TOWNSHIP OF SOUTH ORANGE VILLAGE Smart Growth Plan Prepared by Heyer, Gruel & Associates October 2007 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 PLANNING CONTEXT AND HISTORY 25 Vision......................................................................................................1 Master Plan - Overview ........................................................................25 What is Smart Growth?..............................................................................2 Draft Master Plan Reexamination Report (2006).......................................25 South Orange – Example of Smart Growth....................................................2 Recreation & Open Space Plan and Recreation Element of the Land Use Master Purpose of Smart Growth Plan.....................................................................2 Plan (2004)........................................................................................26 The Process...............................................................................................3 Short-Term Goals.................................................................................27 The Plan...................................................................................................4 Mid-Term Goals (by 2010)....................................................................27 Action Plan.........................................................................................27 Non-Acquisition Related Action Items......................................................29 PLANNING ASSESSMENT Bicycle and Pedestrian Circulation Plan (2005)........................................29 EVALUATION OF EXISTING AND FUTURE CONDITIONS 7 Village-Wide Recommendations .............................................................30 Current, Historic and Projected Population Growth.........................................7 Recommendations - Primary Corridors and Routes.....................................32 Anticipated Growth in Employment and Non-Residential Development..............8 Recommendations - Bicycle Connections Among Parks...............................34 Existing Land Use......................................................................................9 Recommendations - Additional Bicycle Routes...........................................34 Population and Household Composition 7.....................................................10 Recommendations - Key Destinations.......................................................35 Housing Characteristics .............................................................................11 East Branch of the Rahway River Corridor – Master Plan Report..................38 Transit.....................................................................................................13 Southern Segment................................................................................38 Vehicular Circulation.................................................................................14 Central Segment..................................................................................40 Open Space, Parks and Recreation.............................................................16 Northern Segment................................................................................41 School District Projections..........................................................................19 Housing Element and Fair Share Plan (2005)...........................................42 Infrastructure............................................................................................19 Central Business District and Surrounding Area - Historic Resources....................................................................................19 Revitalization/Redevelopment................................................................43 Environmental Conditions...........................................................................22 Streetscape Improvements......................................................................43 South Orange Train Station Redevelopment Plan.......................................43 Central Business District Redevelopment Plan............................................44 TABLE OF CONTENTS Church Street Redevelopment Plan...............................................................46 Newark..............................................................................................54 Redevelopment Projects .............................................................................46 Maplewood........................................................................................55 Transit Village Designation.........................................................................48 Orange ..............................................................................................53 Main Street New Jersey .............................................................................48 West Orange......................................................................................55 Land Development Chapter.........................................................................49 East Orange.......................................................................................56 Residential - Single-Family (RA) Districts .......................................................49 Residential – Two-Family (RB) District............................................................49 PLANNING ISSUES 59 Residential – Townhouse (RTH) District..........................................................49 Meetings of the Smart Growth Plan Committee.........................................59 Residential – Senior Citizen (RSC) Housing District.........................................50 Initial Public Outreach Program .............................................................59 Residential – Planned Residential Cluster (PRC) Districts..................................50 Strengths............................................................................................59 Residential – Multi-Family/Office (RC-1) District ............................................50 Key Issues...........................................................................................61 Primary Business (B-1) District.....................................................................50 Central Business District .......................................................................61 Secondary Business (B-2) District.................................................................51 Valley Street........................................................................................65 General Business (B-3) District.....................................................................51 Irvington Avenue..................................................................................69 University (U) District.................................................................................51 Parking ..............................................................................................73 Open Space Public Use (OS/PU) District......................................................51 Vehicular Traffic...................................................................................73 Walking/Biking/Transit ........................................................................74 PLANNING COORDINATION – STATE, REGION AND ADJOINING Parks, Open Space and Recreation........................................................75 MUNICIPALITIES 53 Community Character...........................................................................76 State Development and Redevelopment Plan (SDRP).......................................53 Essex County 2004 Cross-Acceptance Report...............................................53 THE PLAN Essex County Park, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan (April 2003)........53 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES 79 Ivy Hill Park.............................................................................................54 South Mountain Reservation.......................................................................54 COMMUNITY CHARACTER 85 Adjacent Municipalities .............................................................................54 TABLE OF CONTENTS Historic Preservation..................................................................................85 Urban Design...........................................................................................91 Business Districts.......................................................................................94 Other Land Use and Zoning Issues.............................................................104 CIRCULATION 117 Walking/Biking/Transit...........................................................................117 Parking.................................................................................................118 Vehicular Traffic.....................................................................................119 PARKS, OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION 122 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS 129 STRATEGIC PLAN 132 Implementation Strategies.......................................................................132 Funding Plan.........................................................................................140 APPENDIX A- Smart Growth Survey..........................................................144 APPENDIX B- Visioning Session Input........................................................164 APPENDIX C- Lot Size Analysis................................................................169