Rochelle Park committee authorizes preliminary redevelopment study for Rochelle Avenue and West Passaic

The Rochelle Park Township Committee voted on July 8 to authorize Burgess Associates to conduct a preliminary investigation into whether properties along Rochelle Avenue and West Passaic meet the criteria to be designated as areas in need of redevelopment or rehabilitation.

Planner Joe Burgess told the committee the first step would be a field assessment to identify candidate sites and to prepare a proposal for the cost and scope of any formal study. Burgess outlined that an 'area in need of redevelopment' can carry broader powers — including the potential to use eminent domain if the governing body declares condemnation authority up front — while an 'area in need of rehabilitation' is simpler to adopt but does not permit condemnation and typically allows only short-term pilot programs (five years).

The motion to authorize the preliminary investigation was offered and seconded on the record and approved by roll call. Committee members reading roll call on the record included Wendy Wojnarowicz, Stephanie Wojnarowicz and Karen Miller among those recorded as voting in favor; the committee will receive Burgess's proposed scope and fee following the field assessment.

The planner said he will begin with a review of West Passaic and Rochelle Avenue and will subsequently recommend which specific areas to study in detail. Committee members also requested copies of past redevelopment studies so Burgess can determine whether existing analyses remain valid or whether new field work is needed.

The committee discussed the practical differences between pursuing a redevelopment plan (which can include conveyance to developers, tax abatements, bonding and long-term pilots) and rezoning or rehabilitation approaches, which offer less direct municipal control over final design and have different legal and financial trade-offs.

Next steps: Burgess will prepare a scope and cost estimate for preliminary assessment work; if committee members choose to proceed with formal studies, each specific study would be separately scoped and, if appropriate, referred to the planning board for public hearings and a recommendation prior to any final action by the township committee.