Eatontown committee proposes rebranding, zoning changes and bike lanes for Industrial Way

A presentation by the borough’s Economic Advisory Committee on June 11 urged Eatontown officials to rebrand and reimagine Industrial Way to attract retail, restaurants and lifestyle‑oriented businesses and to update zoning and infrastructure accordingly.

Dee Slattery, a marketing executive who presented the committee’s findings, summarized a short survey and stakeholder outreach that the committee used to test ideas. The survey, Slattery said, returned suggestions including “restaurants, coffee shops, outdoor seating, breweries, walking trails, small park spaces, EV charging stations and shared office space.” Slattery told the council the initiative would make Industrial Way more competitive as Bell Works and other large developments expand the regional market.

Real‑estate professional Roy Eisen reviewed maps and parcel counts and said the area the committee studied includes roughly 110 properties and about 449 total acres, with an assessed value the committee estimated at about $500 million and annual taxable revenue the committee estimated at about $9.5 million. Eisen said the bulk of the corridor is currently zoned VP2 (with some VP1) and that any rezoning should be done carefully because single‑family and tax‑exempt parcels are interspersed.

Presenters and council members discussed likely zoning tools: revising the underlying zone in targeted areas, using an overlay district tied to major employers (for example to support film/production‑support businesses associated with Netflix/Bell Works), or pursuing a redevelopment designation where appropriate. Borough planner Jen said changes could combine modifications to base zones with overlays and that some uses could be allowed as of right while others might require conditional approvals with hours and operating conditions to protect nearby residents.

Parking and traffic were recurring themes. Committee members and councilors said surface parking is often overbuilt for current uses and suggested studying cross‑access easements and shared parking to reduce pavement, improve drainage, and create space for landscaping. Presenters noted one recent grant award: approximately $207,000 for bike lanes on Industrial Way; committee materials estimated bike‑lane engineering and construction value at roughly $270,000, with committee members describing the borough’s local cost as minimal for easement or design support.

Council members raised neighborhood impacts. Councilwoman Escalante and other councilors asked how the borough would protect adjacent residential areas from increased noise and traffic; planner Jen recommended buffering—berms, landscaping, and fencing—and possible limits on hours for conditional uses. Presenters acknowledged tradeoffs and said the committee favors measured change, not wholesale conversion to heavy traffic uses.

On next steps the council directed the borough administrator and planner to consult the borough attorney and produce a short plan of action, including recommended zoning tools, traffic and parking studies, and branding options for stakeholder review. Presenters urged the borough to work with the Eatontown Industrial Park Association and property owners on rebranding options rather than renaming the street, and to consider gateway signage and a marketing package.

No ordinance or zoning change was adopted at the June 11 meeting. The administrator and planner were asked to coordinate with the attorney and return to council and the economic advisory committee with recommendations and a proposed timeline.