City Council

Ordinance would allow temporary, ‘pop-up’ uses

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The City Council is scheduled to adopt an ordinance Monday night that would allow property owners to use vacant storefronts as “pop-up” galleries or cafes until a tenant can fill the space.

City Council President Samson Steinman said the amendment will strengthen the city’s current outdoor dining ordinance while also allowing the temporary use of vacant storefronts for such things as “pop-up” galleries or cafes.

As an example, he cited an Irving Street property currently under renovation (across from the Klavierhaus Piano Conservatory) that is likely to participate. The ordinance would amend existing regulations to include permanent or temporary food establishments and outlines the application process, which includes a $45 fee.

Pop-galleries are being employed in Chicago’s Loop area and this 2009 story from The New York Times details various neighborhoods in New York City where the initiative has been employed. Some places have even used parking spaces to create “pop-up cafes” — decked out with seating, tables and plants — including Lower Manhattan, Westport, Conn., and Austin, Texas.

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City Council

Alternate parking plan for Water’s Edge

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Almost two dozen more spaces will be constructed under an alternate parking plan to accommodate the 108-unit Meridia Water’s Edge project. The developer, Capodagli Property Company, will pay $25,000 for 3,700 square feet (in red on this accompanying map) to build spaces for the rental project, in addition to constructing 22 spaces (in green on the map) for use by the Rahway River Condominium Association.

The 22 spaces will be created along the levee in the outdoor parking lot adjacent to the library building, which is owned by the condo association. The Redevelopment Agency, which is a 50-percent owner of the association along with Rahway Office Center, approved the sale of the property at its meeting last week. The City Council is scheduled to introduce an ordinance next week that would grant an easement to allow construction on city property.

The $25,000 sale price was based on the sale of land for the five-story Water’s Edge project. The Water’s Edge plan that gained approval proposed the use of 21 existing parking spots out of the roughly 160 spaces, which the newly created spaces will replace, along with 87 spaces on the ground floor below apartments.

The condo association needs the parking for future tenants of the commercial space above the library and could not provide for parking related to Water’s Edge unless additional parking would be provided and paid for by the developer, according to Redevelopment Director and City Administrator Peter Pelissier. “The intent is to have a zero loss of spaces for the condo association while providing the spaces needed by Meridia, at no cost to the condo association.”

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Arts District, Commercial, Downtown, Polls, Retail

Poll results: An average of C+, with a lot of A’s

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At least half of the voters in our latest poll would grade Rahway’s redevelopment at a B or better, while almost 30 percent grade a D or worse. About 1 in 8 voters awarded it an “incomplete.” Check out the completely unscientific results:

Continue reading Poll results: An average of C+, with a lot of A’s →

Apartments, Downtown

Meridia Chateau now will be Lafayette Village

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The developer of the proposed 120-unit Meridia Chateau on Main Street will rename the project Lafayette Village, which was suggested by the Redevelopment Agency.

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Zoning Board

Plans for ice cream shop pushed back

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Construction of an ice cream shop on the former Decker’s Tavern site is on hold until oil remediation is completed on a neighboring property.

Jim Biniaris, owner of Piece of Cake Frozen Specialties across the street, said in a telephone interview this week that he had the opportunity to purchase two neighboring Jaques Avenue homes after the Zoning Board originally approved plans 20 months ago. He’s waiting on oil remediation to be completed on one of the recently acquired sites, which could take several more months, before moving ahead with the project.

File photo

When the Zoning Board of Adjustment approved the application of Gourmet Ice in September 2010, the plan was to begin construction at Jaques and West Inman avenues the next spring and hopefully open this year.

The original application called for a 2 1/2-story building with an ice cream shop and service counter on the first floor and a two-bedroom apartment on the second floor. Variances were needed for 11 parking spaces, retail and apartment in an R-2 zone, front yard setback of less than 25 feet, and maximum impervious coverage of more than 60 percent.

Decker’s Tavern closed in about 2006 after 66 years and the two-story building was demolished in October 2010. A proposal in November 2007 to build two three-bedroom duplexes was rejected by the Zoning Board.

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Uncategorized

Panel discussion on arts-fueled redevelopment

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I’ve been invited to participate next week in a panel discussion about redevelopment and since it’s been a few months since we had a Rahway Rising happy hour, maybe you’d like to consider it and join us.

The Young Community Development Professionals Association (YCDPA) and New Jersey Emerging Arts Leaders will host the discussion on how cities are using arts to redevelop, specifically looking at efforts in Rahway to spur downtown redevelopment. The panel will take place at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 3, at Nancy’s Towne House, 1453 Main St. Admission is free and will include a question-and-answer session.

The panel will include former Mayor and former Arts District executive director James Kennedy and Rodney Gilbert, founder and CEO of Yendor Productions, a Newark-based consulting firm that develops and produces arts education and programming and events.

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Uncategorized

Medical office rising on St. Georges Avenue

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A new medical office building has sprouted up on St. Georges Avenue in recent months. A single-family home with a garage and shed were demolished to make way for the two-story, 5,000-square-foot medical office directly across the street from Billy Court and near the entrance to Rahway River Park.

The Zoning Board heard the application in March 2009 (.pdf) and unanimously approved it, 7-0, in April 2009 (.pdf). Variances were needed because the medical office use is not allowed in the R-2 residential zone. Testimony included some concerns from neighbors about allowing the facility in a residential zone and aesthetic issues regarding a fence. A traffic engineer testified that no left turn would be allowed onto St. Georges Avenue by vehicles exiting the property, which will have 33 parking spaces.

Below is a Google Street View of what stood on the site previously:

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Polls

Poll: How would you grade redevelopment?

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Time for another fun, completely unscientific blog poll. What do you think?

Continue reading Poll: How would you grade redevelopment? →

A blog about all things redevelopment