Transit Village ‘A Perfect Fit’ for Summit

A community planning and development consulting firm called the concept of a Transit Village a perfect fit for the city of Summit before the Planning Board at Municipal Hall on Monday night.

Transit Village is a concept started by New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) that creates incentives for municipalities to redevelop or revitalize the areas around transit stations using design standards of transit-oriented development (TOD). TOD helps municipalities create pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods where people can live, shop, work and play without relying on automobiles.

Edward Snieckus of planning and development consulting firm, Burgis Associates, Inc. presented a proposed plan for a possible Transit Village to the Planning Board in a very favorable light.  Working in conjunction with the New Jersey Department of Transportation, Burgis and Associates has helped develop the half-mile radius around train stations in 23 New Jersey Municipalities including Morristown, New Brunswick, Journal Square (Jersey City) Matawan and Metuchen. 

“There really is no downside (for Summit),” Snieckus said. 

The New Jersey Transit Village Initiative began in 1999 as an effort to halt suburban sprawl and establish town centers.  Summit’s Transit Village would consist of both commercial and residential properties that encourage young professionals, who commute to New York City, to live in the area.

Snieckus said that the proposed Transit Village would help Summit residents develop a sense of place in the community and add vibrancy to the downtown. The tallest buildings would be constructed closest to the train station while walking and biking paths would allow citizens to not have to rely on cars. 

The Transit Village would also give Summit a primary spot for state funding considerations and give the city higher priority for permit applications according to Snieckus. He said that there is no financial cost to the city, except for the application, and the response has been extremely positive in the other Transit Village municipalities.  

Jan Wells, a former Rutgers University Urban Planning Professor who lives in a Transit Village area, told the Planning Board that in her classes, she ironically used Summit as an example of a town that did not need the renovation.  While she agreed that Transit Village status would improve Summit’s aesthetics and attractiveness with the state, “it’s not really going to attract developers because they already want to build here,” she said.

The Planning Board said that one major issue that affects Summit’s downtown area is access to convenient parking.  Snieckus explained that in Morristown, the DOT helped the city build a parking garage as part of the Transit Village.  Board Member Nuris Portuondo said that the plan fits with what the board is already proposing to the Common Council on the once-contentious parking issue.

Board Chairman Jeffrey Wagenbach said that he has searched diligently to find a flaw with the proposal but just can’t find a downside.  Wagenbach said that “the technical support from the state would help out tremendously and the Planning Board (would) not have to change course.“ 

Board Members voted unanimously in favor of recommending the Transit Village to the City Council, which will soon have a chance to vote on the proposal as well.