Dwindling options
The planned changes to Ward Plaza, featured in this week's Suburbanite cover story, provide yet another object lesson about the intractability of so many of Teaneck's problems. In this case, one of the most logical sites for additional parking has been officially taken out of contention as a partial solution to the commuter parking issue. Whether or not the decision to drop the 50 planned parking spaces from the project is the best one for neighbors, area residents, public safety, etc. is not the issue here, for if this were the only option taken off the table, we could just move on to explore the next possibility. But with the Council's recent actions to restrict parking in the Teaneck Road area and the existing parking restrictions on streets alongside major transit routes which are strongly supported by homeowners, the revised Ward Plaza plan severely limits the possibilities. At this point, few existing resources have the potential to alleviate the commuter parking problem.
Some might contend that this consequence is actually an intended one. Could there a plan to bring the public around to the conclusion that the only viable option is a major development that includes a parking deck in the West Englewood Plaza? Perhaps, though is unlikely that such a project would face much community opposition to begin with. It is more likely that this is just another case of an attempt at problem solving shot down by community protest. Business as usual in Teaneck, for better or for worse.
posted by Teaneck Blog @ 11:55 AM
19 Comments:
Some things never change. No matter what neighborhood you go into there is always resistence to development of any kind. We'll just have to wait until July when the new tax bills come out...that will be the wake-up call.
With all of the trees that fell during this week's storm in the Metropolitan Region, let us count our blessings that Teaneck with its all too numerous trees did not suffer deaths or serious house destruction.
Let's wake up to the fact that the future is here and that we need to build a modern urban community. NIMBY thinking that is worshipful of killer trees, opposed to parking that would enable more bus riding and oblivious of the need for ratables will die out eventually. Why shouldn't it be thrust away sooner?
Sky King:
John Wear is director of the Catawba College Center for the Environment in North Carolina. He said urban forests are wooded areas, greenbelts,and street trees – all of which provide ecological services to city dwellers.
John Wear: We’re seeing air quality problems in this region and in other regions all over the Eastern coast. So, those impacts are effects that we have to take into consideration. And one important aspect of that is our tree canopy, because it is a filtering system for our air.
Wear said urban forests remove significant amounts of ozone, nitrogen dioxide, smoke particles, and carbon from the atmosphere. And, he added, that communities should consider the value of trees when planning for growth.
John Wear: ...trees.... All of them provide ecological services in terms of removal of pollutants, the protection of our water quality, ......
http://www.earthsky.org/radioshows/49206/urban-forests-filter-city-air
9:47
North Carolina can have all the trees it wants. That and tobacco, speed traps and nothing but Limbaugh on the radio. Passed through there, wouldn't want to live there.
Trees - The Green Menace
sky king - Why live in the suburbs? In this area, at least, the suburbs have many trees. Why not move to a nice urban area with all the trees either in parks or in planters? You'd probably be much more comfortable.
I thought Ronald Reagan proved that trees actually cause smog
A major development with a parking deck in the Plaza would be a fabulous idea. The big question is whether and how much commuters would be willing to pay for a daily space if it resulted in a guaranteed seat and a non-stop trip to the Port Authority. I would guess somewhere in the neighborhood of $50 a month would be the most that could be charged. At $100 a month, many commuters would probably continue to park in the neighborhoods.
Sky King sounds like a jilted low level developer that sees trees as the reason he can't slam a poorly designed building on a postage stamp piece of property.
I'm waiting for an intelligent argument that shows the economic and environmental advantages of "green" development.
The solution to the problem is to live within a 10 minute driving radius of you work. My commute is two traffic lights (if they are both red it's called road rage)..I've been doing it for over thirty years. Want a better life? Something to think about....
You are lucky!
We have the advantage of location and the disadvantage of a political not practical leadership. There are ways of doing things and opportunities for parking in this town. The Glenpoint parking lot can go taller, there is county park land that is undeveloped where a parking arrangement can be built that would serve the county and generate revenue and likely provide an ROI (return on investment) in a few short years. I know folks from Maywood that park in town and take the bus. They do not wish to go to the park and ride. How lazy can you be? It would take effort vision and creativity, none of which our leadership seems to have. Fifty parking places by the armory is one bus load of folks. That is insignificant. It would appear that each layer of the glenpoint lot hold close to approx. 750 cars so looking at building atop that where the busses already go is an idea utilizing public private partnership which to date has been ignored. I wish us luck but most of all I wish us intelligence and creativity. These 2 ideas will not happen as our leadership is weak and creatively bankrupt. Lots of talk...precious few tangible ideas, let alone results.
And yes trees are your friends, try breathing without them. Your new apartment in Hackensack awaits you...
Open Eyes has some good ideas. How about commuter parking on both sides of the railroad tracks....East of the tracks from the Rhodda Center to West Englewood avenue....West of the tracks opposite BF from Forest Avenue to the fire house. No homes are involved. The roads can be widened and NJT can reconfigure their routes with easy access to Route 4...Queen Anne Road and Teaneck Road
750 spots per layer seems like quite an overstatement. Expanding the garage at the Glenpointe would be a great idea. Not only can it be used for commuters, it might bring large companies to the Glenpointe.
The only problem with the post is that a seemingly good idea is buried a load of criticism and therefore will be ignored by most readers. Simply ranting and raving on a blog will get us as a township nowhere, attending council meetings and sending constructive suggestions to the council will take this township far.
You can kiss Glenpointe goodbye. Sanzari is planning to build another high rise office there. Any imagined parking is not going to be available.
There is land available in the Glenpoint area that the township gave to the county and was not used. We need to explore the possibility of having that parcel of land returned to us. It is a very practical location for a parking garage.
Personnally I think the town should teardown the old police station and build a garage there. The first floor could be used for business, perhaps a Starbuck's. There are no homes in the immediate area which should minimize the complaints.
That's the ticket - a great big parking deck on the municipal green...
Great idea! The corner of Teaneck Road and Cedar Lane would be a great location for commuter parking. Less pollution should keep the town 'greenies' happy. The neighbors are banks, Holy Name Hospital, Teaneck Jewish Center and Municipal buildings. That should keep the complaining NIMBYs quiet.
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