Client: New Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA)

Downtown Raritan Vision Plan

Raritan Vision Plan

Phillips Preiss was part of a project team led by FHI Studio that was selected by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) to prepare a sustainable economic development plan for the Borough of Raritan, New Jersey as part of NJTPA’s Planning for Emerging Centers Program. Conveniently located in Somerset County’s core in central New Jersey, the Borough sought to create a plan that would allow them to maintain and expand existing downtown employment and economic activity, while retaining their historic, small-town character and capitalizing on their highly connected street network and potential waterfront connections to the Raritan River. Phillips Preiss’s primary role was to evaluate economic and market conditions within and around the Borough in order to provide insights and recommendations that would advance the goals of the plan, which presented a community-driven 10-year economic, land use and multi-modal vision for the Borough with a focus on supporting both existing and new residents and businesses. The Raritan Sustainable Economic Development Plan was honored with a 2021 Excellence in Planning Award by the Somerset County Planning Board.

Phillips Preiss worked with the Morris Township Planning Board to plan the redevelopment of the 147-acre former Honeywell International Inc. corporate campus. The work included amending the Land Use Plan Element of the Master Plan to create a new Office and Research Laboratory/Planned Unit Development (OL-40/PUD) designation. The PUD permits a mix of office, laboratory and townhouse uses subject to a series of development standards and contingent upon the submission of a general development plan.

The firm prepared a Master Plan Reexamination Report for the Township of Morris in 2017. Phillips Preiss worked closely with the Planning Board to catalogue progress that had been made on the Township’s previous plan, describe the changes experienced in the municipality over the last ten years, and to develop recommendations for future land use. The recommendations were broken down into a short-, medium-, and long-term implementation schedule.

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: 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.

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: 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: 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.