Developer Revises Housing, Parking Plans For One Westfield Place

WESTFIELD, NJ — After receiving feedback from residents, community groups and local officials, HBC Streetworks announced a number of changes to the One Westfield Place proposal — a development posed for the old Lord & Taylor property that has sparked a lot of controversy in the town.

The developers have proposed a reduction to the number of apartment units and the size and scale of the office buildings, as well as further enhancements to public spaces and adjustments to parking structures.

According to Streetworks, more than 1,200 people have visited the Preview Ceneter at 76 Elm St. since its opening in October. The development team has compiled feedback from information sessions, virtual listening tours and Preview Center visits, which they say has shaped the new changes to One Westfield Place.

The Changes

In terms of housing units, the Clark & North residential apartments has been reduced from 34 apartments to 16 townhomes. As a result, there are 18 fewer units.

Streetworks is also removing one floor from two planned office buildings on South Avenue to further reduce density.

A frequent complaint among residents who oppose the project is that the development is "too big in scope and size" and will alter Westfield's "small town character."

Read more: Residents Launch Petition To 'Rethink' One Westfield Place Development

As traffic and parking is also a common concern among residents, the developer has revised its parking plan to include drop-off spaces for ride-share services, as well as a create 16 on-street parking spaces on South Avenue for retail businesses.

Adaptive traffic signals at key intersections and a new signal at Clark and North to mitigate existing conditions have been proposed by the developers, as well.

Streetworks plans to enhance the public space by adding a public dog run, a community garden and a bike path along the NJ Transit line — pending NJ Transit and Department of Transportation approval.

A pedestrian footbridge over Route 28 at the 9/11 Memorial area, pending NJ Transit and DOT approvals, has also been proposed in the changes.

“The plan for One Westfield Place was shaped by years of dialogue with residents, small business owners, and civic leaders," stated Carolina Simon, Vice President of Development, HBC | Streetworks Development.

"These changes reflect our continued commitment to listening to, and collaborating with, our neighbors. As long-term landowners in Westfield, we care deeply about the future success and economic vitality of this community."

"It is our hope that residents will feel a sense of ownership for this project and know that their invaluable input has helped mold and shape One Westfield Place to best fit the unique character and charm of this historic town and support its future," she said.

Additionally, listed below are other changes that Streetworks has made based on municipal and community feedback received prior to Sept. 2022:

Architecture & Massing

• Adjusting building facades and setbacks to respect the Town's prevailing scale
• Splitting the office building to increase visual appeal and create a view corridor
• Setting back BLVD office facades above the street level retail
• Retaining the original Lord & Taylor building through adaptive reuse
• Eliminating the proposal to redevelop municipal parking Lot 7

Public Realm

• Reconfiguring the Town Square to better accommodate vehicular and pedestrian circulation
• Adding design and programmatic elements to allow for seasonal activities within the Town Square and Town Green public open spaces
• Upgrading the pedestrian tunnel at the train station for seamless connectivity between North and South platforms
• Including covered walkways from public parking garages to train platform

Parking & Traffic

• Implementing traffic mitigation at 11 key intersections
• Reconfiguring Quimby Street to a one-way street to allow additional on-street parking
• Optimizing parking garages to equally serve both the North and South stations
• Widening the sidewalks from Foundation Park to the 9/11 Memorial area

Residents Still Not Satisfied

Despite these new changes, many residents have still expressed concerns about the project.

Mayor Shelley Brindle hosted another financial presentation on the project Wednesday night, along with members from the development team and financial experts, and many residents expressed their dissatisfaction with the changes in the comments of the Facebook Live.

One commenter, Robert Wendel, wrote, "There [doesn't] appear to be any evolution of the plan that more fully deals with the traffic and the North Avenue garage will cause."

Many residents have said they are against building parking garages at the North and South Avenue train stations, arguing that it is difficult to maneuver around them when one is in a rush to catch a train to commute to work.

"That's the main problem with this plan," Courtney Schael wrote. "It does not increase commuter parking at all. It reduces weekday parking spots for patrons in town."

Erica Maloff Murphy commented, "I’m very disappointed that they are not removing a real floor from those office buildings. The number of offices is clearly remaining the same. It’s a disingenuous 'change.'"

Patch also reached out to a representative for Westfield Advocates For Responsible Development for a comment on the changes but has yet to receive a response. This story will be updated as needed.

You can view the entire financial presentation on Westfield's Facebook page below:

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