_ BU BURGIS ASSOCIATES, INC. COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANTS 25 Westwood Avenue Community Planning Westwood, New Jersey 07675 Land Development and Design Phone (201) 666-1811 Landscape Architecture Fax (201) 666-2599 2002 MASTER PLAN UPDATE BOROUGH OF WOODCLIFF LAKE BERGEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY ADOPTED DECEMBER 9, 2002 PREPARED FOR BOROUGH OF WOODCLIFF LAKE PLANNING BOARD BA #1026.01 The original document was appropriately signed and sealed on September 6, 2002 in accordance with Chapter 41 of Title 13 of the State Board of Professional Planners. Revised December 9, 2002 __________________ ________________________ Joseph Burgis, AICP, P.P. Donna Holmqvist, AICP, P.P. Professional Planner #2450 Professional Planner #4844 MEMBERS OF THE WOODCLIFF LAKE PLANNING BOARD Kenneth Glemby, Chairman George Fry, Vice Chairman Honorable Josephine Higgins, Mayor John Vogel, Councilman Joseph LaPaglia Rosemary Levin Bruce Mautz Scott Miller Chet Rubackin Diana DiGirolomo, Alternate Member I Gregory Scott, Alternate Member II Planning Board Secretary Mary Verducci Planning Board Attorney Thomas Van Dam, Esq. Kevin Funabashi, Esq. Planning Board Engineer Thomas Skrable, P.E. Planning Consultants Donna Holmqvist, AICP, P.P. Joseph Burgis, AICP, P.P. _______________________________________________________________________ 1 Cover photograph: Woodcliff Lake’s first train station built by Nicholas B. Ackerman. TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................1 1.1 Community Overview ................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Legal Requirements for Planning ................................................................................2 2.0 PREVIOUS PLANNING EFFORTS ...............................................................................................6 2.1 1985 Master Plan ........................................................................................................6 2.2 Master Plan Reexamination Reports ..........................................................................6 2.3 Housing Element and Fair Share Housing Plan .........................................................8 PART 1: BACKGROUND DATA AND ANALYSIS 3.0 OVERVIEW OF BACKGROUND STUDIES .............................................................................10 3.1 EXISTING LAND USES.........................................................................................12 Residential Land Use................................................................................................13 Commercial Land Use ..............................................................................................13 Office Land Use........................................................................................................14 Reservoir and United Water Property.......................................................................14 Public Land Use........................................................................................................14 Religious Institutions................................................................................................15 Open Space and Recreation......................................................................................15 Vacant Land..............................................................................................................16 3.2 POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS Historic Trends ........................................................................................................ 17 Age and Sex Characteristics .................................................................................... 18 Births and Deaths..................................................................................................... 19 Household Size ........................................................................................................ 20 3.3 HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS.......................................................................... 21 Number of Housing Units........................................................................................ 21 Housing Age ............................................................................................................ 22 Occupancy Characteristics & Type……………………………………………... 23 Additional Housing Data ......................................................................................... 24 3.4 DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY……………………………………………………..25 Residential Development……………………………………………………………25 Projection of Woodcliff Lake’s Housing Stock....................................................... 26 Non-Residential Development................................................................................. 27 3.5 EMPLOYMENT CHARACTERISTICS ................................................................ 28 Historic Employment Trends................................................................................... 28 Employment Characteristics & Occupation Patterns .............................................. 29 3.6 INCOME CHARACTERISTICS ............................................................................ 31 3.7 PHYSICAL FEATURES......................................................................................... 32 Introduction.............................................................................................................. 32 Topography and Slope............................................................................................. 32 Flood Plains and Flood Hazard Area....................................................................... 33 Wetland Areas ......................................................................................................... 33 Soils ......................................................................................................................... 34 3.8 INFRASTRUCTURE.............................................................................................. 38 ii Sanitary Sewerage System....................................................................................... 38 Water System........................................................................................................... 38 3.9 HISTORIC SITES………………………………………………………………… 38 4.0 COMMUNITY FACILITIES………………………………………………………40 4.1 REGIONAL PLANNING FRAMEWORK………………………………………..41 Introduction...............................................................................................................41 Zoning in Adjoining Municipalities ........................................................................ 41 County Plan ............................................................................................................. 42 State Development and Redevelopment Plan.......................................................... 42 PART 2: LAND USE PLAN 5.0 LAND USE PLAN .................................................................................................................... 46 General Objectives................................................................................................... 47 Goals and Policies.................................................................................................... 48 Land Use Plan Classifications ................................................................................. 54 Planning Recommendations .................................................................................... 60 6.0 SIDEWALK ANALYSIS OF WOODCLIFF AVENUE………………………………………70 ii iii LIST OF TABLES TABLE TITLE PAGE 1 Rate of Population Growth 1940-2000 ............................................................................. 17 2 Age Characteristics, 1990 and 2000..................................................................................18 3 Births and Deaths 1988-1998............................................................................................19 4 Average Household Size 1970-2000 ................................................................................20 5 Housing Characteristics, 1980, 1990 and 2000.................................................................21 6 Year Structure Built, 2000 ................................................................................................22 7 Units in Structure for Year-Round Housing Units, 1990 & 2000 ....................................23 8 Number of Bedrooms in Housing Unit, 1980 & 1990......................................................24 9 Number of Building & Demolition Permits Issued, 1990-2000 .......................................25 10 Number of Residential Lots Created or Approved, 1989-2001........................................26 11 Non-Residential Development Site Plan Approvals, 1990-2001......................................27 12 Covered Employment, 1989-1999 ....................................................................................28 13 Employed Persons 16 and Over by Industry, 1990 & 2000..............................................29 14 Employed Persons 16 and Over by Occupation, 1990 & 2000.........................................30 15 Household Income 1989 and 1999....................................................................................31 16 Soil Constraints.................................................................................................................37 17 Historic Sites .....................................................................................................................39