Union Planning Board Backs Rehabilitation Designation for Stuyvesant Avenue Corridor

UNION, NJ - Union planning officials took a key step this week toward potential revitalization along a stretch of Stuyvesant Avenue, endorsing a study that found the corridor meets criteria for designation as an area in need of rehabilitation.During a presentation to the Planning Board, Christopher Colley of Topology, a Newark-based planning firm, outlined findings from a township-commissioned investigation of properties along Stuyvesant Avenue from Interstate 78 to the Irvington border.The study area includes approximately 20 lots in the township’s Neighborhood Commercial (NC) zoning district, consisting largely of commercial uses with some residential properties. Colley described the corridor as a mix of single-story commercial buildings, a handful of multi-story mixed-use structures, expansive surface parking lots and several gas stations. A cemetery on the west side of the avenue was excluded from the study.Colley emphasized that an “area in need of rehabilitation” designation differs from redevelopment, noting it does not change zoning, authorize demolition or permit long-term tax exemptions.Instead, he said, the designation allows the township to take preliminary steps toward future planning, including the potential creation of a redevelopment plan and the option to offer short-term tax abatements if a program is introduced.“It allows the township to take the next step in the planning to develop a redevelopment plan and sort of create a specific vision for an area,” Colley said.Such a designation requires a two-part test: determining whether a rehabilitation program could prevent further deterioration and promote community development, and whether at least one statutory condition exists within the study area.Colley said the most applicable criterion in this case is a pattern of underutilization. While many properties are occupied, he said, their development intensity falls below that of comparable commercial zones in Union.“To determine if an area is underutilized, we looked at comparable zones in Union and how they are utilized,” Colley said, adding that the analysis included a review of property improvement values.Based on those findings, the firm concluded the area qualifies for rehabilitation designation.Colley also noted the designation does not involve the use of eminent domain.The Planning Board unanimously approved a motion to concur with the study’s findings and refer the matter to the Township Committee for final consideration. If adopted by the Township Committee, officials could then begin a second phase to develop a detailed redevelopment plan outlining permitted uses and any potential zoning changes.