NJ Biz 5/18/09 - Hartz preparing to break ground in Edison
New Jersey & Company 5/15/09 - Hartz Mountain Set to Begin Construction on Former Ford Site
Star Ledger 5/13/09 - Hartz Mountain pays Edison $1.5 million
GlobeSt.com 5/13/09 - Hartz Mountain Revs Up Project On Former Ford Site
CoStar 5/13/09 - Hartz Mountain to begin Edison Towne Square
Home News Tribune 5/13/09 - Developer of former Ford site gives Edison $1.5M check
Star Ledger 4/28/09 - Hartz Mountain will start work at former Ford plant site in Edison
Star Ledger 4/26/09 - Sam’s Club Is Heading to Edison
Star Ledger 1/27/09 - Edison mayor Choi Outlines Plans for 2009
Sentinel 1/21/09 - Proposed Budget Contains $775k In Tax Relief
Sentinel 12/23/08 - 2008 Was a Good Year for Edison
Sentinel 12/17/08 - Council Sets $500,000 Aside for Future Project
Sentinel 12/10/08 - Edison council approves Hartz redevelopment agreement
Sentinel 9/10/08 - Hartz development given preliminary approval
Home News Tribune 9/4/08 - Edison Planning Board OKs preliminary plan for former Ford site
Home News Tribune 8/26/08 - Developer details plans for former Ford site in Edison
Home News Tribune 10/19/07 - MOST FAVOR HARTZ PLAN
Star-Ledger 10/19/07 - Edison approves plan for Ford site
Home News Tribune 10/17/07 - Site of old Ford plant key to Edison's future
Home News Tribune 10/17/07 - Edison, Hartz to meet on town plan
Star-Ledger 10/14/07 - Developer to unveil idea for Ford site
Sentinal 8/8/07 - Planning Board sends Ford plan back to council
Home News Tribune 7/25/07 - Edison gets details of Rt. 1 plan
Star Ledger 7/25/07 - Developer revises plan for former Ford plant in Edison
Sentinal 2/14/07 - Council, public hear Hartz Mountain proposal
Home News Tribune 2/10/07 - Edison pol would not vote on Y plan
Home News Tribune 2/9/07 - Plans for former Ford site still up in the air
Sentinal 1/31/07 - Hartz Mountain to donate land for Community Center
Home News Tribune 1/28/07 - Town-center plan pleases Edison
Star-Ledger 1/28/07 - Nontaxpayer funding options sought for ex-Ford plant
Home News Tribune 10/19/07
MOST FAVOR HARTZ PLAN
100 attend Edison's town-center meeting
By JUN H. CHOI
The council had not voted by press time. Members of the public and Councilman Robert Diehl bemoaned the fact that the possibility of a gas station was not removed from the plan. "It has been implied that the entire financial success hinges on the gas station," Diehl said. "I don't believe the financial success hinges on the gas station. And I don't like it." Most of the council members and residents, however, spoke in favor of the plan though many took issue with some of its aspects. Hartz Mountain Industries Inc., a Secaucus-based developer, stated its case to the Township Council at the special public meeting Thursday night, hoping to receive approval of the Edison Towne Center redevelopment plan and carry their proposal to build a huge retail and commercial complex in the township to the Planning Board for site approval. Proposed was a pedestrian friendly shopping area that would include two "big box" stores, public areas and a cinema, and many smaller shops and services. There would be a commercial office building and a hotel as well, and Hartz Mountain has offered to donate 7.5 acres of land adjacent to Paterniti Park to the township. There were earlier talks about the developer building a community center on that land, but Tomaro said that was not part of this set of negotiations and that the idea will be revisited when the developer's agreement is negotiated. The redevelopment plan was approved by the Zoning Board in July and sent to the council.
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Star Ledger 10/19/07
Edison approves plan for Ford site
Questions remain over a gas station
By SULEMAN DIN
Capping three years of negotiations, the Edison Township Council last night approved a plan by Secaucus-based developer Hartz Mountain to transform the former Edison Ford plant property into a complex of stores, office space and entertainment venues.
"We have worked diligently to hammer out a compromise," Councilwoman Antonia Ricigliano said. "It's time to take the first step."
The council approved rezoning the 98-acre former industrial site on Route 1, sending the project to the planning board for its review and site-plan approval. The redevelopment calls for a retail center that includes two big-box stores book-ending the property, office space, a hotel and a four-acre mix of eateries and entertainment venues.
Despite the action, there still was debate among the council members over the plan, which allows Hartz Mountain to include a gas station on the northwestern edge of the property, near Route 1, in exchange for 7.5 acres of open space elsewhere on the site.
Even in voicing support of the development, some officials said the gas station was not needed.
"It's contrary to the rest of the plan," Councilman Robert Diehl said. "I get mixed messages on the gas station. I don't like it."
Several union representatives also voiced opposition to the gas station, claiming it was tied to a big-box wholesale retailer that will be at the site. Hartz Mountain has not publicly said which tenants it has signed up for the center.
Council President Charles To maro has said he sided with allowing the gas station to prevent the redevelopment project from undergoing more delay.
Hartz Mountain's plans were sidelined in 2006 by an investiga tion after PCB-contaminated concrete debris from the shuttered Ford plant turned up as fill at residential sites around the state. Earlier, the developer had to redo the plan after the original one was not well-received by residents, who said it lacked vision.
Public comments last night in dicated there is still disagreement about the look of the site. Many criticized the inclusion of the gas station; others said the buildings should be environmentally friendly.
The Edison Wetlands Association, a local environmental group, said contamination issues at the tract still had not been properly addressed.
Some residents voiced concerns that traffic around the location would spill into the neighboring residential areas. "Traffic is the primary problem," said township resident Irene Wall.
To address worries about northbound traffic from Route 1 going into the center, Tomaro said the developer is in discussions with the state Department of Transportation on engineering a solution.
Also unresolved is the issue of a promised community center at the property.
Plans were displayed for construction of a 60,000-square-foot community center featuring an in door, six-lane pool, locker rooms, basketball court and spaces for community meetings. Hartz Mountain provided plans for the facility, but no funding source has been identified for construction.
Mayor Jun Choi proposed financing the community center with expected tax revenue from the redeveloped property, which officials said should reach $5 million a year.
Some residents, though, questioned if the site was right for a community center, and suggested tax revenue instead go toward the municipal budget.
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Home News Tribune 10/17/07
Site of old Ford plant key to Edison's future
By JUN H. CHOI
The site of the former Ford plant in Edison represents a unique opportunity for the township to encourage well-planned, thoughtful redevelopment that will have a lasting impact for our community and lead to the success and revitalization of the Route 1 retail corridor. I believe that this redevelopment project, one of the most significant in Edison history, could be a proud accomplishment for the township provided that it meets the needs of our residents first. OAS_AD('Right3');
At 7 p.m. Thursday, the Edison Township Council will conduct the last public hearing before the Ford Redevelopment Plan is adopted. I want to express my deep concern and dismay over some elements of the proposed plan for the 102-acre site. I have been actively engaged in the progress of the redevelopment of the site and have heard the public outcry over certain aspects of this project. The Ford Redevelopment Plan has some terrific concepts, including the first ever lifestyle center in New Jersey. However, I am troubled to see a pattern of council decisions that favor the developer over the interest of the residents. The recommendations recently provided to the council from a professional planner representing the township's interest and the Planning Board were mostly rejected. A new gas station that the council supports is inconsistent with the pedestrian-friendly nature of the lifestyle center. Traffic has been a major concern for the local residents, and the gas station would only increase the traffic flow into the residential neighborhoods next to the site as opposed to directing it to Route 1. In addition, I have noticed that the council is ignoring the Planning Board's advice to retain a right of way to provide future access to the site from the Clayton Block property. Good planning requires thinking into the future beyond just what is required today. The right of way would not impact the development of the Ford site but would be available in the future to connect the site to any future redevelopment on Clayton Block or, perhaps, even provide access to a potential light rail line. Redevelopment requires vision because it is used to catalyze growth in an area over many years, not just in the immediate future. Instead of offering a vision, the council is limiting the township's ability to improve our quality of life. This is not the first time this council has made poor decisions in planning. All of Edison is affected by the years of sprawling, unregulated development that has never been reined in by this council. Just this year, the council had an opportunity to protect 27 acres of land for use as open space as a result of the Kara Homes bankruptcy. Many residents and environmentalists were eager to expand Edison's open space and stood in vocal support of acquiring the land. We even received an $8.5 million grant from Middlesex County to purchase the land. Instead of taking a strong stance on protecting our limited open space, the council waffled and eventually refused to take the legal and financial steps to acquire the land. Now the land is being developed into luxury single-family homes. Edison needs a dramatically new direction with respect to redevelopment and planning. One of the most effective tools available is to establish a redevelopment agency so that well-planned redevelopment takes place in the future — one that balances development for tax ratables, open and public spaces and building a sense of community — as opposed to the unfettered sprawl of the past. The council also refuses to adopt this concept, choosing the status quo over any long-term plan. The residents of Edison need to know about the choices that came before this council and the path they decided to choose. The Ford Redevelopment Plan is an important litmus test. A new council is expected in January 2008, but even in its lame-duck status, this council can leave a positive legacy for Edison. And the residents of Edison need to make sure this occurs. Jun H. Choi is mayor of Edison.
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Home News Tribune 10/17/07
Edison, Hartz to meet on town plan
By By TOM CAIAZZA
EDISON — After three years and many public forums, the Township Council is expected to decide whether to accept the Edison Towne Center redevelopment plan, rezoning the former Ford site and ushering in one of Edison's largest redevelopment projects.
Hartz Mountain Industries Inc., a Secaucus based developer, will make their case to the council at a special public meeting Thursday night, hoping to receive approval of the Edison Towne Center redevelopment plan and carry their proposal to build a huge retail and commercial complex in the township to the Planning Board for site approval. Council President Charles Tomaro said that during the course of the three-year tenure of this project, there have been four or five opportunities for the public to weigh in on what the finished project would look like. "I think this site has had the most scrutiny of any other site in Edison history," Tomaro said. "Which is good. It is a very large site, and you want it done correctly." Being proposed is a pedestrian friendly shopping area that would include two "big box" stores, public areas and a cinema, and many smaller shops and services. There would be a commercial office building and a hotel as well, and Hartz Mountain has offered to donate 7.5 acres of land adjacent to Paterniti Park to the township. There were earlier talks about the developer building a community center on that land, but Tomaro said that was not part of this set of negotiations and that the idea will be revisited when the developer's agreement is negotiated. The redevelopment plan was approved by the Zoning Board in July and sent to the council for introduction. Tomaro said he hopes the Edison Towne Center, which encourages walking rather than driving to its restaurants and stores, will offer something the municipality has never had. "It will be making it something Edison lacks, a downtown, a main street," Tomaro said. Irwin Horowitz, executive vice-president and general counsel for Hartz Mountain hopes the project will be something that is for Edison residents' use and will fulfill a regional need. "This is something that is sorely lacking in the area," Horowitz said. "You have to go out of state to find something comparable." Horowitz called the talks between the council and the developer "tough negotiations" but said they were reasonable. He said that the parties involved were "all trying to do the right thing." That right thing will be the end product of years of negotiations and public discussions, and Horowitz feels it helped the company to bring a product to the township that many can be happy with. "We've vetted the entire plan, and we think we've come out with a really magnificent project," Horowitz said. "Right from the beginning we tried to have the public participate. It gave us a sense of what the public would like and wouldn't like." Tomaro said that, no matter what, the Towne Center will provide a better quality of life than the Ford plant. "Look at what was there before," Tomaro said. "You had trucks parking on residential streets." Tomaro said the transformers and garbage dumps that previously existed near residential homes around Paterniti Park are gone for good. He said that the redevelopment plan will not allow trucks to enter through the back of the property near the residential areas. Tomaro said that holding a special meeting was in line with the township's and the developer's desire to keep the public in the loop as much as they can. "It's absolutely that important," Tomaro said of having a special meeting with the public's involvement. Tomaro would not say whether he was certain the redevelopment plan would be approved but said he was hoping it would be. "Let's just keep our fingers crossed," Tomaro said. Horowitz had higher expectations. "We feel it will be a home run for everyone," he said..
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Star Ledger 10/14/07
Developer to unveil idea for Ford site
Edison body expected to approve retail plan
By SULEMAN DIN
The Edison Ford plant's reinvention as a sprawling retail center is expected to take a big step forward this week during a special meeting this week where the developer is slated to unveil the latest plans to turn the 98-acre site into a complex of stores, office space and entertainment venues. During the Edison council meeting set for Thursday, Secaucus-based developer Hartz Mountain is seeking approval to rezone the former industrial plant and send the project to the planning board for final approval. "It's huge, it's very significant," said Council President Charles Tomaro. "It's the biggest redevelopment that Edison has ever done." The public will have opportunities to have its say about the project as it continues toward final approval, Tomaro said, but this is the last step for the council. Hartz Mountain officials said the township had been "very spirited" in its negotiations. The approval has been a long time coming. Since Hartz Mountain purchased the property in 2004, plans to redevelop the property have been beset by delays. "We're happy to get to this point," said Hartz Mountain's general counsel, Irwin Horowitz. The developer revamped plans when residents blasted an original concept proposed in January 2006. Many complained it was not on the scale or vision of what they had hoped would replace the former automotive plant. Later that year, Hartz Mountain's plans were sidelined by an investigation after PCB-contaminated concrete debris from the shuttered plant turned up at a number of residential sites around the state. Tomaro said much of the most recent plan for the site -- a retail center including two big-box stores bookending the property, office space, and a four-acre concentration of eateries and entertainment venues in the center--is intact. The council agreed to let Hartz Mountain include a gas station on the property near Route 1 in exchange for 7.5 acres of open space elsewhere on the site. Horowitz said the gas station would not be accessible from the highway and will be used by those at the retail center. The council also scratched a plan to provide access to the site from the adjoining Clayton Block property. Tomaro, who is employed by Clayton Block, said it was all part of the negotiations with the developer to ensure that concerns from residents living near the site were addressed. "Transformers at the back (near homes) are gone, and the garbage dumps are gone too," Tomaro said. The issue of construction of a 60,000-square-foot community center featuring an indoor, six-lane pool, locker rooms, basketball court and spaces for community meetings has not been resolved. Hartz Mountain provided plans for the facility, but no funding source has been identified for construction. Joe Bowman, redevelopment lawyer for Edison, said the township is concerned that work on the community center begin immediately, and a financial solution be reached in the developer's agreement. From discussions with Hartz Mountain, Tomaro said the developer intends to begin work on the big-box stores. Horowitz said the developer would like to start work in the spring, though there are a number of permits it must get from the state before it begins. In the meantime, Hartz Mountain has begun fielding potential retail tenants, he said. "We're hearing from a lot of people," Horowitz said. "There's a lot of interest in the site."
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Sentinal 8/8/07
Planning Board sends Ford plan back to council
Unanimously passed with key suggestions for council consideration
By TOM CAIAZZA
The Edison Township Planning Board put its seal of approval on the Ford Plant Redevelopment plan July 31, sending it back to the Township Council for final adoption.
The plan lays out parameters for what a prospective developer can and cannot build on the site and in what size or ratio those permitted uses can be implemented.
Some of those parameters include limiting the site to two big-box stores of no more than 180,000 square feet; allowing for the building of a hotel and office structure; and setting guides for the building height of each structure on the site, depending on the desired use.
A hotel and office building would have a maximum height of 95 feet while a movie theater could reach as high as 75 feet. The average one- and two-story structures have a maximum height of 38 feet and 45 feet, respectively.
The Planning Board suggested several key changes to the plan, many based on recommendations given to the board by Henry Bignell, a planning consultant hired by the township to study the draft plan.
The plan proposed by Clarke Caton Hintz, an architecture and planning firm, includes fundamental use of "new urbanism," or a focus on pedestrian-friendly elements based around streets and parks, allowing patrons to park their cars once and travel throughout the space on foot.
One of the key elements of the plan that the board suggested for reconsideration was the use of "shared parking" to limit the number of parking spaces required for the uses permitted in a future application.
The shared parking formula would allow different entities to use the same parking spaces at different times of the day so that the shopping center does not become overburdened with parking spaces, limiting the appeal of the town center elements.
According to John Clarke of Clarke Caton Hintz, the best example of shared parking would be between an office building and a movie theater. The office would use the parking during weekdays when its need is greater than a movie theater. On evenings and weekends, the theater would use the parking because the office would likely have a decreased need during those times.
Some members of the Planning Board felt that the standard model for parking, which many have conceded is stricter than in other areas, was a better approach.
"I think our standard model should be held," said John Soltesz, chairman of the Planning Board. "We have held everyone else in town to our standard."
Soltesz also said the township has been burned in the past when it came to offering variances for parking.
"And when we have issued variances," Soltesz said, "it has come back to bite the township."
Board member Dennis Pipala added that the wording in the draft plan offering a backup in case the developer could not meet the requirements for shared parking was "like going backwards."
The plan would have allowed the township's standard model to be put in place if those requirements were not met, and since the township would require more parking spaces than the shared model, it did not make sense to implement it when there are too few spots.
Some of the other suggestions made by the board included the elimination of a gas station as a conditional use and the type and size of signage for the property.
Other considerations such as possible
traffic patterns for the site were not included in the plan; it was simply a mapping of what could be put on the site.
Jane Tousman, an Edison resident, expressed concern over the amount of impervious coverage the plan would allow. In the site's current light industrial zoning, a maximum of 50 percent lot coverage was allowed. In the proposed plan, that number could reach 90 percent.
"I feel this is overkill," Tousman said.
She recommended that to limit the amount of impervious coverage eaten up by parking, the developer should build up instead of building out, implementing a larger parking structure.
The township has been working with Hartz Mountain Inc., the owners of the 98-acre property, for months, and the redevelopment plan reflects what Hartz Mountain has said they will propose for the site.
Jong Sook Nee, an attorney with McManimon and Scotland representing Clarke Caton Hintz, said that this was simply the first step in a long process from conception to groundbreaking, and assured the public that there would be adequate opportunity for them to voice their opinion on the project.
Future steps would include the township entering into a redevelopment agreement with Hartz Mountain, and preliminary and final site plan approval by the Planning Board before the first shovel can be put into the ground.
As for the redevelopment plan, Jong Sook Nee said that though the board gets its say, the Township Council has the final word.
"They are the final arbiter," she said."
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Home News Tribune 7/25/07
Edison gets details of Rt. 1 plan
By ERICA HARBATKIN
EDISON — An optional Route 1 flyover and a required 7 1/2 acres of open space were included in the Ford Assembly Plant Redevelopment Plan presented to the Planning Board on Tuesday night.
The flyover is an option in the draft plan that the township advocated for but will ultimately be decided by the state Department of Transportation, said township spokesman Jerry Barca.
The plan, which will need to be approved by the Township Council, addresses land-use regulations and doesn't deal with specific development plans. It's the first official step in a process that will include approval from the council, a developer's agreement and a final site plan proposal that needs to be approved by the Planning Board.
The plan, which was introduced at the special meeting of the Planning Board on Tuesday, was similar to plans previously presented to the public, with the only major additions being the flyover and the required open space. The open space must be adjacent to Paterniti Park.
Residential use is prohibited in the plan. The plan also stipulates that the 97.82-acre site cannot have more than two "large-format retail" stores, which are defined as anything more than 100,000 square feet. Any such facility cannot be larger than 185,000 square feet, the plan says.
Also included in the suggestions for use are a large movie theater; restaurants; a multistory, medium-sized hotel; a YMCA or similar community recreation facility near Paterniti Park; a medium-sized office building; three bus stops; and at least two public plazas.
"In the plan there is a concept to create a town center — a central location around which will be distributed retail, entertainment and office uses," said John Clarke, a partner in Clarke Caton Hintz, the Trenton-based architectural and planning firm that wrote up the plan.
The 49-page Ford Assembly Plant Redevelopment Plan calls for the site to "incorporate a traditional town center design within the central core . . . that orients retail sales and services, restaurant, and entertainment uses and a series of internal streets and public plazas . . ."
Addressing the township's lack of a walkable downtown, the plan calls for a continuous line of retail frontage with sidewalks measuring at least 12 feet in width. It also calls for on-street parking and a parking structure consistent with the architecture of the rest of the site.
"The retail sales component of the plan is intended to redress this lack of a "town center' style shopping environment," the plan reads.
The primary public plaza cited in the plan needs to be located at the core of the town center area and at least 20,000 square feet. It would include seating space, shade, lighting, water features such as fountains and a bus stop with a shelter and seating. A second public plaza would be at least 13,000 square feet and include seating space and lighting.
The Ford Assembly Plant, located on the southbound side of Route 1 at Old Post Road, closed its doors in February 2004. The plant was demolished in 2005, and the site was designated as a redevelopment area on Oct. 12, 2006. Secaucus-based Hartz Mountain Industries bought the land and has since been working with the township to develop a plan to turn the area into a mixed-use town center.
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Star Ledger 7/25/07
Developer revises plan for former Ford plant in Edison
By SULEMAN DIN
The latest development plans for the former Ford auto plant site in Edison grants more open space to the township and includes a possible flyover entrance into the proposed retail center from Route 1 North.
Secaucus-based Hartz Mountain is redeveloping the 98-acre industrial site into a retail center anchored by two big-box stores, with a four-acre concentration of eateries and entertainment venues in the middle. The layout is designed to resemble an old-fashioned downtown.
Originally, Hartz Mountain planned to donate 2.8 acres of the land to Edison for open space, but the latest plans call for increasing the open space to 7.5 acres. The draft proposal was presented to the planning board last night.
The land donation includes four acres Hartz Mountain plans to provide to Edison for a 60,000-square-foot community center that would feature an indoor six-lane pool, locker rooms, basketball court, full-service YMCA facility and spaces for community meetings.
The remaining open space would join with the adjacent Pater niti Park in the Vineyard Village neighborhood, which surrounds the site. The developer intends the property to become a buffer for residents.
"We're definitely donating 7.5 acres of land," Hartz Mountain spokesman Ron Simoncini said yesterday.
Edison spokesman Jerry Barca said Hartz Mountain is also ex pected to pay for construction of the community center in exchange for tax credits.
Simoncini said the overpass entrance to the retail center from Route 1 must receive approval from the state Department of Transportation. He declined to provide details about the configuration of the entrance before it is submitted for DOT review.
Since Hartz Mountain proposed the retail center, residents have expressed concerns about additional traffic on Route 1. The development's roads are designed to prevent Route 1 traffic from cutting through to Vineyard Village's streets, and a lane is being added to Route 1 southbound near the entrance.
A flyover from the northbound lanes of Route 1 was suggested in meetings between township officials and the developer, said council President Charles Tomaro. The ramp would be near the Ray Catena auto dealership, he said.
"I think it'll work fine, as long as they and the state pay for it," To maro said.
Hartz Mountain has already removed plans for housing on the site. In addition to the retail stores, a hotel and office space are planned.
The project has faced numerous delays. Residents lambasted the developer's original concept in 2006, sending it back to the drawing board. The same year, development was sidelined after PCB-contaminated concrete debris was discovered.
"We're moving forward and hope to have it all in place before we leave office," Tomaro said of the current council, which concludes its term in January. "It's time for them to put the first shovel in the ground."
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Sentinal 2/14/07
Council, public hear Hartz Mountain proposal
Council argues need for closed-session meetings; residents vet redev. plan
By TOM CAIAZZA
After several months of relative quiet, representatives of Hartz Mountain Industries presented their vision for the former Ford site to the Edison Township council and the public at a special meeting on Feb. 8.
Walter Smith, of Hartz Mountain, emceed a multi-media presentation of the "lifestyle center" that Hartz is proposing to build. The center would be a contiguous, pedestrian-friendly retail and office complex that Smith said would allow people to park their cars and stay for the day.
"This would be the first one in the state of New Jersey," Smith said of the lifestyle center project. "Its center would be designed specifically with a mix of entertain, restaurant and retail uses designed to get people out of their cars and on their feet, pedestrian-friendly."
Prior to the meeting, the council and the mayor met in closed session with members of Hartz Mountain to discuss contract negotiations. This is at least the second time these two entities have met in closed session for this purpose, which has raised concern from residents about the transparency of the Hartz Mountain negotiations.
Joseph Baumann, redevelopment counsel for the township, tried to put some of those concerns to bed when the meeting opened.
"The council and the administration are very concerned and we feel that it is very important that we continue to make this process as open as possible," Baumann said. "And at the same time, what we're trying to struggle with is that we are in the midst of a negotiation of one of the most important redevelopment projects that ever has happened in Edison."
Baumann said that the council, as representatives for the redevelopment entity, Edison Township, is responsible for negotiating with the developers on Edison Township's behalf. Negotiations would not work well if all parties were entirely in the open.
"It's just the way negotiations work best; it's just the way we operate in order to do things in the best interest of the township and the citizens," Baumann said.
Some of the topics being negotiated, according to Baumann, would be the amount of land that Hartz Mountain would donate to the township to build a community center to work in tandem with the proposed Edison Towne Square.
That does not mean that the public will be left out while the plans are hashed out behind closed doors.
"The council wants to try and keep the citizens of Edison involved in the process as much as possible," Baumann said. "There will be a lot of opportunity as we go through the process for people to give their opinion and share their thoughts and ask questions."
Baumann asked the public, during the public comment portion of the meeting, to keep questions regarding specific negotiating points that are still up in the air, at bay in order to not taint the township's negotiating capability.
"My advice to the council is that there are appropriate times to have closed session," Baumann said.
Baumann called it necessary to not negotiate in the open and asked for a bit of community trust.
"These are parts of the process that you can not be a part of," Baumann said. "We look to you to trust us."
Members of the public addressed the council and Hartz Mountain representatives offering suggestions and concerns about the proposed project and the state of the land that had previously been found to contain toxins left from the Ford Motor Company's automotive plant.
The site had previously tested positive for concrete tainted with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and a cleanup program was put into place by Ford Motor Company to remediate the site.
According to Smith, the process is nearly complete and Baumann said the township expects a letter of "no further action" from the DEP to be issued as soon as March. A "no further action" letter would be the state's way of saying the site is cleaned to a point where development can safely begin.
Wells to test the ground water are already in place and will begin testing in the next few weeks.
Richard Nemeth, a resident, proposed replacing the proposed movie theater, which would serve as the anchor for the development, with a cultural arts theater stating that with current technology, theaters are becoming obsolete and a cultural arts facility would attract a more mature clientele.
"Why not build a theater," Nemeth asked. "It will bring more money into the restaurants because there will be a more mature crowd and they will spend money."
Nemeth said that Hartz's proposal creates a downtown like atmosphere and cited Hartz's statement in the presentation that it wanted to mirror the town centers of the 1940s and 1950s.
"Before there was a movie theater," Nemeth said about the movie houses of yesteryear, "there was a theater."
Bob Spiegel, Executive Director of the Edison Wetlands Association, brought up the idea of large, contiguous open space swaths being preserved on the site. He recommended at least 20 percent of the site be preserved as open space.
"Real open space," Spiegel said. "Not just some strips of green."
He was also a proponent of the cultural arts center in lieu of a movie theater stating that the mall is a hangout for kids, a cultural center will draw families which is a much more desirable draw for Edison, he said.
Steven Shuey, agreed with the need for open space saying the proposal was not green enough.
"There is too much concrete in this design," Shuey said. "It looks like corporate park meets Flash Gordon."
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Home News Tribune 2/10/07
Edison pol would not vote on Y plan
By GINA VERGEL
EDISON — A presentation held Thursday night for the public on what could be in store for the Route 1 site of the former Ford assembly plant revealed one thing: There's still a lot more negotiating to be done.
And, should those negotiations involve a possible agreement between the township and YMCA of Metuchen and Edison regarding the management of a community center, Council President Charles Tomaro will not participate.
Addressing questions that had arisen last week about whether his involvement posed a conflict of interest since his wife volunteers on the YMCA's Board of Directors, Tomaro said he consulted several attorneys, including local government expert Harry Pozycki.
"They all said there is absolutely no conflict," Tomaro said before saying he'd recuse himself from any vote regarding any possible agreement between the two parties in order to avoid the "appearance" of a conflict.
On Tuesday, Bill Lovett, the CEO of the YMCA of Metuchen and Edison, said Tomaro's wife, Maria, had also recused herself from any discussions involving a possible agreement with the township.
"She will also not take part in any voting," Lovett said.
As for a presentation on a proposed "lifestyle" and shopping center by Secaucus-based developer Hartz Mountain, several residents left before it ever began because of a 7:30 p.m. closed session that went into overtime.
"What's going on behind those closed doors?" asked resident Maryann Hennessee.
The council's redevelopment attorney, Joseph Bauman, apologized to the 40 or so residents who stayed for the meeting, which began nearly an hour after its 8:30 p.m. advertised start time.
Bauman said he advised the council that there were still several points of the redevelopment plan that needed to be discussed privately.
"We're in the midst of a negotiation for, probably, one of the most important redevelopment projects in Edison history," he said. "All of this is in order for us to ensure that our agreement with Hartz Mountain Industries is ultimately in the best interest of our citizens."
Bauman said he advised council members not to answer detailed questions about the project and said he would note every single comment or question raised by citizens at the meeting. He also assured the public they would be involved when the opportunity was right.
"Before it goes to the Planning Board, and while it's at the Planning Board, you will have the opportunity to pick it apart," Bauman said, "but at this time, we have an obligation to the township."
Although recent media reports revealed conceptual plans released by Hartz Mountain, Bauman said, everything is still up in the air.
"We're still in the infancy of this project," Bauman said.
Two weeks ago, the Secaucus-based developer unveiled plans for "Edison Towne Square," a sprawling 100-acre "lifestyle center" that includes a couple of big box stores, a multiscreen movie theater, restaurants, retail space, a hotel, an office building and some pedestrian friendly public space.
Hartz company officials also said they'd donate about 4 acres to the township for a 60,000 square foot community center.
Details about financing and management of that center, township officials said last week, are still under discussion.
After a short video presentation by Hartz Mountain Industries Vice President Walter Smith, a dozen or so residents offered feedback.
"My concern is that we're getting another movie theater (in Edison)," said resident Rick Nemuth. "How about a cultural arts theater?"
Mother of four Maria Orchard asked the council to consider the township's future before making any decisions.
"I think a community center would be great," she said.
Resident Irene Wall asked Hartz company officials to consider donating a mobile library to the township.
"It'll cost you $250,000," Wall said, "and I think children and senior citizens would really appreciate it."
Hartz Mountain Industries spokesman Ron Simoncini said most of the public's comments dealt with usage of the community center.
"Those decisions are up to the town," he said. "Some residents talked about a performing arts center, but we find movie theatres to be very good anchors that are successful.
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Home News Tribune 2/9/07
EDISON: Plans for former Ford site still up in the air
By GINA VERGEL
EDISON — Thursday night's public presentation on what could be in store for the Route 1 site of the former Ford assembly plant revealed one thing: there's still a lot more negotiating to be done.
And, should those negotiations involve a possible agreement between the township and YMCA of Metuchen and Edison regarding the management of a community center, Council President Charles Tomaro will not participate.
Addressing questions that had arisen last week about whether his involvement posed a conflict of interest since his wife volunteers on the YMCA's Board of Directors, Tomaro said he consulted several attorneys, including local government expert Harry Pozycki.
"They all said there is absolutely no conflict," Tomaro said before saying he'd recuse himself from any vote regarding any possible agreement between the two parties in order to avoid the "appearance" of a conflict.
Several residents who attended Thursday's meeting left well before any presentation by the developer of the Route 1 site took place due to a 7:30 p.m. closed session that went into overtime.
"What's going on behind those closed doors?" asked resident Maryann Hennessee.
The council's redevelopment attorney, Joseph Bauman, apologized to the 40 or so residents who stayed for the meeting, which began nearly an hour after its 8:30 p.m. advertised start time.
Bauman said he advised the council that there were still several points of the
redevelopment plan that needed to be discussed privately.
"We're in the midst of a negotiation for, probably, one of the most important redevelopment projects in Edison history," he said. "All of this is in order for us to ensure that our agreement with (the developer) Hartz Mountain Industries is ultimately in the best interest of our citizens."
Bauman said he advised council members not to answer detailed questions about the project and said he would note every single comment or question raised by citizens at the meeting.He also assured the public they would be involved when the opportunity was right.
"Before it goes to the planning board, and while it's at the planning board, you will have the opportunity to pick it apart," Bauman said, "but at this time, we have an obligation to the township."
Although recent media reports revealed conceptual plans released by Hartz Mountain, Bauman said, everything is still up in the air.
"We're still in the infancy of this project," Bauman said.
Two weeks ago, the Secaucus-based developer unveiled plans for "Edison Towne Square," a sprawling 100-acre "lifestyle" and shopping center that includes a couple of big box stores, a multi-screen movie theatre, restaurants, retail space, a hotel, an office building and some pedestrian friendly public space.
Hartz company officials also said they'd donate about four acres to the township for a community center.
Details about financing and management of that center, township officials said last week, are still under discussion.
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Sentinal 1/31/07
Hartz Mountain to donate land for Community Center
Choi says community center may cost nothing to taxpayers
By TOM CAIAZZA
EDISON - Hartz Mountain Industries, the redevelopment firm slated to turn the former Ford Motor Plant site into a "lifestyle center," has announced that it will donate land to the township to build a 60,000-square-foot community center alongside the redevelopment project.
According to Allen Magrini, vice president of law and general counsel for Hartz Mountain, the building of a community center would create a symbiotic relationship with the rest of the lifestyle center, fulfilling Hartz Mountain's goal of creating a town center that brings back the pedestrian culture of yesteryear, while providing resources to the public.
"It brings a lot of interest and activity to the site," Magrini said of the community center. "What a great place to be, you can walk down the path to the town center."
Ron Simoncini, a spokesman for Hartz Mountain, said that there would be no better place for a community center than where people are expected to congregate.
"To me the test of it is, where would you be more likely to put a community center in Edison than in our lifestyle center," Simoncini said. "And what would you want to put around a community center more than a lifestyle center. It works for both facilities very nicely."
Mayor Jun Choi said that while the details had not yet been worked out entirely, the developer and the township have reached an agreement that would create the community center, which would include a full-service YMCA, a six-lane swimming pool, four indoor basketball courts and community meeting space.
Choi also said that the building, if handled right, could come at no cost to the taxpayers.
"We are exploring various financing options that do not increase the tax burden for taxpayers in Edison," Choi said.
Choi said that this could be possible through a combination of private contributions and dedicating a small portion of the expected tax revenue from the redevelopment area.
"Areas of redevelopment give municipalities various financing options and that is what we are looking into," Choi said.
The project, known as the Edison Towne Square, will sit on a 97-acre swath of land and will consist of a movie theater, a 150-room hotel, retail, restaurant and office space, all of which the developers hope will create a pedestrian-friendly respite from the strip malls found elsewhere in the area.
"That's how downtowns get created," Simoncini said. "It let's the character emerge in Edison. People would run into each other here where they would never run into each othere anywhere else."
Plans for the mixed-use project began in 2004 when the Ford Motor Co. sold the land to Hartz Mountain. At that time, there were early hurdles in the planning stages. The township and residents were concerned about the possibility of residential housing being put on the site alongside the retail and office.
Hartz Mountain met on several occasions with residents to discuss the project and took from those meetings several major design issues. Magrini said, it seemed the township did not want industrial or residential buildings to go on the property.
"The town made it clear they were not interested in residential, they would not look favorably on it," Magrini said.
Magrini said that those issues were listened to by the company and they have come back with a plan that they feel will fit with what the township and residents had in mind for the site.
"They were very sophisticated and picky in getting what they wanted," Simoncini said of talks with the township over the plans for the project. "A great development comes out of that."
Another obstacle came in the form of contamination on the site from the Ford Motor Plant. Concrete found on the plant tested positive for polychlorinated biphenyls, and the state Department of Environment Protection (DEP) ordered that the site be cleaned.
Magrini said that has been done to the highest level of clean that the DEP offers, the unrestricted development standard.
That standard means the property is safe enough to put residential dwellings on the property.
The next step for the Towne Square project is to have the township accept the redevelopment plan. From there, Magrini said, the plan will go before the township Planning Board for approval. He hopes the entire process will take about three months.
Hartz Mountain Industries owns more than 200 properties in the New York/New Jersey area totaling almost 38 million square feet of space. The projects they create, Magrini said, they maintain. They do not plan on building the Towne Square and selling it off, according to Magrini.
"We build and create assets that you want to own for the long haul," Magrini said. "We build them to own them."
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Home News Tribune 1/28/07
Town-center plan pleases Edison
By GINA VERGEL
EDISON — Nearly one year after township residents panned a concept design presented by a developer for the Route 1 site of the former Ford plant, a new plan has emerged.
And it doesn't include residential housing.
"We understood that they viewed housing as a four-letter word," said Emmanuel Stern, president and chief executive officer of the Secaucus-based Hartz Mountain Industries. "At first we weren't sure how serious they were, we had to be told a couple of times, but as we saw — they were serious."
In addition to the elimination of active adult housing, the developer has increased the amount of open space planned for the site and upped the amount of land they will donate to the township for the community center.
"We spent a year of listening to what this community wants," said Stern, whose company purchased the 100-acre tract after the Ford assembly plant closed in 2004.
After their concept was poorly received by residents at a Township Council meeting in February, Hartz Mountain Industries went back to the drawing board with the help of the Baltimore, Maryland-based Design Group.
The result?
"Edison Town Center," a sprawling shopping and entertainment complex featuring pedestrian-friendly streetscapes reminiscent of Disney theme parks or, as Stern put it, downtowns of the late 1940s and early 1950s.
"It seems very good," township resident Jane Tousman said Friday after a reporter described Hartz' plans for the site. "My biggest concern was housing — I'm glad that's out. But I'm also concerned for the people that live in that area. I expect the Department of Environmental Protection will have to sign off on the cleanup of the property before anything."
The site of the former Ford assembly plant made headlines last year when it was discovered to be the originator of thousands of tons of contaminated concrete that had been shipped to several construction sites throughout the state.
Crushed material from the Ford site had been found to contain low levels of PCBs, a man-made chemical that has been known to cause skin rashes, liver problems, and cancer.
After environmental groups went to the state Department of Environmental Protection with their concerns about the PCBs, the state agency has been closely monitoring the site's cleanup.
Ford spokesman Jon Holt said the last truckload of the crushed recycled concrete left the Edison site on Tuesday.
"Over the next few weeks Ford will do follow-up soil sampling in the areas the material was stockpiled," Holt said Saturday. "If any contaminated soil is found it will be excavated and sent to a DEP-approved landfill for disposal. If the asphalt pavement on site meets DEP testing standards, it will be dug up and milled for future use as a roadbed. If any of the asphalt is contaminated, it will be dug up and trucked off-site for disposal at a DEP-approved landfill."
Stern said Hartz Mountain officials have always been "satisfied" the Ford Motor Co. will clean up the site to residential standards.
"Though I can't say we haven't been frustrated about the delay," he said.
Will his company face any further delays in moving forward with their new plan for the site?
Township Council President Charles Tomaro said negotiations between Edison and Hartz Mountain officials are still ongoing.
"We're still going back and forth on a few things, but we're close," Tomaro said.
The council designated the approximately 100-acre property as an "area in need of "redevelopment" last year, which means the council must approve the application for any development on the site.
Though Tomaro said he was pleased with the concept renderings Hartz officials have shared with the council thus far, he declined to give an estimate on negotiations between company and township officials would be complete.
Councilman Anthony Massaro said talks between the two parties are "certainly closer than they have ever been."
"I'm encouraged by the folks at Hartz Mountain," Massaro said. "I liked what I'm seeing. It's certain to be one of the crown jewels of Edison."
Mayor Jun Choi said he and the council have been working diligently to make sure Edison's community comes first.
"They are revitalizing an important tract along Route 1," Choi said. "I'm pleased there is no housing; that there is a significant community center to be built at no additional cost to the taxpayers of Edison and that public transportation options are increased with three bus stops along the site."
Choi said he expects the Ford Motor Co. to restore the site to the "highest of residential standards" by March.
Plans unveiled to the media for the project depict a "lifestyle center," which will include several grassy areas of small tree-filled recreation and pedestrian-friendly open space. An area along the back of the property contains a walking and biking trail.
A retention pond will be built on the Route 1 side of the property.
Hartz Mountain Industries has committed to donate 3 to 4 acres of land to be used for an approximately 60,000-square-foot community center.
The public can get more information on the project by visiting a Web site — www.hartzedison.com — the company developed for the community to review.
The site includes a streaming video "virtual tour" of the lifestyle center.
A site plan available for inspection by a reporter, though not set in stone, includes plans for an office building and hotel. There will be at least four parking spots for every 1,000 square feet of retail space.
Though company officials declined to name any of the corporations they are in talks with, it's likely that the center will include a few big box retailers, a comedy club, and chain restaurants and well-known clothiers.
A 14- to 16-screen movie theater will anchor Edison Town Center.
"There's going to be a life, a spirit with this," Stern said. "There's an ambience we're creating, and it's something Edison doesn't have. It's going to be the first time in Edison's history there is a town square — a "there.' "
Stern said the plans are a culmination of working with the Township Council and mayor. And, of course, input from residents.
"If I hear anyone say it's not creative enough, I'm going to jump out of my skin," Stern said.
At last year's design presentation meeting for the public, township residents railed on the inclusion of housing; asked for more creativity and a community center and expressed frustration about the possibility of increase traffic to an already congested Route 1 and two-lane Vineyard Road.
Choi said township officials are doing everything they can to minimize traffic in the area of the site.
Stern said his company is donating part of the tract to build acceleration and deceleration lanes on Route 1 and on Vineyard Road so that traffic will "not be an issue."
"What we do best is make mixed-use developments that make the best use of shared infrastructure," Stern said.
Hartz Mountain Industries, developer of Harmon Meadows in Secaucus and Soho Grand luxury hotel in Manhattan, has been developing "places to be" for more than 35 years, Stern said.
"If it was easy to get 100-acres of an unzoned blank canvas, a lot more people would do it," he said. "We know what it's like to take the pulse of a community. We've listened. We have a financial motive here, sure. But it's a win-win situation for the town as well as our company."
To learn more about the Ford Motor Co.'s cleanup effort, visit: www.concreteupdate.com. To learn more about the Hartz Mountain Industry plan for the site, visit: www.hartzedison.com
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Star-Ledger 1/28/07
Nontaxpayer funding options sought for ex-Ford plant
BY SULEMAN DIN
A new redevelopment plan for the 98-acre Ford Motor Co. assembly plant in Edison was unveiled today on the developer's Web site and includes a proposal to donate four acres to the township for a 60,000-square-foot community center.
Mayor Jun Choi said the center, which would be near Paterniti Park, would feature an indoor, six- lane pool, locker rooms, basketball court, full-service YMCA facility and spaces for community meet ings.
Though the latest plans re leased on developer Hartz Mountain Industries' Web site -- www.hartzedison.com -- include artist renderings of the new community center, the Secaucus-based company does not plan to build the bilevel facility and no funding source has been identified.
"We are exploring financial op tions that do not add costs to the taxpayers of Edison," said Choi, declining to be more specific. "We ap preciate the donation from Hartz Mountain for a community center."
Hartz Mountain plans to turn the former plant into a sprawling retail center including two big-box retail stores bookending the site, and a four-acre concentration of eateries and entertainment venues in the center. The layout is designed to resemble an old-fashioned downtown.
"This is not a Route 1&9 strip mall, a couple of big-boxes," said Hartz Mountain Industries President Emanuel Stern. "There's going to be a real sense of place."
Original discussions had included some housing on the site, but the latest plans call for retail, office space and a hotel, as well as the new addition of the community center.
The site's roadways are now designed to prevent Route 1 traffic from cutting through the site to Vineyard Village's streets, and another lane is being added to the route to allow for traffic to enter and exit the site.
The development is still a work in progress. Edison is still negotiat ing key details of the site, from the number of parking spots to the types of stores that will be present.
"There were significant changes from the original proposal," Choi said. "The interests of the residents come first."
Stern said if local residents didn't approve of the latest changes to the redevelopment, he would be disappointed. He said he believes the development would reinvigorate Edison's portion of Route 1.
Stern gave credit to the township council for balancing the wishes of residents by suggesting ideas such as incorporating three bus stops within the development.
"This has been a collaborative effort," he said.
Hartz Mountain plans to provide a buffer between the homes in Vineyard Village and the development. The buffer area would include a bike and running path.
"It's not the Appalachian Trail," Stern said, while comparing it to the factory that previously occu pied the site. "Let's not forget what was there."
About 20 percent of the area would now be devoted to open space, he said. In addition, Stern said the stores planned in the project would provide more than 2,000 new jobs. The finished development would also generate more tax revenue for Edison, he said. Cur rently, Hartz Mountain pays $1.4 million annually in taxes for the site.
Stern, the scion of the pet sup ply and real estate empire, conceded his first development in Middlesex County has not been without frustration. His company first contended with the politics of the former administration, which favored a bid for the site from Pisca taway developer Jack Morris. Stern, whose company gave $2,400 to Choi's election campaign last year, was complimentary of the new mayor's attempts to negotiate a plan that works for the community.
Residents lambasted Hartz Mountain's original concept when it was proposed in January 2006. Many complained it was not on the scale or vision of what they had hoped would replace the former automotive plant.
And later that year, Hartz Mountain's plans were sidelined following a scandal surrounding PCB-contaminated concrete debris that was moved from the shuttered plant to a number of residential sites around the state.
"We accepted that when we first looked at the site, when we went to bid on the site, and during the terms and conditions of purchasing the site," Stern said.
Despite the difficulties, Stern said the redevelopment was not different from other projects the company has undertaken.
"Not everyone can do this right," he said. "We can."
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