Plan for Woodbridge proper includes transit village
Mayor says condo dwellers would likely be young people with no children
BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer
Aproposed mixed-use transit village development concept is in the works for downtown Main Street, featuring upscale ground-level retail and shopping with one- and two-bedroom condominiums on the second floor.

Mayor John E. McCormac said a $50,000 grant was given to the township to designate downtown Woodbridge as a transit village before he was mayor, and the Agrest & Galdasonas, Architects firm based in New York were hired to create a vision for the township.

"Unfortunately, we couldn't accept their first vision, since it meant having to create a hole in the train station in order to connect the parks, creating walkways for residents," said McCormac. "This was a great vision to connect the parks, but New Jersey Transit had just spent $25 million on upgrading the train station and it was out of the question."

The mayor said the transit village development and downtown revitalization is geared to attract young professionals who will utilize NJ Transit for their transportation and to live and shop in the downtown.

"These people who move into the condominiums are young professionals and young couples without cars and children," said McCormac.

The mayor admitted that there might be people with children and some people with cars who move into the condominiums.

"But once the families start growing, they will move into their single-family home in the township with a white picket fence," he said.

The transit village concept was just one of the points on the 10-point plan that the mayor laid out for the over 100 residents who came to the Woodbridge proper visioning meeting held Jan. 18 at the Woodbridge Elks Lodge No. 2116 on Rahway Avenue.

Traffic, speeding and parking issues were heavy on the minds of the residents who came to the meeting; however, the mayor said if downtown Woodbridge did not have a traffic problem, he would be worried.

"If we didn't have a traffic problem, it would mean that we don't have a viable downtown and we weren't alive and doing well … so it's OK to an extent," he said.

Township officials said they have been in talks with the state Department of Transportation and have given them intersections - Route 9 and Main Street, Route 9 and Green Street, Oak Tree Road and Green Street in Iselin, and others in the township that need work to alleviate traffic.

"We can't promise anything, but the state did come out and look at Route 9 and Main Street," said McCormac, who also said the township police department has dedicated six officers to curb speeding during the day.

The visioning meeting was the administration's third meeting on downtown Woodbridge and the first with the residents.

Ward 1 Councilman Charles Kenny, Councilman Gregg Ficarra, Councilwoman Patricia Osborne, Councilwoman Brenda Velasco, and Caroline Ehrlich, chief of staff and executive director of the Redevelopment Agency, joined the mayor and representatives of the architect firm at the meeting.

Township officials held three visioning meetings on the Iselin section of the township and two visioning meetings on the Fords and Hopelawn sections of the township. They are currently working on implementing the 10-point plans that were proposed for the sections.

"We have held three meetings forAvenel, but we are waiting until the cleanup is done on the General Dynamics site before we proceed," said McCormac.

The community "visioning" meetings are part of a $60,000 initiative to explore the township's business districts and the surrounding residential areas for changes to the township's master plan.

Woodbridge proper is the most populated section ofWoodbridge, with 18,309 residents within 3.9 square miles, according to the U.S. 2000 census.

With an invigorated Special Improvement District of longtime business owners, the township has visions of making façade improvements and tax abatement initiatives for the downtown, conduct a market and parking study of the area, and provide lighting fixtures, attractive and conforming signage, and pedestrian-friendly crossings and walkways.

Councilman Kenny said a flashing light crosswalk in front of J.J. Bitting Brewing Co. is in the works.

The mayor added that the township is in the process of making the building on 71 Main St., which is next to and owned by the United Methodist Church, a historic museum.

"Woodbridge is the oldest township in the state," said the McCormac. "Most of the township's history has been in people's basements … this museum could attract people to learn about the history of the township and then shop and eat in the downtown."

The mayor said that with Ashley Pepsin as the special event-marketing manager for the township, residents should expect more events for the downtown this coming year.

"We had a farmers market, our traditional downtown car show and street fair, a hot dog contest, a Central Jersey Beer Fest and Craft Show that brought 400 people, and in February we will be holding a chili contest," saidMcCormac. "These things may sound silly, but they work."

The mayor said there are little vacancies along Main Street, but said they needed to work on moving service-oriented businesses like dry cleaners, a fitness center, or a military recruitment office off Main Street and work on moving in more restaurants and other upscale businesses that would attract people to Main Street.

"We need to look at ways on what it would take to get a Starbucks on Main Street," he said.

Business owners including VitoMazza, of the Vito Mazza Salon and Day Spa, and Leon Schwartz, of Carpet Maven, said they are excited about the new vision for the downtown.

"We have listened to every idea, which have been all positive ideas," said Schwartz, who is the vice president of the Woodbridge Special Improvement District (SID).

Mazza, who is the president of theWoodbridge SID, added that the vision is great for the town.

"The transit village concept will attract more people to the downtown, which is better for everybody," he said.

McCormac also added that they are working to better some of the vacant buildings in Woodbridge Proper, such as the old Bally's Fitness Center, the School Sweet Shoppe, and an old factory building where purses were manufactured.

Residents like Diane Krewinkel, who lives on North James Street, said it was important to look at the sections of the township, but said the administration has to really look at how the additional traffic that would come into the township would affect the quality of life of the residents.

"I take issue with the transient people who park on my street and block my driveway," said Krewinkel, who lives near Ross Street School No. 11. "It's not the people who take the train who are legally parked on my street, but the people who come for a short time."

Kenny said parents who drop off and pick up their children from school have to be more mindful of the residents.

"I know every parent wants to drop their kid right at the front door, but sometimes the kids might have to walk a little bit and parents can walk with them to the door," he said.

Updates will be on the township's Web site, www.twp.woodbridge.nj.us.