Legislation approved by City Council and the Redevelopment Agency would allow for live music in a renovated bank building downtown with plans for outdoor dining adjacent to the train station.
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The governing body passed an ordinance (O-21-23) amending the Central Business District (CBD) Redevelopment Plan after a public hearing at its May 8 regular meeting, that was was introduced at the April 10 regular meeting. There were no comments or questions from the public or council members during the public hearing.
The amendments to the Redevelopment Plan would add “quasi-educational uses” among “permitted principal uses in any location” within the CBD and permitted principal uses in certain locations,” specifically, Block 315 Lot 1 (1420 Irving St.), only “in accordance with terms and conditions of a redevelopment agreement with the Redevelopment Agency.”
The Redevelopment Agency also passed a resolution (Res. 21-23) during its March 29 meeting, “conditionally designating” 1420 Irving LLC as redeveloper for 1420 Irving St. (Block 315, Lots 1 and 2) in the CBD Redevelopment Area for the “redevelopment of the property for a project consisting of retail uses and approving the redeveloper’s amended site plan.”
The amended CBD Redevelopment Plan specifies allowing a music venue on Block 315, Lot 1, “in accordance with terms and conditions of a redevelopment agreement” with the Redevelopment Agency.
“The creation of permitted outdoor seasonal areas either on the rooftop or within the subject property, such as outdoor seating for restaurants, that do not operate year-round and are limited to the City’s sidewalk cafe season…shall not require additional parking spaces.”
Owners of the former Rahway National Bank building, now dubbed The National, presented a concept to the Redevelopment Agency in December that included a restaurant with outdoor and rooftop dining. The renovated building also already includes several office space tenants.
Representatives for The National clarified drawing and descriptions of the ground-level floor plan and revised language, including an updated survey with no encroachments to the municipal right of way. The plan would remove any outdoor dining on Vail Place but still use the backyard, which wraps from the side of the building closest to Cherry Street around the back, as well as the rooftop area.
Over the years, the CBD plan has been modified to allow for “permitted principal uses in certain locations,” such as, a hotel on Block 316, Lot 3.02 (now the Watt Hotel on Irving Street) and a liquor store (now Main Street Spirits) on Block 320, Lot 5, at 1527 Main St.
Public comment at the March 29 Redevelopment Agency meeting included concerns raised by Chris Kozlowski, whose law offices are located at 30 Vail Place, adjacent the Train Station Plaza and The National building. He said the concern is that Vail Place is a public street and a dining area would be “substantially detrimental to me as a property owner,” essentially condemning his property. He likened it to considering a dining area on top of Irving Street.
“Not many people know it’s a right of way, other than myself, DPW, emergency vehicles, and NJ Transit,” he said, and may prevent access to his building and that of DPW and NJ Transit.
Redevelopment Agency Executive Director Robert Landolfi said there is “a vast array of power” as it pertains to what a municipality can and cannot do for use of a right of way,” pointing to a large portion of East Cherry Street that’s been used in recent years.
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