Client: Township of Plainsboro,NJ

Overview

Phillips Preiss has provided ongoing planning services to the Township of Plainsboro in connection with the development of a world class health care-oriented mixed-use campus anchored by the University Medical Center of Princeton (UMCP) at Plainsboro on a former industrial property located along Route 1.

Phillips Preiss prepared the area in need of redevelopment investigation in 2007 which qualified the entire industrial site as a redevelopment area and subsequently prepared the redevelopment plan which set forth a detailed regulatory framework and design guidelines for the development of the property.

The firm has since worked with the Township and the redeveloper on amendments to the plan. The vision now is focused on broadening the medical facilities and ancillary uses to be provided within the redevelopment area to include a pediatric care/medical-office facility, a day care center, medical offices, and age-restricted and other residential health care facilities.

Walking paths, open spaces, water features, a green corridor and other common design elements will ensure that physical linkages between the various uses are provided. In addition, the plan is based on the idea that creating an attractive and engaging outdoor environment is beneficial to the health and well-being of not just patients, but also doctors, employees, visitors and other members of the community.

Results

The first project developed to implement the redevelopment plan was the Merwick Care Center, a skilled nursing facility. It was followed by the hospital and medical offices of the UMCP. This building sets a high standard for environmental sustainability in building design by including features such as a high-performance curtain wall system, solar panels, a cogeneration facility, and water-saving fixtures, which create significant reductions in energy and water usage. Subsequently, a 32-acre public park was completed. The redevelopment plan was the recipient of a New Jersey Planning Officials Achievement in Planning Award.

Rendering by Elkus | Manfredi Architects

Client: Borough of Fort Lee, New Jersey

Rendering by Arquitectonica

Overview

Redevelopment Area 5 is a 16-acre site between downtown Fort Lee and the George Washington Bridge approach ramps which has been vacant for 40 years. Phillips Preiss prepared a redevelopment plan for the site which permits 1,377 residential units, 175,000 square feet of retail shops and restaurants, a 175-room hotel, a Borough museum, an art-house movie theater, and publicly accessible open space. The $1 billion project is intended to rejuvenate the Borough’s struggling downtown, create jobs, provide tax revenue to the local and regional economies, and serve as an iconic gateway to Bergen County.

Results

The Fort Lee Planning Board approved major site plan and subdivision applications for the project in the spring of 2012. Phillips Preiss reviewed the development proposals on behalf of the Planning Board.

Client: Township of Montclair, NJ

Overview

Phillips Preiss drafted the Montclair Center Gateway Redevelopment Plan to encourage a mixed-use development at the western edge of Montclair’s downtown which advances its sustainability and Smart Growth agenda. In early 2011, the Township formed a Redevelopment Subcommittee consisting of elected officials, business owners and other members of the Montclair community to work with Phillips Preiss on crafting the plan. A series of public meetings were held to gain input from the community on their vision for the site. A widely felt aspiration to attract a hotel to downtown Montclair, which could serve its cultural arts institutions, businesses and local residents, resulted in a density bonus provision in the plan. In fulfillment of Montclair Township’s environmental sustainability agenda, the project requires a minimum level of LEED certification, which must include on-site renewable energy facilities (i.e., roof-mounted solar panels), green roof areas and public transportation access (i.e., shuttles to train stations).

Results

Since the adoption of the plan, the Township has designated Pinnacle Companies as the redeveloper. Pinnacle and the Township are currently moving forward on the first phase of the project.

Clients: Villages of Dobbs Ferry, Hastings-on-Hudson, Ossining and South Nyack, NY

Overview

Phillips Preiss has prepared Comprehensive Plans and zoning amendments for several Hudson River villages in Westchester and Rockland Counties, advising these clients from the earliest phases of community outreach all the way through the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) process and early implementation. While each community has its own distinct traits, all share a common set of planning and development issues: allowing for fiscally and environmentally sustainable development; providing diverse housing options; protecting neighborhood character, scenic views and historic resources; creating downtown vitalization strategies; minimizing traffic; and protecting natural resources. Through the Comprehensive Plan process, Phillips Preiss has developed innovative land use strategies based on a sound understanding of each community’s vision, key assets and market position.

Results

Phillips Preiss' work on the Village of Ossining Comprehensive Plan and Amendments to the Zoning Code and LWRP received the 2010 achievement award for outstanding plan from the Westchester Municipal Planning Federation.

Client: Borough of Saddle River, New Jersey

Overview

The Borough of Saddle River has a small concentration of retail, civic, office and educational uses along the Saddle River at the crossing of its main roadways. In its role as Borough Planner, Phillips Preiss prepared a “Crossing Plan” which made the Saddle River the focal point of its historic hamlet by utilizing the river to figuratively stitch together the area through the creation of a trail system. Zoning Code amendments, designation of a local historic district, amendments to the Historic Preservation Ordinance, and creation of design guidelines were among the recommended strategies for implementation.

Results

The Borough has begun to implement the trail system along the Saddle River by renovating an existing wooden walkway and requiring a recent development in the Crossing area to incorporate its landscaping and walkways into the trail system.

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Client: Township of Cranbury, New Jersey

Overview

As Township Planner, Phillips Preiss worked with a subcommittee to develop a new Open Space and Recreation Plan Element of the Cranbury Township Master Plan to guide the acquisition and development of land and facilities for open space and recreation. Phillips Preiss gathered extensive public input through community workshops and stakeholder interviews and analyzed the scheduling, utilization and physical layout of each facility. The resulting plan included a set of recommendations designed to meet the open space and recreational needs of all residents of Cranbury from toddlers to the elderly.

Results

The Planning Board adopted the Plan.

Client: Township of West Orange, NJ

Overview

The Township of West Orange retained Phillips Preiss to update its Master Plan, as well as prepare a Sustainability Plan for the Township. This document was one of the first sustainability plans prepared in New Jersey pursuant to a recent change in state law authorizing such plans as part of a municipal master plan. The Sustainability Plan guides West Orange’s efforts to incorporate smart growth, energy efficiency, environmentally friendly practices, low-impact development policies and other green tools in its planning. It is also integrated with the other sections of the Township’s Master Plan Update.

Results

Phillips Preiss was subsequently retained to assist with implementation of the Master Plan Update and Sustainability Plan through zoning amendments, and was later hired to review development applications to the Township's planning and zoning boards.

Client: Greater Hightstown East Windsor Improvement Project (GHEWIP)

Overview

Greater Hightstown East Windsor Improvement Project (GHEWIP), a local civic group, retained Phillips Preiss to identify redevelopment opportunities in the Borough of Hightstown, a historic community located along Peddie Lake in Mercer County. Phillips Preiss established a short-term strategy to re-start the stalled redevelopment of the Rug Mill site, a large industrial property located at a critically important gateway to the Borough. The firm recommended a number of amendments to the existing redevelopment plan, based on market and demographic trends, economic factors and the Borough’s planning objectives, to catalyze private interest in the property.

Client: City of Newark, New Jersey

Overview

Newark, the largest city in New Jersey, hired Phillips Preiss in 2008 to lead a multi-disciplinary consulting team to prepare a Master Plan Reexamination that would lay the framework for a complete new Master Plan. After adopting the Reexamination, the City of Newark selected a consultant team to prepare the new Master Plan. Phillips Preiss was a key member of this team, with primary responsibility for land use and zoning issues in the Master Plan, and advised on other planning topics.

Results

Phillips Preiss worked with City staff to prepare a series of immediate zoning changes to implement portions of the Reexamination. The new Master Plan was adopted in 2012. Phillips Preiss subsequently worked with City staff on a full overhaul of Newark's Zoning Ordinance - its first in over 60 years. The new Zoning & Land Use Regulations were adopted in 2015.

Clients: various

Overview

Phillips Preiss works on behalf of both private property owners and public agencies in eminent domain proceedings to provide expert planning and market evaluations of taken properties before the courts.

• Advisement to agencies and property owners on land use issues affecting negotiations and potential litigation.
• Preparation of expert planning reports for use by agencies and property owners in negotiations and litigation.
• Appearance and the provision of expert testimony before Commissioner’s hearings; and where property acquisitions are subject to litigation, in New Jersey courts.

Phillips Preiss' services have provided the basis for fair and equitable valuation of property, resulting in voluntary settlement between “taking” agencies and property owners; or where litigation has ensued, have provided the courts with a basis for informed rulings on value.

Clients: Numerous New Jersey municipalities

Overview

Phillips Preiss has extensive experience assisting municipalities throughout New Jersey in all aspects of affordable housing compliance and litigation. From the original Mount Laurel case, to navigating the current state regulations, Phillips Preiss has prepared housing elements and fair share plans on behalf of dozens of municipal clients, such as Franklin Lakes, Hoboken, Lebanon, Netcong, Newark and Teaneck. Related services provided by the firm have included preparation of affordable housing ordinances, marketing plans, affordability controls, economic feasibility analyses and expert compliance reports related to affordable housing litigation.

Client: Village of Larchmont, NY

Overview

Phillips Preiss worked for the Village of Larchmont, NY to prepare zoning and design guidelines for a residential neighborhood with large-lot single-family homes, challenging topography, and waterfront views. The firm's efforts focused on mitigating height, mass, and perceived bulk of single-family homes, particularly new construction. Revisions to zoning code and subdivision standards included grading, retaining walls, location and screening of parking, and building bulk and articulation.