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.

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. 

Client: Township of Cranbury, NJ

View of new open space framed by townhouses. Special attention paid to making front and rear facades of townhouses both pedestrian-friendly.

View of the mixed-use retail buildings and public plaza. Rendering by Zampolin Architects.

Overview

Design guidelines and redevelopment plan for a mixed-use infill project. Street-facing retail with apartments overhead, and to the rear, a series of townhouses flanking a new public open space. The guidelines focused on ensuring pedestrian connectivity, active ground-floor uses, and human-scaled architecture. 

Client: Township of Woodbridge, NJ

Street section redesign for Main Street, Woodbridge, adding bicycle lanes, street trees that will grow to a taller height than the current trees, and wider sidewalks with bulb-outs.

Main Street, Woodbridge

The creek-side park in Woodbridge

Overview

Downtown Vision Plan for downtown Woodbridge, NJ. The town has a nearly continuous streetwall of retail stores extending for several blocks, a beautiful creek-front park, and a train station providing direct service into Manhattan. However, the downtown has little foot traffic. While downtown has a large parking supply, it is not allocated or managed efficiently. The design of the streets and private property frontages and facades does not contribute to creating an interesting and intriguing environment for pedestrians. Several large parcels with low-intensity development offered opportunity sites for infill and intensification. Phillips Preiss developed a Vision Plan that spells out a wide range of short- and long-term improvements that would help bring more residents downtown, transform the downtown into a dining destination, and create attractive public spaces to gather and linger.