TOD News Briefs

The Week in TOD News Oct 20-26 2018

NJ TOD News
Architect Jeff Rawding’s rendering of proposed Schuyler Lofts development, October 2018. Image courtesy of Topology Inc.

First look: 28 Apartments Proposed for Morristown’s Schuyler Place
By Kevin Coughlin, MorristownGreen.com, October 22, 2018
A review of recent proposals to and approvals by the Morristown Zoning and/or Planning Boards includes: a proposal to the Zoning Board by Claremont Companies of Far Hills to build 28 units on Schuyler Place; approval for 30 apartments and a restaurant on South Street; 38 housing units on Morris Street; and a presentation of conceptual plans for 89 apartments and retail space at the Morristown Train Station.

Baldwin Building, 30-32 Clinton Street, Newark, NJ. Photo via Google Maps/Street View

Adaptive Reuse Approved for Newark’s Baldwin Building
By Jared Kofsky, JerseyDigs.com, October 23, 2018
The Newark Central Planning Board recently approved preliminary and final site plans for the Baldwin Building. The adaptive reuse of the six-story building calls for 20 residential units and 1,430 square feet of first-floor retail.

New Jersey Future Releases Action Plan for Trenton Transit Center Area
By Peter Kasabach, New Jersey Future, October 23, 2018
NJ Future recently released the Trenton Transit Center Strategic Action Plan, which it developed for Greater Trenton in partnership with Clarke Caton Hintz. The plan recommends increasing housing quantity, expanding housing variety, better integrating open spaces into surrounding neighborhoods, and improving intersections to increase pedestrian and bicyclist safety. Disclosure: NJ Future Director Tim Evans also serves on the NJTOD.org editorial board.

Aberdeen Matawan station
Aberdeen-Matawan Station by KOknockout920 is licensed by CC BY-SA 3.0
Matawan Council Approves Resolution Transit Village Improvements
By Vashti Harris, CentralJersey.com, October 25, 2018
The Matawan Borough Council has authorized $30,077 in additional funds to permit the completion of its Transit Village Improvement Project, a project funded in part by a grant from the NJ Department of Transportation. The project will result in sidewalk and street crossing improvements near the NJ TRANSIT Aberdeen-Matawan Station.

Strategic Meetings Produce Ideas to Enhance Red Bank
By Kelly Giuliano, CentralJersey.com, October 25, 2018
Over the course of five months, Red Bank stakeholders met to discuss a course of action for a redevelopment initiative to encourage more visitors, consumers, and tourists to frequent the Monmouth County community. The initiative focuses upon a reimagined and reinvigorated riverfront, a regional center for the arts, transformation into a Transit Village, and implementation of “complete streets” in certain areas.

Regional, National and International TOD News
A SMART train at Santa Rosa Station by Haha169 is licensed by CC BY-SA 4.0

SMART Selling Site Next to Downtown Santa Rosa Station for Housing Project
By Kevin Fixler, The Press Democrat, October 19, 2018
One of the largest undeveloped parcels in Santa Rosa’s core may finally be the site of hundreds of housing units. In July, Petaluma-based Cornerstone properties entered into a $6.7 million purchase agreement with the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) commuter system. According to SMART general manager Farhad Mansourian, the region’s high cost of living contributes to SMART employees leaving the agency.

1,500 Living Units for Transit Village
By Dennis Wyatt, Manteca Bulletin, October 19, 2018
River Islands at Lathrop is seeking a plan amendment to build a transit village including 1,500 apartments, dining, shops and public spaces at the site of the future Lathrop, California station on the Valley Link rail system.

Wine Train ponders “workforce” housing near Napa bus station
By Howard Yune, Napa Valley Register, October 20, 2018
Directors of the Napa Valley Wine Train are developing plans for between 30 and 50 units of rental housing on a three-acre parcel it owns.

Mt. Kisco Residents Question Downtown Changes at Comp Plan Hearing
By Neal Rentz, The Examiner News, October 22, 2018
At a public hearing, residents expressed concerns over the impact of zoning changes designed to encourage mixed-use development in downtown Mount Kisco, in Westchester County, NY.

Atlanta fund to put “patient” capital to work for affordable housing near transit
By Maggie Lee, Saporta Report, October 23, 2018
Invest Atlanta’s board members (acting as the Urban Residential Financing Authority) have voted to pledge $4.5 million toward $15 million in revolving funds to support below-market-rate housing built near transit stations.

Mercer Mega Block, Seattle, WA

Why selling land to the highest bidder might not be the city’s best bet
By Josh Cohen, CrossCut.com, October 23, 2018
Housing advocates have eyed the Mercer Mega Block site in Seattle as a rare opportunity to build affordable housing in an expensive and transit-rich neighborhood, but the city recently took steps to sell the site on the open market.

Buffalo May Turn Parking Craters into Neighborhoods
By Angie Schmitt, StreetsBlog USA, October 23, 2018

Parking adjacent KeyBank Center, Buffalo, NY

Buffalo NY is developing conceptual plans for five transit-rich acres as it prepares to extend its 6.5 mile light rail system north from the University of Buffalo. Plans for the area currently owned by the Buffalo Sabres hockey team call for hundreds of units of walkable development on the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Rail Line.

Development eyed for downtown San Bruno
By Austin Walsh, San Mateo Daily Journal, October 23, 2018
The proposed mixed-use project would be the most recent in a series of residential developments near downtown. The project is located across the street from the transit center and would provide 11 units of affordable housing.

‘New heart for old city’: Galway’s massive regeneration scheme
By Lorna Siggins, Irish Times, October 24, 2018
Developer Gerry Barrett is planning “Ceannt Quarter” on a 8.2 acre-site around the Ceannt railway and bus station in Galway, Ireland. The plan is described as one of the largest urban regeneration schemes in the history of the nation with plans for several hundred houses/apartments, retail, food outlets, and a hotel and arts space.

Transit-oriented development expands to bus corridors on South, West sides
By Sara Freund, Curbed Chicago, October 23, 2018
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s 2019 budget calls for spending $5 million to support projects near CTA bus lines with high ridership. The city’s TOD ordinance reduces parking requirements and allows for greater height and density for developments within a half-mile of CTA and Metro rail stations. Chicago would be the first city to implement TOD around bus lines, according to the Mayor’s office.

Durham Station Concept Drawing. GoTransit

Upfront Planning to Maximize Benefits
By TODresources, The National Public Transportation/Transit-Oriented Development Technical Assistance Initiative (USDOT-FTA), October 26, 2018
Consultants for GoTriangle, i.e., the Research Triangle Regional Public Transportation Authority in North Carolina, have estimated tax revenues for different scenarios of development near stations of the planned Durham-Orange Light-Rail Transit line. GoTriangle is collaborating with the Town of Chapel Hill, the City of Durham and the Triangle J Council of Governments (TJCOG) to plan for and leverage the forthcoming transportation investment.