How much is enough? This is a question that seems to confront every development project seeking approval from community officials.
Understandably, developers want to provide just as little as they can get away with. It's a profit thing, you know.
Just as understandably, neighbors of proposed development projects are concerned about the spillover effect on adjacent streets. They have to live and conduct their businesses there -- long after the developers have scooped up their profits and moved on to the next project.
Take the Park-Madison project for example. PT received the following email last evening:
Who should I complain to...about the parking at the Park-Madison project? Parking at this brand new much lauded development project has already become a nightmare, and there are still empty stores. What’s it going to be like if they fill all of them? I had to wait about 30 minutes for a free spot to deposit a check at Chase this morning – and had to fend off a cop who was complaining I was blocking cars waiting for a spot. I asked her advice – since there were no spots, where was I to go? I couldn’t park in the employee garage and there is no where else nearby. When I finally got into the Chase branch, I complained to the manager who said they were aware of the problem and were asking the city to rope off some spots for Chase customers. The problem, I was told, is that the county building has 600 employees and there are only 450 parking spots in the garage. I don’t know if this is true but it was what I was told. Is this kind of planning what we have to look forward to in the future?Parking at the Park-Madison project was an issue in its design phase, and what you see today is the result of the compromises made by the city. The parking deck is reserved exclusively for workers from the office building. Is it full every day? Who knows.
Meanwhile, if you cruise by and take a look at the parking spaces set aside for shoppers at the various stores, you might wonder if there is enough. And our correspondent is quite correct: all of the shops are not even open yet.
PARKING is going to be one of the issues the Zoning Board will have to wrestle with in regard to the proposed South Avenue condos.
Does anyone seriously think that if a couple were to pay $400,000 to live in one of these condos [some of which the developer wants to make undersized], they would only drive ONE car? In New Jersey? Get over it. So any realistic proposal has to include AT LEAST two parking spaces per unit, plus extra spaces for guests, service vehicles, etc.
Will the Zoning Board stick to such reasonable requirements or cave?
It's a good reason to come out and take part.
Mark your calendar: Zoning Board special meeting, Wednesday, July 26, 7:00 PM, City Hall Library.
-- Dan Damon
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2 comments:
I am curious about anyone paying $400,000 for a condo at that location. I am interested in knowing how that sale price is supported for a few reasons.
1- It is next to the DPW so it had better be well sound proofed
2- There is no infrastructure to support it (where are the coffee shops, restaurants, dry cleaners etc?) There are plenty of places in the surroundng area (including Hoboken) where you can pay that price and walk to conveniences
3- The area is not conducive to walking anywhere, let alone the train station
4- Can we hope that the builder of the condo has a more extensive plan to include the infrastructure?
As was mentioned previously, who is going to pay anywhere from $300,000 to $400,000 for an UNDERSIZED (!!!) condo in that area? Aside from DPW and its trucks and noise and the other auto service places, it's directly in front of the Raritan Valley railroad tracks! It's a VERY VERY noisy location! The per capita income for Plainfield is still less than $50,000 so who exactly will be able to afford that and also pay taxes? Not the majority of Plainfield residents! If they are being marketed to so-called "professionals" would want to move all the way to that area of Plainfield and then have to take a two-train commute to NYC when there are closer places like Rahway or Elizabeth which feature one-train commute and better amenities? The price doesn't make sense. You could buy a house in a good neighborhood in Plainfield for that price. This seems like a bad plan!
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