Debate Over 'The Sophia' Redevelopment Continues At Westfield Meeting

WESTFIELD, NJ — The highly contested redevelopment project, entitled "The Sophia", that is proposed for the corner of Prospect Street and Ferris Place in Westfield was once again the focus of Tuesday night's town council meeting.

The public comment session of the meeting consisted of residents voicing their concerns about the proposed development, mainly emphasizing issues of the building's large scale and how it will impact traffic in the surrounding area.

Resident Matt Lipski of Prospect Street presented a petition to the council, which has been signed by at least 820 residents across all four wards of Westfield. In the petition, residents implore the mayor and council to reconsider their proposed plans and downsize the new complex.

Currently, the proposed plan is for the building to include 64 units of housing with 96 parking spaces that will be built below the structure. It also includes up to 1,000 square feet of retail or café space.

Two weeks ago, a traffic study of the area was presented to the public.

Read more: Traffic Experts Present Study On 'The Sophia' Westfield Development

Similar debates are currently happening in Summit, as many residents there have implored city council to downsize the proposed Broad Street West redevelopment project, which includes 140 units of housing. Summit residents have also created a petition with over 800 signees.

Read more: 800+ Summit Residents Sign Petition Against Broad St. West Development

Lipski explained that the Westfield petition argues for fewer housing units and parking spaces in order for the building to fit in with the surrounding neighborhood. Residents believe that the four-story building is more massive than most downtown buildings in Westfield.

In addition, the petition argues that the development will add congestion to the already busy area, populated by a "hectic" Trader Joe's parking lot, an office building with nine businesses, the YMCA, the Methodist Church and the Wesley Hall Preschool & Kindergarten, as well as residential homes.

Resident Marvin Gersten, who worked in consulting engineering with a specialization in traffic and transportation for 52 years, said he did not believe the traffic study conducted by engineering firm WSP was sufficient.

Gersten argued that the engineers failed to conduct an "approach speed study" for each of the surrounding intersections.

Gersten asked audience members to raise their hands if they are able to drive between 20 to 25 miles per hour on Prospect, Ferris, North or Clark streets during peak hours of traffic during the week. No audience members or council members raised their hands.

Resident Doug Miller then brought up a concern about more apartment complexes coming to town, as there are plans to create additional housing at the vacant Lord & Taylor site. Miller argued that the development will exacerbate traffic conditions in the area.

"This development by this council sets a new paradigm and a warning for the citizens of Westfield, namely that a four-story apartment building can be built anywhere, regardless of present zoning or neighborhood concerns," Miller said. "The council, in approving this, is basically ignoring the neighborhood."

According to an 18-page FAQ that the town recently posted to its website, the reason for choosing Prospect Street & Ferris Place for the development is part of plan to encourage more investment in downtown Westfield.

It was found that this particular area was being underutilized and that it could be redeveloped in a way to further the town's goals and objectives.

Elizabeth Wolf, who has lived in Westfield for over 26 years, said she does not think the proposed development fits the neighborhood due to its large scale.

Wolf said her concern is born out of personal experience, as she lives in the "shadows" of a new 30-unit apartment building that was finished last summer on the South Avenue Circle.

"When I sit at my dining room table at the back of my house, I used to see sky and trees ... now I see building and building and building," Wolf said.

As it is proposed, Wolf said she is concerned the new development will "dwarf the houses on Prospect and Ferris."

Lastly, former Councilman Jim Boyes spoke about several issues he has with the development. Boyes recently stepped down from the council, citing a conflict of interest.

Boyes currently lives within close proximity to where "The Sophia" project and the Lord & Taylor redevelopment will take place.

Read more: Westfield Councilman Steps Down, Cites Conflict Of Interest

Boyes argued that the proposed development is not consistent with town's Master Plan, which calls for a maximum of four-story buildings in the Central Business District. Boyes said Prospect & Ferris is not located in the Central Business District, so it should not be allowed to have four stories.

He also said the Master Plan only calls for 37 dwelling units per acre of land, whereas the town is proposing 67 units per acre.

Boyes further voiced concerns about pedestrian safety in the area.

"The Master Plan does not take into consideration the hundreds of middle school students and Westfield YMCA members that regularly walk [through Ferris/Prospect] to the downtown ..." Boyes said.

"I implore you to scale back this McMansion of a redevelopment project."

In response to concerns about traffic, Mayor Shelley Brindle said in her opening remarks that long overdue improvements are already underway.

She noted that new striping and signage has been put into place at the lower part of Prospect Street, including the prohibition of left turns onto East Broad.

"Conversations with Trader Joe’s about parking lot circulation improvements are ongoing, and we are moving forward with our own plans to improve ingress and egress to the adjacent municipal lot," Brindle said. "These are all improvements that are necessary, and unrelated to any proposed redevelopment."

Brindle said the priority of the Master Plan was to provide more living and working options that would drive regular daily foot traffic to local businesses.

"Diversifying our housing stock was another top priority so that downsizers would have options to stay in Westfield, something that is already occurring with the apartments that have been built to date," Brindle said.

The full FAQ about the project, as well as renderings, can be viewed on the town's website here.

A recording of Tuesday's town meeting can also be viewed on Facebook.

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