BROADWAY VISION PLAN
November 20, 2008
Broadway Improvement Corporation
Borough of Fair Lawn / Borough of Elmwood Park
119 Cherry Hill Road, Suite 200,
Parsippany, NJ 07054
Broadway Vision Plan
(862) 207-5900
1
BROADWAY VISION PLAN
Prepared for
Broadway Improvement Corporation
Borough of Fair Lawn / Borough of Elmwood Park, Bergen County, New Jersey
October 16, 2008
The original of this report was signed and sealed in
accordance with N.J.S.A. 45:14A-12
Janice Talley, P.P. #5059
Atsushi Inoue, P.P.#5972
Broadway Vision Plan
2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Broadway Improvement Corporation
Robert Beshlian, President
George Bate
Dennis Cummins, Jr.
El F k l
Elyss Frenkel
Ed Guy
Frank Kabrel
Craig Kerbekian
Judith MacKnight
John Nakashian
John Nakashian
Lee Sayegh
Charles Tregidgo
Don Smartt, BIC Administrator
Liaisons
Joanne Kwasniewski, Borough Clerk – Fair Lawn
Joseph Tedeschi, Deputy Mayor – Fair Lawn
Keith Kazmark, Borough Clerk – Elmwood Park
Jerry LoBozzo – Elmwood Park Representative
Vi i B k NJ T
Vivian Baker, NJ Transit Representative
i R
i
Consultants
Janice Talley, PP, AICP, Principal Planner – H2M
Atsushi Inoue, PP, AICP, Project Planner –
, ,
,
j
H2M
Mark Gordon, Principal – Urbana Consulting
Broadway Vision Plan
3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section 1: Introduction
5
Section 2: Vision Plan
7
Vision Statement and Objectives
Visions for Key Areas
Visions for Key Areas
Broadway Vision Plan
8
10
Eastern Gateway
10
K‐Mart/Elmwood Park Shopping Center Area
12
Broadway Train Station Area
14
P d t i R t il Di t i t
Pedestrian Retail District
16
Service Road
18
Western Gateway
19
Highway Sign
21
Section 3: Action Plan
l
22
Section 4: Area Assessment
30
Land Use Analysis
31
Zoning Analysis
34
Parking Analysis
36
Environmental Constraints Analysis
43
Corridor Issues
44
Planning Context 51
Section 5: Market Assessment
54
Appendix A: Design Guidelines
62
4
Section 1
INTRODUCTION
Broadway Vision Plan
5
Section 1 - Introduction
INTRODUCTION
The area known as “Broadway” is a two‐mile‐long thoroughfare
(also known as New Jersey Route 4), which runs in an east‐west
direction through Fair Lawn to the east and Elmwood Park to the
west. Broadway is not only an important part of the state’s
highway
g
y network but it also serves as a commercial district in
both Fair Lawn and Elmwood Park.
The business community on Broadway has long felt that this
commercial highway is not as vibrant as it should be. Broadway
is characterized by insufficient parking, poor circulation,
dilapidated buildings, and lack of pedestrian amenities.
Broadway at Plaza Road
In response to these issues, the Broadway Special Improvement
District (Broadway SID) was created by the Borough of Fair Lawn
to serve the business community along Broadway in Fair Lawn.
Part of their mission is to improve the overall function and
appearance of the Broadway Commercial District.
District
The
Broadway SID is managed by the Broadway Improvement
Corporation (BIC), which is responsible for developing
revitalization strategies for Broadway.
NJ Transit Broadway Station
Broadway at Elmwood Park Shopping Center
This Vision Plan evaluates issues and opportunities on Broadway
and provides a comprehensive vision for the entire corridor.
corridor
Particular attention has been paid to some of the key areas,
including the train station and gateways.
Entering Broadway from Paterson
Broadway Vision Plan
Broadway at Plaza Road
6
Section 2
VISION PLAN
Broadway Vision Plan
7
Section 2 – Vision Plan
VISION STATEMENT
A Vision Statement is a consensus document that consists of broad community‐wide
community wide goals,
goals enhanced by the addition of measurable
objectives. It is typically accompanied by a narrative and illustrations that create a picture of the community after a set planning
horizon. It reflects the community’s shared concept for growth and development, includes visual representations depicting the
desired land use patterns and character of the community over the planning horizon. It also takes into consideration economic
viability of the vision, the potential for public infrastructure investment and private property interests. The plan horizon for this
project
p
j is 20 yyears.
The Vision Statement for the Broadway District is as follows:
Broadway will be a vibrant commercial district that features a unique blend of specialty
stores, restaurants, quality offices and residential apartments served by multiple
transportation modes
modes.. Broadway will be the region’s new destination by offering a
distinctive shopping, working, and living experience in a safe, attractive, and functional
environment..
environment
Broadway Vision Plan
8
Section 2 – Vision Plan
The Vision Statement for Broadway was developed through an
iterative process, involving many meetings with members of the
Broadway Improvement Corporation (BIC), property owners,
business owners, area residents, and officials at the local, county
and state level. The Vision Statement for Broadway was
developed as a result of this outreach. Achieving this Vision
Statement is the overall goal of the Broadway Vision Plan.
Objectives
The five main objectives, which outline the general areas of
improvements necessary to achieve the Vision Statement, are
provided to the right. Specific strategies to achieve each of
these objectives are provided in the Action Plan section of this
report.
p
A Vision Statement must be visual in order to be effective in
developing consensus. Photo simulations and descriptive
narrative are provided for six focus areas along the Broadway
corridor. These focus areas, which were identified by members
off the
h Broadway
d
Improvement Corporation
C
i
d i workshops
during
kh
and extensive public outreach efforts, provide prime examples
of the types of improvements the Broadway Vision Plan
attempts to promote in order to achieve the Vision Statement.
7
Broadway Vision Plan
6
5
4
Th
The specific objectives for the Broadway are as follows:
ifi bj ti
f th B d
f ll
1.
Improve the economic vitality of the Broadway Corridor.
2.
Improve the visual appearance of the Broadway Corridor.
3.
Improve the vehicular and pedestrian circulation along the Broadway Corridor.
4.
Create a vibrant corridor core around the train station.
5.
Provide sufficient parking for residents, workers, and visitors.
1. Eastern Gateway – Highway Sign
2. Eastern Gateway
3. Service Road Entrance (Tunbridge Road)
4. Fair Lawn (Between Plaza Road and 26th Street)
5. Broadway Station
6. Elmwood Park (Between Lozia Terrace and Boulevard)
7. Western Gateway
3
2
1
9
Section 2 – Vision Plan
Visions for Key Areas
1. EASTERN GATEWAY - HIGHWAY SIGN
Before
After
Approaching the Eastern Gateway along Route 4 westbound, the overhead highway signs do not display or notify of Broadway, Fair
Lawn or Elmwood Park. The ‘Route 4 west’ overhead sign, which directs traffic along Broadway, only indicates “Paterson.” This
highway sign should also show Fair Lawn and Elmwood Park, as both places are located along the approach to Paterson.
Broadway Vision Plan
10
Section 2 – Vision Plan
Visions for Key Areas
2. EASTERN GATEWAY
Eastern Gateway Area
Bird’s eye view of the Eastern Gateway Area (Source: Windows Live Local)
View of Eastern Gateway Area.
Driving westbound along Route 4, the eastern gateway to
Broadway is located where Route 4 splits with Route 208. The
entrance
t
t Broadway
to
B d
over the
th bridge
b id is
i unmarked,
k d and
d there
th
are no signs or other indication that this is the gateway to
Broadway.
(top left and left) additional views of the eastern
gateway area, (top right) entering Broadway from
Route 4 westbound.
Broadway Vision Plan
11
Section 2 – Vision Plan
Visions for Key Areas
2. EASTERN GATEWAY
Before
Recommended gateway design treatments include a clearly
visible ‘Welcome to Broadway’ sign, decorative lighting, fences
atop
t the
th bridge
b id walls,
ll and
d landscaping.
l d
i
Li ht poles
Light
l and
d signs
i
att
this location should be large in order to create a dynamic
‘gateway’ effect, and may vary in design from other uniform
types of lighting throughout the Broadway area.
Broadway Vision Plan
After
DESIGN SUGGESTIONS
• ‘Welcome
Welcome to Broadway’
Broadway sign
• Decorative light poles
• Decorative fences
• Landscaping
12
Section 2 – Vision Plan
Visions for Key Areas
3. SERVICE ROAD
Before
Broadway eastbound splits into Route 4 East and the Route 4 “service
road,” just after Tunbridge Road. Businesses on the service road (or
Route 4 Local) have difficulty attracting customers due to the low
visibility
i ibilit off their
th i business
b i
signs.
i
At the
th split,
lit the
th only
l indication
i di ti off the
th
types of business on the Service Road is a freestanding sign showing a
hospital logo and a Volkswagen logo. The “Route 4 Local Keep Right”
freestanding sign that straddles the sidewalk is an obstacle for
pedestrians. Design recommendations are: 1) remove the existing
“Route 4 Local Keep Right” sign, 2) rename the road from “Route 4
Local” to “Broadway Local,” 3) provide sidewalk amenities, and 4) add
additional icons to the overhead sign, indicating business along
Broadway Local.
Broadway Vision Plan
After
DESIGN SUGGESTIONS
• Sidewalk improvements
• Eliminate existing “Route 4 Local Service Station Keep
Right” sign
• Rename the service road from “Route 4 Local” to
“Broadway Local”
• Highway sign showing “Broadway
Broadway Local”
Local and business
logos
13
Section 2 – Vision Plan
Visions for Key Areas
4. PEDESTRIAN RETAIL DISTRICT
Bird’s eye view of the Pedestrian Retail District Area (Source: Windows Live Local)
View of Broadway from Plaza Road, looking west.
This section of the Broadway corridor is concentrated with local
retail stores that line the sidewalk, and which have consistent
b ildi form
building
f
and
d mass, which
hi h serve to
t create
t a ‘downtown
‘d
t
feeling.’ However, many improvements are needed in this area.
Buildings show signs of visual degradation, sidewalks lack
pedestrian amenities, and on‐street parking lanes are
unnecessarily wide. The Jersey barrier which divides Broadway
presents another challenge. There is insufficient width along
this segment of Broadway to replace the Jersey barrier with
landscaped median, unless travel lanes or parking lanes are
narrowed.
Broadway Vision Plan
The north side of Broadway between 26th Street and Plaza Road.
14
Section 2 – Vision Plan
Visions for Key Areas
4. PEDESTRIAN RETAIL DISTRICT
Before
In order to improve the appearance and vitality of the retail
corridor, second and third stories should be permitted above
first floor uses. While the architectural style between buildings
can vary, the height of awnings and wall signs should be
consistent. Sidewalk improvements are also important, such as
new concrete paving and additional pedestrian amenities. On‐
street parking should be maximized for shopper accessibility. To
i
improve
the
h corridor
id from
f
a pedestrian
d
i standpoint,
d i the
h Jersey
J
barrier, which is more typical of a highway district, should be
replaced with decorative fencing or other attractive and traffic
appropriate feature.
Broadway Vision Plan
After
DESIGN SUGGESTIONS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Mixed-use buildings
g ((2-3 stories))
Colored concrete sidewalks
Median with decorative fence
Decorative light poles with ‘Welcome to Broadway’ banners
On-street parking
Landscaped bumpouts
On-street parking sign
Reduced speed limit (Reduce from 40 mph to 35 mph)
15
Section 2 – Vision Plan
Visions for Key Areas
5. BROADWAY TRAIN STATION AREA
View of the Broadway Train Station
Several design and functional issues have been identified related
to the Broadway Train Station Area. First, the train station is not
identifiable by any signs visible to traveling vehicles or
pedestrians. Second, park‐and‐ride opportunities are highly
limited. The only designated park‐and‐ride area is the 80‐space
parking area located on the western side of the train track in
Elmwood Park, which is substantially inadequate compared to
nearby stations which have upwards of 300 commuter spaces.
Also, pedestrian safety is an issue because of the lack of
crosswalks near the train station. Lastly, the eastbound traffic
has no “kiss‐and‐ride” (drop off/pick up point) opportunity due
to the inability of vehicles to make U‐turns.
Broadway Vision Plan
Bird’s eye view of the Broadway Train Station area (Source: Windows Live Local)
Designated park-and-ride area (80 spaces)
Crosswalk is needed to provide a safe pedestrian
connection between the train station and the
park-and-ride area.
16
Section 2 – Vision Plan
Visions for Key Areas
5. BROADWAY TRAIN STATION AREA
Before
In order to make the existing train station more identifiable,
“Broadway Station” signs should be placed at more recognizable
locations, such as on the face of the viaduct. The existing Jersey
barrier west of Whitehall Street is unnecessarily wide and
should be replaced with a more appealing landscaped median.
The Jersey barrier east of Whitehall Street is narrow and should
be replaced with a decorative fence median. Sidewalk
improvements are also needed to create an attractive train
station area.
area A new crosswalk should provided in the Elmwood
Park side of the train station so that park‐and‐riders can access
to the station more safely. Traffic lights for the crosswalk should
be installed on the eastbound side of the overpass.
Broadway Vision Plan
After
DESIGN SUGGESTIONS
• Colored concrete sidewalk
• Landscaped median (From Whitehall St. to the west)
• Decorative fence median (From Midland Ave. to the
east)
• Decorative light poles and banners
• NJ Transit “Broadway” freestanding sign
• NJ Transit
T
it “Broadway
“B d
Station”
St ti ” sign
i and
d a llarge
“Broadway” sign on the viaduct
• On-street parking
17
Section 2 – Vision Plan
Visions for Key Areas
6. K-Mart/Elmwood
/
Park Shopping
pp g Center Area
Bird’s eye view of the K-Mart/Elmwood Shopping Center area (Source: Windows Live Local)
Existing view
The K‐Mart/Elmwood Park Shopping Center Area of Broadway is
characterized by small retail shops on the north side and large
big‐box retail stores on the south side. On the south side, the
sidewalk width is fairly wide but there are no pedestrian
amenities provided. This portion of Broadway is divided by a
wide, low‐rise traffic median. The low lying median design
creates a pedestrian safety issue as it encourages frequent
pedestrian
d
i crossing
i at mid‐block
id bl k sections
i
off Broadway,
B d
where
h
there are no crosswalks.
Broadway Vision Plan
View of K-Mart from the north side
Median in the Elmwood portion of Broadway
serves as a pedestrian island
18
Section 2 – Vision Plan
Visions for Key Areas
6. K-Mart/Elmwood
/
Park Shopping
pp g Center Area
Before
In order to improve the uninviting visual appearance of this area,
sidewalk improvements are needed. Colored concrete sidewalks
and various pedestrian‐scale sidewalk amenities could
substantially enhance the pedestrian experience. On‐street
parking is also recommended to provide additional parking
spaces for shoppers. The existing median should be replaced or
refurbished with plantings and shrubs (32” or less) to improve
aesthetics
h i and
d prevent pedestrians
d
i
f
from
crossing
i
mid‐block
id bl k
sections of Broadway.
Broadway Vision Plan
After
DESIGN SUGGESTIONS
• Colored
C l d concrete
t sidewalks
id
lk
• Sidewalk amenities (trees, landscaped buffer, decorative
light poles)
• Landscaped median
• On-street parking
• Speed limit reduction (from 35 mph to 30 mph)
19
Section 2 – Vision Plan
Visions for Key Areas
7. Western Gateway
y
Bird’s eye view of the bridge to the Western Gateway area (Source: Windows Live Local)
Existing view
The bridge over the Passaic River forms Broadway’s western
gateway area. This bridge intersects with NJ Route 20 on the
western side of the river and experiences heavy vehicle traffic.
traffic
The bridge is fairly attractive, featuring appealing columns with
decorative lighting.
However, there are no gateway or
welcoming design treatments provided in this area. Sidewalks
are located on both sides of the bridge, but are in poor
condition. Pedestrian safety is also an issue as there are no
barriers between sidewalks and vehicle travel lanes.
Broadway Vision Plan
Entering Broadway from Paterson
View of the Western Gateway Area from the
Ford dealer in Elmwood Park
20
Section 2 – Vision Plan
Visions for Key Areas
7. Western Gateway
y
Before
The Western Gateway to Broadway can be greatly improved with
the simple addition of new decorative and pedestrian amenities.
Recommended gateway design features include a “Welcome to
Broadway” sign located at the municipal boundary line (middle
of the bridge) and banners attached to the columns. Decorative
lighting is also recommended to add character to the bridge. In
order to improve this area more pedestrian friendly, colored
concrete sidewalk
id
lk and
d bollards
b ll d are recommended
d d to improve
i
pedestrian safety. Breakaway bollards provide a visual deterrent
and will offer protection to pedestrians.
Broadway Vision Plan
After
DESIGN SUGGESTIONS
• Colored
C l d concrete
t sidewalks
id
lk
• “Welcome to Broadway” sign
• Banners
• Lighting
• Bollards
21
Section 3
ACTION PLAN
Broadway Vision Plan
22
Section 3 – Action Plan
ACTION PLAN
Once the
O
h Vision
Vi i Statement
S
h been
has
b
created,
d a strategic
i action
i
plan must be prepared. The Action Plan must include a listing of
specific actions to be taken, the assignment of responsible
parties for each action, realistic timelines, and estimated costs,
wherever feasible. The Action Plan identifies the objectives,
strategies actions,
strategies,
actions implementation agenda and priorities
through stakeholder meetings. The Action Plan, in short, is an
implementation plan to achieve short and long‐term goals.
Implementation Strategies
This section describes strategies designed to implement each
objective for Broadway. It is important that these plans and
strategies are adopted as part of local master plans and/or
official maps to ensure implementation.
1 Increase the economic vitality of Broadway.
1.
Broadway
a. Encourage uses that will create Broadway as a destination
location for customers and patrons, such as restaurants and
niche businesses. The existing definition of permitted
restaurants in the Fair Lawn zoning regulations is too narrow
and needs to be modified to attract more restaurants to the
District.
b. Encourage mixed‐use development, including the provision
of residential and office uses above first‐floor retail, in order
to increase the number of local patrons.
c. Provide better utilization of one‐story buildings by creating
incentives for property owners to add additional stories to
their buildings.
d. Encourage private redevelopment of the HY‐WAY Theater
site as a mixed‐use project with a niche retail use that will
attract
tt t new patrons
t
t Broadway.
to
B d
e. Change the zoning requirements along Broadway to create
incentives for new investment. Recommended zoning
changes are:
(1)
Broadway Vision Plan
Replace existing Fair Lawn and Elmwood Park zoning
along Broadway with unified districts, which may be
called B‐6N and B‐6S zones in Fair Lawn and C‐6N and
C‐6S zones in Elmwood Park. These will provide for
uniform bulk standards and parking requirements
throughout the District.
23
Section 3 – Action Plan
(2)
(3)
The new B‐6 zones would eliminate a separate OBS‐
zone in Fair Lawn, thus permitting retail all along
Broadway in both municipalities with the exception of
the industrial I‐1 and I‐2 lots flanking the train station.
The I‐2 zone should be amended to allow retail stores
in any building facing Broadway.
Broadway
The maximum height limitation in the B‐6 zones would
be 3 stories or 35 feet, the latter being less than the 40
feet previously allowed in the OBS‐2 zone. Three story
buildings along Broadway are consistent with zoning in
River Road
Road’ss B
B‐4
4 zone and will allow for increased
economic value in the District.
Broadway Vision Plan
24
Section 3 – Action Plan
(4)
•
•
Within the B
B‐6N
6N zone, permitted uses are retail and
office uses on the ground floor and residential uses on
the second and third floors. Upper floor occupancy in
the B‐6N zone is limited to residential uses because of
the parking constraints on the north side of Broadway.
Apartment residents who drive to work will free up
parking for ground floor business uses during the day.
Within the B‐6S zone, permitted uses are retail and
office uses on the ground floor and residential uses on
the second and third floors within ¼ mile of Broadway
Station. New residents will increase train ridership
thus
h supporting the
h long
l
term viability
b l off the
h station.
They will also provide an additional source of shoppers.
Outside of the ¼ mile radius, both office and residential
uses should be permitted on the second and third
floors on the south side of Broadway.
The existence of a Special Improvement District (SID)
along River Road set a precedent in Fair Lawn to create
new B‐4/B‐5 Zones in that district. Similarly, the
existence of the Broadway Special Improvement
District provides a basis for revised zoning on Route 4.
Broadway Vision Plan
2. Improve the visual appearance of Broadway.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f
f.
Brand the corridor to give it a new identity and use this in
marketing materials and on welcome signs and banners.
Utilize the BIC as a resource to improve storefront building
facades.
Establish
bl h a capitall improvement program to improve the
h
Broadway streetscape with a new sidewalks, pedestrian
street lights, street trees, banners and street furniture that
create a uniform design.
Adopt design standards to ensure quality site
i
improvements
t and
d architecture.
hit t
P
Proposed
d design
d i
standards are provided in Appendix A.
Use the site plan approval process to require site
improvements that will improve the appearance of existing
properties.
I
Improve
B d
Broadway’s
’ gateway
t
areas through
th
h new sidewalks,
id
lk
lighting, new signage, etc.
25
Section 3 – Action Plan
3. Improve vehicular and pedestrian circulation along Broadway.
3. Improve vehicular and pedestrian circulation along Broadway.
a.
b.
c.
Reduce speed limit by 5 mph throughout Broadway. In
order to reduce the speed limit on a state highway, a speed
survey must be conducted and be reviewed by NJ DOT.
Add new crosswalks to improve pedestrian connection
between the north and south sides of Broadway.
Broadway A
crosswalk with a traffic signal is particularly needed in the
train station area. In order to construct a signalized
crosswalk, the area needs a minimum pedestrian volume
of 100 persons or more for each of any 4 hours per hour
for four (4) hours; and there are fewer than 60 gaps per
hour in the traffic stream of adequate length to allow
pedestrians to cross during the same period when the
pedestrian volume criterion is satisfied. The current
pedestrian volume in the train station area may not meet
this criteria; however, the Federal Highway Administration
(FHWA) is currently proposing an amendment to this
section of the rule. If the rule is adopted, the required
pedestrian volume will be less restrictive, and it would be
easier to construct signalized crosswalks.
Increase the amount of on‐street parking spaces by
consolidating
lid i bus
b stops and
d curb
b cuts and
d add
dd bumpouts
b
to make Broadway safer for pedestrians. The current
highway regulations do not allow bumpouts on a highway
unless the speed limit is reduced to 35 mph or less.
Therefore, a speed survey must be conducted to reduce
the speed limit.
limit
Broadway Vision Plan
d.
e.
f.
Replace the Jersey barrier median (Fair Lawn portion) and
the flat, wide median (Elmwood Park portion) with a
landscaped median and decorative fencing.
The
landscaped median should contain shrubs that reach a
maximum height of 32
32”.
Provide and/or rehabilitate sidewalks throughout
Broadway. The number of curb cuts should be minimized
to avoid conflicts between automobiles and pedestrians.
Where possible, provide pedestrian signals at crosswalks.
26
Section 3 – Action Plan
4. Create a vibrant corridor core around the train station.
The concept plan shown to the right illustrates the overall vision for
the Broadway Train Station Area. Three key components of the
concept plan are: 1. improve vehicular circulation, 2. improve
pedestrian circulation, and 3. provide more park‐and‐ride
opportunities. The concept plan particularly focuses on the south‐side
of Broadway,
Broadway showing new commercial and/or mixed‐use
mixed use buildings
with parking in the rear.
This concept plan assumes that the Hy‐Way Theater property is
redeveloped to provide new commercial or mixed‐use buildings, with
extra parking available for commuters. The owner currently proposes
to adapt the existing building into medical offices, with limited retail
and general office use. The current proposal should be considered by
the Borough in its ability to address circulation and commuter parking
needs in the area.
BROADWAY TRAIN STATION AREA
CONCEPT PLAN
1. Improve vehicular circulation. In order to improve the overall
circulation in the area, Whitehall Street should be changed from a
one‐way
one
way street to a two
two‐way
way street.
street This will allow easier access to
the potential park‐and‐ride area in the HY‐WAY Theatre site. Access
to this park‐and‐ride area is also possible from the west‐bound traffic
by making a left‐turn onto Midland Avenue.
2. Improve pedestrian circulation. Pedestrian circulation improvement
is critical to revitalize the train station area. A new crosswalk is
recommended for the Elmwood Park side of the train station.
station A
signalized pedestrian crosswalk should be provided at the
Broadway/Midland Avenue intersection.
In addition, a new
pedestrian walkway is recommended to connect Broadway and the
park‐and‐ride area in the HY‐WAY Theatre site.
3. Provide more park‐and‐ride opportunities. The train station area in
th conceptt plan
the
l provides
id a total
t t l off 541 parking
ki spaces. Based
B d on
the current parking utilization, the train station area has an
estimated park‐and‐ride opportunity of approximately 175 spaces.
Broadway Vision Plan
27
Section 3 – Action Plan
5. Provide sufficient parking for residents, workers, and visitors.
a. Parking Area: As previously stated, the limited depth of
the properties on the north side of Broadway makes it very
difficult to provide onsite parking for commercial uses.
The June 2000 Final Broadway Report of the Broadway
Advisory Committee called for “considering the extension
[of zoning] to a depth of 250 feet from [the north side of]
Broadway. In the alternative, the zoning ordinance could
be amended to permit parking in an adjacent residential
zone to a maximum depth of 250 feet as a conditional
use.”
The alternative approach is recommended to make parking
a permitted use in any residential district located within
200 feet of the north side of Broadway. Accordingly, if a
business owner acquires an adjacent residential parcel
through mutual negotiations, he/she will be permitted to
provide parking on the parcel without the need for
expensive use variances. To mitigate any impacts on
nearby residences, any new parking spaces adjacent to a
residence will be required to provide perimeter fencing and
a minimum of 5 foot landscaped buffers.
b. Commercial Parking Requirements: Parking requirements
for commercial uses including retail, offices and related
uses will be set at 4/1,000 sq. ft. The only exceptions will
be medical offices which will 6.5/1,000 sq. ft. for buildings
under 10,000 sq. ft., 5.5/1,000 sq. ft. for buildings between
10,000 – 15,000 sq. ft., and 5/1,000 sq. ft. for larger
structures; and restaurants which will be 1 space/four
restaurant seats after the first 16 seats.
Broadway Vision Plan
c.
d.
For retail properties that contain more than a restaurant,
th requirement
the
i
t will
ill be
b the
th larger
l
off 4/1,000
4/1 000 sq. ft.
ft and
d the
th
preceding sentence calculations. These updated ratios
simplify parking requirements and are less prohibitive to
new development than existing regulations for both
boroughs. Regarding the requirements for medical offices,
note that they are less restrictive than comparable
regulations highlighted on page 38. With future
construction of structured parking or centralized surface
parking comparable to facilities in some downtowns, it
may be possible to lower the parking ratio for medical
offices.
Residential Parking Requirements: The State Residential
Site Improvement Standards (RSIS) requirement authorizes
local approval of lesser number of parking spaces where
credible evidence of additional parking resources and/or
transit facilities is presented. Therefore, the parking
requirement
i
t for
f upper floor
fl
residential
id ti l uses in
i the
th train
t i
station area can be reduced. Both Boroughs should
request waivers from the current 1.8 space/unit
requirement to 1.2 spaces/unit within ¼ mile of Broadway
Station and 1.5 spaces/unit otherwise. Lower parking
ratios for transit
transit‐oriented
oriented development are consistent with
best practices throughout New Jersey.
As a special incentive for north‐side parcels in both
boroughs, any such property owner who adds three or
more additional parking spaces on his property should
receive a reduction in the above p
parkingg requirements
q
equal to 1.2% for each space to be added. The
requirement may be reduced to a minimum of 3/1,000 sq.
ft. through such improvements.
28
Section 3 – Action Plan
e.
f.
Cooperative Parking Ordinance. §125‐56 of the Fair Lawn
Code permits a 25 percent reduction in parking
requirements when the property owner enters into a
cooperative parking agreement with the municipality. This
provision is available to all properties in districts other than
Special Improvement Districts.
Districts
§180‐12 of the Fair Lawn Code permits cooperative parking
arrangements to be used to address parking needs in the
River Road Special Improvement District. This ordinance
should be amended to include all Special Improvement
Districts within the Borough in order to permit cooperative
parking agreements on Broadway.
For north side
properties, this should be applied in lieu of but not in
addition to the incentive identified in paragraph d. It is
suggested where possible that lots be merged and cross
easements encouraged.
To provide more consistency in implementation, the
municipalities may wish to consider moving to a gross floor
area calculation as a basis for parking ratios and exempting
basements used for storage in determining the ratios. The
Borough should also consider adding language to the
ordinance that reinforces the fact that applicants who
receive a parking variance are exempt from future parking
variances unless a new tenant generates a higher parking
requirement that increases the parking deficiency, or the
applicant proposes to expand the building or use.
Broadway Vision Plan
29
Section 4
AREA ASSESSMENT
Broadway Vision Plan
30
Section 4 – Area Assessment
LAND USE ISSUES AND ANALYSIS
Broadway
B
d
contains
t i a wide
id variety
i t off uses, including
i l di office,
ffi retail,
t il
civic, residential and a hotel. According to the field survey
conducted by PPS in March 2007, there are 248 establishments
that front on Broadway. The most dominant use is retail and
service, including 44 health and personal care establishments
and 43 food and beverage stores. These establishments are
often in the form of strip malls or one‐story, small‐size
commercial buildings. Larger‐scale commercial uses, including a
shopping center, are located along the south side of Broadway.
As shown in Table 1, there are 63 office establishments along
Broadway. A newly renovated Hyatt Place hotel is also located
Broadway
at the eastern Gateway to the area.
Table 1 Existing Land Use
Source: PPS Field Survey (3/29/07) based on the land use categories developed by Urbana Consulting
Broadway Vision Plan
EEach
h land
l d use category
t
i further
is
f th
b k
broken
d
down
i t
into
establishment type, as shown in Table 2. Of the 44 health &
personal care establishments, more than half are hair salons (12)
or nail salons (13). Broadway also has a generous mix of food
and beverage stores, including grocery stores (4), delis (4),
bakeries (3), sit
sit‐down
down restaurants (14) and fast
fast‐food
food restaurants.
Broadway’s office uses include 15 banks/financial offices, 4
insurance offices, 6 real estate offices, 5 law offices, and 17
medical offices. The “Other” category includes multi‐tenant
office buildings, such as the Elmwood Professional Building and
the Fair Lawn Professional Center West.
West
Table 2 Establishment Types
Source: PPS Field Survey (3/29/07) based on the land use categories developed by Urbana Consulting
31
Section 4 – Area Assessment
Small service‐type establishments, such as health and personal
care, are generally located along the north side of Broadway.
These lots are smaller in size, with a median width and depth of
only 100 feet and 88 feet, respectively, in Fair Lawn and a
median width and depth of only 50 feet and 100 feet,
respectively, in Elmwood Park. As a result, individual lots can
only
l accommodate
d t smaller
ll buildings
b ildi
with
ith smaller
ll retail
t il spaces.
These smaller retail spaces, coupled with limited parking
options, make it difficult for these stores to attract national and
regional tenants, or retailers with greater parking demands.
The buildings on the north side of Broadway have a traditional
“
“Main
Street”” orientation, as they
h are located
l
d adjacent
d
to the
h
sidewalk, with no front setback. Similarly, many of the buildings
are located adjacent to each other without side yards.
A cluster of small service establishments (Elmwood Park)
Lot sizes on the south side of Broadway are significantly larger
than those on the north side. The median width and depth on
the south side of Broadway in Fair Lawn are 125 feet and 143
feet, respectively. The south side of Broadway in Elmwood Park
is characterized by a cluster of smaller lots between East 53rd
Street and East 55th Street and very large lots between East 53rd
Street and River Drive. This portion of Broadway contains
several highway‐oriented
highway oriented commercial uses,
uses including K‐Mart,
K Mart
Elmwood Park Shopping Center, and Pathmark. As a result of
larger lot sizes, many buildings on the south side of Broadway
have larger setbacks with parking in the front yard.
A cluster of small service establishments (Fair Lawn)
Broadway Vision Plan
32
Broadway Vision Plan
33
Section 4 – Area Assessment
ZONING ISSUES AND ANALYSIS
Fair Lawn Zoning Regulations
There are four zone districts along the Fair Lawn portion of
Broadway: B‐2 (General Business), OBS‐2 (Office & Business
Services), I‐1 (Restricted Industrial), and I‐2 (General Industrial).
Permitted uses in the B‐2 Zone include general retail and service
establishments.
Outdoor cafes and restaurants are also
permitted in this zone. Car p
p
parkingg lots,, repair
p
ggarages,
g , ggas
stations, car washing, car dealerships, and self‐storage
warehousing are conditionally permitted. Residential uses,
except those above retail stores, and drive‐through restaurants
are prohibited.
Permitted uses in the OBS
OBS‐2
2 Zone include professional, business
or commercial offices, banks and financial institutions. The OBS‐
2 Zone, however, disrupts the continuity of shopping along
Broadway because it prohibits retail uses. This, in effect, also
disrupts the pedestrian vitality on the street. The zoning
contradicts current New Jersey land use policy, which
recommends urbanized areas contain a mix of uses to better
utilize parking, create vitality and add increased economic value.
Table 3 Bulk Requirements – Fair Lawn
Zoning – Fair Lawn
The Broadway train station is bordered to the
east by the I‐2 Zone and to the west by the I‐1
Z
Zone.
I these
In
th
i d t i l districts,
industrial
di t i t manufacturing
f t i
facilities, offices, public utilities, and warehouses
are permitted.
The current bulk requirements are not
appropriate for a major commercial corridor.
For example, the 20‐foot front yard setback
requirement in the B‐2 and the OBS‐2 Zones
should be reduced or eliminated to move
buildings closer to the street.
Broadway Vision Plan
34
Section 4 – Area Assessment
Elmwood Park Regulations
Table 4 Bulk Requirements – Elmwood Park
The Elmwood Park portion of Broadway has two zone districts –
the C‐L (Local Commerce) or the C‐G (General Commerce).
Large‐scale shopping centers, including K‐mart and the Elmwood
Park Shopping Center, are in the C‐G Zone, while smaller‐scale
commercial buildings are in the C‐L Zone.
The C‐L
C L and C‐G
C G zones permit a wide variety of commercial uses,
uses
including retail stores (up to 5,000 sq. ft.), personal and
consumer service establishments, restaurants, professional
offices and banks. In the C‐L Zone, residential uses are
permitted, including detached one‐family dwelling to multi‐
familyy dwellings.
g
In the C‐G Zone,, residential uses are not
permitted.
Zoning – Elmwood Park
There are no specific bulk requirement for the C‐L Zone.
Instead, the bulk requirements for an adjacent residential zone
(in this case, the R‐9 Zone regulation) apply to the C‐L Zone. The
R‐9
R
9 zone is designed for detached single
single‐family
family homes and is not
appropriate for a major commercial corridor.
For example, the 25 foot front yard setback
requirement and the 15 foot side yard setback
requirement are not appropriate for
Broadway because many of the commercial
uses are built with zero front yard and side
yard setbacks, which is more consistent with a
traditional “Main Street” design.
Broadway Vision Plan
35
Section 4 – Area Assessment
PARKING ANALYSIS AND ISSUES
Insufficient parking is a major problem along Broadway.
Broadway Parking
issues are particularly severe on the north side of Broadway
where shallow lot depths make the provision of off‐street
parking difficult. Due to the lack of space for adequate off‐street
parking, existing businesses rely on the availability of on‐street
parkingg alongg residential streets.
p
Overall, the parking requirements in the two municipalities are
prohibitively high and characteristic of suburban and exurban
parking ratios for single‐use zoning. Under the existing zoning in
both boroughs, for example, many uses are required to provide
5 spaces/1,000
p
/ ,
sq.
q ft.,, which is excessive.
Inefficient parking layout resulted from shallow lot
depth (Fair Lawn)
No off-street parking is provided in many sections
of Elmwood Park.
Table 5 Parking Requirements – Fair Lawn
Table 6 Parking Requirements – Elmwood Park
Deeper lot depth can provide sufficient off-street parking. The Washington Mutual Bank property
(Broadway at 34th Street) has a lot depth of 230 feet. Sufficient off-street parking is provided to the rear
of the building.
Broadway Vision Plan
36
Section 4 – Area Assessment
Suburban parking ratios, which are based on single‐use
developments, are not ideal for mixed
mixed‐use
use districts. Mixed use
districts generally have access to centralized parking areas, as
various uses (i.e., retail, residential, restaurant, etc.) have
different peak hour needs. As shown in the diagrams below, the
number of required parking spaces can be lowered if shared
parking is provided.
Exclusive Parking
Restaurant
2.5
2
5 – 3 parking
spaces per 1000 SF
Restaurant
Entertainment
Entertainment
6 AM
Noon
6 PM
Mixed-Use
Mixed
Use Projects in a CBD or Suburban Center
Shared Parking
5.5 – 6
parking
spaces per
1000 SF
Office
Table 7 Recommended Parking Ratio (‘Parking Matters’ July, 2006)
Office
6 AM
Noon
Given Broadway’s potential mixed‐use character,
particularly
l l in the
h train station area, reduction
d
off parking
k
requirements is recommended. Recommended changes
for parking requirements for medical office uses and
restaurants are provided on the following page. Parking
requirements for uses other than retail, restaurants and
medical offices,
offices should be further reviewed.
reviewed
6 PM
As shown in Table 7, the 2006 report ‘Parking Matters:
Designing, Operating, and Financing Structured Parking in Smart
Growth Communities’[1] recommends 2.7 spaces/1,000 sq. ft. for
retail uses (mixed‐use projects in a CBD). In addition, ‘Planning
for Transit‐Friendly Land Use,’[2] recommends a 5 to 10 percent
reduction of parking requirements for non‐residential (non‐
office) uses along a transit corridor with higher reductions
adjacent
dj
to a train
i station.
i
[1] Parking Matters: Designing, Operating and Financing Structured Parking in Smart Growth Communities, edited by Linda Morgan, sponsored by ULI, NJDCA, Rutgers CUPR, NJEDA, and NJIT, July 2006
[2] Planning for Transit‐Friendly Land Use – A Handbook for New Jersey Communities, published by NJ Transit, June 1994
Broadway Vision Plan
37
Section 4 – Area Assessment
Restaurant Parking
Parking requirements for restaurants in Fair Lawn state that one
parking
ki space is
i required
i d for
f every two restaurant seats plus
l one
space/employee on the maximum shift. Thus, a small restaurant
with 40 seats would need to provide about 25 parking spaces.
This regulation is a major disincentive toward attracting more
restaurants, which is a recommended strategy to bring more
shoppers to the Broadway Commercial District.
District
Table 8 compares parking requirements between Fair
Lawn/Elmwood Park and other communities. Highland Park,
Union, and Red Bank have many restaurants on their main
streets but no centralized parking. It is evident that parking
requirements in Fair Lawn and Elmwood Park are very high
compared to other communities. Highland Park, Union, and Red
Bank require one space for each 3 seats. Their main streets,
such as Raritan Avenue in Highland Park and Morris Avenue in
Union have on‐street parking to provide additional parking
spaces for restaurant visitors.
visitors
Medical Office Parking
In general, medical offices create more parking demand than
other commercial uses, such as business offices and retail
stores. This is created by overlapping waiting times and the high
number of part‐time workers in the healthcare industry. As a
result, municipalities often require higher parking requirements
for medical office uses. The adjacent municipalities’ parking
requirement for medical offices are provided in Table 9. Parking
requirements for medical offices are high in Fair Lawn, Elmwood
Park and adjacent municipalities. These parking ratios assume
all patients visit medical offices by car. Given the availability of
public transportation, the parking requirement for medical
offices on Broadway could be reduced.
Table 9 Medical Offices Parking Requirement
Adjacent Municipalities
In Hackensack, the parking supply is limited particularly in the
Central Business District. Hackensack is currently considering
reducing the parking requirement for restaurants along Main
Street from 1 per 2 seats plus 10% of the total required parking
spaces to 1 space per 3.3 seats for up to 30 seats and 1 space
per 4 seats for above 30 seats.
Table 8 Restaurants Parking Requirement Comparison
Broadway Vision Plan
38
Broadway Vision Plan
39
Section 4 – Area Assessment
ON‐STREET PARKING ANALYSIS AND ISSUES
The north side of Broadway is characterized by lack of off‐street
parking spaces. In order to estimate the utilization of on‐street
parking on Broadway’s side streets, a field survey was conducted
during a normal weekday between 11:30 AM and 1:00 PM. For
the purposes of this section, the north side of Broadway is
divided into four sections to discuss each section’s issues in
more detail.
d il
Area 1: Between 35th Street and Plaza Road
In this portion of Broadway, on‐street parking is provided for
both sides of all cross streets, except 30th Street, the westerly
side of 26th Street, and Plaza Road. On‐street parking
restrictions are all the same – 2‐hour parking between 8 AM and
6 PM except Sundays and Holidays. Commercial uses in this
portion of Broadway lack sufficient on‐street parking. As a
result, on‐street parking on these streets provides additional
parking for shoppers. A field survey found that on‐street parking
on 27th Street
St t experienced
i
d the
th highest
hi h t utilization.
tili ti
Th parking
The
ki
restriction of 2 hours maximum between 8 AM and 6 PM is
reasonable to provide additional parking for shoppers while
minimizing the impact to the adjacent residential uses.
Area 2: Between Grunauer Place and Banta Place
In this portion of Broadway, on‐street parking restrictions vary.
On‐street parking is not provided on Plaza Road and Hartley
Place. Two‐hour parking is permitted on Banta Place. On
Grunauer Place, two‐hour parking is permitted on Tuesdays and
Thursdays on the westerly side , and on Mondays,
Mondays Wednesdays,
Wednesdays
and Fridays on the easterly side. Parking utilization
is very low on Banta Place. Commercial uses
in this portion of Broadway provide sufficient
off‐street parking, resulting in little overflow.
There is sufficient off‐street parking provided
at the DePasquale, Newman & Denburg law
office, and Our Savior Lutheran Church.
Parking sign on Grunauer
Pl
Place
Area 2: Grunauer Place and Banta Place
Area 1: Between 35th Street and Plaza Road
Broadway Vision Plan
40
Section 4 – Area Assessment
Area 3: Between 17th Street and Cyril Avenue
Area 4: Between Florence Place and Sterling Street
Parking restrictions vary between
17th Street and Cyril Avenue. Two‐
hour parking is permitted on the
easterly side of Summit Avenue.
Summit Avenue often experiences
high parking utilization due to the
limited supply of on‐street parking
in the nearby medical office
property (Heart & Vascular
Association of Northern NJ). On‐
street parking demand on Lyncrest
Avenue is low because the 15‐01
Broadway office building provides
sufficient off‐street parking.
Parking restrictions in the Elmwood Park portion of Broadway
are generally the same – 2‐hour parking on Thursdays, Fridays
and Saturdays on the westerly sides and 2‐hour parking on
Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays for the easterly sides. The
2‐hour
2
hour parking period is from 8AM to 10PM,
10PM which is different
from Fair Lawn portion of Broadway where parking period is
from 8AM to 6PM. Commercial uses in this portion of Broadway
lacks sufficient off‐street parking; however, on‐street parking
opportunity is limited due to the stringent parking restriction. 2‐
hour parking should be allowed anytime except street cleaning
period. The most utilized on‐street parking is Sterling Street,
which accommodates overflow cars from the adjacent medical
office.
High parking utilization on the easterly
side of Summit Avenue
15-01 Broadway provides sufficient off-street
parking
A
Area 4:Florence Place and Sterling Street
4 Fl
Pl
d S li S
Area 3: 17th Street and Cyril Avenue
Broadway Vision Plan
41
Section 4 – Area Assessment
Table 10 On‐Street Parking Restrictions (Broadway North Side)
Broadway Vision Plan
42
Section 4 – Area Assessment
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS ANALYSIS AND ISSUES
Table 11 Known Contaminated Sites
Environmental
i
l constraints
i
i l d wetlands,
include
l d floodplain
fl d l i areas
and brownfields. The New Jersey Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP) GIS data indicates that Broadway is not affected
by wetlands. Located in close proximity to the Passaic River to
the west and the Saddle River to the east, small areas adjacent
to these rivers are affected by the 100‐year floodplains.
floodplains If a
property is in the 100‐year floodplain, there is a 1‐in‐100 chance
in any given year that the property is subject to flooding.
The Broadway Corridor includes six brownfield sites listed on NJ
DEP’s 2005 Known Contaminated Site List, as shown in Table 11.
A brownfield is defined as “any
any former or current commercial or
industrial site that is currently vacant or underutilized and on
which there has been, or there is suspected to have been, a
discharge of a contaminant.” The presence of contamination
can limit the ability of a property to be improved or
development
p
because it imposes
p
specific
p
problems with
p
financing and development.
In recent years, brownfields have become targeted sites for new
investment and are being redeveloped through a combination of
public and private resources. The only listed Brownfield site in
Broadway for which CEA (Classification Exemption Area) has
been applied is the Zero Twenty Four Gas Station site. This
means that the site’s contaminated level has been monitored.
Environmental Constraints
Broadway Vision Plan
43
Section 4 – Area Assessment
CORRIDOR ISSUES
Vehicular Access and Linkages
According to the New Jersey Department of Transportation,
Broadway (NJ Route 4) is classified as an urban principal
arterial.” The AADT (Average Annual Daily Traffic ) of Broadway
is approximately 36,0001 vehicle trips.
Broadway’s speed limits vary from 25 mph (when school is in
session) to 35 mph in some sections and 40 mph in others. The
35 mph and 40 mph speed limit creates concern for pedestrian
and vehicular safety in this commercial district.
Site Issues – Vehicular Access/Linkages
• Wide lanes & shoulders
• Up to 40 mph Speed Limits
• No left‐turn intersections
• Jersey barrier medians • Jughandles
• Wide‐angle turns
Wid
l
• More space for cars than people
It is difficult to make a U‐turn on Broadway.
Broadway At present,
present there
are only three opportunities for westbound traffic to make a U‐
turn – Fair Lawn Parkway/32nd Street, Plaza Road/26th Street,
and East 54th Street/Zink Place. In addition, there are only two
opportunities for eastbound traffic to make a U‐turn – Plaza
g
at Yerger
g Road.
Road/26th Street and the jjughandle
1
NJDOT’s traffic count conducted on 2/6/2006
Broadway Vision Plan
44
Section 4 – Area Assessment
Pedestrian Access and Linkages
Crosswalk is needed in the train station area to p
provide safe p
pedestrian access.
The Broadway corridor is unsafe for pedestrians simply because
It is difficult to cross the street. In the Fair Lawn portion of
Broadway (east of the train station), pedestrians are limited in
their ability to safely cross the street because of the Jersey
barrier medians. Crosswalks in this portion of Broadway are far
apart,
p , and the signal
g
timings
g are long.
g Additional crosswalks at
signalized intersection are needed in this area.
The Elmwood Park portion of Broadway is divided by a low‐rise,
flat median. The low median may encourage pedestrian street
crossings at mid‐block areas, instead of at crosswalks.
Additional crosswalks are needed in this area along Broadway.
As described in the Vehicular Access and Linkages section, many
cars drive in excess of the 40 mph speed limit.
In addition, Broadway has frequent curb cuts which create a
direct conflict between automobiles and pedestrians.
In the Elmwood Park portion of Broadway, people cross Broadway without using crosswalks.
Site Issues – Pedestrian Access/Linkages
g
• Hard to cross the street
• Few crosswalks
• Wide crosswalk distances
• Long signal‐timings
• Many curb cuts
• No bike lanes
Direct conflict between automobiles and pedestrians.
Broadway Vision Plan
45
Section 4 – Area Assessment
Gateways
Streetscape
Broadway s Gateway entrances are
Broadway’s
not clearly defined. The Gateway
from the west (Paterson) is the
bridge over Passaic River, which
features attractive columns with
decorative lighting.
g
g
There are no
signs to identify this as the entrance
point to the Broadway commercial
district.
Haphazard development along the
Broadway corridor has resulted in
an
inconsistent
design
and
architectural style, and many
buildings show signs of visual
degradation
degradation.
Broadway lacks
streetscape amenities, such as
street trees, lighting, seating, trash
receptacles, and bus shelters.
Western gateway area – attractive bridge but
no signs to indicate Broadway’s entrance point.
Lack of pedestrian amenities
The Eastern Gateway is where Route
4 splits
l with
h NJ Route 208. There
h
are
no signs or other “branding”
improvements to identify this as the
entrance to Broadway. In addition,
the highway sign only mentions
‘Paterson
Paterson,’ without showing ‘Fair
Fair
Lawn’ and ‘Elmwood Park.’
Eastern gateway area has no gateway design
treatment.
Lack of buffer creates unattractive
pedestrian experience.
Although Route 4 West includes Fair Lawn and Elmwood Park, the highway sign only says Paterson.
Broadway Vision Plan
The quality of overall appearance is reduced if parking is located in the front yard.
46
Section 4 – Area Assessment
Median Treatment
Broadway’s median creates both
a visual and a physical barrier.
The eastern part of Broadway
has a ‘Jersey Barrier’ median,
which
effectively
prevents
pedestrians
from
crossing
Broadway but is visually
unattractive.
The western
portion of Broadway is divided
by a flat, wide median with no
design treatment.
treatment This median
creates a pedestrian island.
Broadway Station
Based
B
d on a site
it visit
i it with
ith New
N
J
Jersey
T
Transit
it staff
t ff in
i June
J
2007
2007,
the areas at Broadway Station described below were identified
as initiatives for improvements to the facility. These should be
pursued by the Broadway Improvement Corporation in
cooperation with New Jersey Transit and both municipalities.
Jersey barrier median near the Broadway Train
Station
Station Platforms
• Signage: Replace station signage worn by exposure to bright
sun.
• Lighting: Add decorative Sternberg‐type lighting found at
many other commuter rail stations.
• Maintenance Items:
Replace
l
f d d/b k
faded/broken
passenger
information case; clean bus shelter; remove graffiti on ticket
machine.
• Maintenance Process: Involve the BIC as an agent to
improve the ongoing levels of maintenance at Broadway
Station
Station.
Median in the Elmwood portion of Broadway
serves as a pedestrian island
Jersey barrier median in Fair Lawn
Broadway Train Station
Broadway Vision Plan
47
Section 4 – Area Assessment
Transportation – Train Service
North of Platforms:
• Railroad Ties: Remove piles of ties.
• Walkway: Improve pedestrian passage to Rosalie Street for
use of outbound passengers returning to the residential
neighborhood north of Broadway; the adjacent property
owner indicated he would cooperate
p
in this initiative.
• Center‐line fence: Lengthen the existing fence to prevent
the unsafe practice of commuters crossing the tracks to
reach the in‐bound platform.
At Broadway:
• Crosswalk:
lk Provide
d safe
f and
d attractive means for
f commuters
to cross Broadway.
• Drop‐off: Designate appropriate areas for kiss n’ ride on
both sides of Broadway.
• Signage: Provide improved identification of the station area
(see Photosim #4 on page 15).
15)
• Bike racks: Add racks to encourage bicycle use.
Parking
• Expand opportunities for commuter parking at the station,
including the designation of some spaces for daily uses.
• Improve daily use of underutilized adjacent surface parking
spaces (see page 27).
Broadway s public transportation
Broadway’s
system includes rail and bus
services. Broadway Station is on
NJ Transit’s Bergen County Line
and 36 trains stop at this station
each weekday. Inbound trains
are headed to Hoboken Terminal
via Secaucus Junction where
Existing Broadway Station
riders can transfer to trains to
New York Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan. Hoboken
passengers can take the PATH or ferry to Downtown Manhattan
destinations.
Outbound trains terminate at Ridgewood,
Waldwick, Suffern or Port Jervis. Broadway Station is not heavily
utilized, as indicated by an average weekday boarding of 274
passengers in 2007. In comparison, the Radburn Station is more
heavily utilized, with 1,359 average daily passengers in 2007.
The 2007 median daily ridership for all NJ Transit commuter rail
stations was approximately 550. The low utilization of the
Broadway Station can be attributed to limited commuter parking
availability, low visibility of the train station, and lack of
passenger amenities.
Broadway Station has 80 designated commuter parking spaces
located on 55th Street south of Broadway. They are owned by
NJ Transit and operated by the Borough of Elmwood Park. All
spaces are permit spaces with a fee to residents and non‐
residents of $125/year. Radburn Station has 330 commuter
p
located adjacent
j
to the station and at the Fair Lawn
spaces
Avenue/Rt. 208 interchange. They are owned by Fair Lawn, NJ
Transit and NJDOT and operated by the Borough of Fair Lawn.
Source: New Jersey Transit web site
Broadway Vision Plan
48
Section 4 – Area Assessment
All spaces are permit spaces with a fee of $50/year to residents
and $150/year to non‐residents.
non‐residents The fees for parking at these
two stations are well below market rates and much lower than
those charged at many other NJ Transit commuter rail stations.
Examples of NJ Transit parking fees closer to market rates
include Trenton ($7‐11/day or $100/month); Metropark ($6/day
or $65/month);
) and Brick Church/East Orange
g (($4/dayy or
$60/month). No parking is designated for daily (occasional)
riders.
Lack of residential units has also resulted in the low utilization of
the train station. Current land uses within a one‐quarter mile
radius
di off Broadway
B d
S i includes
Station
i l d only
l commercial
i l uses and
d
single‐family homes. Broadway Station’s ridership can be
increased if more residential units are provided near the train
station.
In a 2006 report on New Jersey housing and school children,
children The
Center for Urban Policy Research at Rutgers University analyzed
Transit Oriented Developments (TODs) and found strong
evidence that TODs generate significantly fewer public school
children than other types of residential development in New
Jersey[4]. The study of more than 2,000 housing units in ten (10)
different TODs throughout New Jersey found that every 100
housing unit in a TOD generated an average of only 2 public
school children. Where, for example, 2,000 units of traditional
housing (using Census data) generates an estimated 285 public
school children, the same number of units in a TOD would
generate
t only
l 47 public
bli school
h l children,
hild
b d on the
based
th Rutgers
R t
analysis. This preliminary study suggests that TOD housing
produces only modest demands on local school districts.
Designated parking – Broadway Station
Designated parking – Radburn Station
[4] Listokin, D. New Jersey Demographic Multipliers: The Profile of the Occupants of Residential and Nonresidential Development. Center for Urban Policy Research. Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning & Public Policy, Rutgers Univesity 2006 Broadway Vision Plan
49
Section 4 – Area Assessment
Transportation – Bus Service
Approximately 240 NJ transit busses stop along Broadway or its
cross streets each weekday. This comprises a substantial
amount of bus service from a statewide perspective.
Interstate services are headed to and from New York City with
some routes also stopping
pp g in the Meadowlands area,, Union Cityy
or Fort Lee. These include the following routes:
•
•
•
•
144 Fair Lawn – New York (rush hour only)
160 Elmwood Park – New York
164 Midland Park – New York
171 Paterson – New Yorkk
Intrastate services include routes 702 (Elmwood Park to
Paterson) and 770 (Hackensack to Paterson).
One of the issues on Broadway is that it has many bus stops
along its corridor, as indicated in the map below. Broadway has
11 bus stops on the north side and 14 bus stops on the south
side. The sheer number of bus stops slows service and reduces
the opportunity for on‐street parking.
Ridership in Elmwood Park and Fair Lawn for bus routes
operating along Broadway (rather than along its cross streets) is
shown in the table below:
Average One-Way Passengers
Route
Weekdays
Sat
Sun
160 Elmwood Park - New York
160
-
-
171 Paterson - New York
756
481
222
702 Elmwood Park - Paterson
250
100
-
770 Paterson - Hackensack
702
244
188
In addition to scheduled bus service, at least four companies
provide “gypsy” van service along Broadway. According to NJ
Transit, these services are growing at a rapid rate. They provide
at least double the number of bus trips scheduled each weekday
by NJ Transit.
B St
Bus
Stops on B
Broadway
d
Source: New Jersey Transit web site and special analyses
Broadway Vision Plan
50
Section 4 – Area Assessment
PLANNING CONTEXT
Fair Lawn Master Plan
Elmwood Park Master Plan
Fair Lawn’s Master Plan was adopted in June 1992 and was most
recently reexamined in January 2004. The 2004 Reexamination
Report specifically identifies issues pertaining to the Broadway
Train Station, as follows:
Elmwood Park’s last comprehensive master plan was adopted
in 1986 and was most recently reexamined in July 2004. There
were no specific recommendations related to Broadway. The
Borough recognizes that an extended period of time has
elapsed since the adoption of the comprehensive master plan
and a number of new planning initiatives at the state level have
created new opportunities and issues for the Borough.
Consequently, the Borough is currently preparing a new
comprehensive master plan.
Pedestrian access from the parking lot to Broadway Station is an
issue due to the divided, heavily‐traveled nature of Broadway,
and the lack of pedestrian striping or a pedestrian light. The lack
of pedestrian safety features, including no handicapped‐
accessible access points, makes crossing Broadway at this
location extremely onerous and hazardous. Furthermore,
Broadway Station is not handicapped‐accessible.
Due to anticipated ridership increases for this station, efforts
should be made as soon as possible to provide a safe roadway
crossing between the parking area in the Borough of Elmwood
Park and the train station. Because Broadway is a State
Highway (Route 4), the Borough should continue its coordination
with both the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT)
and NJ Transit to implement such improvements. The Borough
should also work with NJ Transit to identify location in area for
potential additional parking that could potentially be shared
between commuters and Broadway shoppers.
The 2004 Master Plan Reexamination Report also recommends
the Borough explore the potential of being designated a Transit
Vill
Village
to address
dd
the
h needs
d off Broadway
B d
S i
Station.
Th
The
recommendations of the Broadway Vision Plan are consistent
with Elmwood Park’s Master Plan recommendations.
Broadway Vision Plan
51
Section 4 – Area Assessment
New Jersey State Development and Redevelopment
Plan (SDRP)
The New Jersey State Development and Redevelopment Plan
(SDRP) provides a framework to shape the state’s future land
uses by designating planning areas that share common
conditions with regard to development and environmental
features. The SDRP includes three main planning areas: Areas
for Growth, Areas for Limited Growth, and Areas for
Conservation. Both Fair Lawn and Glen Rock are in the “Areas
for Growth” and are classified as the Metropolitan Planning Area
(PA1). The PA1 intends to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Provide for much of the State’s future development;
Revitalize cities and towns;
Promote growth in compact forms;
Stabilize older suburbs;
Redesign areas of sprawl; and
Protect the character of existing stable communities.
Both Fair Lawn and Elmwood Park are fully built‐out
communities where new development is limited to
rehabilitation and redevelopment of individual parcels. The
Vision Plan for Broadway is particularly consistent with State
State’ss
goal to “revitalize cities and towns” in PA1 because it provides a
planning framework for revitalization of a commercial corridor
that serves two existing towns.
New Jersey State Development and Redevelopment Plan
Source: New Jersey Department of Community Affairs – Office of Smart Growth
(http://www.nj.gov/dca/osg)
Broadway Vision Plan
52
Section 4 – Area Assessment
STAKEHOLDER INPUT
The Broadway Vision Plan has been produced with significant
public input. Interviews with stakeholders were conducted to
get their input at the beginning of the process. Summaries of
these interviews are provided in Appendix D. These interviews
included the following:
Hi hli ht f t k h ld
Highlights of stakeholder comments are provided below:
t
id d b l
•
“People see my stores as they drive past them.”
•
“Paterson needs to be redeveloped before Broadway will
have its highest and best use.”
•
Fair Lawn property owner’s representative in the distribution
business
•
“I recently
tl discovered
di
d Broadway
B d
St ti when
Station
h my customers
t
took the train from New York City.”
•
Elmwood Park property owner with a lease of major
automotive supply store
•
“I don’t how know how many times I have almost killed
someone who was crossing Broadway to catch a train”
•
Elmwood Park property owner of major parcel
•
“I don’t like walkingg on a block with a check cashingg store.”
•
Fair Lawn property owner of strip mall
•
•
Fair Lawn property owner of office building and gas station
“Broadway should be a destination; people should want to
go there.”
•
Fair Lawn Board of Education representatives
•
“We need more boutique businesses to serve Fair Lawn
residents.”
•
Fair
i Lawn resident
id
and
d citizen
ii
activist
i i
•
“Broadway lacks eye candy.”
•
“Both towns need to enforce building codes.”
•
“Why not have a good‐looking town?”
Broadway Vision Plan
53
Section 5
MARKET ASSESSMENT
Broadway Vision Plan
54
Section 5 – Market Assessment
MARKET ASSESSMENT
Market Area Description
Market Area Description
Market Area Map
The Boroughs of Fair Lawn and Elmwood Park are fully
developed suburban communities located in the west‐central
part of Bergen County. Broadway is surrounded by a wide
varietyy of communities with unique
q demographic
g p characteristics.
The market area includes affluent suburban communities in
Bergen County and densely populated urban centers in Passaic
County.
The Market Area Map shows surrounding towns included within
the
h one‐, three‐,
h
and
d five‐mile
fi
il rings
i
f
from
B d
Broadway
T i
Train
Station. The one‐mile ring includes the southwest portion of
Fair Lawn, the northern portion of Elmwood Park, and small
portions of Paterson and Saddle Brook. The market area within
the three‐mile ring includes all of Fair Lawn and Elmwood Park,
and the bulk of Glen Rock and Saddle Brook.
Brook Significant portions
of Hawthorne, Paterson, and Paramus are also included in this
three‐mile ring.
As shown in the Market Area Map, the five‐mile ring includes a
wide range of towns in the central part of Bergen County and
the southern part of Passaic County. The northern half of the
five‐mile ring contains prosperous suburban communities in
Bergen County, while the southern half contains densely
populated urban areas. Some of the New Jersey’s key
municipalities are located in the market area within the five‐mile
ring,
i
i l di Paterson,
including
P t
th third
the
thi d largest
l
t city
it in
i the
th State,
St t and
d
Paramus, one of the largest shopping destinations in the
country.
Broadway Vision Plan
55
Section 5 – Market Assessment
Demographic Profile ‐ Population
Income
Broadway is located in close proximity to several heavily
populated urban centers. As a result, the number of people
living in the region is very high. The total population within the
one‐mile ring from Broadway Train Station includes the southern
portion of Fair Lawn and the northern portion of Elmwood Park.
The 2007 estimate indicates a total population of 24,643
24 643
persons, which is a 2.41 percent increase since 2000.
The market area includes a mix of wealthy suburban
communities and low‐ to moderate‐income urban centers. In
general, Bergen County is more affluent, indicated by towns with
median household income higher than $100,000. High‐income
towns include Glen Rock and Ridgewood. Although Passaic
County includes low‐income
low income areas,
areas it also contains a large
number of households that collectively have significant
purchasing power.
The estimated total population for the three‐mile ring is 226,173
persons – a 2.46 percent increase since 2000. The 2007
estimate also revealed that there are 618,071
,
persons livingg
p
within a five‐mile radius from Broadway Train station, which
translates into approximately seven percent of the all New
Jersey residents.
Table 13 Demographic Profile
The median household income in the immediate surrounding
areas is high,
g , at approximately
pp
y$
$75,800
,
within the one‐mile ring.
g
The median household income within the three‐mile ring is
approximately $59,600, which is lower than the one‐mile ring,
because it includes some lower income areas of Paterson and
Garfield. The median household income, however, increases
within the five‐mile ring because it includes wealthier suburban
communities in Bergen and Passaic Counties.
Table 14 Income
Broadway Vision Plan
56
Section 5 – Market Assessment
Employment
Means of Transportation to Work
The majority of residents in the market area are employed in the
service‐producing sector, as indicated in Table 15. The ‘service
industry’ is often the most popular occupational group because
a broad range of service‐related jobs falls within this category,
including
1)
professional,
scientific,
management,
administrative and waste management services,
administrative,
services 2) educational,
educational
health and social services, and 3) arts ,entertainment,
recreation, accommodation and food services.
Residents in the market area are auto dependent, particularly
those living within the one‐mile ring. Approximately 89 percent
of them use cars to commute to work, while only six percent of
them use public transportation. In contrast, Bergen County’s
average is 82.6 percent driving to work and 9.7 percent using
public transportation..
transportation
Table 16 Means of Transportation
As shown in Table 15, approximately 44 percent of residents in
the market area are employed in the service industry sector.
Popular industries also includes manufacturing and retail trade
at 12.5 percent each in the entire market area. In general,
residents in the market area are employed by an array of
industrial sectors and can support a wide range potential
commercial development along the Broadway Corridor.
Table 15 Employment Profile
Consumer Spending Analysis
A Spending Potential Index (SPI) compares local spending to the
U.S. average. The index is tabulated to represent a value of 100
as the average spending, the value of more than 100 as high
spending, and a value of less than 100 as low spending, relative
to the national average.
Broadway Vision Plan
57
Section 5 – Market Assessment
The market area indicates high SPIs in every budget
category, especially in investments, shelter, travel,
and education. SPIs in these categories are well
above 130 – at least 130 percent higher than the
national average – and indicates strong spending.
As shown in Table 16, households within one‐mile
radius
di have
h
more spending
di power than
h those
h
within
i hi
five‐mile radius. However, the overall purchasing
power in the market area exceeds national average
and remains fairly strong.
Table 16 Consumer Spending (2007)
Consumption Leakage Analysis
p
g
y
A consumption leakage analysis evaluates demand
for retail goods by determining how much potential
sales revenue are being lost to other communities.
A leakage simply means that the total sales within
the local area are not as much as theyy could be
based on the local area’s population and income.
Therefore, a leakage does not necessarily imply that
certain businesses are failing.
Table 17 Consumption Leakage Analysis
Table 17 compares potential and actual retail sales
f each
for
h retailil sector. Sectors
S
with
i h the
h greatest
leakage are clothing and clothing accessory stores
(17 percent) and sporting goods, hobby, book &
music stores (9 percent). It is easily assumed that
these commodities are consumed in the nearby
regional shopping centers.
centers
Broadway Vision Plan
58
Section 5 – Market Assessment
Not surprisingly, Paramus has over a $604 million surplus (2,645
percent capture rate) in the clothing and clothing accessory
sector and a $205 million surplus (2,400 percent capture rate) in
the sporting goods, hobby, book and music sector.
Spending for health and personal care shows the greatest
surplus
l at a 114 percent capture rate in
i Fair
F i Lawn.
L
E
Examples
l off
this sector include pharmacies, drug stores and optical goods
stores. This sector has provided sufficient revenue for the area.
The food and beverage sector is a large retail sector, generating
approximate revenues of $90 million.
million The capture rate is 104
percent and indicates that the food and beverage sector
generates sufficient revenue.
Retail Market Analysis
The retail survey shows that the Broadway Commercial District
has high representation of ground floor office uses (25%); health
and personal care (18%); food and beverages (18%). Low
representation is shown for clothing, furniture/home
furnishings;
electronics/appliances;
sporting
goods/hobbies/books/music
goods/hobbies/books/music.
This analysis of existing store types correlates directly with the
consumption leakage data shown above, which demonstrates
high leakage to neighboring towns in the categories of clothing;
p
g ggoods/hobbies/books/music;
/
/
/
; and furniture/home
/
sporting
furnishings.
The data from two independent sources above might suggest
that Broadway should attempt to attract all of the business types
that are now missing from Route 4. However, intense
competition exists from neighboring Paramus shopping centers
and big box stores which begin along Broadway at the eastern
border of Fair Lawn. Clothing retailers prefer to congregate
together in centers which provide numerous fashion options at
one location. Big box stores require large property footprints for
retail areas,
areas storage and associated parking.
parking
Garden State Plaza in Paramus – one of
the largest shopping malls in the region.
Broadway Vision Plan
59
Section 5 – Market Assessment
Accordingly, the strategy for Fair Lawn and Elmwood Park needs
to build upon existing assets. Suggested are incremental
improvements to the retail mix as follows:
•
Ground floor office uses should continue to be a major
element in the retail environment. Unlike a small village
center, which may want to confine office uses to upper
floors, ground floor office uses are a key part of the existing
two‐mile Broadway Commercial District and should be
emphasized as one of its strengths going forward.
•
The District now has 14 sit‐down restaurants as well as
additional
dditi
l take‐out
t k
t establishments.
t bli h
t An
A increase
i
i quality
in
lit
food service establishments would create the beginnings of
a restaurant district which can bring new shoppers to
discover all of the other retail stores on the street. Through
promotion and changes to zoning regulations, restaurants
should be encouraged to open along Broadway in both
boroughs and especially in the eastern end of the District
which already has a number of sit‐down venues.
•
“Niche” businesses can be defined as those which attract
shoppers from a 0‐10 mile radius since their distinct
product/service offerings are not available in most
municipalities or shopping areas. A good local example of
niche retail is the Gluten‐Free Pantry located on Fair Lawn
Avenue in Fair Lawn. This store provides prepared and
packaged food for customers with a specific medical diet.
Si
Since
it provides
id products
d t nott available
il bl elsewhere
l
h
t this
to
thi
market segment, people will drive many miles to come to
the store.
Broadway Vision Plan
This type of niche business could also apply to other
categories of retail on Broadway such as stores that provide
specialized uniforms or furniture built in a special country or
region. The highway’s good access to Route 20, Interstate 80
and the Garden State Parkway make it convenient to
shoppers coming from other towns.
60
Section 5 – Market Assessment
Office Market Analysis
Office buildings are present within the Broadway Commercial
District from 1 Broadway on the western border to 39‐40
Broadway at the eastern end. According to data from the CoStar
Group, Inc., the District has three office buildings in Elmwood
Park and 11 such buildings in Fair Lawn. Most of the Fair Lawn
structures are located in the OBS‐2 ((Office and Business
Services) zones as discussed on page 34.
All of the office buildings along Broadway are rated Class B or
Class C. The largest office building is 15‐01 Broadway in Fair
Lawn; it was built in 1955 and renovated in 1983. This building
h 55,000 totall sq. ft.
has
f situated
d on four
f
fl
floors.
Asking rents were between $21 and $26/sq. ft. as of July 2007
with occupancy exceeding 95% at that time. The owner of 39‐
40 Broadway stated that his building was approaching full
occupancy for the first time in 17 years.
years The average Bergen
County pricing for direct gross rent is shown in Table 18.
The Broadway Commercial District is not likely to achieve many
rentals at the upper end of the county range because of the lack
of Class A buildings which are often situated at full interchanges
along limited‐access highways.
Table 18 Office Space Inventory
Outlook:
Office buildings, along with ground floor office uses in retail
blocks, will continue to be part of the land use mix along
Broadway for the foreseeable future.
Multi‐story office buildings are a demanding user of parking
spaces. Given the parking constraints along much of Broadway
(see page 36) and its lack of immediate access to a limited‐
access highway, we do not foresee major construction of new
office buildings in the next three to five years along Broadway.
Should currently vacant office space across the County be
absorbed in the next few years, locations other than the
Broadway Commercial District are likely to be more attractive to
developers of new office buildings.
15-01 Broadway – the largest office building on Broadway
Broadway Vision Plan
61
Appendix A
Design Guidelines
Broadway Vision Plan
62
Appendix A – Design Guidelines
Design Guidelines
Design Guidelines play an important role in improving the
appearance and function of the Broadway Commercial District.
In order to create a visual consistency throughout the District,
these design principles should be used by business owners,
developers, designers, and decision‐makers as an information
tool in site p
plan review p
process.
Broadway Streetscape Design
• A continuous sidewalk network must be provided along the
entire frontage of Broadway and all side streets. Colored
concrete should be used as sidewalk material.
• Shade trees should be planted along all sidewalks if the
width of right‐of‐way is greater than 10 feet. Shade trees
should be planted at intervals of no more than 40 feet.
Continuous sidewalk network is a key to provide pedestrian-friendly commercial district.
•
Decorative lighting poles must be provided along sidewalks
of the entire Broadway Commercial District. The standard
lighting design must be adopted by the BIC as the design of
the lighting texture must be uniform throughout the district.
Broadway Vision Plan
•
Pedestrian amenities, such as
benches, public art, planters,
trash receptacles, etc., are
encouraged and should be
located along sidewalks and
in landscaped areas, open
d plazas.
l
spaces and
Pedestrian amenities are essential for
attractive shopping streets.
Building Location and Site Orientation
• Buildings should be located such a way to create continuity
of frontage along the Broadway Commercial District by
matching zero foot front yard setbacks.
• Buildings should be located to front towards and relate to
public streets, both functionally and visually. Buildings
should not be oriented to front toward a parking lot. A main
entrance can face the transit station if the building is
adjacent
dj
to the
h transit
i station.
i
• In
a
multiple
building
development, buildings located
on the interior of a site should
front towards and relate to one
another both functionally and
another,
visually. To the extent possible,
multiple‐building
developments
should
be
organized around features such Buildings shall be located to front towards and
relate to public streets.
Maintaining a
as courtyards,
y
,q
quadrangles
g and continuity of building frontage is a key to
alleys,
which
encourage improve the overall appearance of the district.
pedestrian activity.
63
Appendix A – Design Guidelines
Architectural and Façade Treatment
•
•
•
Facades over fifty (50) feet in
length should be divided into
shorter segments by means of
façade modulation, repeating
window patterns, changes in
materials,, canopies
p
or awnings,
g,
varying roof lines and/or other
architectural treatments. Multi‐
tenant buildings should provide
varied storefronts and such
architectural elements for all
ground
d floor
fl
tenants. Expansive
blank walls are prohibited.
Buildings on corner lots must
receive architectural treatments
on the Broadway and side
streets sides.
id
In order to provide interest for
pedestrians, a minimum of 50
percent glass is encouraged for a
front commercial façade on the
ground floor.
floor Clear glass that
permits a clear view into a
building is preferable to tinted
or reflective glass that prohibits
views into a building.
•
•
Buildings should articulate the line
between the ground and upper levels.
•
Corner
buildings
should
receive
architectural treatments on all street
sides.
•
All
buildings
should
articulate
i l
the
h line
li between
b
the ground and upper
levels with a cornice,
canopy, balcony, arcade, or
other visual devise. A
variety of materials is
encouraged.
buildings should be divided into
Masonry, which works well Large
shorter segments and feature a variety of
at the base of a building, architectural treatments.
can vary in size, color and
texture, and enables the
provision of a decorative
pattern or band. Above 12
feet, it can be substituted
with
other
suitable
materials.
The type, shape, pitch,
texture and color of a roof
should be considered as an
Washington Mutual bank has good architectural
integral part of the design of details on all sides.
a building and should be
architecturally
hi
ll compatible
ibl
with the building style, materials, colors and details.
Rooftop elements (HVAC, mechanical appurtenances, and
satellite dishes and other telecommunication receiving
devices) should not be visible from the public right‐of‐way.
Encourage glass façade to permit a clear
view into a building.
Broadway Vision Plan
64
Appendix A – Design Guidelines
Vehicular and Pedestrian Circulation
• Site access and internal circulation must promote safety,
efficiency, and convenience. Conflict between pedestrians
and automobiles should be minimized by reducing the
number of curb cuts. Adequate areas for maneuvering,
stacking, and emergency vehicle access should be provided.
• To the extent possible, access points for service trucks and
pick up of garbage and trash should be separated from cars.
• Off‐street parking layout should take into consideration of
pedestrian circulation – pedestrian crosswalks should be
provided, where necessary and appropriate. Pedestrian
crosswalks should be distinguished by textured paving and
should
h ld be
b integrated
i
d into
i
the
h wider
id networkk off pedestrian
d
i
walkways.
Broadway Vision Plan
Parking Design
• The location of off‐street parking is a key component of
creating a vibrant commercial district and maintaining
continuity in pedestrian circulation. Surface parking should
be located either behind or to the side of the buildings in
order to maintain a consistent, vibrant streetscape. Where
possible, parking should be interconnected.
• Landscaping and walkways should be provided between
parking lots and public streets, right‐of‐ways, and pedestrian
routes.
• Lighting in parking areas should avoid glare that affects
adjacent properties. The design of the fixture and its height
should
h ld be
b compatible
ibl with
i h the
h overallll site
i and
d building
b ildi
design.
• When large parking areas are required, a clearly defined
pedestrian path inside the parking area that provides safe
and easy access to and from buildings and sidewalks must be
provided.
provided
• Parking areas visible from the street right‐of‐way should be
screened from view with landscaping plants, berms, partial
walls, etc.
• To the extent possible, off‐street parking areas should be
l d
landscaped
d to
t provide
id shade
h d and
d visual
i l relief.
li f This
Thi can be
b
achieved by protected planting islands or peninsulas within
the perimeter of the parking areas.
• Green parking design is encouraged. Green parking refers to
several techniques applied together to reduce the total
impervious coverage,
coverage and consequently,
consequently reduce the amount
of stormwater runoff. Green parking techniques include
utilizing alternative pavers and encouraging shared parking.
65
Appendix A – Design Guidelines
Signage and Lighting
•
•
•
•
All signs must conform to the forthcoming sign ordinance for
the Broadway Special Improvement District.
The signs affixed to the exterior of a building should be
architecturally compatible with the style, composition,
materials, colors and details of the buildings, as well as with
other signs used on the buildings along the Broadway
Commercial District.
Whenever possible, signs located on buildings within the
same blockface should be placed at the same height, in
order to create a unified signband.
Signs on roofs and dormers are strongly discouraged.
discouraged The
use of creative lighting schemes to highlight building facades
and related areas of a site should be encouraged.
Encourage
design.
•
signs
with
interesting
Lighting textures must be architecturally
compatible with details of the buildings.
buildings
The use of traditional style lanterns and similar fixtures also
should be encouraged. Exterior neon lights and lighting
generating glare and unnecessary night‐glow impacts should
be prohibited.
Broadway Vision Plan
66
Appendix B
Zoning Changes
Broadway Vision Plan
67
Appendix B – Proposed Zoning Changes
Zone Changes
The Vision Plan proposes to replace the existing Fair
Lawn and Elmwood Park zoning along Broadway with
unified districts, which may be called B‐6N and B‐6S
zones in Fair Lawn and C‐6N and C‐6S zones in Elmwood
Park. These will provide for uniform bulk standards and
parkingg requirements
p
q
throughout
g
the District. The
permitted uses, parking requirements and bulk
regulations recommended for each zone district are
shown below.
B‐6S and C‐6S Zone Districts
1. Permitted Uses
a.
Retail sales, office, and service uses,
including medical offices and restaurants,
are permitted on the ground floor.
b
b.
Residential uses are permitted on the
second and third floors within ¼ mile of
Broadway Station. Office uses, including
medical office uses, and residential uses
are permitted on the second and third
floors outside of the ¼ mile radius.
2. Parking
a.
Commercial uses including retail, offices
and related uses: 4 spaces per 1,000 sq. ft.
b. Medical offices: 6.5 spaces per 1,000 sq. ft
for buildings less than 10,000 sq. ft.; 5.5
spaces per 1,000 sq. ft. for buildings
between 10,000 – 15, 000 sq. ft.; and 5
spaces per 1,000 sq. ft. for larger buildings.
Broadway Vision Plan
c.
Restaurants: 1 space per four restaurant seats after
the first 16 seats. (For retail properties that contain
more than a restaurant, the larger of 4 spaces per
1,000 sq. ft. and the preceding sentence calculation
will apply).
d. Residential:
I.
1.2 spaces per unit within ¼ mile of
Broadway Station
II. 1.5 spaces per unit otherwise.
3. Bulk Requirements
a.
Minimum lot size: 5,000 square feet.
b.
Minimum lot width: 50 feet.
c.
Maximum height: 3 stories and 35 feet.
d.
Minimum front yard setback: 0 feet.
e.
Minimum interior side yard setback: 0 feet.
f.
Maximum building coverage: 50 percent.
68
Appendix B – Proposed Zoning Changes
B‐6N and C‐6N Zone Districts
1. Permitted Uses
a.
Retail sales, office, and service uses, including
medical offices and restaurants, on the ground
floor and residential uses on the second and
third floors.
b. Upper floor occupancy is limited to residential
uses.
2. Parking
a.
Commercial uses including retail, offices and
related uses: 4 spaces per 1,000 sq. ft.
b. Medical offices: 6.5 spaces per 1,000 sq. ft. for
buildings less than 10,000 sq. ft.; 5.5 spaces per
1,000 sq. ft. for buildings between 10,000 –
15,000 sq. ft.; and 5 spaces per 1,000 sq. ft. for
larger buildings.
c.
Restaurants: 1 space per four restaurant seats
after the first 16 seats. (For retail properties that
contain more than a restaurant, the larger of 4
spaces per 1,000 sq. ft. and the preceding
sentence calculation will apply.)
d. Residential:
I.
1.2 spaces per unit within ¼ mile of
Broadway Station
II. 1.5 spaces per unit otherwise.
e. Any property owner who adds three or more
additional parking spaces to his property is
permitted to reduce the above parking
requirements equal to 1.2% for each space to be
added. The requirement may be reduced to a
minimum of 3/1,000 sq. ft. through such
improvements.
Broadway Vision Plan
3.
Bulk Requirements
a.
Minimum lot size: 5,000 square feet
b. Minimum lot width: 50 feet.
c.
Maximum height: 3 stories and 35 feet.
d.
Minimum front yard setback: 0 feet.
e.
Minimum interior side yard setback: 0 feet.
f.
Maximum building coverage: 50 percent
g
g
p
Industrial Zone Districts
The I‐2 zone in Fair Lawn should be amended to allow retail stores in any building facing Broadway.
y
g
g
y
Residential Zone Districts
The following conditional use should be included in all
residential zones:
1. Commercial Parking:
a.
On‐site parking that serves a commercial use
located in the B‐6N and C‐6N zone district is
permitted on any property in a residential
zone district located within two hundred
(200) feet of the north side of Broadway.
b. Any new parking spaces located adjacent to
a residence must provide perimeter fencing
and a five (5) foot wide landscaped buffer.
69
Overall
The Borough should consider moving to a gross
floor area calculation as a basis for parking ratios
and exempting basements used for storage in
determining the ratios. In addition, there is a
concern that parking variances are being required
too broadly. The ordinance should be amended to
state that “Properties that have been granted a
parking variance are exempt from requiring a new
parking variance when a new permitted use with
the same or lesser parking requirement occupies
the building. This provision does not include
situations in which there is an expansion of building
area or nonconforming use on a site.”
Broadway Vision Plan
70
Appendix C
Signage and Awning Ordinance
Broadway Vision Plan
71
Appendix C – Signage and Awning Ordinance
Signage and Awning Ordinance
b.
Chapter 125 of the Code of the Borough of Fair Lawn,
Land Development, Section 125‐41, Signs, should be
amended to add the following new paragraph and
subparagraphs:
O Signs permitted in the Broadway Special Improvement
O.
District. Within the Broadway Special Improvement
District (“the District”), only the following signs shall
be permitted:
1.
Anyy signs
g p
permitted in residential zones.
2.
Signs, including any licenses or permits, required by
law to be exhibited by the occupant of the premises.
Required signs shall not count in the calculation of
total sign coverage area.
3.
Principal signs for the purpose of identifying and
advertising the use of the premises. There shall be
no more than one (1) principal sign for each retail
establishment or permitted use therein except
where the following conditions are met:
a.
Any street level permitted use within a
building having an exterior wall facing an off‐
street parking area or driveway which is on
the same tax lot as the building being
g on such
addressed or street mayy have a sign
wall. No more than four (4) such exterior
wall signs shall be permitted.
Broadway Vision Plan
c.
4.
Any sign on a facade facing a residential street
shall, if illuminated, not result in any light
spillage at the property line and shall not
exceed fifty percent (50%) of the overall size
that would be allowed for a sign facing the
street.
A sign
i upon an exterior
i wallll shall
h ll have
h
no more
than three (3) lines of copy thereon.
Placement and dimensions.
a.
All signs, unless a freestanding sign, as
hereinafter regulated,
regulated shall be installed parallel
to the face of the wall to which it is attached
and shall not be less than eight (8) feet from the
elevation of the ground under the sign and shall
be rigidly and securely attached thereto.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this
subsection, nothing contained herein shall be
construed to prohibit signs on an awning or
canopy as regulated herein.
b. The maximum distance from the top edge to
the bottom edge of any attached sign shall not
exceed
d thirty‐six
thi t i (36) inches.
i h
A
Any
sign
i
consisting of letters only shall not contain any
letter that exceeds thirty‐six (36) inches from
the top edge of the letter to the bottom edge of
the letter. There shall exist six (6) inches of
fascia both above and below the sign or
lettering.
72
Appendix C – Signage and Awning Ordinance
c.
d.
e.
The maximum width of any attached sign shall not
exceed ninety (90%) percent of the storefront or wall if
that portion of the building occupied where the
storefront or wall does not exceed ten (10) feet, and
shall not exceed eighty (80%) percent of the storefront
or wall of that portion of the building occupied where
the storefront or wall is greater than ten (10) feet and
no more than twenty (20) feet, and shall not exceed
seventy (70%) percent of the storefront or wall of that
portion of the building occupied where the storefront
or wall is greater than twenty (20) feet, provided that
in no instance may an attached sign exceed twenty‐five
(25) feet in width and have an area of greater than
seventy‐five
t fi (75) square feet
f t
Where there is more than one (1) occupant of the
building and where each occupant has a separate
ground floor entrance, the total area of all signs
permitted as hereinafter regulated, taken in the
aggregate
aggregate,
shall not exceed the maximum
requirements set forth above for each wall upon which
any sign is permitted to be erected and shall not be
erected above the frontage of another occupant.
Window signs shall not be permitted above the first
floor.
Broadway Vision Plan
5.
Window signs on first floor. Signs painted on, placed
or hung within twenty‐four (24) inches from the inside
window glass of any building shall be limited to the
following:
a.
No more than twenty (20%) percent of the
total area of all windows may be covered with
signs, provided that the address of the
premises shall not be include in calculating the
permissible coverage for window signs. In
calculating the percentage, the area of the
window continuously covered by letters,
symbols or images shall govern.
b. Door signs affixed to the window of a door
shall
h ll nott exceed
d ten
t (10) percentt off the
th glass
l
area of the door which shall not be included in
calculating the permissible coverage for
window signs, provided that the address of the
premises shall not be included in calculating
the permissible coverage for window signs.
signs In
calculating the percentage, the area of the
window continuously covered by letters,
symbols or images shall govern.
c.
Political signs, signs depicting fund raising
events and signs depicting public events such
as parades, fireworks, meetings, musicales and
the like shall not be included in calculating the
permissible window coverage set forth herein.
73
Appendix C – Signage and Awning Ordinance
6.
Arcade signs shall be no larger than one (1) foot by a
maximum of four (4) feet in a direction perpendicular to
the building facade. The sign area of an arcade sign shall
not be included in the total sign area permitted for a
particular use as regulated in Subsection O4(d)above.
7.
Freestanding signs.
a
a.
A property shall be permitted to have one (1) pylon
or freestanding sign, provided that there exists a
minimum of forty (40) linear paved contiguous feet
on Broadway or Route 4 within the District.
b. A freestanding sign may have an area not to exceed
sixteen ((16)) square
q
feet p
per side,, p
provided that if
the premises has more than sixty (60) paved linear
contiguous feet on Broadway or Route 4 within the
District, the freestanding sign may have a maximum
of thirty‐six (36) square feet per side.
8
8.
Driveway
i
and
d directional
di
i
l signs.
i
a.
A property may have one (1) driveway or
directional sign, which shall be located a minimum
of five (5) feet from any side the property line and
any right‐of‐way at each driveway.
b
b.
A driveway or directional sign shall have
dimensions not to exceed two (2) feet in height and
four (4) feet in width, and the bottom of the sign
shall be two (2) feet above the level of the ground.
c.
Copy on a driveway or directional sign shall be
limited to the names of the occupants of the
building upon the property, street address, and the
name of the property.
Broadway Vision Plan
9.
Awning and canopy signs. Signs running in a horizontal
direction are permitted on the vertical of awning or
canopy provided that the lettering, symbols or logo does
not exceed a height of thirty(30)inches measured from
the highest portion of any lettering or logo to the lowest
portion of any lettering or logo, and the area thereof shall
not exceed twenty(20)square feet. In calculating the
square footage,
footage the area continuously covered by letters,
letters
symbols, images or logo shall govern. In addition, in
calculating the total area, the address of the property
shall be excluded. An awning or canopy may extend
across one hundred percent (100%) of the frontage and
depth
p of a building.
g A canopy
py or awningg mayy not extend
more than 30 inches (30”) over any sidewalk area.
10. Marquee signs. Movie or other theaters shall be
permitted to maintain a permanent marquee constructed
a an integral part of said theater building which may
contain
i a sign
i
on three
h
(3) sides
id
off the
h marquee
advertising the current event or coming attractions within
the movie theater. Letters painted on or applied to a
marquee shall not exceed eight (8) inches in height and
shall not project above or below any face of the marquee.
Also permitted within the window area of said theater
are temporary poster signs advertising the current event
or coming attraction within the movie theater.
74
Appendix C – Signage and Awning Ordinance
11. Changeable signs customarily used to display the price of
motor fuels at filling stations shall be permitted. The area of
such signs shall not exceed twenty (20) square feet per sign.
One (1) two‐sided sign shall be permitted at each street
frontage. Such signs may be either wall mounted or
freestanding signs.
Said freestanding signs shall be
permitted only within the property line. Such signs shall
include only the type of fuel for sale, the price of such fuel
and
d the
th company name or logo.
l
A other
Any
th advertising
d ti i is
i
specifically prohibited except as otherwise permitted by this
Chapter. The above‐described price sign and customary
identifying signs on motor fuel pumps displaying fuel and
prices shall not be considered principal signs.
12. Billboards: existing.
a.
All billboards having all required approvals and
existing upon the adoption of this Chapter shall be
permitted.
b. Billboards shall be subject
j
to annual inspections
p
by the construction or zoning official. If the
construction or zoning official finds any billboards
to be structurally unsound or a danger to public
safety, said billboard shall be removed or repaired
pursuant to Subsection (12)(c) below.
c.
N repairs
No
i shall
h ll be
b made
d to any existing
i i billboard
billb d
structure which exceeds fifty (50%) percent of its
replacement cost. If such repairs are required,
said billboard shall be removed.
d. No billboard may be increased in size.
Broadway Vision Plan
13. Illuminated and neon signs.
a.
Any sign permitted by the provisions of this
Chapter, or allowed pursuant to a sign
exemption granted under the provisions of this
Chapter, may be non‐illuminated or non‐
flashing illuminated as provided under specific
sections herein, except that real estate signs
shall be non‐illuminated. Illuminated signs
shall
h ll have
h
th i source off illumination
their
ill i ti shielded
hi ld d
in such a manner that the light is not visible
from the residential street or neighboring
residential property.
Any sign permitted
herein shall not exceed twenty (20%) percent
of the square footage of the window to which
it is displayed and shall not be displayed on
any other part of the structure.
b. Exterior signs illuminated by neon or
fluorescent tube lamps shall be designed to
fully contain all glass elements in the event of
breakage.
c.
Illuminated signs facing residential zone(s)
shall be extinguished by the earlier of 11:00
p.m. or time of closing.
d. Notwithstanding
the
foregoing, the
construction or official,
official with the consent and
advice of the Chief of Police, may authorize
lighting specifically designed for the safety and
protection of properties otherwise subject to
this subsection, which light, when so
authorized,, shall be exempt
p from the
provisions hereof.
75
Appendix C – Signage and Awning Ordinance
e. Illuminated signs may be directly or indirectly lighted, provided
that they comply with the following standards:
a.
In the case of directly lighted signs, illumination of any
sign shall be of the diffused lighting type. No sign
shall be lighted by means of flashing or intermittent
illumination.
b. In the case of indirectly lighted signs, any floodlights
or spotlights used for illumination which shall be
attached to the building, shall not project light
beyond the sign. Gooseneck reflectors and lights
shall be permitted with proper glass lenses
concentrating the illumination upon the area of the
sign so as to prevent glare upon the street or adjacent
property.
c.
In no instance shall the light intensity of any
illuminated sign exceed seventy‐five (75) foot candles
measured with a standard light meter measured at
anyy p
point in front of the sign
g at a distance that is no
greater than the smallest horizontal or vertical
dimension of said sign. There shall be no electric
conduit located on the exterior facade of a building
used to provide electric power to any sign.
d. The Planning Board or Zoning Board of Adjustment, as
appropriate, shall review all signs to be installed that
are accessory to any application for development
processed by it and the Board shall review and
approve the intensity of light of all such signs.
Broadway Vision Plan
14. General prohibitions.
a.
No sign shall be located or displayed upon any
sidewalk, public or private, or public right‐of‐way
unless affixed to the wall of a building abutting
that sidewalk or public right‐of‐way. No sign
otherwise lawful under this Chapter shall be
prohibited because of this Section.
b. No sky sign shall be permitted to be painted on
the surface of any roof. No sign otherwise lawful
under this Chapter shall be prohibited because of
this Section.
c.
No projecting signs shall be erected nor shall any
signs extend over a public right‐of‐way
right of way or over
abutting property lines except signs commonly
known as “barber poles”, ordinarily used in
connection with barbershops. Any projection of
the depth of a sign, where such projection is ten
((10)) inches or less,, shall not be considered in
violation of this provision. No sign is to extend
above the top of a roof or parapet.
d. No signs shall be in whole or part moving, mobile
or revolving or give the appearance of movement
except signs commonly known as “barber poles”
ordinarily and customarily used in connection with
barbershops.
e. Except as otherwise specifically provided in this
chapter, no freestanding or portable signs shall be
permitted.
76
Appendix C – Signage and Awning Ordinance
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
No strings or streamers or flags, banners, pennants, spinners
or strung lights or similar devices strung across, upon, over
or along any premises or building or placed upon or across
any property line, whether as part of any sign or not, shall be
allowed within any zone. Notwithstanding the provisions of
this subsection, unlettered and undecorated pennants, flags,
banners and the like shall only be permitted for grand
openings of a new permitted use and shall not be displayed
for a period of longer than fourteen (14) consecutive days
from the first date of opening. Similar items may be
permitted for a going‐out‐business sale for a period not to
exceed forty‐five (45) days. Any signs hung for such purpose
shall not be installed or placed so as to extend upon or across
any sidewalk or public street.
No signs shall be placed to interfere with traffic and traffic
control signs or signals. No signs shall be placed within a
street right‐of‐way or on utility poles.
Except
p as otherwise p
permitted byy this chapter,
p , no advertisingg
sign or signs shall be permitted except where the
advertisement relates to the use of the premises on which
such sign or signs are located.
No sign mounted on the roof of a structure or any sign
extending beyond the structure shall be permitted, except in
industrial districts.
No signs shall have flashing or moving lights or any attraction
device which is animated or fluctuates in light intensity.
Animated signs with neon type illumination are expressly
prohibited.
Broadway Vision Plan
k. Marquee signs, except those affixed to theaters,
shall be prohibited.
l. No signs shall be erected or painted or composed of
fluorescent or phosphorescent or similar material.
m. No sign shall be placed or painted on any tree or
rock.
n. The use of beacons or searchlights except by duly
authorized services such as police, fire, emergency
management or like agencies is prohibited.
o. Inflatable signs and the use of tethered balloons and
umbrellas for advertising are prohibited, except for
temporary events not exceeding three (3) days in
duration and which are roof mounted.
mounted
p. It shall be unlawful to use a vehicle or trailer as a
sign.
This chapter shall not apply to
vehicles/equipment in operating condition, currently
registered to operate on public streets when
applicable and actively used in the daily function of
a business
b i
t which
to
hi h the
th signs
i
relate,
l t nor to
t vehicles
hi l
or equipment whose primary purpose is not the
display of signs.
77
Appendix C – Signage and Awning Ordinance
15. Miscellaneous provisions.
a.
A
Any sign re‐lettered or painted, or having the colors i
l tt d
i t d
h i th
l
changed, shall require a new municipal permit and shall be submitted to the DMC for approval.
b. All permanent signs shall be constructed and lettered in a professional manner.
c.
Box signs are permitted. In addition, individual letters are
Box signs are permitted. In addition, individual letters are permitted.
d. Signs may be internally or externally lighted, provided that conduit and/or wiring shall not be exposed on the face of the building nor be visible. Light spillage shall be controlled and no exposed bulbs shall be permitted. Lamps that are no longer functioning and are burned out shall be timely replaced.
e. Signs may have up to three (3) colors and use of either a single color lettering on a background of contrasting color (white on black as an example) are permitted, provided that white and black shall count in the computation of the
that white and black shall count in the computation of the three (3) colors.
f.
Paper or fabric shall not be permitted on signs.
g.
Any sign, including awnings, shall be kept in a clean condition, free of debris and discoloration.
Broadway Vision Plan
78
Appendix D
Feedback from Stakeholder Interviews
Broadway Vision Plan
79
Appendix D – Stakeholder Interviews
FEEDBACK FROM STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEW #1
Subject: Fair Lawn property owner’s representative in the distribution business
Attendees: Bob Beshlian, Don Smartt, Mark Gordon Date of Interview: 5/22/07
Background
•
Th company is
The
i in
i the
th distribution
di t ib ti business
b i
covering
i 4 states.
t t
It also
l operates
t a retail
t il store
t
( lli only
(selling
l to
t the
th
trade) and training center on site.
•
The company has been a tenant in Fair Lawn since the 1980s and purchased the property in 1999.
•
The business employs about 160 people including 30-35 in the warehouse and 60 salespersons who work in the
fi ld Overall
field.
O
ll property
t holdings
h ldi
t t l about
total
b t 5 acres.
•
The facility has no cafeteria so employees patronize merchants in the District. The educational center brings 5-80
people to Fair Lawn for classes lasting 1 to 1½ days. Food for seminars is usually catered and sometimes from
local businesses.
•
The exterior
Th
t i off their
th i building
b ildi had
h d been
b
rehabilitated
h bilit t d recently.
tl Inside,
I id the
th quality
lit off the
th decoration
d
ti and
d furnishings
f i hi
is very high.
•
A rear building was recently demolished and is being rebuilt to accommodate the same uses. A tenant in a
second rear building operates a sports club and athletic training facility. Their customers park primarily in the
evening which is complementary to the owner’s parking during the day. About 30 excess parking spaces could be
made available for
f other uses during the day.
Broadway Vision Plan
80
Appendix D – Stakeholder Interviews
FEEDBACK FROM STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEW #1 – cont.
Feedback and Recommendations
Why Fair Lawn: The location is a short bus ride for warehouse employees, many of whom commute from Paterson. Management
and sales employees live within a 15-20 mile radius. The owner’s representative recently “discovered” the adjacent train station,
which allows students and other visitors to access the site from NYC by rail. Some of their clients from Manhattan told them that
the train was so accessible, thus making the trip from Manhattan less of a problem. As a result, the company is now including the
train station in some marketing materials.
materials
Appearance: The rotting NJ Transit retaining wall is an eyesore (“looks disgusting”) to the company whose mission is based on
positive images. NJT planted trees to partially obscure it. The property owner’s representative would like the wall to be
rebuilt. On a tour, we noted extensive graffiti on the side of the facility facing the tracks. This property, some of which may be
owned by NJ Transit, could be fenced off.
Safety: The owner’s representative is concerned about the unsafe nature of pedestrian crossings of Broadway adjacent to his
facility. He has observed many near misses and is unwilling to walk across the street to eat. He recommends that a safe
crossing be installed.
Regarding the train station, the representative notes that many people cross over the tracks to access the NYC-bound platform.
This could be prevented if NJ Transit extended their center line fence northward.
The owner is
Th
i open to
t working
ki with
ith the
th BIC and
d NJ Transit
T
it to
t develop
d
l
a better
b tt pedestrian
d t i path
th to
t Rosalie
R
li Street
St
t through
th
h his
hi
property at the north end of the station platform. A survey would be desirable to confirm property ownership in the area.
Over the past 2 years, one car and one pair of headlights were stolen from the facility. The owner would not object to lowering
the speed limit on Broadway by 5 mph.
Future: The company intends to remain on this site for the indefinite future. After the current project is completed, no plans exist
f additional
for
dditi
l expansion.
i
Comments
1.This company with 160 employees and up to 80 daily visitors operates independently of the District. A closer working relationship
could increase patronage of existing businesses.
2.The owner could be an advocate to communicate with NJ Transit the importance of improving their property.
3.Photographs of the facility could be an asset in promotional literature for the Distric t.
Broadway Vision Plan
81
Appendix D – Stakeholder Interviews
FEEDBACK FROM STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEW #2
Subject: Elmwood Park property owner with a lease of major automotive supply store.
Attendees: Jerry LoBozzo, Don Smartt, Mark Gordon Date of Interview: 5/22/07
Background
•
The owner purchased this property in 1951 for $5000. After his wife died, he moved into a residence adjacent to the
store. The owner has been a major automotive parts distributor since the 1950s. The store and property is wellmaintained but does have a number of plastic flags.
•
In 1999, a competing company offered the owner a higher rental rate for the Broadway automotive parts store. He
g to see a competitor’s sign
g over the property
y so he renewed with the first company
y
decided it would be depressing
until 2019. This also protects the first company from unfavorable decisions by the owner’s heirs.
Feedback & Recommendations
Appearance: The owner suggests that bushes and flowers be planted in the median of Broadway to make the street more
attractive. They should not be allowed to grow too high to obscure visibility.
The physical assets in the corridor should be appropriately maintained. If flowers are planted, they need to be trimmed and
watered. Sidewalks need to be better maintained. “Why not have a good-looking town?” The business community should be
willing to pay for physical upkeep. The District should show results first before increasing taxes/fees.
The owner suggests that new lighting be installed – similar to Ridgewood – to help brand the identity of the District. He
also suggests that a welcome sign be installed on the railroad viaduct.
He recommends that litter violations be enforced more strictly by the Police and that more litter containers be provided.
Safety: The owner is concerned about numerous car accidents which occur west of his store. A car slows to make a permitted Uturn across the median and then gets rear-ended by a faster moving vehicle. He would like to see some of the median breaks
(turnarounds) west of the store closed.
closed
The owner notes that people loiter around Walgreens, 7-11 (24 hour) and a pizza place.
Flooding is common under the nearby NJT viaduct. Rats are visible at a nearby bagel restaurant.
Broadway Vision Plan
82
Appendix D – Stakeholder Interviews
FEEDBACK FROM STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEW #3
Subject:
j
Elmwood Park p
property
p y owner of major
j p
parcel
Attendees: Craig Kerbekian, Jerry LoBozzo, Don Smartt, Mark Gordon Date of Interview: 5/29/07
Background
•
q
this p
property
p y about 50 y
years ago
g from the Elmwood Golf Club.
The owner acquired
ƒ
The anchor store’s 5-year option on its lease began in November 2006. A second 5-year option, if
exercised, would extend out to November 2016. The owner looked into the possibility of terminating the
anchors lease when the company went bankrupt, but he contends he does not have the ability to do so. He stated
that “based upon his tax assessment, his property must be more valuable than ever”. The anchor store was
years ago.
g Recently,
y, the sidewalk was replace
p
in front of it. This p
property
p y has a “reciprocal
p
constructed 25-30 y
parking arrangement” with the adjoining strip mall and extending all the way to a supermarket.
•
The owner made several references to the “influx across the river” denoting Paterson residents who are shopping
in the area. He suggests that Paterson needs to be redeveloped before Broadway will achieve its highest
and best use.
•
Future Use: The owner believes the future of the anchor parcel is higher intensity commercial development. He
is open to residential or mixed-uses, but does not believe land values now support these uses. Eventually, the
property could justify decked parking. But since the anchor controls the property for another 9 years, he has not
given that much thought to the property’s development which will likely occur during his children’s watch.
Broadway Vision Plan
83
Appendix D – Stakeholder Interviews
FEEDBACK FROM STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEW #3 – cont.
Feedback & Recommendations
Zoning: Without prompting, the owner suggests that the commercial district have increased depth on both sides of
Broadway in both towns. For the anchor parcel, future zoning should be flexible to allow the owner to respond to the
market.
Parking: He suggests that land be acquired by the state or the municipalities to support more parking for the commercial
district in both towns. In response to a question, he would oppose parallel parking on Broadway in front of the anchor and
the shopping center since that would “restrict the traffic flow and ingress/egress to his property.”
Broadway: He has not looked at operation of the road recently.
Trucks: Truck drivers sometimes spend the night in the anchor’s lot.
Broadway Vision Plan
84
Appendix D – Stakeholder Interviews
FEEDBACK FROM STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEW #4
Subject: Fair Lawn property owner of strip mall
Attendees: Charley Tregigdo, Don Smartt, Mark Gordon Date of Interview: 5/30/07
Background
•
The owner is an attorney whose family purchased a strip mall in 2001. The mall also contains a restaurant (a
regional
g
draw),
), 4 other stores and 67 spaces
p
of on-site p
parking.
g The restaurant has a new owner;; it features a
chef who appears on TV. In its current configuration, the property is meeting its financial benchmark, and the
family intends to retain ownership indefinitely.
•
At one point, the owner wished to lease one store to Dunkin’ Donuts, but the tenant could not obtain local
approval. He allows the adjacent church to use his lot for parking on Sundays.
•
The owner had never heard of the BIC, but is interested in working with the group (see below).
•
Future Use: The owner plans to continue the same use. However, if zoning permitted him to expand
vertically, he would be open to repositioning the property by building a 2-3 story structure with some parking
underneath it. He would also be interested in acquiring the adjacent building now used for a medical records
business.
Feedback & Recommendations
Zoning: Open to concept of higher-density zoning along Broadway.
Appearance: 1) Would like trees cut east of property to increase its visibility.
2) Would like to design a new directory sign for the mall.
3) Would like to improve the look of the mall through a façade grant.
The owner is open to working directly with the BIC on all three appearance items – this is a follow-up item. He is
willing to invest family resources to improve the property.
Parking: On-site parking is one of the reasons the owner purchased the property.
Safety: The owner is not aware of any pedestrian issues. He would support a reduction in the speed limit to increase the
visibility
i ibilit off hi
his property
t and
d would
ld lik
like tto see more police
li visibility.
i ibilit
Broadway Vision Plan
85
Appendix D – Stakeholder Interviews
FEEDBACK FROM STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEW #5
Subject: Fair Lawn property owners of office building and gas station (Owners #1 and #2)
Attendees: Charley Tregidgo, Mark Gordon Date of Interview: 7/02/07
Background
•
Owner #1 is the owner of a self-described Class C office building on “Route 4 Local” after it separates
from the main roadway.
y A proprietary
p p
y data base describes it as a Class B building
g constructed in 1975.
He purchased the building 17 years ago based on its highway access. He states that occupancy
recently increased from 60% to 95% and now the building is a profitable investment. This property is in
the Gateway area of Broadway near the Paramus line.
•
Owner #2 demolished and rebuilt his gas station on “Route 4 Local” in 1995. He noted that after the
service road was isolated about 7 years ago, retail business declined since visibility was limited and
access reduced.
d
d
•
Future Uses: Both are aware that an adjacent property owner recently sought local approval to build 8
units of housing on a now empty lot. The owner reduced his request to 4 units, but it still has not been
approved. Both owners oppose residential uses here.
However, they had been open to discussions to combine the three properties together to create a
larger, more economic parcel. Both had considered building a hotel but would have had difficulty
providing sufficient parking on site. At this time, Owner #1 is less inclined to combine properties since
his office building recently became profitable.
Feedback & Recommendations
Zoning: Both are open to the concept of higher-density zoning along Broadway.
Signage: Both advocate improved signage on Route 4 Main Line showing the names of service road
stores.
Appearance: Both support improvements to building façades and planting of more trees.
Parking: Both support more parking in the area.
Broadway Vision Plan
86
Appendix D – Stakeholder Interviews
FEEDBACK FROM STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEW #5 – cont.
Safety: Both would favor “anything that can be done” to slow auto speeds on the service road and the Route
208 connector thereto. The traffic feeding into the service road from Route 208 comes in at a high speed which has
caused numerous accidents.
Other: Owner #1 would like the State to give him back one foot of property in front of his building so he could create a
code-compliant
d
li t d
driving
i i llane. H
He h
had
d one recentt iissue with
ith a llocall electrical
l t i l iinspector
t b
butt stated
t t d it was partly
tl th
the ffault
lt off
poor contractor communication.
Broadway Vision Plan
87
Appendix D – Stakeholder Interviews
FEEDBACK FROM STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEW #6
Subject:
Fair Lawn Board of Education representatives
Attendees: Elyss Frenkel (BIC Trustee and Fair Lawn Board of Education), Don Smartt, Mark Gordon
Date of Interview: 7/10/07
Discussion Highlights
•
Don and Mark briefed the group about the Master Plan Study. We noted that the Warren Point School
contained one of the most attractive buildings in the Broadway Commercial District and one of the few areas
that had numerous trees and a park area facing Broadway. We indicated that opportunities exist to better
g
the school into the District. Don noted that the Board of Education may
y be eligible
g
for special state
integrate
grant funding to this end.
•
The Board of Education seemed genuinely interested in the Master Plan Study. They indicated that the school
would like to provide air conditioning in its community meeting room and make the facility more accessible with
an elevator. Other suggestions were to improve the student drop-off/pick-up area and consider one-way traffic
on 30th Street.
•
The school is planning to design and construct a more active play area (i.e., a playground) in the next year or
so. Mark suggested that the Board continue to pursue design but keep an open mind on the exact location of
the playground since it may impact the overall master plan for the campus and its relation to the District.
•
p
stated that rather than jjust relying
y g on suggestions
gg
from school officials at the meeting,
g they
y
The representatives
would prefer to convene a larger group of Board of Education stakeholders to help shape the future of the
school. Don volunteered to facilitate such a gathering later in the year.
Broadway Vision Plan
88
Appendix D – Stakeholder Interviews
FEEDBACK FROM STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEW #7
Subject:
Fair Lawn resident and citizen activist; this interview provides input from a resident
resident’s
s perspective.
perspective
Attendees: Bob Beshlian, Charley Tregidgo, Don Smartt, Mark Gordon Date of Interview: 7/10/07
Background
JoMarie Sacchinelli is a resident and citizen activist in Fair Lawn. This interview provides input from a resident’s
perspective.
Feedback & Recommendations
Retail Mix
•
“Broadway should be a destination. People should want to go there.”
•
“Broadway should be our downtown.”
•
“We need more boutique businesses to serve Fair Lawn residents.”
•
“I don’t like walking on a block with a check cashing store.”
Appearance
•
“Broadway lacks eye candy.”
•
Recommends more landscaping, more greenery, more pedestrian-oriented lighting.
•
Recommends improved maintenance and better enforcement of building codes.
•
Recommends a better presentation for the north side of Broadway.
•
District should be more consistent looking, more cohesive.
•
Washington Mutual Building is too separate from the sidewalk and adjacent stores.
•
Recommends slowing down traffic.
•
Recommends left-turn lane onto Midland Avenue.
•
Recommends adding more pedestrian crossings. “I don’t know how many times I have almost killed
someone who was crossing Broadway to catch a train.”
Safety
Broadway Vision Plan
89
Appendix D – Stakeholder Interviews
FEEDBACK FROM STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEW #7 – cont.
Connection with Neighborhoods
•
Generally do not infringe on residential neighborhoods.
responsive to neighbors.
•
p
to q
questioning,
g the resident appeared
pp
open
p to p
permitting
g some businesses p
purchase
In response
an adjacent parcel Ӎ only if sale is voluntary and would lead to higher quality stores on
Broadway.
Broadway Vision Plan
Business owners should be more
90