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Together 202: A Community Building Corridor ___________________________________ A Local Demonstration Project for Toget

Together 202: A Community Building Corridor ___________________________________ A Local Demonstration Project for Together North Jersey Somerset County Bridgewater Township, Somerville Borough, Raritan Borough, Branchburg Township Hunterdon County

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Together 202: A Community Building Corridor ___________________________________ A Local Demonstration Project for Toget

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  1. Together 202: A Community Building Corridor ___________________________________ A Local Demonstration Project for Together North Jersey Somerset County Bridgewater Township, Somerville Borough, Raritan Borough, Branchburg Township Hunterdon County Readington Township, Raritan Township, Flemington Borough Public Workshop #1 January 23, 2013

  2. Welcome and Introductions • What is Together North Jersey? • A planning initiative currently underway in the 13-county North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority region of New Jersey • In November 2011, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded Together North Jersey a $5 million grant to develop a Regional Plan for Sustainable Development (RPSD) • Create a comprehensive and balanced plan that invests in the region’s existing communities where housing, jobs, educational, cultural, and recreational opportunities are made more easily accessible to most residents without having to drive to them • What are Local Demonstration Projects? • The LDP is intended to provide technical assistance to local partners throughout Northern New Jersey to undertake strategic planning activities promoting sustainable and livable, transit-oriented development and advance the broader goals of the RPSD • Potential LDP projects include a variety of local planning activities to make transit corridors and communities more livable

  3. Route 202 Study Area

  4. Scope • This project proposes to: • Foster a working and collaborative network of interested citizens, residents, business owners, property owners, advocates and stakeholders living in the targeted communities participate in the process and support project actions and outcomes • Develop a deep understanding of the Route 202 Corridor, including demographic, land use, transportation and market trend analyses to understand the opportunities for growth and connectivity along the corridor • Develop a stakeholder-driven vision for the corridor that identifies opportunities and provides recommended strategies that link land use to business development, redevelopment and transportation enhancements

  5. Scope • Phase I: Research & Analysis – Where are we now? Where are we headed? • Review of Master Plans, Studies and Reports • Demographic/economic profiles • Corridor Tour • Phase II: Outreach & Ideas - Where do we want to go? • Focus Groups (Mayors, Transportation, Business) • Community Workshops • Phase III: Implementation Strategies - How do we get there? • Corridor Vision Plan Timeline: October 2012 through April 2013

  6. Project Team, Steering Committee and Schedule • Project Team: • Regional Plan Association • The Williams Group • Arup • Level G Associates • Steering Committee: • Somerset County • NORWESCAP • Somerset County Business Partnership • Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce • Raritan Valley Community College • HART TMA • Ridewise TMA • Flemington Borough • Trans-Bridge Bus • Hunterdon County • Bridgewater Township • Somerville Borough • Raritan Borough • Branchburg Township • Readington Township • Raritan Township • NJTPA

  7. Meeting Purpose

  8. Where are we now? Where are we headed? • Kickoff Meeting, Oct 2012: • Municipalities, counties, and several organizations • “Dotmocracy” exercise to identify priorities • Mapping exercise to pinpoint transit and land use issues along the corridor • Discussion underscored how the region is losing its competitive edge due to the combination of expense of business, dispersed growth patterns, lack of targeted amenities, and transportation options not linked to land uses

  9. Where are we now? Where are we headed? ROUTE 202 Getting Places Expanding Economic Opportunities Make recommendations for existing businesses to capitalize on transit/corridor improvements Connect workers, residents and employees to key employment and commercial destinations through enhanced transit

  10. Where are we now? Where are we headed? ROUTE 202 Growing in Place Working Together Work closely with state agencies to implement recommendations Identify target opportunity sites for redevelopment, reinvention or repositioning

  11. Where are we now? Where are we headed? ROUTE 202 Keeping Healthy, Safe & Vibrant Find ways to improve connectivity along the corridor

  12. Where are we now? Where are we headed? • Corridor Tour, Nov 2012: • The project team completed a corridor tour along Route 202 in the seven municipalities, speaking with local planners and municipal representatives • The team identified issues that pertain to the corridor as well as opportunity areas that can potentially link land use, transportation, and connectivity

  13. Where do we want to go?

  14. Where do we want to go? • Transportation Round Table, December 2012: • Opportunities to better connect land use and transportation • Additional Stops/Park & rides with redevelopment • Better connect downtowns and other amenities along the route • Better connect to existing neighborhoods • Bike/pedestrian connections • Transit and businesses on the corridor

  15. Next Steps • Business Roundtable, February • Mayor’s Meeting, March • Public Workshop #2, TBD

  16. Exercise I: Mobility in the Corridor

  17. Exercise II: Land Uses in the Corridor

  18. Center

  19. Edge

  20. Crossroads

  21. Rural neighborhood

  22. Parkway

  23. “Flemington-Somerville 202 Gateway” (Opportunities Concept Slide) • Crossroads • Pharmaceutical • Green Tech • Sustainability • Green Energy • Green and organic consumer products • Bio Tech • IT • Health Care • R&D • Manufacturing • Edges • Downtown Venues • Gateway Tourism • Historic , Adventure, Eco, Cultural ,Epicurean, Agri, Bicycle, Beer /Wine, Transit, Health & Rural Tourism • Gateway to Hiking Sports Venues • Historic Building Renovation • Rural • Highway Scape • Seasonal Variation • Tourism & Recreational • Bike Trails • Art in the Fields • Centers • Transit Corridor Community • Town Center • Hotel Conf. Ctr. • Mixed-Use Residential • Retail Shops/Restaurants & Market • Fitness Center to Attract Young Professionals • Parking & Sports Ctr. • Downtown Culture & History RT 202 • Mobility • New Transit Facility • Rail Trails • Separate Auto from Pedestrian • Shuttle Connecting Town Centers • Parkway • Green space Plan • Mixed-Uses connected by walking & bike trail loop • New entrance to Flemington & Somerville • Access to transit options

  24. Issues and OpportunitiesCrossroads Tomorrow • Top growth industries in the USA are as follows: • Financial Services • Energy • IT Services • Health Services • Top Growth States are: • Florida • Georgia • Texas and Tennessee for these sectors • Top Growth in New Jersey • Environmental Services • Energy including Green • IT Services • Health Services • Route 202 has • Health /Pharmaceutical presence • And Environmental Source: The Newton Bee--Trinity Solar

  25. Issues and OpportunitiesCrossroads Roche Molecular, Branchburg TODAY Route 202 Business Clusters--Strength in Health/Pharm primarily: • Pharmaceutical examples, • Janssen Pharmaceuticals • Imclone Systems • Lifecell Corporation • Roche • Ortho Mc Neil Pharm • Veridex –a Johnson and Johnson Co • WF Fischer –lab animal diets • Tech • Verizon • Delta Soft (combo health and tech) • Signal Control Products (traffic control) • Health • Environmental Services • Energy including Green • Other Inc. Manufacturing • US Bronze Powders • GM Stainless Inc. • Falcon Safety Products • Chubb • Specified Technologies—fire stopping

  26. Issues and OpportunitiesCenters Today • New graduates (age 21-24 yrs.) and aging baby boomers over 65 are the fastest population growth categories in the route 202 corridor • At same time, the family age group of 35 to 44 is declining • The household incomes are very strong for the corridor and anchoring cities-- supporting good quality housing and services • Overall the average age of the population is 5 years older than the USA suggesting decline in support for suburban housing • The overall 55 age group is affluent and can support downtown retail and services—should they be encouraged to stay in the corridor??? • Young professionals prefer more urban housing, services and amenities and culture Source: TMS Report and Clarita's Demographic Snapshot Dec 2012

  27. Issues OpportunitiesCenters Today • Over retailed--Average per capita retail inventory is more than 50% higher than USA averages, at 32sf/person vs. 23sf/person in the USA • There is no overall Opportunity Gap in retail ---$133Million in oversupply (supply vs. demand) • Clothing is most oversupplied • However, based on spending, 110,000 sf of specialized retail can be supported in the downtowns • General merchandize and office is most undersupplied as well as specialty local including crafts, gifts, sundries, bakeries Source: Clarita's Dec 2012

  28. Issues and OpportunitiesCenters Tomorrow • Young professionals are increasingly residing in downtown neighborhoods. • …people between …25 and 34 represented nearly 25 % of the downtown population…, up from 13 % in 1970. .. • 44% of downtown residents in the sample had a bachelor’s degree or higher . • Younger workers are one potential source of labor for filling anticipated worker shortages created by retiring Baby Boomers. The nation’s 77 million Baby Boomers started turning 60 in 2006. … a number of new workers will be needed to fill replacement jobs left by retirees, while also filling the need for newly created jobs.

  29. Issues and OpportunitiesCenters Today • People drive 88% farther to shop since 1969 • People spend 443 hrs. per years in their car now • Sprawl Tomorrow • Create a village • Support Transit • Increase tax base • Enhance property values • Support for retail and services • Reduces infrastructure cost • Sales of additional good sand services • Save Greenfields • Local stores create an average of $326/1000 sf of space in surplus dollars • Small business of less than 20 persons are 85% of new businesses • Local business owner return $0.60/dollar to local retail sales • Old buildings can become new housing—preservation visitors spend more than $62 a day than other visitors

  30. Issues and OpportunitiesEdges Today • Office space vacancies at 25% • Some new product coming on line including 200,000 sf in Bridgewater will add to inventory • Rents are stable at $23/sf • Route 202 and Old York Road intersection opportunity area Tomorrow • Multifamily Rents are rising in the region at 4.6% which is well above national trends • Vacancies continue to drop and at 2% and falling indicating that demand is stronger than supply • Demand for rental housing can be targeted to growing demographics of urban empty nesters Source: REIS Dec 2012

  31. Issues and OpportunitiesRural Today • 83% of workers use single occupancy vehicle to get to work • Between 2 and 4% only use transit • Work travel trips account for primary vehicular usage • The population of the route 202 corridor owns on average 3 cars Tomorrow • Park and rides and shuttle stops at corporate park • Shopping centers as intermodal connections • Bike paths

  32. Issues and OpportunitiesParkway Today • Quality of Like—Tourism and Culture • Delaware Raritan Canal parks • Historic Downtown Flemington—65% of Flemington Borough is on National Register • Quaint River Town images can be marketed • Pine Barons • Golf • NorthLandz—model railroad --largest • Fertile local farmland—sustainable local produce is attractive to many green visioned businesses Tomorrow • Extend the trail system talon the parkway through corporate parks • Local/sustainable farmers market • Park-&-ride opportunities • ??? Extend Trail along 202 Main Street Manor B&B, Flemington

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