Jones Lang LaSalle
Somerville officials tour landfill, discuss future
By KIM BROWN
Staff Writer
SOMERVILLE -- What's your vision for Somerville's future?
A cafe and apartment complex by the train station? A ballpark on the landfill? Pedestrian bridges over Route 206?
Those were some of the ideas posed by more than 30 community leaders Saturday as they took the next steps on a redevelopment project that has been stalled for nearly 20 years.
"We are creating the foundation for literally changing the economic scope of Somerville, the physical scope of Somerville and the residential scope of Somerville," Mayor Brian Gallagher said. "We are literally redefining what Somerville is."
The goal of Saturday's meeting was to come up with a plan for the landfill and train station that will be presented to the public at the end of April. As early as November, a version of the plan could be ready for distribution to developers for bidding.
"You're not in the position where a developer is coming in and saying what they want," said Rob Lane of Regional Planning Associates, one of the project's consultants. "You are in the position of getting out in front of the process. We are the developers in this plan."
The approximately 120-acre property being discussed is the last, large, developable piece of property in Somerville. Bridge Street to the east, Veterans Memorial Drive and the Raritan Valley line of NJ Transit to the north, Washington Place and Route 206 to the west and the Raritan River to the south bound the study area.
Participants spent the day touring the area as well as discussing, writing, illustrating and creating their ideas for the site.
The participants were told the final design should include commercial and residential spaces, take into account pedestrians, cyclists and transit users and be an extension of the downtown area.
Possibilities include a new library, hiking trails, movie theater, community center, hotel and performing arts space.
"This is an amazing opportunity to link the area to the surrounding community and become part of Somerville," said Meg Walker, vice president of Project for Public Spaces and a coordinator on Saturday.
The landfill, which is located roughly in the center of the study area, was closed in 1984. Soon afterward, the borough entered into a contract with a developer that took nearly two decades of litigation to disentangle.
The entire site is now owned and controlled by the borough, which aims to involve the public before moving forward.
"Hopefully, through this group, a lot of residents will understand what we're looking at, what the constraints are and what the possibilities are," said Colin Driver, the borough's director of economic development.
A financial analysis of the plan will be completed before it is presented to developers. A library, for example, would cost the borough money, while town houses would add revenue. All of that will be taken into consideration.
"There are a lot of things we would love to have," said Councilman Sean Decker. "We were joking about a 9-hole golf course, but we have to be realistic."
Funding for the visioning rocess was contributed by the Somerset County Freeholders as well as the state Department of Community Affairs' Office of Smart Growth and New Jersey Transit.
After making a brief stop at the landfill, community members were divided into four groups to tour Holly Glen Road, the train station area, Washington Place and a portion of Route 206.
At the train station, participants discussed the need for a good cafe in addition to other stores and residences.
Tom Auffenorde, a member of the environmental commission, said he'd like the area to be integrated with the rest of the community, so it becomes a destination.
"The tracks are great for transit, but they also act as natural barriers," he said. "I think it's very important to include broad pedestrian access."
Back at the Somerset County Jurors Assembly Room, where the meeting was held, group members discussed their ideas, illustrated them with color images on large maps and finally used scale models to build their dream community.
"Any community is faced, and has been faced for years, with the criticism that redevelopment takes place behind closed doors," Driver said. "It is the desire of the mayor and Somerville council to make this as public as they possibly can, so people can have some input."
Kim Brown can be reached at (908) 707-3176 or kbrown@c-n.com.
from the Courier News website www.c-n.com
Somerville officials tour landfill, discuss future
By KIM BROWN
Staff Writer
SOMERVILLE -- What's your vision for Somerville's future?
A cafe and apartment complex by the train station? A ballpark on the landfill? Pedestrian bridges over Route 206?
Those were some of the ideas posed by more than 30 community leaders Saturday as they took the next steps on a redevelopment project that has been stalled for nearly 20 years.
"We are creating the foundation for literally changing the economic scope of Somerville, the physical scope of Somerville and the residential scope of Somerville," Mayor Brian Gallagher said. "We are literally redefining what Somerville is."
The goal of Saturday's meeting was to come up with a plan for the landfill and train station that will be presented to the public at the end of April. As early as November, a version of the plan could be ready for distribution to developers for bidding.
"You're not in the position where a developer is coming in and saying what they want," said Rob Lane of Regional Planning Associates, one of the project's consultants. "You are in the position of getting out in front of the process. We are the developers in this plan."
The approximately 120-acre property being discussed is the last, large, developable piece of property in Somerville. Bridge Street to the east, Veterans Memorial Drive and the Raritan Valley line of NJ Transit to the north, Washington Place and Route 206 to the west and the Raritan River to the south bound the study area.
Participants spent the day touring the area as well as discussing, writing, illustrating and creating their ideas for the site.
The participants were told the final design should include commercial and residential spaces, take into account pedestrians, cyclists and transit users and be an extension of the downtown area.
Possibilities include a new library, hiking trails, movie theater, community center, hotel and performing arts space.
"This is an amazing opportunity to link the area to the surrounding community and become part of Somerville," said Meg Walker, vice president of Project for Public Spaces and a coordinator on Saturday.
The landfill, which is located roughly in the center of the study area, was closed in 1984. Soon afterward, the borough entered into a contract with a developer that took nearly two decades of litigation to disentangle.
The entire site is now owned and controlled by the borough, which aims to involve the public before moving forward.
"Hopefully, through this group, a lot of residents will understand what we're looking at, what the constraints are and what the possibilities are," said Colin Driver, the borough's director of economic development.
A financial analysis of the plan will be completed before it is presented to developers. A library, for example, would cost the borough money, while town houses would add revenue. All of that will be taken into consideration.
"There are a lot of things we would love to have," said Councilman Sean Decker. "We were joking about a 9-hole golf course, but we have to be realistic."
Funding for the visioning rocess was contributed by the Somerset County Freeholders as well as the state Department of Community Affairs' Office of Smart Growth and New Jersey Transit.
After making a brief stop at the landfill, community members were divided into four groups to tour Holly Glen Road, the train station area, Washington Place and a portion of Route 206.
At the train station, participants discussed the need for a good cafe in addition to other stores and residences.
Tom Auffenorde, a member of the environmental commission, said he'd like the area to be integrated with the rest of the community, so it becomes a destination.
"The tracks are great for transit, but they also act as natural barriers," he said. "I think it's very important to include broad pedestrian access."
Back at the Somerset County Jurors Assembly Room, where the meeting was held, group members discussed their ideas, illustrated them with color images on large maps and finally used scale models to build their dream community.
"Any community is faced, and has been faced for years, with the criticism that redevelopment takes place behind closed doors," Driver said. "It is the desire of the mayor and Somerville council to make this as public as they possibly can, so people can have some input."
Kim Brown can be reached at (908) 707-3176 or kbrown@c-n.com.
from the Courier News website www.c-n.com
posted by Jones Lang LaSalle NJ News Blog at 1:38 PM
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