<p class="font_8">The Town of Wilton retained BFJ Planning to develop a downtown master plan for Wilton Center and accompanying form-base code. This work built of the Town’s 2019 Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD), but involved additional outreach to the public, proprietors and property owners, and included a market analysis conducted by Urbanomics. While the Town has Village District Zoning, its downtown built environment exhibits characteristics of conventional zoning that focuses on the separation of uses and automobile-oriented commerce. Several shopping centers, including a large parcel owned and operated by KIMCO, were exploring opportunities to convert to a mixed-use environment, and the Town required a new zoning approach. BFJ developed recommendations for a new pedestrian-oriented circulation network, including a potential riverwalk along the Norwalk River, introduced new building typologies, and form-base zoning that focused retail in a more market-viable and synergistic fashion, while allowing for mixed-use and residential on secondary streets. Beyond the confines of the downtown, new overlay zoning was also created to support mixed use development and improve pedestrian connectivity along the State Rte. 7 corridor in Wilton.</p>

<p class="font_8">BFJ Planning worked with the Town of Newtown to update its Plan of Conservation and Development. Located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, the Town is characterized by its rural landscapes, historic sites, and small town charm. Newtown sought to increase diverse housing opportunities and support economic growth while preserving the Town’s open spaces and bucolic character. Key goals include expanding options for senior housing, increasing opportunities for economic activity in key areas, prioritizing redevelopment of vacant urbanized sites, and reviewing measures to alleviate traffic congestion and enhance road safety. Other key themes include expanding the Town’s open space inventory and promoting energy resiliency strategies to reduce the Town’s greenhouse gas emissions and improve power grid reliability.</p>

<p class="font_8">BFJ Planning directed a year-long study on behalf of the CT Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) to determine the highest and best use of the Hartford-Brainard Airport property. The methodology encompassed market and fiscal assessments, environmental and flood control evaluations, and airport regulatory and contractual obligations. The study culminated in a recommendation to keep the airport open but to close the seldom-used crosswind runway for development of industrial uses on the site. This recommendation was based upon the analysis of alternative uses, the high development costs of such uses, and the isolation of the airport from adjacent community and neighborhood services.</p>

<p class="font_8">BFJ Planning is currently working with The Town of East Hartford to update its 2014 Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD), which BFJ also prepared. While many of the prior goals and objectives remain relevant, the update will include an in-depth study of the Founders Plaza office complex along the Connecticut River, where a significant mixed-use development had been proposed. The POCD also focuses on the historical Town Center area along Main Street and identifies strategies to revitalize this key business area and better connect it with development activity along the Silver Lane corridor, lower Main Street, and the riverfront.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">The year-long POCD update process will be closely coordinated with Town staff and the Planning and Zoning Commission. The engagement program includes four public workshops and other online engagement activities to provide multiple opportunities to build consensus on goals and objectives and test recommendations for the Plan.</p>

<p class="font_8">BFJ’s Edison Township Master Plan was unanimously adopted by the Planning Board in 2024. It had been more than 20 years since the Township developed a full Master Plan, and a lot had occurred during the intervening period. The Plan incorporated new county, region, and statewide planning initiatives which gave reason to reassess Edison’s needs and the direction in which future growth must proceed.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Edison Township is a diverse community of over 100,000 people covering approximately 30 square miles in Middlesex County, New Jersey. With excellent access to the regional roadway network, Edison has become a regionally and nationally significant warehousing, manufacturing, and distribution hub for commercial goods. However, the proliferation of these uses has caused the community to experience a significant amount of congestion and other quality of life issues. Those major roadways and highways, along with rail lines, and transmission lines, have physically divided the community. Without a core downtown, Edison’s commercial areas are generally strip malls along busy roads that are not safe for pedestrians or cyclists,&nbsp;</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">The new 2024 Master Plan provides Edison with actionable recommendations to adress these quality of life issues and knit the community back together. The plan evaluates opportunities to improve commercial corridors with better design and pedestrian amenities that will help to link surrounding neighborhoods to commercial areas. Potential future redevelopment areas are identifed, including for transit-oriented-development at the Edison Train station. Additional recommendations will help Edison meet its New Jersey Fair Share housing obligation, improve the efficiency and safety of roadways, expand public access to the Raritan River, and address climate change vulnerabilities to improve Edison’s resilience.</p>

<p class="font_8">Village of Sea Cliff retained BFJ to develop its first Comprehensive Plan update in more than 50 years. Sea Cliff is a small, history-rich Village on Long Island Sound that values its small-town feel while seeking ways to improve their commercial corridors. BFJ performed a review of existing zoning regulations to assess best approaches to help revitalize the Glen Cove Avenue commercial corridor and create a future strategy for a large country club property. Another key goal of the Plan is to address issues of coastal resilience through an assessment of sea level rise, wet-lands and coastal erosion activity. Other key themes include providing strategies to increase housing opportunities in certain areas of the Village, mitigate traffic and speeding issues, and improve connections for all users.&nbsp;</p>

<p class="font_8">In 2023, the City of Glen Cove retained BFJ to update its Comprehensive Plan. Glen Cove is a growing city of approximately 28,000 people located on the north shore of Long Island. This initiative was primarily funded by New York Department of State and New York Department of Environmental Conservation grants and Glen Cove sought to &nbsp;incorporate Smart Growth principles and Climate Smart Community sustainability elements throughout their new Plan. Major themes addressed include water quality and supply, downtown improvements, walkability and street safety, coastal resilience, and parking strategies. The new Comprehensive Plan will guide the City through the next decade by identifying appropriate recommendations for smart growth policies, such as infill development and multi-modal transportation opportunities, to foster sustainable growth. BFJ also conducted the State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) to examine potential adverse environmental impacts of the adoption on the Comprehensive Plan.&nbsp;</p>

<p class="font_8">BFJ Planning is leading a citywide review of parking issues in Stamford, Connecticut in response to recent development trends, expected growth, and the opportunity to provide data-driven recommendations for parking regulations and management. Through the use of an online curb management platform and data collection tool called Coord, BFJ has captured parking regulation information and curbside features to build a parking inventory for Stamford’s study areas (downtown, south end, Springdale and Glenbrook Station areas). This inventory will be the basis of occupancy and turnover data collection. Further contextualizing this data, BFJ reviewed the City’s zoning code requirements for parking. This review resulted in extensive recommendations &nbsp;to “right-sizing” parking ratios, simplify the requirements and introduce incentives for more efficient parking.&nbsp;</p> <p class="font_8">As a member of the BFJ team Tim Haahs &amp; Associates undertakes a comprehensive review of Stamford’s parking system: opera-tions, pricing, regulations, and payment equipment. This review will better position the study to identify opportunities to enhance user convenience, improve parking system operations, and to reduce unnecessary expenses while optimizing operating revenue. Throughout this process, a key component is a targeted public engagement program that will initially engage representatives from all City neighborhoods to identify parking issues and needs of individual neighborhoods. To build from this feedback, focus groups and a public workshop will further extend opportunities for data collection and feedback on initial recommendations.&nbsp;</p>

<p class="font_8">BFJ Planning was retained by the Ulster County Transportation Council (UCTC) to develop a Corridor Management Plan (CMP) for the portion of the Route 9W from the Hamlet of Marlboro north to Blue Point Road in the Town of Lloyd. The purpose of the CMP is to develop short and long-range recommendations to improve vehicular and non-vehicular access, safety and mobility along the Route 9W corridor. The plan contains an examination of existing conditions, a corridor safety assessment, and an evaluation of future impacts of development proposals and land use policies. The concluding recommendations and implementation plan outline actions to be taken to improve corridor access, operations, safety, and aesthetics and mitigate future impacts. The plan addresses all modes, including pedestrian, bicycle, and transit.</p> <p class="font_8">One of the key issues that emerged from the public engagement process, from the safety audit, and from the consultant team’s assessment is the inconsistent character and configuration of Route 9W and the speeding issues created by a two mile four-lane section within the six mile corridor. BFJ developed a conceptual Lane Reconfiguration Plan to create a consistent and standard design along Route 9W that would reduce operating speeds without causing a significant impact to total travel times. The lane reconfiguration plan included detailed drawings and a level of service analysis designed to provide NYSDOT the information it needed to move forward with these plans during the corridor’s next scheduled repaving.&nbsp;</p> <p class="font_8">To optimize the safety and efficiency along the Route 9W corridor, BFJ developed a detailed Access Management Plan. The plan aims to give local planning boards guidance in addressing the growing number of driveways and street con-nections along Route 9W that add conflict points, impede the fluidity of the highway, and have a negative impact on the visual quality of the corridor.&nbsp;</p>

<p class="font_8">BFJ Planning was hired by the City of Rye, New York to study traffic and safety conditions along the southern segment of the Boston Post Road (NY Route 1) from the Village of Mamaroneck border to Old Post Road, a 1.5 mile segment. The Boston Post Road, a major arterial connecting several villages and towns had 4 sub-standard lanes and relatively high speeds and crash rates. BFJ proposed to convert the existing four narrow lanes without shoulder to a two-lane highway with 7-foot striped median (to be landscaped in the future) and 4-foot shoulders on each side. Protected turn lanes were added at critical intersections. This plan was implemented and received with great success by the residents.</p>

<p class="font_8">BFJ Planning was retained by the City of Perth Amboy to prepare an update to the Circulation Element of the City’s Master Plan. The planning effort, a follow-up to the City’s post-Sandy Strategic Recovery Planning Report, developed recommenda-tions and strategies that will help revitalize downtown, enhance sustainability and improve interconnectedness throughout the City and region. &nbsp;</p> <p class="font_8">&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p class="font_8">The Circulation Element was conducted in conjunction with the City’s redevelopment plans, and rezoning and design stan-dards, each undertaken by other consultant teams. The final product included recommendations for pedestrian improve-ments, new protected bicycle lanes, new street connections and functional reclassification of arterials to a lower class road with pedestrian amenities.</p>

<p class="font_8">BFJ Planning was retained by the New York City Department of Transportation to address parking and goods movement issues in the neighborhoods of Williamsburg and Greenpoint in Brooklyn, NY. This study was commissioned on behalf the council district, whose residents voiced concerned over traffic impacts of recent residential development and a growing industrial business zone. For the parking component, BFJ conducted an extensive survey of on and off-street parking locations, regulations, and utilization data in a study area consisting of over 1,000 block faces. The survey team also documented instances of double parking, illegal parking, truck loading, and unique parking situations to diagnose parking shortfalls. BFJ assembled the existing conditions and parking occupancy survey results into a GIS database. Recommendations were developed to address parking supply shortfalls for various user groups.&nbsp;</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">For the study’s goods movement component, BFJ conducted an inventory of truck routes and reviewed the effectiveness of existing truck route signage. BFJ determined origin and destination of truck trips by identifying and interviewing major truck trip generators. Truck mobility demand was assessed by applying existing traffic data to a GIS network dataset of truck routes and commercial and industrial corridors. Recommendations were provided to address truck loading and layover issues, routing, and roadway capacity constraints. &nbsp;</p>

<p class="font_8">BFJ Planning and Urbanomics reviewed the housing conditions and future housing needs in St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas, on behalf of the U.S. Virgin Islands Housing and Finance Authority (HFA). As part of this study, the project team evaluated the local economy of the Virgin Islands, updated demographic characteristics, and identified deficiencies in the existing housing stock, such as overcrowding and affordability issues. In order to assess the residential real estate market, the team identified housing market trends and gathered building permit data.&nbsp;</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">The project team predicted future housing needs based on the projected increase in the number of households, and also compared projections to the current rate at which housing was being built to determine if housing supply was keeping pace with market demand. Based on these findings, the team assessed the feasibility of several housing developments proposed by the HFA for the U.S. Virgin Islands. Mapping was done with “Mapbasics,” a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software program, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD’s) Community 2020 software package.</p>

<p class="font_8">BFJ Planning led a multi-disciplinary team on behalf of the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments (SCCOG) to implement a Joint Land Use Study (JLUS) focused around the Submarine Base New London (SUBASE) and its neighboring Towns of Groton, Ledyard, Waterford, and Montville, and the Cities of Groton and New London. Subsequent to the completion of the JLUS, Electric Boat, with major facilities in the cities of Groton and New London, announced contracts with the Navy expected to increase employment at Electric Boat by at least 5,000 through 2030, while a wave of retirements is anticipated to require the company to replace an additional 14,000 employees.&nbsp;</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">The JLUS Implementation Project considered the impact of this growth on the 22 SCCOG- member towns. The Plan will explored the potential regional impacts of expanded activities at SUBASE New London and Electric Boat, with a particular focus on the housing market and transportation (vehicular, transit, and alternative modes).</p>

<p class="font_8">Xavier High School, located on &nbsp;West 16th Street in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, underwent a process of evaluating its real estate assets and future facility needs. As part of this process, BFJ Planning was retained to prepare a zoning analysis, specifically focusing on the as-of-right development potential of Xavier High School under its existing C6-2M zoning designation. BFJ’s analysis determined the maximum allowable floor area and calculated the existing zoning floor area of the school and related facilities to determine the amount of excess development rights available for use by the School for expansion purposes or for transfer as-of-right to an adjoining lot. The amount of excess development rights that could be utilized by Xavier High School or transferred to an adjoining lot was calculated by first estimating the “zoning envelope” for the total lot, then subtracting the zoning floor area (the square footage of the existing on-site or built structures excluding the area below curb level), to obtain the excess development rights for the entire lot. BFJ’s analysis also included an estimate of the saleable value of the excess air rights. This valuation was based on comparable sales of air rights in other areas of Manhattan.&nbsp;</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">The high school expanded with a new six-story wing, adding classrooms, a gymnasium and recital space. The new annex adjacent to Xavier’s current campus has now been topped by a glass condominium building that rises 300 feet above 15th Street, west of Fifth Avenue.&nbsp;</p>

<p class="font_8">BFJ has a 30-year history of working with the City of Yonkers in providing &nbsp;&nbsp;professional planning, real estate, and environmental services. One of the significant projects was the evaluation of potential affordable housing sites within the City of Yonkers and a rehabilitation program for cooperative apartments. The affordable housing program included over 900 affordable units as part of a federal desegregation court order.&nbsp;</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">BFJ prepared a Federal Generic Environmental Assessment (EA) for the total housing program, followed by the evaluation of individual housing projects and the preparation of site-specific Federal EA’s for those housing developments. The EA addressed a range of issues including socioeconomics, demographics, neighborhood character, natural features, hazardous materials, traffic, utilities, historic and archeological resources, land use, and zoning. All of the required units were successfully completed including four new multi-family developments at the following sites: Cross Street, Grassy Sprain, Hoover Road and Yonkers Avenue.</p>

<p class="font_8">BFJ Planning, on behalf of the City of Yonkers, reviewed the AMS Yonkers Downtown Redevelopment Project, one of the largest single redevelopment efforts in Westchester County. A private Applicant sought to amend the City of Yonkers Zoning Code and Zoning Map to facilitate the development of three sites in downtown Yonkers known as the “Teutonia Hall Site”, the “Chicken Island Site”, and the “North Broadway Site”. &nbsp;In several phases over approximately ten years, the Applicant proposed to redevelop the project sites with approximately 3,556 residential rental units, approximately 97,000 square feet (sf) of retail use, approximately 38,000 sf of commercial office, and approximately 2,906 parking spaces. The project involved both a zoning text and map amendment as well as site plan approval. BFJ assisted the City in the review of the project as well as all New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQR) documents, including the scoping document, draft and final environmental impact statement, and the Findings Statement.&nbsp;</p>

<p class="font_8">BFJ Planning provided State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) services for the development of a Performing Arts Center as part of the Bard College Master Plan. The College is located within the Hudson River Historic District, a National Historic Landmark, in Dutchess County. Frank Gehry designed the Performing Arts Center as an 800-seat, multi-purpose auditorium to be used for staging drama, dance, opera, and music performances. The performing arts center was built and is known as the Fisher Center.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">BFJ prepared the Draft and Final Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) for the Performing Arts Center. The DEIS addressed various sensitive issues including the Arts Center‘s visual impact on the Hudson River, the Sawkill Creek and neighboring histor-ic properties, potential ecological impacts to the Sawkill, and potential impact on cultural resources such as the Hudson River Historic District. The FEIS prepared by BFJ evaluated a range of site alternatives developed to reduce potential impacts to such resources and identified a preferred site for the center. BFJ also provided development advice to the College and the development team, including the identification of strategies to expedite required permits and approvals.</p>

<p class="font_8">Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is an internationally renowned research institution located on Long Island’s North Shore. The laboratory campus, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, incorporates high-level scientific research facilities and residential buildings in a rural, campus-like setting.&nbsp;</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">BFJ Planning prepared a Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) for proposed future projects, as well as site-specific plans for a childcare center. The GEIS included detailed technical analyses of environmental, socioeconomic, and fiscal impacts; a historical overview of the Laboratory’s development; its relationship with the Village; and the scientific purpose of the proposed future projects. As Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory continued to expand their facilities, they retained BFJ to bring a proposed 180,000 sf development project through the required State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) process, including scoping, preparation of the Draft and Final EISs, Findings Statement, and related documents and approvals. The EIS addressed all potential environmental impacts associated with the proposed expansion, which included housing for students and visitors, six research laboratories, archive and library buildings, and permanent graduate school offices.</p>

<p class="font_8">The Village of Farmingdale Downtown and Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Plan reconnects Farmingdale’s Main Street and train station (located two blocks to the east) through mixed-use transit oriented development and intentional urban design. The TOD portion of the plan envisions highest density development around the train station with structured/underground parking, retail frontages along the street, and a small public “station green” at the station’s primary pedestrian gateway. The Plan involved substantial community input and consultation with development interests to help ensure success. Active retail/cafe frontages and streetscape improvements along Eastern Parkway create a walkable pedestrian environment to encourage movement to and from the train station and shopping and restaurant destinations on Main Street. Since the plan’s adoption in 2011, a significant portion of the TOD has been completed. Urban design &amp; planning by Jonathan Martin, Senior Associate at BFJ Planning.</p>

<p class="font_8">As part of the Village of Farmingdale’s efforts to revitalize its downtown, BFJ Planning provided design services by developing conceptual designs for a Village-led facade improvement program. The program built off the Village’s Comprehensive Downtown Master Plan, Design Guidelines Manual, and newly adopted downtown signage ordinance (all completed by Jonathan Martin, Senior Associate, prior to joining BFJ), and ultimately resulted in refurbishment of approximately 70 existing storefronts in the downtown. The design process involved working closely with the Village administration, Architectural Review Board and property owners/proprietors to develop designs that met both the property owners’ budgets and Village’s needs. Conceptual designs were used to guide façade rehabilitation only, allowing property owners and proprietors some flexibility while considering budgets and preferences. To date, approximately 40 storefronts have been successfully rehabilitated in the downtown using a matching-funds program.</p>

<p class="font_8">BFJ designed and facilitated a community visioning workshop at the Museum of the City of New York to assist CIVITAS in their effort to re-envision the East River Esplanade in Manhattan. Attended by approximately 50 community members from East Harlem and the Upper East Side, the workshop built upon an international urban design competition organized by CIVITAS titled Reimagining the Waterfront, which attracted more than 90 entries from 24 countries. The workshop focused on helping local residents to express their thoughts and ideas for a more purposefully designed and programmed waterfront. Community design ideas included improved pedestrian access to the waterfront, more public arts, food and cultural programming along the esplanade, and greater recreational opportunities for residents of all ages.</p>

<p class="font_8"><strong>Comprehensive Plan (2016)</strong></p> <p class="font_8">BFJ Planning was retained by the Village of Pleasantville to update its Master Plan, with a primary focus on the Central Business District. The Village was interested in building on the economic development potential of key downtown assets such as its Metro-North train station, the Jacob Burns Film Center and municipally owned land, while preserving Pleasantville’s small-scale character and quality of life.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">The Plan was prepared in close cooperation with the Village Board, who took an active role in drafting the Plan’s content and recommendations, and also incorporated an interactive public outreach process. Key recommendations included downtown zoning revisions and intersection improvements to enhance walkability and create new public open space.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8"><strong>Zoning Code Revisions (2017 and 2021)&nbsp;</strong></p> <p class="font_8">As a follow-up to the Master Plan work, BFJ prepared a series of zoning code revisions focused on the downtown area. The revisions provided greater flexibility in developing multifamily housing in the Central Business District, including a package of zoning incentives to facilitate mixed-use, transit-oriented development, as well as changes to required parking. In 2021, in response to concerns about the scale of new residential devleopment, BFJ prepared revisions to the Village’s single-family zoning districts to incorporate floor area ratio (FAR) provisions. All of these zoning efforts also included environmental review to ensure compliance with SEQR regulations.&nbsp;</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8"><strong>Transit-Oriented Development Review (2018-2020)&nbsp;</strong></p> <p class="font_8">BFJ reviewed the first development project to use the new downtown zoning development incentives, a proposed 110,000-square-foot mixed-use building fronting Memorial Plaza, across from the train station. The project, under construction as of 2021, includes 79 apartment units and ground-floor retail space over three stories of structured parking. It will also incorporate a public linear park connecting Memorial Plaza with a Village-owned parking lot to the rear of the building, and improvements to the street serving the lot and the proposed building, to re-establish a street grid and enhance circulation. The building’s parking garage will provide for a shared parking supply that can accommodate local merchants and employees as well as rail commuters.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8"><strong>Downtown Parking Study (2019 and 2021)&nbsp;</strong></p> <p class="font_8">The Village retained BFJ to study options to mitigate the loss of public parking spaces resulting from the redesign of Memorial Plaza. Work included a parking occupancy survey of all downtown on- and off-street parking and a review of possibilities for expanding capacity through reconfiguration of spaces, permitting changes, and parking management strategies. BFJ recommended a permit pricing strategy to shift parking demand to high-occupancy areas to areas with more vacancies, as well as improvements the parking payment and enforcement system and better dissemination of parking information.&nbsp;</p>

<p class="font_8">BFJ Planning developed a Concept Plan for a proposed 130-acre transit-oriented community adjacent to the Harriman Train Station in Orange County, NY. The Plan features approximately 1,500 residential units, as well as shopping, restaurants, recreational and community facilities in walkable, vibrant neighborhood.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">The proposed design, shows higher residential densities within a half-mile radius of the transit station and lower densities further from the station. A contemporary version of a town square will be the central focus of the TOD. The site connects to a series of natural landscapes including the Harriman State Park Trail System to the west and the future expansion of the Heritage Trail.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">The Concept Plan calls for the property controlled by the applicant to be developed first. An alternative plan incorporates a portion of the MTA owned parking lot in the development. The alternative shows how the development can be achieved while also meeting the short-term and long-term parking needs of Metro-North/MTA&nbsp;</p>

<p class="font_8">BFJ Planning worked with an international team of planners and architects to prepare a new master plan for Greater Hanoi, an area of over 3,000 square kilometers.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">The master plan included proposals for future urban development; a comprehensive transportation network and future land use patterns for the year 2030, with a vision for 2050. &nbsp;Important planning goals included the need to maintain and enhance the city’s unique historic and cultural resources; to revitalize the existing small towns and villages surrounding the City; and to preserve important farmland and woodland areas located within the region.&nbsp;</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">The Plan received an AIA New York Chapter Urban Design Merit Award in 2011.</p>

<p class="font_8">BFJ Planning has worked with the Village of Ossining on a Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code update between March 2020 and June 2021. The plan has a focus on economic development, zoning code updates, and resilience to sea level rise on the Village’s Hudson River waterfront. The process has also been conducted in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The project team has worked closely with the Village and the Ossining community on a series of online community engagement strategies, from virtual village halls, zoom meetings, and social media. We have gotten great feedback using Social Pinpoint, an online community engagement platform that includes a virtual ideas wall and interactive mapping.&nbsp;</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Zoning code updates include new Form-Based Code Overlays for the Downtown area and the Croton Avenue corridor, in addition to changes to the Village’s Two-family district, as well as setback requirements modifications to the S-75 district. These zoning ideas are intended to encourage more investment in the Village by allowing residential use in the downtown, higher standards of street front and walkability, and removing barriers in transitional neighborhoods that currently limit renovations and development of new housing.&nbsp;</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">After incorporating community feedback, BFJ has prepared a full draft of the plan and zoning code updates, which have been adopted by the Board of Trustees, by unanimous vote, in July 2021.</p>

<p class="font_8">BFJ Planning worked with the City of Jersey City to prepare an update to the Land Use Element of the Master Plan. Since its 2000 Master Plan, the City has experienced broad-based economic growth, accompanied by employment and income gains and significant development activity. This robust growth has also generated shifts in the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the City. The Land Use Element reflects these changes and identified desired concepts for land use, development, and urban design for the next 20 years. The Element &nbsp;incorporates principles such as neighborhood-scaled, contextual planning; smart growth; mobility for all users; preservation of valuable historic, scenic, and environmental assets; reinforcement of retail and commercial uses at a variety of scales; and support for a range of housing opportunities serving residents of varying ages and incomes. The Land Use Element examined urban design challenges that are unique to Jersey City and its neighborhoods. Some of these issues were addressed at the neighborhood level, but many cross-cut across City geographies, and required a combination of design and regulatory strategies.&nbsp;</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">The Land Use Element Update represented part of a larger master planning effort that also incorporated the preparation of an Open Space, Recreation, and Community Facilities Element of the Master Plan. These two elements are under the umbrella of an overall Master Plan Update that established the graphic identity of the two documents, ensuring consistency of content, and coordinates the public engagement process. BFJ Planning is worked closely with these related plans and their consultants to ensure that the Land Use Element fit appropriately within the larger effort and furthers the City’s broader goals.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">The full Jersey City Master Plan was adopted in early 2022. In 2023, the New Jersey chapter of the American Planning Association selected the plan for its annual Outstanding Community Engagement Award.</p>

<p class="font_8">BFJ Planning has been retained by the City of New Rochelle for several large scale projects in recent years. The breadth of these multiple projects has ranged from reviewing development applications, helping to develop a new form-based code for downtown and the Lincoln Avenue Corridor, incorporating sustainability in the city’s comprehensive plan, preparing a city-wide update of the Zoning Code, and addressing issues facing the waterfront.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8"><strong>New Rochelle Downtown Development Planning and SEQR Review</strong></p> <p class="font_8">The City retained BFJ Planning to assist in the review of the New Rochelle Downtown Development Plan, the proposed Downtown Overlay Zone (DOZ), and the associated review of the SEQR Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS). The City and RDRXR, the selected Master Developer, developed a new form-based DOZ for an approximately 309-acre area of Downtown New Rochelle. The DOZ, adopted in 2015, is an optional overlay district, whereby landowners can choose to opt into development under the proposed DOZ requirements. The intent of the DOZ is to encourage redevelopment through the creation of an active, mixed-use district with convenient, safe and pleasant access to the New Rochelle Transportation Center. BFJ continues to provide planning review services as the City undertakes five-year review and update of the DOZ regulations to better address market demand and respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic. As part of this update the City is contemplating the creation of a new overlay district (DO-7) encompassing the Echo Bay waterfront. The amendments to the DOZ as well as the addition of the DO-7 District are both being studied in a Supplemental GEIS, under review by BFJ.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8"><strong>New Rochelle DO-8 District and the LINC</strong></p> <p class="font_8">BFJ Planning was selected by the City of New Rochelle to create a new DO-8 Overlay District, building off of recommendations for the Lincoln Avenue Corridor (LAC) in the City’s 2016 Comprehensive Plan Update</p> <p class="font_8">&nbsp;and the 2018 DRI Strategic Investment Plan. The DO-8 will cover ~86 acres along Lincoln Avenue from Webster Avenue to May Street and along Memorial Highway from Horton Avenue to Station Plaza South. The goal of the proposed zoning is to enable a greater mix of neighborhoodscale land uses and pedestrian friendly urban design guidelines. The proposed overlay will attract locally serving commercial businesses, increase housing supply, and enhance park access. The DO-8 District would be integrated into the City’s existing DOZ. In addition, the City is undertaking the Lincoln Avenue Complete Street (“LINC”) project which involves converting portions of Memorial Highway from roadway to public linear open space with recreational uses, bicycle facilities and pedestrian amenities. These improvements will help build stronger economic linkages between the Lincoln Avenue Corridor and downtown while also attracting new investment in areas adjacent to the existing highway. BFJ will also be undertaking the required SEQR review of the two projects in a Supplemental GEIS.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8"><strong>New Rochelle Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code Update</strong></p> <p class="font_8">BFJ Planning prepared an update of the New Rochelle Comprehensive Plan and related amendments to the Zoning Code. BFJ also prepared a GEIS in compliance with SEQR analyzing both the Comprehensive</p> <p class="font_8">Plan and Zoning Code Updates. The plan update focused on incorporating demographic and economic conditions and coordinating them with several recent and ongoing plans and development projects, including the downtown redevelopment and the LWRP update. One preliminary objective of the Comprehensive Plan update was to focus new development on the downtown area while preserving the character of the vast majority of the City’s residential neighborhoods.&nbsp;</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8"><strong>New Rochelle Local Waterfront Revitalization Program</strong></p> <p class="font_8">BFJ Planning prepared an update of the New Rochelle Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP), which includes policies to guide future uses of the City’s waterfront and harbor. This update incorporates a harbor management plan that focuses on environmental and recreational issues in the City’s harbor and in the Long Island Sound. The LWRP also focuses on strategies to reduce barriers to access that prevent residents and visitors from reaching the waterfront.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8"><br></p>

<p class="font_8">BFJ was retained by the City of Yonkers to complete an area master plan for the area around the Ludlow Metro-North Station. This area is primarily light industrial in nature, but it’s proximity to the Hudson River and access to public transportation create an opportunity for a mixed-use district that provides new housing while preserving existing jobs. The objective of this study was to identify uses and densities that are compatible with creating a transit-oriented district. Residential development, as well as new jobs, could be created around the train station to promote a more sustainable growth for the Ludlow neighborhood. The study also explored potential improvements at street level, such as enhancing walking and bicycling connections, beautifying the streetscape, and creating access to the waterfront. Working in coordination with the City of Yonkers and key stakeholders, BFJ evaluated existing zoning and developed recommended revisions to the zoning code that would encourage creation of a transit-oriented mixed-use district. Stakeholders included neighborhood groups, existing anchor businesses, and a developer who is in contract with the City on the key development site in the Ludlow area.</p>

<p class="font_8">BFJ Planning worked with the Village of Mount Kisco to create a comprehensive plan update that capitalized on the Village’s strategic location in Westchester County along the Metro-North Harlem Line. The 2018 update built on the Village’s existing Vision and Goals while adding new focus areas on Sustainability and the Downtown. With a walkable downtown and many open space resources, the Village is well-placed to further promote active design and complete streets programs to link neighborhoods to parks and schools.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Even with these advantages, BFJ focused on strategies to assist the Village in preparing for evolving trends in the local and regional economy, transportation options, and principles of smart growth and sustainability. The area around the Mount Kisco train station was a key focus area, with the North and South Moger Lots great opportunities for new transit-oriented development. As part of the plan update, BFJ created a new downtown form-based overlay zoning code to promote contextual design, improved streetscapes, and walkability. The plan also included conceptual designs for the Moger Lots to assist a parallel effort to prepare the Village to seek a development partner to create a mixed-use development near the train station. BFJ also prepared a Generic Environmental Impact Statement analyzing the Comprehensive Plan Update and proposed Zoning Code Amendments.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">For this project, BFJ was the leader of a multi-disciplinary team of consultants, which included Barton Partners, JMC Engineering, Urbanomics, and MUD Workshop.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">The comprehensive plan and zoning revisions were adopted in early 2019.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Voted the 2021 recipient of the Heissenbuttel Award for Planning Excellence by the New York Planning Federation.&nbsp;</p>