BLOOMFIELD, NJ -- Bloomfield Township held a meeting last night in the Council Chambers for Watsessing area business owners to discuss efforts to revitalize the area. The meeting was coordinated by the NJ Chapter of the American Planning Association’s Community Planning Assistance Program in partnership with Together North Jersey and its Pilot Transit Hub Program. Volunteer professional planners are working with the Township to create a strategic plan for the Watsessing transit hub area and community input is a key component. The meeting focused on attendees thinking outside the box in reviewing opportunities for the area.
Coinciding with the professional planners work, a graduate student class from the Rutgers Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy also studied the Watsessing area for their fall semester project and presented their recommendations. The more formal report will be available in early 2019 and the positively received powerpoint presentation is currently available on the Township website. Some of the ideas put forth were creating a strategic plan outlining possible cosmetic, safety and infrastructure improvements that can help the business community thrive. Specific examples were expanding bike lanes, promoting community events like a farmers market and Dinner Under the Stars, and creating uniform signs and awnings to make the Watsessing area a destination. Once the final reports are completed, the Township will work to see what recommendations can become reality
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