Englewood Planning Board Reaffirms James Street Rezoning Plan

The Englewood Planning Board Thursday reaffirmed its support of an ordinance to rezone the east side of James Street as part of a planned expansion of the Palisades Court ShopRite.

The ordinance, which widens the western boundaries of the commercial business district that contains the ShopRite and creates a single-family residence district on the east side of James Street between Palisade Avenue and Tallman Place, was introduced by the city council on March 19.

Having received the planning board's unanimous support Thursday, the ordinance will now be passed back to the council for a second reading and public hearing on April 9.

If approved, it would pave the way for ShopRite's long-awaited 11,000-square-foot expansion into what are currently the backyards of a number of James Street homes.

The 55,000-square-foot supermarket has justified its expansion based on a need to enhance food selection for Englewood's ethnically diverse population.

“They kind of want to be able to reach out to more of the community and keep the people shopping in Englewood," city manager Timothy Dacey explained. "The shopping center is the anchor of downtown so I think it’s in everybody’s best interest that it flourishes and does well."

In addition to expanding the supermarket and its parking lot's footprint, the redevelopment agreement between the city and ShopRite requires the supermarket's owner, Irving Glass, to rebuild the boarded-up homes he owns on James Street as single-family residential dwellings that adhere to a variety of detailed conditions.

At the suggestion of planning board member Emily Mann, the board's rezoning ordinance will have language attached instructing the developer to design and construct senior-friendly homes in the residential zone.

Mann said Thursday that she'd like to see at least some of the new houses built with master bedrooms and full bathrooms on the first floor for seniors who don't want to climb stairs.

"I just am trying to provide some housing for the aging baby boomers who might be interested in living real close to town," she said, adding that she didn't envision subsidized senior housing, but rather homes that could accommodate aging seniors and were in walking distance to the city center.