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Planner: River Road survey shows strong support for open space; council weighs redevelopment vs. doing nothing
Summary
Redevelopment planner Fran Reiner told the Chatham Borough Council that a public survey (662 responses) and a June workshop showed broad support for acquiring flood‑plain land for public open space and top priorities for traffic improvements and streetscape; council members pressed for acreage figures, affordable‑housing implications, and precedent for the state's 4th‑round oversight.
Fran Reiner, the borough redevelopment planner, presented the results of a May public survey and a June workshop on the River Road/Passaic River gateway area, saying the survey drew 662 responses and that 83% of respondents lived in Chatham Borough. "There were over 662 responses," Reiner said, noting the survey required name and address to limit duplicate replies.
Reiner summarized preferences and concerns: more than 90% of respondents favored acquiring privately owned river‑front property for public open space (with some conditional support depending on cost or grants). Traffic improvements were the highest priority (about 73%), followed by streetscape and sidewalks (about 50%), and funding for open‑space acquisition (about 36%). Reiner said Gateway 1's underlying zoning, which stems from a settlement agreement, currently allows up to 35 units per acre and four stories as of right.
Council members asked for clarifying data Reiner did not have at the lectern. Council President Matheson requested the exact number of developable acres to quantify how many units 35 units/acre would yield; Reiner said he would pull those figures and distribute them. Reiner also explained the borough’s options going forward: do nothing (leave underlying zoning in place), draft a redevelopment plan that can require public benefits (sidewalks, plazas, design standards), or adopt a plan and then negotiate redevelopment agreements and any pilot arrangements.
On potential risks, Reiner and council members discussed the incoming state '4th round' affordable‑housing numbers from the Department of Community Affairs (DCA). Reiner said the DCA will issue municipality‑specific requirements in October and that failure to move forward could increase pressure to allow higher density or invite builder‑remedy suits elsewhere. He noted that, under the settlement agreement, the 20.2 acres in Gateway 1 could yield 104–130 affordable units (depending on set‑aside percentage), while a redevelopment plan could require construction of 75 units to meet settlement obligations. "If you do nothing and nothing is constructed, there is a possibility that higher density may be required..." Reiner warned.
The planner and council stressed next steps: Reiner will provide detailed acreage calculations and examples of precedents where state oversight affected density; the council may consider drafting a redevelopment plan to preserve community priorities while meeting affordable‑housing obligations. Public comment during the meeting focused on requests for citations and a matrix of options comparing pilot structures, density outcomes, and financial impacts.
