General Category > Hackensack Discussion
Area in need of Rehabilitation
Editor:
Hackensack unveils plan for rebirth
Saturday, April 21, 2012
BY REBECCA D. O'BRIEN
STAFF WRITER
The Record
HACKENSACK — City officials unveiled their vision for a revitalized downtown this week, proposing an ambitious zoning overhaul that they said would lay the foundation for a new urban center within a decade.
The plan marks the latest attempt to rehabilitate Main Street, once the commercial heart of Bergen County.
The rehabilitation would "promote the creation of a livable and real downtown district," said planner Francis Reiner, who presented the plan at a council meeting Wednesday night.
Comprising 163 acres, 39 city blocks and 389 properties centered on the city's Main Street corridor, the proposal envisions improved infrastructure, roads and sidewalks, as well as new businesses, residences and open space.
"New zoning is intended to support and strengthen business and property owners while allowing new opportunities for mixed-use projects," Reiner said, clicking through slides with artists' renderings of vibrant streetscapes.
The council unanimously approved the resolution in support of the plan, and members of a small, supportive audience stood to offer congratulations.
"The objective of the plan is to stimulate the economic engine now lying dormant in our downtown," said Jerry Lombardo, chairman of the city's Upper Main Street Alliance.
David Sanzari, president of Alfred Sanzari Enterprises, said: "As many people know, there have been many groups that have tried to get this done over the years … but nothing ever happened. This is the first time I've seen something come this far."
In a recent interview, Reiner said that Hackensack — the Bergen County seat, home to hospitals and schools and a hub of public transportation — was ideally positioned for a revival, but restrictive zoning had inhibited growth.
"This document really opens that up and takes away the component that was holding back development," Reiner said.
Staff Writer Stephanie Akin contributed to this article. Email: obrien@northjersey.com
Editor:
www.hackensack.org/rehabilitation
just watching:
Thanks for posting the plan. It's a good read.
A few comments
1. It talks about a minimum 450 sf per unit. Does that mean 450 sf of lot size per unit, or does that mean an apartment can be built with 450 sf of floor space ?
2. I most strongly disagree with the high parking requirements for retail and restaurant. It's way, way too high, and a disincentive for retail and restaurant construction. Most of the patrons of the retail or restaurant will be coming from office or residential in the immediate area, and parking is ALREADY provided for those persons at the office or residential structure. Instead I would keep to the 2.1 spots per unit for residential (for 2 or more bedrooms), and perhaps go to 1.5 if it is a one-bedroom unit. Restaurants and retail should have no parking requirements, zero. That's how we're going to lure in the big national stores.
3. Please prohibit advertising on bus shelters and garbage receptacles. There are companies out there that specialize in "maintaining" bus shelters if they are allowed to use them as billboards. It's tacky.
4. I see that they finally found a planning consultant to agree with the basic presumption in downtown planning for Hackensack, that all the problems of Main Street stem from it being one-way traffic. So we now have a plan based on two-way traffic. Yipppeee ???? Great, we'll return to traffic gridlock conditions of the early 1970's, and when driving up or down Main Street, I will only be able to look for a spot on ONE side of the street. Right now I can surf for spots on both sides of the street as I drive northbound. I like that option. To me, this proposed change is going not one, but TWO steps backwards. If this HAS to be done, at least keep the side streets as one-way. To reduce the traffic gridlock. I could imagine some of the side streets being converted from two lanes in ONE DIRECTION to one lane in ONE DIRECTION. And that would open up street parking opportunities.
5. I'm pleased to see that the sidewalks are being widened, but I think the 18' could be 20'. That will allow for 13' sidewalk, which is still much less than Washington Street in Hoboken.
6. It would be good to include The Record campus in the study area, in order to take control over that development. Otherwise we could be stuck with a big WalMart
Editor:
Hackensack officials showcase downtown plan
Friday, May 4, 2012
BY MARK J. BONAMO
MANAGING EDITOR
Hackensack Chronicle
HACKENSACK — A new plan geared toward the revitalization of Hackensack's downtown was unveiled at the April 18 City Council meeting, The effort to bring the city's Main Street corridor back to its former commercial strength includes zoning changes to spur economic and residential growth.
The rehabilitation plan focuses on a designated 163 acres, 39 city blocks and 389 properties centered on Main Street and the surrounding area, remembered as a commercial and entertainment Mecca in the 1940s and 50s. The proposal incorporates a mix of new housing and businesses along with open space. Enhanced infrastructure, including improved roads and sidewalks, are also part of the plan.
Planner Francis Reiner of DMR Architects laid out the plan before the council and approximately 40 residents and business people, displaying slides with scenes of the city to come.
"New zoning is intended to support and strengthen existing businesses and property owners while allowing new opportunities for mixed-use projects," Reiner said. "Great downtowns require active streets, which require mixed residential and commercial uses."
The council voted unanimously to approve the resolution supporting the plan. Members of the community also spoke out in support of the proposal.
"This plan does not contemplate [the use of] any eminent domain, or the taking of any property, bur rather seeks to harness the power of the marketplace to rebuild our downtown," said Jerry Lombardo, chairman of the city's Upper Main Street Alliance. "It utilizes solid urban planning techniques, forward-thinking zoning, and transit-oriented solutions, all of which are now being used successfully in other parts of the country. The objective of the plan is to stimulate the economic engine now lying dormant in our downtown."
David Sanzari, president of Alfred Sanzari Enterprises, also expressed his backing for the plan, remembering other downtown redevelopment plans that never got off the ground.
"This is the first time I've seen something come this far," Sanzari said.
Albert Dib, executive director of the Upper Main Street Alliance, explained why he felt this plan has a real chance to succeed where others have failed.
"This is different because you have the weight of the business community behind it, a fully engaged governing body, and the right team of professionals," Dib said. "When you put those elements together, along with a significant community outreach program to get residents involved, you have the right mix."
Email: bonamo@northjersey.com
Editor:
Downtown revival clears another hurdle
Monday, May 14, 2012
BY STEPHANIE AKIN
STAFF WRITER
The Record
HACKENSACK — An ambitious plan to spark downtown revitalization has received unanimous approval from the Planning Board, the second of several procedural steps before the city can take action.
Mayor Jorge Meneses called the approval an important step for the plan, a zoning overhaul that officials say will lay the foundation for a new urban center within a decade. He also urged residents and business owners to participate as the plan moves through the legislative process.
"We are ushering in a new era for Hackensack that will spur investment, creates jobs, raise our property values, and in the long-term lower the tax burden on our residents," Meneses said in a statement. "It is important that we hear from the diverse voices in our community so we can all come together and get this plan into action."
The plan marks the latest attempt to rehabilitate Main Street once the commercial heart of Bergen County.
Comprising 163 acres, 39 blocks and 389 properties centered on the Main Street corridor, the proposal envisions improved infrastructure, roads and sidewalks, as well as new businesses, residences and open space.
The document will return to the City Council for an official hearing in June, City Manager Stephen Lo Iacono said.
Email: akin@northjersey.com
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