Update On Broad Street West To Be Announced At Summit Council Meeting

SUMMIT, NJ — The controversial Broad Street West redevelopment is back on the agenda for Tuesday night's Common Council meeting, and Council President Greg Vartan is slated to provide an update on the project's process.

As the Broad Street West project has been on pause for several months as the city waits for an updated plan from developers, many residents have been eager to hear what next steps will entail.

In his council meeting report, Vartan is slated to present a timeline for possible actions from February through June.

There are also two resolutions related to Broad Street West on the agenda.

The first would remove sub-districts two and four from the redevelopment area. As a result of feedback from the community regarding the proposed plans for Subdistrict II — the lot between the Library and YMCA — and Subdistrict IV — the area which encompasses other commercial uses and City Hall, the City is seeking to remove these subdistricts from the redevelopment project.

Mayor Nora Radest previously spoke about plans to remove these subdistricts, as many residents complained about the large scale and size of the project.

Council member Marjorie Fox also previously said that there are plans to downsize Subdistrict III, as well. She said a new project plan should propose a smaller building or possibly two buildings that follow density parameters.

Fox said the building height should also be limited to four stories and the overall length of the Broad Street frontage should be reduced.

Read more: Broad St. West Update: Summit Council Plans To Downsize Subdistrict 3

The second resolution related to Broad Street West on the agenda will renew the contract with city's planner, Topology. This resolution proposes that the contract should be awarded for a not-to-exceed fee of $65,000.

"This phase will ensure continued progress on the development of the plan and continued
communication and coordination with the developer for the next six months," the agenda item states. "The scope will be a continuation of all ongoing work including report/plan preparation, meeting attendance, and project coordination with the developer."

Additionally, Vartan will share information on the Maple Street seasonal closure process.

Vartan previously said the Capital Projects and Community Service Committee has been tasked with investigating what would be required by the Department of Transportation to close Maple Street. The Committee is also communicating with Maple Street business owners and relevant boards and commissions to gauge how people feel about a street closure for outdoor dining.

Summit closed off Maple Street to traffic to allow for outdoor dining in the warmer months during the pandemic. Many residents have said they enjoyed the option to eat outdoors, and business have said they benefited from the closure.

However, many residents also expressed concerns about a permanent closure, as they believe it could worsen traffic in the downtown.

Read more: Residents Object To Permanent Maple Street Closure At Summit Meeting

Many council members have expressed that they support a seasonal closure, not a permanent one.

Lastly, the city will introduce a capital bond ordinance that authorizes borrowing for Summit's portion of the next several phases of the Joint Meeting's flood mitigation project. This involves building a critical sewer/waste infrastructure that FEMA will 90 percent reimburse

The hearing is scheduled for the Feb. 21 council meeting.

Check out the full agenda here. The council meeting will also be live streamed on YouTube Tuesday night.