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Planner proposes new 'Business Lifestyle' zone for Eatontown's Industrial Way to lure tenants
Summary
A planner recommended replacing BP1/BP2 with a new Business Lifestyle (BL) zone on Industrial Way that would allow retail, co‑working, film production and craft manufacturing while excluding residential and AI data centers; the draft ordinance will be circulated to the Economic Development Committee before council introduction.
Christine Bell of Avakian presented a draft zoning framework on June 10 that would replace much of Industrial Way's BP1/BP2 zoning with a new Business Lifestyle (BL) district intended to make the corridor more attractive to mixed commercial tenancy and ancillary industries. Bell said the zone would permit uses such as neighborhood retail, food halls, co‑working spaces, motion‑picture and television studio uses and craft production including breweries while preserving existing residential pockets.
"Our study area was Industrial Way in its entirety," Bell said, explaining the intent to allow most current permitted uses while adding lifestyle and film‑adjacent uses to attract tenants. She emphasized the plan would not propose housing or redevelopment designation for the study area and that standards were designed so existing businesses would not be made nonconforming. Dee Slattery, a member of the Economic Development Advisory Committee, told the council stakeholders and a survey of local business owners informed many of the recommendations: "This industrial way represents nine and a half million of tax revenue," Slattery said, urging attention to the area's economic value.
Bell also proposed enhanced design standards (pedestrian circulation, landscaping, public gathering spaces and EV charging), encouraged shared parking arrangements, and recommended explicitly prohibiting certain uses including AI data centers and large fleet parking for ride‑sharing/taxi companies to protect local infrastructure and character. Council members asked staff to clarify specific wording on ambulatory health vs. walk‑in urgent care clinics and to remove or reclassify 'motel' if the ordinance favors 'hotel' definitions.
The mayor/administrator said the planner and borough attorney will draft an ordinance implementing these recommendations, which will first go to the Economic Development Committee for review and then return to council for possible introduction. The administration does not expect the ordinance to be introduced at the June 24 meeting; a late July introduction was suggested to allow committee review and drafting time.
