Valley Street Redevelopment, South Orange

In 2018 South Orange contracted with Topology, Inc. to study the portion of Valley Street within the Village of South Orange extending from the border with Columbia High School to South Orange Avenue.  The initial study results are now available and the public South Orange Planning Board review began December 16, 2019.¹

Phil Abrams, Principal at Topology planning firm presented an overview based on the Preliminary Investigation Report.   The video of the presentation can be seen here (you must enable Flash player to watch), and local news coverage of the first meeting can be found here.

Part 2 of the Planning Board Review is scheduled for January 6, 2020.   The agenda includes numerous topics–suggesting a long meeting–the agenda can be found here.

 

Other Documents and web sites related to this activity are listed below:

  • The  public notice of first Planning Board Meeting.
  • The properties proposed as part of the Redevelopment Area are shown schematically in the Valley Street_Preliminary Investigation map.
  • The Valley Street_Preliminary Investigation draft report_V5
  • A copy of the presentation made at the December 16, 2019 Planning Board Meeting by Topology, South Orange’s contract planning firm.
  • A link to the South Orange Planning Board website where all materials related to Planning Board meetings can be found.
  • A link to the South Orange website where all videos from public meetings can be found.

 

¹The material being reviewed currently is a Study to determine, based on existing NJ land-use laws (Section 40a, “Redevelopment”), whether the subject area meets the legal criteria for being declared as an Area in Need of Redevelopment.  Following that determination, which requires a vote of the Village Trustees, a Redevelopment Plan for the area would be written, reviewed, and perhaps approved.   This later document would effectively become the new zoning for the study area.  The initial study, and presumably all further steps in the process, are expected to state that the area is also not being considered for eminent-domain/condemnation.   The entire process will likely take several years.

 

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This site chronicles the five year public process leading to the construction of Clarus Maplewood, and in the semi-retirement years since that journey, some of the other development topics across Maplewood and South Orange.  We recently re-arranged it to provide easier access chronologically or by topic area.  Check out the changes by using the search box, or using the project overview.