Chatham Marks Some River Road Lots ‘In Need Of Redevelopment'

CHATHAM, NJ — Chatham Borough Council members unanimously approved a resolution during the council's last meeting to make certain lots in the borough on River Road, “in need of redevelopment.”

All council members except Karen Koronkiewicz voted for it, with Koronkiewicz having a work-related conflict on the meeting night.

Subscribe to Patch for local news updates to your inbox. (It's free) https://patch.com/subscribe

The lots included block 135 lots 1-8; block 136 lots 1-6; block 137 lot 1-5; block 138 lot 1-7; block 139 1-7; and 140, lots 1-6, lots 7.01 and 7.02, lots 8-10 and lots 13-17.

Mayor Thaddeus Kobylarz responded to concerns that resident Val Clark had about the resolution having some lots on there, which she said at the Aug. 18 planning board meeting, were pointed out as not qualifying for redevelopment, she said, but it was agreed to “include it anyway,” she said, “to make the redevelopment more effective.”

“For the life of me, I can’t figure out why that would make it more effective to include lots and blocks that had no defects and did not warrant redevelopment,” Clark added.

At the previous council meeting, Clark pointed out, that the east side of River Road is mainly “green space or high tension wires.”

“It doesn’t seem efficient or effective, to have included that in, but I noticed all of those lots are included in your resolution,” she continued.

She said lots in that area only qualified for “poorly placed downspouts,” which in her opinion, described half or three-quarters of the town. She questioned if down the line, all other properties with downspout issues, could then qualify for redevelopment.

She had heard after approval at the meeting the resolution would next head to Trenton for evaluation, asking what the consequences and implications would be for non-qualifying lots in Trenton’s hands.

Kobylarz said “what hatched this whole thing” was in the summer of 2020 when he had learned that a developer made an offer on the First Student Bus company lot, as well as some other properties, which he said startled him.

“The last thing I wanted was and the council wanted was a “string of residential development going up and down River Road,” after approving the one development on the corner of Watchung Avenue and River Road.

He called that area a traditional “corridor of housing and various commercial firms,” along with quasi-industrial companies, dating back to the 18th century, when mills and taverns dotted the riverfront.

“We wanted to keep that area a largely business commercial, quasi-industrial zone, with an upgrade to 21st century technology,” Kobylarz added.

Kobylarz said he was concerned and consulted both the borough’s redevelopment attorney and the attorney that assisted the borough with the litigation for the redevelopment project, proposed on Main Street and Washington Avenue.

What he described as a solution, though what he called an imperfect one, was to “find a way to ensure if anyone would like to put something down there, they’re going to have to come talk to us first.”

The only way to accomplish that, he said, was to declare the area in need of redevelopment.

“It doesn’t mean we are in favor of having it acted upon, but it means that if anyone wants to build something down there, beyond their “by right” rights, they would have to come and talk to us and we would be in a position to basically slam it shut,” said Kobylarz.

On the other hand, Kobylarz said there was an intention to encourage “companies to move into the area that might want to rehabilitate existing structures down there,” suggesting the potential for restaurants or tech and pharmaceutical firms.

“This is a proactive, defensive measure, to try to preserve the character, the historic and traditional character, of that part of Chatham Borough,” he added, stating the area would be classified as “non-condemnation.”

“There is no secret plan to promote residential redevelopment down there,” Kobylarz added, stating many have “redevelopment fatigue,” with residential units in Chatham’s downtown.

He said he likes the “quasi-industrial vibe” on Commerce Street, lower Watchung Avenue and River Road, with the goal to keep it like that, with 21st century upgrades in terms of the types of industries that are there.

Councilman Frank Truilo, who tuned into the meeting by Zoom and read the resolution into the record, said it would allow for future development to be organized, rather than “haphazard” as he said it had been in the past 100 years on that section of River Road. It would also give the borough more control over development, with the planning board having decided that section of River Road complies with state criteria to make it part of a redevelopment plan.

Click here to watch the entire council meeting.

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.