HILLSDALE—Following debate on whether to move ahead on the borough’s stalled redevelopment or its downtown revitalization, the Borough Council agreed to hold off hiring coordinators for those efforts and allow the borough to complete an ongoing Master Plan update.
The last Master Plan reexamination occurred in 2013, and generally an update occurs at least once every decade, said officials.
The update is being conducted by borough planner Burgis Associates and generally takes six months, with a finish date expected in late 2021 or early 2022.
The updated plan will likely integrate aspects of the redevelopment plan. In essence, a master plan is a conceptual layout to help guide a community’s future growth and development.
At the Aug. 10 meeting of the governing body, a resolution to issue a request for qualifications to consider hiring a marketing coordinator, redevelopment coordinator and revitalization planner was pulled from the agenda following a discussion led by councilman Frank Pizzella and Mayor John Ruocco.
Both agreed that the general terms being used to describe the professionals being sought needed more definition before moving the measure ahead.
Pizzella expressed frustration, noting the redevelopment committee needed direction in what to focus on to address the needs of the borough’s newly designated Patterson Avenue redevelopment area, a 14-block area previously zoned for mostly commercial and industrial uses.
A former Waste Management transfer station anchored the area, north of the downtown district. Pizzella said he would contact WM to find out what plans the waste company may have for possible redevelopment.
Pizzella, who championed the recent redevelopment plan, approved, 5-1, over Mayor Ruocco’s veto, said the plan offers incentives for potential developers to put in mixed-use development featuring retail and residential housing.
However, Pizzella said that he was aware that little interest has been expressed in the redevelopment area since its approval in late 2020.
Ruocco and councilman Zoltán Horváth opposed the plan, citing its possible height/density bonuses for developers. Both said they otherwise supported the plan.
Proponents said the bonuses were not a given for any developer, and were tied to a future developer providing a community benefit such as a park, open space or a community center.
So far, no developer has proposed any plans for the redevelopment area.
Pizzella told members Aug. 10 that he felt the council needed to make a decision on whether to move ahead with downtown rehabilitation efforts, or hire a rehabilitation expert, so that it might be in sync with redevelopment efforts.
He said rehabilitation, also called revitalization, “works hand in hand with redevelopment” and is part of a “commitment to attracting businesses to the downtown for redevelopment.”
He said moving ahead with rehabilitation of the downtown business district would include developing a strategy for attracting businesses to downtown. He said the “second phase” of redevelopment was marketing the redevelopment area and attracting businesses to the downtown.
Councilman John Escobar said he didn’t think the council should focus on rehabilitation until they better know where the redevelopment phase is heading. Pizzella said that marketing of Hillsdale’s redevelopment area and downtown should include highlights such as the borough’s great schools, parks and quality of life.
Escobar noted businesses downtown want to see what may be happening in the new redevelopment zone “before they make a decision on what may or may not work in a [rehabilitation] area.”
He added, “Revitalizing downtown is extremely enticing to me.”
DMR Architects to evaluate five sites
Discussion on the status of redevelopment/revitalization evolved after a short discussion of DMR Architects’ proposal to conduct a feasibility study on five local sites for a community center and/or a new recreational turf field.
DMR Director of Design Kurt Vierheilig said that five sites were identified within Hillsdale for possible use to develop a community center and install a new artificial-turf recreational field. These sites will be investigated by
DMR under a contract previously approved by council, said Vierheilig.
Vierheilig said the five sites were identified by Business Administrator Christopher Tietjen and his staff. Vierheilig did not reveal the potential sites.
He said a small committee will be formed to discuss the “pros and cons and challenges” of each parcel, and seek input on those sites. Ruocco told him that DMR should create a separate document to highlight the five sites and that the process of selecting the sites is “best served” by having a document that could be reviewed and discussed.
Pizzella said the committee should look at what residents and officials want, and that the process for selection should match the community needs with what the five sites offer.
Ruocco said he would consult with councilman Anthony DeRosa and Tietjen to form a subcommittee that Vierheilig can initially work with to discuss the site options for a turf field and community center. Vierheilig suggested a borough council member, borough rec director, community recreation representative, and Tietjen as members.
Once final suggestions and recommendations have been developed by DMR, in consultation with committee members, DMR will publicly report its findings to the council, said Vierheilig. He said the timeline for selecting appropriate sites is about three months.
In its 2021-2022 budget, council approved, 5-1, a $15.6 million budget that includes $500,000 set aside as a downpayment for a possible future bond up to $10 million for a new community center and turf field, over the objections of Ruocco and Horváth.
Overall, the 2022 budget increased 5.33%, which adds about $138 yearly to an average Hillsdale homeowner. Should a bond referendum of $10 million be approved later, Ruocco said previously, that may add $230 to $350 annually to an average taxpayer’s bill.