Clients: Villages of Scarsdale, Larchmont, and Roslyn, NY

Overview

A number of suburban communities in the New York metropolitan area are grappling with the development of houses that are out of scale and/or out of character with the established neighborhoods in which they are located. Several municipalities have retained Phillips Preiss to craft zoning controls to prevent the proliferation of these so-called “bulky houses." The firm concluded that the size (i.e., floor area and height) of the house is not always the problem, but that the design is equally important in determining how a bulky house appears. Phillips Preiss developed an innovative approach that imposed a baseline cap on building size, with a floor area bonus for architectural design that successfully avoids an oversized appearance.

Client: Borough of New Milford, NJ

Overview

The Borough of New Milford is a nearly fully developed municipality located a short distance west of New York City. When the largest redevelopable parcel in the Borough became available for development, New Milford selected Phillips Preiss through a competitive process to evaluate the development application for the site and to advise the Mayor and Council on zoning and affordable housing matters. Phillips Preiss has assisted the New Milford Zoning Board of Adjustment with the review of a contentious application for the development of the property. The Borough’s Mayor and Council subsequently selected Phillips Preiss as the Borough Planner. The firm’s work has included analyzing zoning options for the property, evaluating changes to the municipality’s affordable housing plan, reviewing other development proposals, and preparing a thorough update of the Borough’s Master Plan.

Results

The Borough has adopted zoning changes to implement various Master Plan recommendations.

Client: City of Newark, NJ

Overview

Phillips Preiss has provided redevelopment planning services to the City of Newark for over a decade. The firm has prepared numerous area in need of redevelopment investigations on behalf of the City and advised municipal staff on redevelopment issues. Projects have included sites throughout the downtown and other parts of Newark.

Results

The Prudential Center, a major professional sports arena, was built in an area designated in need of redevelopment by a study prepared by Phillips Preiss. Teachers Village and One Rector Street are also being built in redevelopment areas that were designated based on studies prepared by the firm.

Client: New Jersey Meadowlands Commission (NJMC)

Overview

In 2004, the NJMC adopted the Secaucus Transit Village Redevelopment Plan to encourage a transit-oriented mixed-use development in the area surrounding the Secaucus Junction train station. At the same time, a new interchange on the New Jersey Turnpike at Secaucus Junction greatly enhanced the value of the existing warehouse and manufacturing facilities in the area. After years of inactivity in the Station Square district, NJMC retained Phillips Preiss to analyze and recommend potential amendments to the Redevelopment Plan to stimulate redevelopment. The study concluded that a substantial increase in allowable residential densities will be necessary to provide sufficient economic incentive for existing industrial property owners to redevelop.

Client: Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority

Phillips Preiss prepared a form-based zoning code and development and design guidelines for Fort Monmouth, a former military base which closed in 2011. The Fort encompasses over 1,100 acres that lie in three different “host municipalities:” the Boroughs of Tinton Falls, Eatontown and Oceanport. A reuse and redevelopment plan for the fort envisioned the development of mixed-income neighborhoods; creation of mixed-use, neighborhood centers; provisions for enhanced mobility; and the creation of an open space network. Phillips Preiss worked closely with FMERA and the three municipalities to translate the design concepts in the reuse and redevelopment plan into land use regulations that are flexible enough to respond to market conditions, based on sound sustainable planning principles, and conform to all New Jersey statutory requirements.

Client: Borough of Waldwick, NJ

Overview

Phillips Preiss completed an overhaul of the Borough of Waldwick code that includes a merger of the subdivision, site plan, land use procedures, soil movement, and zoning chapters into a unified land use and development ordinance. Phillips Preiss also modernized the ordinance to eliminate any inconsistencies of the current text with general planning practice. This includes an evaluation of ordinance definitions, permitted uses, parking requirements, and an update of the zoning schedule. Additionally, Phillips Preiss added a new section regulating solar panels and wind energy devices.

Client: City of Bethlehem, PA

Overview

The City of Bethlehem retained Phillips Preiss to reexamine and refine its existing historic resource surveys, establish criteria and an action plan for additional landmark designations, and explore the idea of using tools outside of designation to preserve its rich architectural and cultural heritage. The strategies in the Preservation Plan dovetail with other City initiatives, so that preservation works to further – rather than restrain – economic development, neighborhood revitalization, environmental sustainability, affordable housing, and other desired goals.

Clients: Members of the New Jersey State Legislature

Overview

Phillips Preiss provided planning and economic analysis services in support of “The Meadowlands Regionalization, Efficiency and Property Tax Relief Act of 2010” (bill number A2939/S2078), a municipal consolidation bill for part of southern Bergen County. The bill proposes to dissolve the Borough of Teterboro (a municipality with 67 residents), modify the boundaries of other municipalities, and rationalize the tax-sharing agreements for the Hackensack Meadowlands District. Phillips Preiss advised two of the primary sponsors of this law, Senator Robert M. Gordon and Assemblywoman Connie Wagner.

Results

Although the bill has not yet been passed by the Legislature, it has helped bring municipal consolidation issues to the forefront. Related legislation has been passed to ease municipal consolidation efforts.

Client: Township of Montclair, NJ

Overview

Phillips Preiss was retained by the Township of Montclair to assess the potential impacts of a major downtown mixed-use project. Notably, the development was proposed to include housing for approximately 1,000 students from a nearby state university, as well as retail, office, hotel and/or residential components. The Phillips Preiss study analyzed aesthetic, community, economic and traffic impacts and outlined a variety of possible benefits and challenges, which helped lay the groundwork for a productive discussion between the applicant, the Township and the greater Montclair community.

Results

The student housing project did not move forward, due in part to concerns about potential impacts uncovered by Phillips Preiss' study. The Township of Montclair subsequently hired Phillips Preiss to prepare a redevelopment investigation for the study area, as well as a redevelopment plan.

Client: Township of Cranbury, NJ

Overview

As the Township Planner, Phillips Preiss prepared Cranbury’s Master Plan, which recommended amendments to the Zoning Code to help preserve the Township’s rural character and historic Village center while ensuring a fiscally-sustainable future for the Township by encouraging non-residential development opportunities in appropriate locations (e.g., in the vicinity of Route 130).

Results

Following the adoption of the plan, Phillips Preiss worked with the Township Committee on the preparation of zoning amendments to implement plan recommendations and strategies.

Client: Morris Township, NJ

Overview

Honeywell International, Inc. has maintained its nearly 150-acre corporate headquarters in Morris Township, New Jersey for some time. Because of changing business needs coupled with a multitude of outdated and/or obsolete buildings on-site, Honeywell approached Morris Township to establish a more modern campus that could respond to current operational and technological demands as well as provide for other development opportunities within the campus. Phillips Preiss worked on behalf of the Morris Township Planning Board in master plan and zoning amendments designed to provide for a new mixed-use, planned development district that will allow Honeywell to refurbish existing buildings, construct new office and lab space, develop up to 235 townhouse units, and provide passive as well as active recreational space on-site.

Results

The Planning Board adopted the Master Plan amendment and the governing body held public hearings on the zoning ordinance amendment.

Client: National Resources

Overview

Edgewater Harbor is a mixed-use development on the former Unilever research site, which is located across from New York City in Edgewater, New Jersey. This major redevelopment project involves the adaptive reuse of an industrial building, restoration of a pier and construction of new roads and commercial, residential and mixed-use buildings, and a new municipal building for the Borough of Edgewater. Its focal point is a new traditional “Main Street” with apartments above storefronts and pedestrian-friendly design.

Phillips Preiss has served as planning consultant to the redeveloper, National Resources, since 2004. The firm has provided a range of services including analysis of affordable housing, demographic and fiscal impact issues; expert planning testimony before the Borough’s Planning Board; and drafting of amendments to the redevelopment plan.

Results

Despite the difficult economic climate in recent years, the project has moved forward and is nearing completion.