certified UEZ retailers were allowed to charge only half the sales tax, which the Urban Enterprise Zone Authority then returned to the city for approved projects in the zone, such as new trash receptacles, security cameras and street furniture. But after a study found the state was getting a return of eight cents for every dollar expended on  UEZs, Gov. Chris Christie wanted the program phased out. Fund balances were returned to UEZ municipalities and most recently, designations for five including Plainfield expired at the end of 2016.

While eliminating the 3.5 percent state sales tax benefit, Christie reduced the 7 percent sales tax to 6.85 percent.

Sanchez said a property owner in the UEZ who rehabilitates a building can apply to the tax assessor  for an abatement. He said new development can also be eligible for the 5-year abatement, with council approval. For more information, inquire at the Office of Economic Development.

The next City Council meeting is an agenda-fixing session, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 6 in City Hall Library, 515 Watchung Ave.

--Bernice