Raritan Valley Coalition (RVC) meeting

                        We want to eliminate the need to switch platforms in Newark for service to and from Manhattan.

A dedicated group of RVC advocates gathered in Westfield on Monday to strategize on improving rail service on the Raritan Valley Line.  It runs from Newark Penn Station through Union, Cranford, Westfield, Plainfield, Somerville and beyond. Plainfield was represented by yours truly, Planning Director Bill Nierstadt, Darlene McWilliams and Jeff Dunn. 

Linda Stender was the guest speaker and she covered the legislative end of the RVC's work.  A new website has been created to inform residents along the line and encourage their involvement in the advocacy.  I fervently hope you will go to this website and partake of the opportunities to communicate with your elected officials.  But first the meeting highlights, which should convince you of the importance of this cause.

After the ritual lamenting of the demise of the ARC Tunnel project, the group turned to more achievable objectives. Top on the list is using dual powered locomotives for one seat rides to Manhattan.  We need many voices to get NJ Transit off the dime.  They purchased 36 dual powered locomotives.  It is taking a long time to get them in regular use.  12 of them were damaged in Superstorm Sandy but should be repaired within 6 months.  The rest are ready now.

The bottleneck at the Hudson River tunnel is for peak hour service.  So the RVC one seat ride will start on weekends and weekdays off peak.  In April, unless we can use our clout for an earlier start.  Here are the particulars on getting the coveted one seat peak hour service.

• 20 NJ trains get through the tunnel during morning rush hour.  Most are from the Northeast Corridor Main Line.
• The Coast Line also feeds 6 trains during morning rush hour.  Even though this line has only 30% more riders than Raritan Valley, we have no trains!
• The completed development projects in Union, Cranford, Garwood and Fanwood add riders and clout to our coalition.  New projects in Cranford, Bound Brook and Somerville are in the works.
• Currently Westfield's station has the most weekday riders with 2321.  Union and Cranford have 1230 and 1189 respectively.  Plainfield downtown is fourth with 1044 but we are the only town with two stations and combined, we jump to second with 1647 riders.  We have transit oriented development projects in the works as well.

RVC  clearly has increasing demand and currently has 10% of the total peak hour Manhattan bound riders from NJ.  10% of 20 peak hour trains.  That's 2 trains as our fair share.  This is not mission impossible.  Schedule adjustments can be made on the other lines that will minimize impact on riders.  For example, a significant number of northbound Main Line riders get off at the PATH station so don't need to compete with demand through Newark Penn Station and the Hudson Main Line Tunnel.

Advocacy efforts must increase.  I will have the website link in a few days and then there is no excuse.  A few clicks and your message to NJ legislators and NJ Transit is sent.  And my next post will have compelling data from studies on one seat ride impact on property values.  This is more than a time saver for NYC commuters.  We have to get mobilized.

Economic Development Report - the importance of food

Plainfield has many downtown restaurants representing Central and South American nationalities.  I just saw some new ones.  Time for a visit, anyone care to join me?  We also have a Middle Eastern market (good falafel) on Park Ave/Somerset St (sitting over the Green Brook) and classic American comfort food (Red Tower, Texas Weiner II, Plainfield Donut Shop, Bills).  Good food and very affordable.  I am only mentioning a few. 

My vision for downtown adds some variety to the existing compliment of eateries.  Plainfielders who have been in town for 30 years or more may remember What's Your Beef and Lily Greenleaves.  These places catered to $15 - $20 a plate diners - converting to today's prices.  The variety I seek is for these mid range priced menus.  Throw in some craft beer and music on weekends and I am very happy.  Remember the Clubhouse, with three floors of club scene for 20 somethings, back in the early 1980s?  The importance of having these establishments is the connection to unsubsidized downtown apartments for people with money to spend in our downtown.  I don't know which comes first, the nightlife or the apartments, but they go together. 

The new urban living - people living downtown, walking around, shopping, dining, listening to music.  It works with the right mix or should I say critical mass of apartment dwellers, convenient transportation and retail.  And a mix of people of various income levels.  Plainfield can be one of these places. 

We now have two developers who are using the f word (food, that is):  Plainfields designated downtown redeveloper, Landmark and  the new kid in town, Arkad (http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20130927/NJNEWS/309270054/Developer-says-Plainfield-could-become-another-Montclair-New-Brunswick).  While we are waiting to see what they will do to back up their words, you can do your part by dining in one of our downtown restaurants.  Here are two relatively new ones on Park Ave:

 

 

 

Economic Development Report

My unscientific analysis of downtown Plainfield businesses, with no data whatsoever, is now complete.  The number one business is the sale of alcoholic beverages (no Rebecca, not mattresses).  Aside from its ability to stimulate anti-social behavior, alcohol is "probably the most social drug we humans have" (Michael Pollan).  Its importance in the revitalization of downtown Plainfield should not be underestimated.   It's part of my vision for downtown Plainfield as a place where all are welcome to earn a living, shop and have fun. All as in people of many ethnic backgrounds and socio-economic groups.

Plainfield has many liquor licenses and some bar licenses are used downtown to cater to a Latino clientele.  Notable among the downtown liquor establishments are two with frequent police calls for help - La Bamba and Pueblo Vieijo.  Its safe to say they are doing their part to dissuade new customers from using our downtown.  There is also Los Faroaenes and Chez Maree, both recently attracting attention as sponsors of street festivals.  These festivals are attracting new customers including families with young children (very desirable) but it is doubtful they are using our downtown as much as just being festival goers.

I've mentioned "new customers",  and "visions" for downtown and its time we have a healthy discussion about it.  As downtown becomes more and more a Latino gathering place, is there room for new customers who are not Latino?  Can we make downtown a place where parents feel more comfortable bringing or sending their children?  Is there a place for more shops that offer more than low end merchandise and services?

I fervently hope the answer to these questions is yes.  But a vision has to be backed by people with energy and resources.  One who fits this description is Plainfield's designated downtown redeveloper, the owner of Landmark.  He needs a liquor license.  Landmark's vision of downtown Plainfield is for apartment living, enhanced by restaurants, artisanal coffee shops and bakeries, and a healthy compliment of the arts.

In order to attract new customers to downtown, some restaurants will need to sell alcoholic beverages.  Alcoholic beverages = good business plan = enough profit to succeed = people having fun = attracting new customers.  Landmarks customers are retiring baby boomers and young people who enjoy the amenities of city living.  Sounds like diversity to me.

Back to my analysis of Plainfield's downtown.  My formula for success is:

1. support Landmark in any way possible to obtain a liquor license for a restaurant,
2. use the offices of city hall to bring together downtown stakeholders to create a shared vision, and convince merchants that diversity can be their ally, not a threat,
3. hire economic development professionals to enable city hall to do its part, in partnership with our merchants and turn would be investors into will be investors,
4. make downtown more friendly to shoppers and businesses through better code enforcement, ABC (Alcoholic Beverage Control) enforcement and more visible public safety measures (security cameras, police walking/cycling/segway patrols).

A central part of revitalizing Plainfield is converting the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages from a detriment to an asset.  Not a easy goal but one worth the time and effort it will take to achieve.

The Street Festival Report

I went downtown last night to observe the festival.  I was particularly interested in when the amplified sound would be turned off.  Around 8:00 PM, there I was along with hundreds of festival goers.  There had to be a least 500, maybe 750 people there.  Families were out in numbers.  People appeared to be having a good time.  

The music was loud, very loud and when the band finished their set at 8:30, I took a stroll down Somerset St, assuming one more band was setting up.  Minutes later I returned to the sound of a familiar voice at the microphone.  It was Adrian Mapp, speaking to the multitudes with help from a translator.  He was being asked by the event organizer to allow the music to go past the City Council mandated 9 PM  end time.  Talk about being put on the spot!  How Adrian responded is worthy of mention because in my opinion, it demonstrates how our potential Mayor will operate under pressure.

Adrian said that as a Council member, it was his duty to uphold the 9 PM requirement.  He said that everyone is welcome in our city and he was happy to see so many people.  He was pressed a second time about allowing the show to be extended, and the large crowd waited expectantly for his reply.  He said that there are many voices in Plainfield and that they must all be heard.  He promised that the future of downtown festivals would be decided with all of the voices being heard.  The audience responded with cheers and applause.

PS - I found out later that Adrian had been sought out by the event sponsor to speak to the crowd.  He had only planned to be an attendee, like me.  When the sponsor saw I was present he offered me the microphone also but I declined.  Adrian had sent the right message and that was all that was needed.

PS #2- the sound system was turned off promptly at 9 PM.

Plainfield festivals

The number of festival days held downtown has grown tremendously in the last two years.  No wonder they are getting so much attention.  Either join the festivities or grin and bear it if you don't like the noise and outdoor alcoholic beverage consumption.  For me it will be a bit of both. 

I will be attending this weekends festival sponsored by Faraones on Front Street.  I have done so in the last few years and have enjoyed the food (the roasted corn is quite good).  But the female members of my family won't go back.  They don't like the outdoor beer drinking and what comes with it.

Up till now, I have accepted the sponsor's sales pitch: a great cultural opportunity for Plainfield that brings people to town to see what a good place our downtown is for shopping and having a good time.  But with numerous complaints coming from retail store merchants and residents, the Council has decided to evaluate the future of downtown festivals.

Heeding the residents and downtown merchant complaints I voted against this weekends festival.  But the Council majority ruled that this year the show will go on.  The best I could do was offer two amendments to the festival resolution.  One, to ban sales of alcoholic beverages, was shot down.  The other, to close the festival at 10 pm instead of 11 pm and to end the music and 9 pm instead of 10 pm, was supported by my colleagues. 

I aim to use my blog to provide information on the Faraones festival by way of photographs.  Here are today's, showing that 1) our parking lot is used the day before the festival begins and 2) contrary to claims that attendees will see what is good about downtown, we have some serious (but fixable)eyesores that reinforce the reputation Plainfield currently has.

I have been told that the approvals for the rides must be given prior to the festival opening:

 

 

 

Parking lot 8 needs a lot of maintenance and code enforcement:

 



 

 

 

 



 

 

These scenes will be in plain sight during the festival.  I expect the incoming administration will take aggressive action.

 

 





City Hall, the Local Business Community and Street Festivals

I attended the board meeting of the Plainfield Special Improvement District last week.  I wanted to ask the board for their thoughts on how city government can work more effectively with the business community.  I heard many ideas and actually got more than I bargained for since the use of downtown parking lots for "cultural" festivals was on the agenda.

The growing number of these festivals prompted much discussion and board member comments ranged from thoughtful to emotional.  Ultimately a motion was made to ask the City Council to deny the Faraones/Garcia festival request for September and it passed unanimously (eight members voting).  Here is a summary of the SID board's concerns:

• merchants with stores near parking lot 8 where Garcia has held previous festivals estimated that they lose 20 - 40% of usual sales during festival days.
• merchants who purchase tables for the festivals pay $800 per day and the SID board members believe that all of them are from out of town - they believe that not one downtown Plainfield merchant has participated in these festivals.
• the SID board described the loud music and outdoor alcoholic beverage consumption as disruptive and discouraging of customer activity in downtown.  
• Public urination, presumably related to the drinking activity, has not made for a family friendly shopping environment and according to the SID board members the smell lingers well after the festivals are done.
• The stores near the sound stage experience music so loud that some stores literally vibrate from the music throughout the day and night.

I was unaware of the extent of these problems until the night of the August agenda fixing meeting when two downtown merchants spoke about these concerns.  When they left the meeting early, I followed them out and advised that if other merchants felt as they did, to circulate a petition around downtown and present it to the Council.  And so they did.  The number of signatures casts doubt on Mr Garcia's compliance with a stipulation in his resolution requiring he have the support of local businesses.

This should make for interesting discussion at Mondays Special Council meeting.  The Council has supported the growing number of festivals over the last 5 years because they were presented as opportunities to celebrate the cultures south of our border and bring people to our downtown.  The input we are getting now casts serious doubt on the benefits to Plainfield, especially the festivals as they currently operate.

Whatever the Council decides about the Faraones/Garcia proposal on Monday, it is clear that we need to revisit our ordinances regulating where, when and how festivals should be run.

National Night Out in Plainfield

Thanks goes to the Netherwood Neighbors who organized the party I attended on Tuesday night.   I enjoyed the camaraderie, food and weather   Afterwards, I began to ponder a question prompted by a neighbor at the Cook School pond.  What is National Night Out about?  What are we trying to accomplish beyond having fun with neighbors.  So I went to the NATW website to learn more about the organization that started National Night Out:

"National Association of Town Watch (NATW) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the development and promotion of various crime prevention programs including neighborhood watch groups, law enforcement agencies, state and regional crime prevention associations, businesses, civic groups, and individuals, devoted to safer communities. The nations premiere crime prevention network works with law enforcement officials and civilian leaders to keep crime watch volunteers informed, interested, involved and motivated. Since 1981, NATW continues to serve thousands of members across the nation.
The introduction of National Night Out, “America’s Night Out Against Crime”, in 1984 began an effort to promote involvement in crime prevention activities, police-community partnerships, neighborhood camaraderie and send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back. NATW’s National Night Out program culminates annually, on the first Tuesday of August (In Texas, the first Tuesday of October)."

This night is about empowering neighbors to claim and, in some places, take back their neighborhoods, even if just for a night.  It is to promote partnerships between citizens and law enforcement to fight crime.  So how did Plainfield measure up to the objectives of NATW?

Judging by the number of people who came out for the two get togethers - at City Hall and Cook School Park - pretty good.  And we had a good turnout of police, fire and elected officials.   All combined I estimate between 300 and 400 people joined in. 

My thought provoking neighbor challenged me (thanks Pat TK) to consider how we might do National Night Out in the future and that led me to the following ideas:

• take the party to the neighborhoods that are "crime hot spots".  There are places in Plainfield where residents don't feel they can come out at night.  That's where we need to take back the streets.
• we need to empower our block associations to take the lead in planning National Night Out.  Public Safety officials, Mayor and Council members should get behind them, not in front of them.
• we truly need to empower our city-wide black association group.  Currently it is run by the police.  Our block association leaders need to take it over and get more support from the police.  They need to receive regular, real time crime information that they can take back to their neighbors.  When public safety problems (and proposed solutions) are brought up at their city-wide meetings, the police representatives may need to use the chain of command to provide the proper response.  But they do need to follow-up and bring back responses. 

We had a good night in Plainfield.  With new leadership coming in city hall, we have the opportunity to improve on our successes, try new approaches to public safety and make our streets safer, not just at city hall and Cook School Park, but in the places where people don't feel they can freely partake of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness".