Highland Park council approves purchase of 15 South Third Ave; residents ask for more outreach as plaza design work begins

The Highland Park Borough Council on Feb. 18 adopted an ordinance authorizing the borough to enter a purchase-and-sale agreement for Block 3001, Lot 5 — 15 South Third Avenue, clearing the way for redevelopment planning for the South Third corridor.

The vote followed a public hearing at which several residents pressed the council for more outreach and detail on the project’s likely effects on traffic, parking and nearby homes. “We wish to be heard,” resident Michael Lattice told the council during the hearing, and other neighbors requested meetings and clearer plans for screening, parking and the Farmers Market’s location.

The council’s ordinance, introduced as 25‑2‑102, was read into the record before the public hearing. The mayor and council members closed the hearing after comments and then moved to adopt the ordinance; the roll call recorded affirmative votes by the governing body and the ordinance was approved.

Why it matters: the parcel sits adjacent to long-established homes on South Third and near the block the borough has discussed for a public plaza and Farmers Market activity. Neighbors said they have invested in their properties and want specific assurances about access, waste collection, parking enforcement and buffering between new uses and residences.

Resident concerns and council response Residents at the hearing asked for a formal, dedicated forum to weigh project details before major design or operational decisions are finalized. Rachel Keith asked, “What are the plans for purchasing this lot?” and Michael Lattice said neighbors had not been consulted and sought a separate meeting to review traffic, parking and screening. Darryl Pompur, a South Third resident, suggested reserved parking or signage for residents on market days to avoid shoppers taking neighborhood curb space.

Council members and borough staff responded that the governing body intends to engage the community as the next steps proceed. Council member Matt Hale noted the issue is part of a multi-year redevelopment discussion and said the forthcoming consultant process will include community outreach. Borough Administrator Terry (last name not specified in the record) said the borough has issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) for design work on the public plaza along South Third and that the RFQ deadline is “Thursday of next week,” after which the borough will review proposals with a committee that includes council members.

Next steps and follow-up The council and staff committed to scheduling follow-up meetings with nearby residents to walk through the proposal and to solicit neighborhood feedback as the design team is selected. The administrator and Council members urged residents to contact borough staff to arrange meetings; council members also said the RFQ process will include community engagement as a formal part of the consultant’s scope.

The council’s approval of the purchase ordinance does not itself authorize any specific project design, demolition or change of use beyond the acquisition; future design, zoning, permitting and operational decisions will return to the governing body for review and public hearings.

For now, the borough will evaluate RFQ responses, hold community outreach, and report back to the council before advancing detailed plans for the site.