Nanuet Rezoning Talk Draws A Crowd

About 100 people attended Thursday night’s Nanuet Civic Association meeting to learn more about the ongoing review of the hamlet’s current zoning.  The rezoning study stems from the town’s Comprehensive Plan adopted in 2009.  In response to members and residents’ questions and suggestions, the Association and town will schedule a workshop for late July.

The presentation by Town Planner Joe Simoes and Consultant Chris Titze of Cambridge Systematics summarized the process of looking at Nanuet’s zoning and current property uses. The hamlet has a mix of zoning along Route 59 and Middletown Road/Main Street to Old Middletown Road, which Simoes described as 1960s auto oriented. 

“Most of the hamlet center lends itself to redevelopment,” said Simoes.

Simoes said some of the topics raised at two community meetings held in May were flooding, parking, traffic, power outages and senior housing.  People want improved infrastructure for transportation for walking and biking and more green areas according to Titze

Simoes said the ideas from community members would be used to create a concept or vision of Nanuet that will be shared in September. Also in September, Simoes said they hope to meet with high school students to get their input.  

The goal, said Titze, is to “Make the community the most livable, enjoyable place it can be.”

At Thursday’s meeting Roberta Banks said residents are interested in multifamily housing, senior housing and redevelopment of the section around the train station, which has numerous nearby industrial type buildings.

Simoes spoke about touring the neighborhood near the Park Ridge, NJ train station and how the redevelopment and zoning allowing ground level commercial space and apartments above could serve as a model for Nanuet.

Titze said residents at the earlier meetings called for a better mix of commercial businesses, saying all he kept hearing was “pizza and nails” dominating the current storefronts.

Councilman George Hoehmann summed up the need for people to get involved in the planning.

“There’s a lot of potential. But it’s really important that we hear from everybody here.”