Fleischman: Important Belmont Ave Redevelopment Meeting, March 29th

First Ward residents are encouraged to attend an important meeting on a large residential housing project set to be located on infamously contaminated property in Silver Lake.

 

SPECIAL PLANNING BOARD MEETING ON POSSIBLE REDEVELOPMENT OF PATHMARK PROPERTY — 81-179 BELMONT AVENUE, BELLEVILLE

THURSDAY, MARCH 29TH, 7 P.M.

TOWN HALL, 152 WASHINGTON STREET

 

Attention all Belleville residents, especially residents of the First Ward and Silver Lake!

I encourage you to attend this important meeting.

The owners of the property, known locally as the old Pathmark property, along with a developer, propose to build 2 buildings on part of the parking lot and undeveloped parts of the property. The buildings would be known as “mixed use” — a combination of commercial/retail on the ground floor, and medium-to-high density residential on the upper floor(s). The buildings would hold 232 residential units of various sizes, ranging from “micro-units” to 2-bedroom units.

The proposed development is consistent with a 2010 redevelopment study commissioned by the Town Council, advocating for a “transit-oriented development” — to be located within walking distance to the Newark Light Rail — as well as in an Affordable Housing compliance report approved by the Town Council in 2016, which noted the “redevelopment potential” of property located within a 1500-foot radius of the Silver Lake Light Rail Station.

For those new to, or unfamiliar with, Silver Lake, the old Pathmark property is located on part of the former Edison Battery and Chemical Works, which operated from roughly the late 1890s until the early 1970s.

Environmental studies performed on the property in the past 14 years note the presence of heavy metals and chemicals (mercury, cadmium, lead, iron, arsenic, among others) in the soil and groundwater on the property and high concentrations of them (higher than Dept. of Environmental Protection standards) in several areas on the property.

Needless to say, this proposed development would be an unprecedented one for Belleville and Silver Lake, and would potentially impact or change traffic patterns in the Lake, infrastructure and town services, as well as possibly bring more students into our school district.

I urge you to please attend this important meeting on March 29th and bring your questions and concerns. Thank you.

 

Frank Fleischman

 

 

 

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Lee "Griff" Dorry - Founder, watchdog, and public advocate. ♫ They've got strings, but you can see, there are no strings on me. ♫

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