Politics & Government
Clark Planning Board Chairman Advocates for Town Center
Zamboni said the development of a town center needs to be done now, while other board members question the financial risk.
Clark Planning Board chairman John Zamboni pressured the board to make a concrete plan to develop a town center on Westfield Avenue at Thursday night's meeting.
He said a plan to create a downtown district has been in the works, but the board is “setting a precedent of doing things haphazardly with a hodgepodge of businesses.”
He made this statement after the board approved an application for a 7-Eleven to open on Westfield Avenue.
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Zamboni is concerned that by individually granting permission to businesses to open, a downtown area will not be cohesive.
He said he researched surrounding towns that have centers – mainly Westfield and Cranford – and believes that Clark could establish a town center with accommodations for future developments if the board sets up a concrete plan now.
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An ordinance is in place already, which would allow development of a central town area. A master plan was set forth in 2003 to create a downtown area in Clark, yet it has not been followed, Zamboni said.
But Clark Business Administrator and Board Member John Laezza said it is better to be financially responsible during a rough economic time.
“It is not economically feasible to open a village in Clark right now,” he said. “We’ve talked to 30 different developers but no one wants to invest now.”
Laezza mentioned the former A&P site on Westfield Avenue, which he said has been vacant for years with no suitable buyers.
Laezza said there are positives to a town center, and Westfield Avenue is in need of rehabilitation, but without solid investors, there is no possible way it could be successful.
