Red Bank planners present draft comprehensive plan and small-area study, call for community-led implementation

Red Bank city staff and consultants on Tuesday presented a draft comprehensive plan and a small-area study that the presenters said reflects more than a year of community engagement and will guide future capital investments.

Community development staff described the comprehensive plan as a five-element framework — needs and opportunities, goals and objectives, recommended policies, an implementation matrix and capital projects — and urged the commission to use the document when prioritizing infrastructure, zoning changes and grant-seeking. "Every policy, every recommendation is based on a community comment," the presenter said.

Why it matters: planners and the consultant team told the commission the plan is intended to steer growth toward Dayton Boulevard and other nodes, preserve single-family neighborhoods, improve pedestrian and bicycle connectivity, and provide a road map for funding and phasing projects. Staff said the small-area study for a city-owned property responded to survey feedback favoring open space and…