Developer Selected for Bloomfield Center

The Bloomfield council voted last night to move forward with two resolutions and two ordinances that will designate residential developer Avalon Bay Communities, Inc., as a separate developer for the mixed use development planned for Bloomfield Center.

Bloomfield Center Urban Renewal, LLC, headed by Bill Colgan, the primary developer, will be responsible for the ground level retail portion of the project, while Avalon Bay will have responsibility for the 224-unit residential portion of the buildings.

Avalon Bay Communities is a real estate investment trust that develops and manages apartment communities in areas across the country. In New Jersey, they have developed a large number of residential projects throughout the state, including developments in Edgewater, Florham Park, Jersey City and Lyndhurst. The developments vary in style depending on the area.

Joe Baumann, attorney for the Bloomfield Parking Authority, presented the proposed legislation, explaining that the changes will ensure that the developers are only responsible for their portion of the project. “This is an exciting time for Bloomfield,” he said, pointing out that the redevelopment can finally move forward after lawsuits and other delays had halted the process for so many years.

Baumann also urged the council to consider directly taking on a portion of the costs of the development from the Parking Authority, which is currently carrying a $3.5 million note and a $12.4 million bond. Baumann said the Parking Authority needs to be conservative in order to cover its costs with the expected revenue. Due to store vacancies and the poor economy, revenue is expected to be somewhat lower at first than originally anticipated.

Councilmen Michael Venezia and Carlos Bernard requested more information on the Parking Authority’s finances. Baumann agreed to provide the information, but asked the council to move forward with the ordinances and resolutions so as not to cause any further delay.

Mayor McCarthy explained to the council that they could vote on the measures at the June 18 regular council meeting, and then discuss the finances further at the June 25 conference meeting. The ordinances would not be finalized until the vote on second reading at the following regular council meeting. The council then voted unanimously to put the four items on the agenda at the next regular council meeting on June 18.

The council also voted to approve an agreement with the developer of 5 Lawrence Street, a 365-unit residential project that straddles Bloomfield and East Orange. Phase I of the project includes between 71 and 73 units in Bloomfield. All units are one-bedroom loft style apartments. There are no tax abatements or PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) programs associated with the development on Bloomfield’s side.

Township Administrator Yoshi Manale announced that the Collins House, an 18th century homestead owned by the township that borders the site of a former inclined plane of the Morris Canal (now JFK Drive), had deteriorated markedly due to vandalism and heavy rains over the past few years, and had been condemned after a recent inspection. He said the house has reached a critical point where it needs to either be stabilized to prevent further damage, or demolished. Stabilization would cost approximately $150,000.

Manale explained that if the house were demolished, the foundation would remain in order to enable it to be rebuilt in the future. Councilman Chalet said that a committee is being formed to study the situation and try to secure funding to stabilize the house. The township’s grant writer will be available to the committee to explore funding options. The council agreed to give the committee 60 days to finalize a recommendation.

The Bloomfield Historical Society is hosting a free Morris Canal hike through the remnants of the path of the Morris Canal through Bloomfield on July 7, including a stop at the Collins House. The house, located next to Kinder Tower, is nearly obscured by overgrown trees and shrubs.

In other business, Councilman Nick Joanow proposed revising an ordinance that had been amended in January 2012, which now declares homeowners are responsible for any clogs in the sewers between their curbs and the township’s main sewer lines in the center of the street. Joanow said homeowners are experiencing hardships as a result of the ordinance, as it can cost from $5000 to $7000 to dig up the street to reach the auxiliary sewer lines.

Township Engineer Lasek said that going back to the previous ordinance, which made the township responsible for sewer lines from the curb to the center of the street, would result in too much work for the town’s Department of Public Works. He said the DPW does not have the manpower to investigate every clogged sewer line, and that it would cause increased expenses for the town. He pointed out that there are many other towns in the state that have the same policies as Bloomfield does.

Mayor McCarthy said the increased expenses would result in higher taxes, impacting everyone in town rather than just a few homeowners. A vote was taken to return to the previous ordinance, but the change was voted down by the majority of the council members.

The next regular council meeting will be held on Monday, June 18, in the council chambers at 7 p.m.