What is the Master Plan?
April 26, 2007 Filed in: Development
The master plan is a document required of each
community under State law, and the State requires a
review of that plan every six years. In Englewood the
last review took place in 2003. In a notice inviting
citizen participation in that review, the Englewood
Planning Board stated:
The master plan is not a law, but it provides the general guidelines to be expressed in specific terms in Englewood’s Zoning Ordinance and other legislation. The Englewood Planning Board and Board of Adjustment, which regularly hear and decide land use cases, are expected to heed those general guidelines as well as the legislated regulations.
The Englewood we live in today was shaped by some of the crucial planning decisions made in the past. Examples include: height limitations in residential areas; the delineation of a light industrial area; preservation of open space; the construction of subsidized public housing; and, more recently, development of the west end of Palisade Avenue; and more intense use of our light industrial area.
Much of the extensive construction we see in our City today is generally in accord with previously determined planning objectives.
Under the leadership of then Mayor Paul Fader and then Planning Board Chair Hilary Ballon, an extensive effort was made in 2003 to encourage public participation in the master plan review process. Four Master Plan Task Forces were formed and citizens were invited to participate.
The master plan review, when completed, listed its Statement of Objectives:
It is evident that four years ago a great deal of thought and public participation went into the preparation of this list. But planning objectives require leadership and commitment to become reality. We hope this list has not just been filed away in a drawer and forgotten by our public officials of today.
The master plan describes our vision of the City of Englewood. It outlines the kind of neighborhoods, recreational facilities, and downtown we want. It identifies the objectives we are trying to achieve through development and also the qualities we seek to preserve. In short, the master plan expresses what we want Englewood to be and frames that vision in terms of land use controls that affect all future development and impact our life as a residential community.
The master plan is not a law, but it provides the general guidelines to be expressed in specific terms in Englewood’s Zoning Ordinance and other legislation. The Englewood Planning Board and Board of Adjustment, which regularly hear and decide land use cases, are expected to heed those general guidelines as well as the legislated regulations.
The Englewood we live in today was shaped by some of the crucial planning decisions made in the past. Examples include: height limitations in residential areas; the delineation of a light industrial area; preservation of open space; the construction of subsidized public housing; and, more recently, development of the west end of Palisade Avenue; and more intense use of our light industrial area.
Much of the extensive construction we see in our City today is generally in accord with previously determined planning objectives.
Under the leadership of then Mayor Paul Fader and then Planning Board Chair Hilary Ballon, an extensive effort was made in 2003 to encourage public participation in the master plan review process. Four Master Plan Task Forces were formed and citizens were invited to participate.
The master plan review, when completed, listed its Statement of Objectives:
• Preserve the character of the residential neighborhoods
• Support residential neighborhoods to stabilize property values
• Encourage residential development in the Central Business District
• Address the shortage of parking in the Central Business District
• Promote public transportation, including light rail and trolleys, to ease traffic congestion, encourage use of peripheral parking lots, and provide access to the Central Business District from outlying areas
• Develop pedestrian walkways and bicycle paths as the connective tissue in the city, providing access from residential areas to major community resources, including the public library, town hall, Depot Square, Mackay Park, playgrounds, parks and shopping areas
• Enhance the intersection of Demarest and Dean Streets so that this area serves as an appropriate gateway to downtown Englewood
• Encourage mixed-use development in targeted areas, in particular the Office-Industrial Zone where land is underutilized
• Protect historic neighborhoods
• Nurture pride in our community and a sense of civic identity by setting high standards for urban design and protecting the quality of our built environment
• Take full advantage of open space resources, in particular by redesigning Depot Square as a site of community activities, with a landscaped park, outdoor amphitheater for concerts and movies, and facilities for an open-air market
It is evident that four years ago a great deal of thought and public participation went into the preparation of this list. But planning objectives require leadership and commitment to become reality. We hope this list has not just been filed away in a drawer and forgotten by our public officials of today.
