Message from Councilman Matt Adams | August 12, 2021
In one form or another, Scotch Plains has been talking about re-zoning, beautifying, revitalizing, and redeveloping its downtown business district for close to 40 years.
In that space of time, there have been many ideas for how our downtown should appear and feel.
There has been constant engagement with residents, and the unifying theme as the years marched on was that something had to be done. Yet, while the groundwork has been laid for a downtown renaissance in Scotch Plains, based on the hard work of many people, we’ve been waiting too long for tangible results.
In 40 years, we have learned a lot. The talk of zoning from the late 1970s and 1980s gave rise to beautification projects of the early- to mid-1990s. By the end of last century, volunteer citizen boards were formed to study what could be done to redevelop our downtown.
The first decade of the new millennium consumed on-again, off-again discussions about the value of a Special Improvement District. Over the last 10 years, much of that discussion shifted to affordable housing - a necessary, court-mandated hurdle that had to be addressed before launching a redevelopment plan.
This recent history is now in the rear-view mirror.
Now is the time to make meaningful progress with the implementation of our downtown redevelopment plan. Our town and our community deserve it and have certainly waited for it.
After the unveiling of the downtown redevelopment plan this week, all the documents will continue to be reviewed by the Committee and the Township Council in preparation for the September Council meeting.
In only a matter of time, it is hoped that shovels will be in the ground, and the long-awaited transformation of our downtown business district will be underway, creating a host of new amenities, from restaurants to shops to public plazas.
Considerable efforts went into the redevelopment plan from the volunteer citizen members of the Downtown Redevelopment Committee and the professionals working on behalf of the Township. All should be commended for a job well done.
Residents can take stock in knowing that no detail was overlooked. The plan, designed to address the growing needs of the community, will set Scotch Plains on a path to becoming a destination place, as well as fostering further local pride.
As the redevelopment plan moves through the various phases of public review and comment, I urge you to participate in the process. Share your ideas with us. Help us better understand how you envision a rejuvenated downtown. In the end, the final plan will be a representation of all of us – a community moving forward, together.
