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City of Plainfield Master Plan Community & Public Participation Summary for the October 8th Plainfield Community Workshop

Prepared By:

Workshop Date: October 8, 2019

Prepared Date:

October 17, 2019

City of Plainfield Master Plan Public Participation Summary for the

October 8th Community Workshop


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Community & Public Participation Purpose This Master Plan cannot be written, nor recommendations made without input from the people who

live, work, and visit Plainfield. Without valuable public input, this document will not accurately

represent the wants and needs of Plainfield residents. The Master Plan Team, Nishuane Group

(lead), and H2M (sub), is working hard to obtain ideas, opinions, feedback, and concerns from the

public throughout the year long Master Plan process using “high touch” to “high tech” approaches,

ranging from traditional workshops to online engagement. This collaborative approach provides

community insight on the future of Plainfield.

Community Workshops The City of Plainfield and the Master Plan Team planned four community workshops throughout

the project to gather information from residents.

The first public Community Workshop was held for 4th Ward residents on Tuesday October 8, 2019

from 6pm to 8pm in the evening at the Clinton Elementary School in the Cafetorium. Approximately

20 people attended the event.

The Master Plan Team and City of Plainfield is hosting several public Community Workshops in the

months ahead to continue outreach efforts. These events include:

• 2nd Ward - Tuesday, October 22, 6-

8pm: Cook School

• 1st Ward - Thursday, November 14,

6-8pm: Emerson School

• 3rd Ward - Tuesday, December 3,

6-8pm: Washington School


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The workshop began with an introduction from Valerie Jackson from the City’s Planning

Department, followed by Gerard Haizel of the Nishuane Group, the consultant preparing the

Master Plan and head organizer of the event. Jeff Janota and Nicole Venezia, planners from

H2M, were also in attendance.

Upon sign-in, participants were given a Master Plan flyer

and a Master Plan FAQ handout for the night’s activities.

While waiting to sign-in participants were asked to indicate

where they lived in Plainfield. Participants were then

directed by team members to gather near the projector for a

short introductory presentation.

Center: Orientation to

night’s activities

Right: Master Plan

FAQ handout


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During the introduction, Gerard Haizel (Nishuane) explained the Master Plan and the purposes of

the night’s workshop, to gain an understanding of Plainfield community issues through the eyes of

residents.

Jeff Janota (H2M) then explained how the workshop would

run and Nicole Venezia (H2M) explained the project’s

website, http://www.PublicInput.com/Plainfield and

encouraged participants to take the online survey in their

free time. H2M also pointed out that the workshop

included a survey table with laptops for online survey

taking. Four surveys were collected (hardcopy and online)

during the course of the workshop.

Interactive Portion

This interactive part of the workshop required workshop

participants to join in conversation with the “topic table”

facilitators broken out into (1) Land Use and Housing, (2)

Transportation, (3) Economic Development and

Community Facilities, and (4) Open Space/Parks,

Sustainability, Recycling, and Utilities to express their

opinions, ideas, ask questions, and state their concerns.

Each Topic Table was equipped with a handout for

participants containing a 3-4 bulleted list of topics that

could be discussed and a handful of guidance questions to help kickstart the

brainstorming/interactive participation process. Each “topic table” was facilitated by a Master Plan

Team member. A summary of issues resulting from the October 8th workshop is listed on the

following pages.

http://www.publicinput.com/Plainfield


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1. Land Use and Housing

Land Use and Housing concerns include:

Land Use Concerns: Vision

• A lot of older families still here

• Feel safe/comfortable in area

• Sense of community

• Urban/Suburban city Other

• Need more businesses in 4th Ward

• Need more than corner stores

• Not enough mix of stores downtown

• Need more uniformity in downtown bldgs (i.e. awnings, curb appeal)

• 4th Ward very residential but many incompatible uses

• 4th ward needs a real supermarket

• Businesses need to be neighborhood level

• Grant St. between W. 3rd and W. 4th St. needs attention

• Businesses located on creek block it off with fencing

• Should have a creek café!

• Bridges in downtown at No. Plainfield/Plainfield border – use as an asset - they are charming! - add flower boxes to them! - rehab

Housing Concerns

• Density in 4th ward is fine as is

• A lot of bank owned houses

• Need more housing for seniors

• Need greater variety in housing

• Diversity in housing cost in 4th ward, too much affordable - need more middle income

• A lot of abandoned homes/not maintained!

• Too many abandoned housing

• Code enforcement needs to address property conditions


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2. Transportation/Circulation

Transportation/Circulation concerns include:

Vehicle Needs

• Roadway condtions poor - commercial centers

• Freight lines

• Traffic Calming around schools

• Street cleaning

• Street signage

• Bridges over River should be enhanced – gateways

Parking Needs

• Parking becoming an issue - front yard parking being permitted but takes away from neighborhood

• Need wayfinding for parking

• Senior parking

• Parking pay stations are needed at Train Station

• Parking garage at Netherwood Station and Shuttle to Campbell Field and other areas in Town

Transit Needs

• Better Bus station locations and conditions of stops

• Need local bus routes - East/West - voids in service

Bike & Pedestrian Needs

• Centralized bike drop off locations - where are Lime Bikes?

• Expanded bike lanes throughout City and capitalize on bike paths to Scotch Plains

• Sidewalk repair inventory Problem Locations 1) 7th & Franklin 2) Putnam & E. 7th 3) Grand & Park 4) W. Fourth St. from Clinton ->

Piscataway

• Greenbrook Trail

• Al McWilliams multi-use trail – there are plans to continue the trail - N. Plainfield side of trail looks more accessible than Plainfield side


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3. Economic Development & Community Facilities

Economic Development & Community Facility concerns include:

Economic Development Concerns Shopping

• Shop in South Plainfield or Watchung Mall

• Shopping - Twin City - Supremo’s - Comparo

• Mini-plazas

• Need quality stores

• New stores downtown - Furniture - Mom & Pop stores - Vegans/Vegetarian

Types of Businesses

• Too many dollar stores

• Repetitive stores - Bakeries, bodegas, liquor stores

• Need more restaurants, sit-down

• More diversity in restaurants

• Needs an Indian Restaurant

• Don’t have a chain Restaurant (TGIF, Buffalo Wild Wings)

• No nightclubs

• No wedding venues/banquet halls/event space

• No entertainment

• Two bars in 4th Ward

• Need a name brand supermarket

• *Bring back Strand Theater

• *Need a Performing Arts Center

• Need movie theaters Barriers to Business / Jobs

• High taxes

• Store rent → too high

• High turnover of stores → 6 months

• Need a place for day laborers to register and congreagte legally

• Jobs

• No large corporations but they don’t fit in Plainfield

• Outside companies are parking and not developing properties

• *underutilized properties (Commercial and Industrial)

Other

• Need a pedestrian only mall/plaza in downtown

• Gentrification problem

• *Corner of Clinton & West Front → Redevelopment

• Post Office → Redevelop Community Facility Concerns

• Need more things to do in 4TH Ward - more public spaces/center - other than open night gym at Washington School


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• Senior Center has no parking

• HOPES

• Rec./Reception Hall

• Meeting Space

• Buildings need facelift

• Library steps, parking lot → fix Youth Center

• Need a real true youth center

• South 2nd St. Center not a true Center

• S. 2nd St. too far for 4th Ward neighborhood

• 935 S. 2nd Street – better utilize Youth Center

• YMCA – across City Hall

• Recreation Center

• Need more recreation Litter

• REDUCE LITTER – in downtown, in streets and creek for aesthetic and environmental reasons - plastic bag & straw bans!

• Need more public trash cans!

• More public trash cans, like near corner stores – sometimes they are

there, but sometimes they disappear

• Cleanup Front St. Corridor

• *garbage on Front Street -garbage cans managed by PUMA

Schools

• Need a new High School

• New facilitieis with updated equipment

• New curriculum

• *Budgeting → smart budgeting

• *Collab w/School Board

• More coordination

• Pods → needs more seating, → renovate bathrooms

• Charter Schools → Quite a fear in town → Charter Schools can use existing schools that are abandoned

• *935 S. 2nd Street → School

• 921 W. 3rd → nice building

• Emerson School → New


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4. Open Space/Parks, Sustainability, Recycling, Utilities

Open Space/Park, Sustainabiltiy, Recycling and Utiltiies concerns include:

Open Space/Parks Concerns Green Brook County Park

• Put more pressure on the County to put more investment in Green Brook County Park

• Out of all the parks in Plainfield, Green Brook needs the most attention!

• *Cleanup Green Brook Park in coordination with Union County – there is standing water, trees down, overgrowth* (park designed by Olmstead and is 100 acres total in North Plainfield and Plainfield)

• Fireworks used to be at Green Brook but now at Cedar Brook

• Needs more community events at Green Brook Park

• Will be a new bridge after Joe Blackfield over Stony Brook - possibly link to East Coast Greenway in Cranford?

• Bike Shortcut to get on towpath in Bound Brook?

Playgrounds

• Utilize playgrounds more!

• Old, outdated playground equipment – the smaller

playgrounds (3 in 4th ward) are forgotten about

• More flowers at parks/playgrounds - more appealing/landscaping

Milton Campbell Field (1st Ward)

• recently resurfaced tennis courts

• floods

• locate a minigolf course in the rear - modular so you can move to high ground during flooding events - install elevated solar on top of mini golf to provide shade and energy

• at the top of the hill in the park – you could clear rotten trees and install benches

Other Parks

• Need work-out stations/fitness centers so that residents don’t have to belong to the gym to lead a healthy lifestyle (access for lower income residents)

• Cedar Brook is best park in Plainfield

• 4th ward parks – Matthewson Park – no benches, 1 trash can, outdated falling apart sign, no lights


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• Hanna Atkins park → overlooked - play area too far from building - poor lighting → unsafe

• Plainfield should put an organic community garden at Berkley Terrace (1st Ward) because homes no longer being built there – it is akready designated as open space - was approved for a community garden, even had grants from county, but had to take $ back because not a federal non-profit (was a state non-profit) 3 years ago - hydroponics - raised gardens

Programming

• City needs more recreational programming

• Residents always host recreation events in the parks themselves and $$ for it themselves

Sustainability Concerns

• Need more *walking/bike trails for the kids since it also encourages clean environment.

• Need more solar houses in the City

• Train local residents for “green” energy jobs

• **cleaner energy – take the lead

• Buy electric vehicles (EV)

• City should embrace EV

• Should have school and municipal charging stations

Recycling Concerns

• Plainfield gives each resident a recycle and waste bin

Utilities Concerns

• Street drainage has been much improved and flooding onto neighboring properties improved too

• Street drains are always full/clogged

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