The Borough of Highland Park is moving forward with its attempt to permanently close S.3rd and N.4th Avenues. Based on records obtained through an OPRA request, it had a pre-application meeting with the NJDOT in early February, and their application is under review.
There are several problems with its application though. The engineering firm the Boro hired to conduct a traffic study, CME Associates, is owned in part by the Boro engineer. So it raises a serious question about a conflict of interest and the firm’s objectivity. Also, the data set this firm used to support the Boro’s application was taken on only one day, and only from 4-7pm. And as noted previously, Senator Patrick Diegnan, who is chairman of the State Transportation Committee, was actively assisting the Boro by having a meeting with the DOT, who characterized the Boro’s application of “high importance”. When we asked Senator Diegnan for a meeting so we could discuss our concerns with him, we were told this is a local issue, and we would have to speak with the Boro administration. If this is a local issue, then why is he involved? No answer has been received.
Some new information was made public through a Request For Proposal ("RFP") issued by the Boro soliciting developers to develop Tracts A, C and D in the downtown business district as part of its redevelopment plan. Tract C is the large municipal parking lot adjacent to the Reformed Church, where the Farmers Markets is held. Also included is the building at 212 Raritan Avenue, which is owned by the Boro and used exclusively by Main Street Highland Park, rent free. Tract D consists of the large privately owned lot on N.3rd between Raritan and Denison, and the restaurant building on the corner of N.3rd across from that parking lot.
When a request was made for the names of the developers the Boro has communicated with about the RFP, the Borough refused to provide that information.
The RFP reveals that the Administration's intention for closing S.3rd now includes providing a new space for the Highland Park Farmers Market, which is operated by Main Street Highland Park, moving it from Tract C to S.3rd, where the "town tables" used to be. The RFP says that additional space for the Farmers market will be in the municipal parking lot on S.3rd.
The RFP also explains that the Borough needs the “Creation of a “town square” public space for daily gathering and special events – a feature the community overwhelmingly supports.” A location is not specified in the RFP.
The RFP can be downloaded from this link:
https://www.hpboro.com/Home/Components/RFP/RFP/28/
Now that N.4th and S.3rd Avenues have been reopened after they were temporarily closed (and closed illegally for a time), the adverse impacts from the closures are clear: increased traffic and congestion on Rt. 27; loss of parking on S.3rd for residents, visitors and businesses; interference with emergency vehicle access; delaying access to and from the South side – for example, it sometimes took 2-3 light changes before you could turn left from S.2nd onto Rt. 27 (now there is no delay); interference with the residences and businesses on S.3rd; vehicular and pedestrian accidents including a fatality; and leaving only S.5th and S.2nd as the only direct ways to get to the North side from the South side.
Relocating the Farmers Market to S.3rd has its own adverse impacts, and raises more questions and concerns. The Farmers market is held one day a week for about 6 months out of the year. It has been very successful and well-contained where it currently is – on Tract C. If it moves to S.3rd, where will the vendors park their vehicles? Where will customers park? According to the RFP, the Farmers Market customers can park in a parking deck yet to be built on N.3rd. But how will that be enforced? And what if that deck is never built? Will they park illegally in privately owned lots (they do it already)? If you live or have a business on S.3rd between Magnolia and Rt. 27, will they park in or block your driveway? Will you lose vehicular access to and from your property when the Farmers Market is open? Will it interfere with the operation of your business? And will this impair your property value, and make it more difficult to sell or rent your property? And will they continue to play live and recorded music at this new location, as they do on Tract C, on what is now a quiet residential street.
About the creation of a “Town Square”, the Borough already has this on Tract C, where it already has adequate space for the Farmers Market. You may recall that the Borough was given a $25,000.00 State grant to rehabilitate that area specifically for the town square. See this link: http://highlandparkplanet.org/2019/07/25/highland-park-to-receive-25000-grant-to-revamp-downtown-municipal-lot/ If it is moved to S.3rd, it will attract crowds of local residents and visitors for events, festivals, parties, and loud music right at your doorstep.
This is all based on the ability of the Boro to build the parking deck on N.3rd that was initially planned to be used only for the residents of the new development planned for Tract C. One important thing the RFP shows is that the Boro failed to include, failed to inform the developers it is trying to solicit, that Tract D is no longer available for development, even though the Borough is aware of it. The owner of Tract D acquired a new tenant with a 10-year lease for the restaurant building on the corner of N.3rd, and the restaurant will be using the parking lot across the street which is part of Tract D. If the parking deck cannot be built on Tract D, then the planned development for Tract C also cannot occur.
If the Farmers Market has to be relocated, there are other locations where it can be held without disrupting the community. And as noted above, Highland Park already has a “Town Square”. But the Borough administration apparently does not care about the adverse impacts and disruptions caused by these changes to come up with a different plan.
Well, if you care, please let them know.
Following is a list of elected officials and employees of the DOT, some who are directly involved in this process. There is also an email address string of all of them at the end of this update that you can copy and paste into your email program to simplify sending your comments.
Thank you.
_________________________________________________
Highland Park Mayor and Municipal Council
(732) 777-6001
Mayor Gayle Brill Mittler
gbrillmittler@hpboro.com
Highland Park Municipal Council Members
Matthew Hersh
mhersh@hpboro.com
Matt Hale
mhale@hpboro.com
Elsie Foster-Dublin
efoster@hpboro.com
Phil George
pgeorge@hpboro.com
Stephanie Kim-Chohan
skimchohan@hpboro.com
Tara Canavera
tcanavera@hpboro.com
Borough Clerk
Jennifer Santiago
jsantiago@hpboro.com
Borough Administrator
Teri Jover
tjover@hpboro.com
(732) 819-3789
Elected Officials
Governor Phil Murphy
constituent.relations@NJ.gov
609-292-6000
Senator Patrick J. Diegnan, Jr.
908 Oak Tree Avenue, Unit P
South Plainfield, NJ 07080
908-757-1677
sendiegnan@njleg.org
Greg Tufaro
Chief of Staff to Senator Diegnan
GTufaro@njleg.org
Assemblyman Robert Karabinchak
3 Stephenville Parkway, Suite 2D
Edison, NJ 08820
732-548-1406
asmkarabinchak@njleg.org
Assemblyman Sterley Stanley
3 Stephenville Parkway, Suite 2D
Edison, NJ 08820
732-548-1406
asmstanley@njleg.org
NJ Department of Transportation
Diane Gutierre-Scaccetti, Commissioner
NJ Department of Transportation
Diane.Scaccetti@dot.nj.gov
609-963-1935
Megan Fackler | Director, Government & Community Relations
New Jersey Department of Transportation
Tel: 609.963.1982 | Fax: 609.530.2010
Email: Megan.Fackler@dot.nj.gov
Elaine Schwartz, Assistant Division Director
New Jersey Department of Transportation
Bureau of Major Access Permits
Email: Elaine.Schwartz@dot.nj.gov
Joseph Bertoni, Deputy Commissioner
New Jersey Department of Transportation
Email: Joseph.Bertoni@dot.state.nj.us
Full email string to copy and paste into the “to” field of your email system:
gbrillmittler@hpboro.com, mhersh@hpboro.com, mhale@hpboro.com, efoster@hpboro.com, pgeorge@hpboro.com, skimchohan@hpboro.com, tcanavera@hpboro.com, jsantiago@hpboro.com, tjover@hpboro.com, sendiegnan@njleg.org, smkarabinchak@njleg.org, constituent.relations@NJ.gov, GTufaro@njleg.org, Diane.Scaccetti@dot.nj.gov, Megan.Fackler@dot.nj.gov; Elaine.Schwartz@dot.nj.gov, Joseph.Bertoni@dot.state.nj.us