Living in the Future

In August, we awarded a contract to the Cecil Group of Boston to create a Downtown Visioning Plan to determine how our three business districts (South Orange Ave, Valley St, Irvington Ave) should evolve over the next 20 years. The selection process to choose the firm was undertaken by the Development Committee earlier this year and was quite extensive.

I know people have some fundamental questions:

1. How much will this cost?

The contract awarded is not to exceed $225,000

2. What is a Vision Plan?

This plan will focus on

• Land Use and Zoning Guidelines - zoning for specific future uses will be developed based on existing land uses.Key sites and alternative land uses will be identified.
• Design Vision – improvements will be identified for road access and parking,streetscape,and key public spaces such as parks and major buildings.
• Market Study – planners will assess demographics in South Orange and surrounding areas,historic and economic trends,as well as the existing and potential retail market.
• Traffic and Parking Study - current use and conditions will be compared with demand.

3. Didn't we just do a Vision Plan?

The last Vision Plan was done by the Atlantic Group back in 1994, prior to the arrival of Midtown Direct, which dramtically changed many facets of our town.

4. How do I provide input to the plan?

There will be 4 public meetings and workshops to provide residents, business and property owners, and other stakeholders a unique opportunity to get involved in planning from the ground up. The schedule so far is as follows:

Thursday, October 30th, 7:30 – 9:00 pm in the South Orange Middle School
Tuesday, December 2nd, 7:30 – 9:00 pm in the SOPAC Loft

For this process to be most successful, it is imperative that you come out to share your ideas and provide your input. Remember: IT TAKES OUR VILLAGE: Creating a community vision for South Orange