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Clara Barton residents praise new Amboy Avenue height limits and press for larger redevelopment plan
Summary
Residents thanked council for lowering building heights on Amboy Avenue but urged the township to pair that zoning change with a redevelopment strategy, purchase key land (the Stewart lot) and targeted incentives to revive the commercial corridor.
Sue Malone Barber, an Edison resident, opened public comment by thanking council members for passing an Amboy Avenue ordinance that lowers maximum building heights to about 3½ stories (40 feet), saying the change could “prevent Amboy Avenue from becoming an urban canyon” and protect neighbors’ quality of life. She singled out Councilman Pointer and several other members for their votes and called on the mayor and administration to pursue purchase of the Stewart lot and to include green community space in any revitalization plan.
Residents and several council members framed the ordinance as only one piece of a broader effort. Council discussion later in the meeting returned repeatedly to the need for an overarching redevelopment approach: Councilman Pointer urged the council to consider ‘area in need of rehabilitation’ designations to incentivize renovation and tax abatements, citing examples in neighboring towns. He noted a large share of Edison’s housing stock is older and argued targeted designations along Route 27 or other corridors could encourage private investment.
Council members also discussed the limits of zoning changes alone and asked for more outreach and marketing work to attract specialty stores and restaurants. Councilman Coyle said incentives or consultant-led marketing might use a previously allocated $125,000 for economic development and suggested asking redevelopment agencies to examine options. Administration staff said the redevelopment agency appointments on the agenda could be tasked with studying broader economic development and marketing needs.
The public and several council members urged more inclusive outreach around Amboy Avenue planning. Speakers at the podium said earlier forums had drawn hundreds of local responses and urged the council to avoid stereotyping opponents and to involve a wider cross-section of residents and businesses in redevelopment planning. No new ordinance vote took place during the session; the council and administration agreed to follow up with planning and possible redevelopment options and additional community engagement.
