Housing Memorandum Intro to Housing Professor Braconi Columbia University Bernard Asagai ba2209@columbia.edu 10/15/2007
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Memorandum To:
Mayor Jim Cahill, Senator Bob Smith, Assemblyman Joseph V. Egan, and Assemblyman Upendra J. Chivukula
From:
Bernard Asagai
Date:
October 15th, 2007
Re:
Capturing Value: A Plan To Create High-Density Housing Surrounding Buccleuch Park with Light-Rail or Jitney/Van Transit Amenity
______________________________________________________ The purpose of this memo is to offer a change of perspective for Residential Housing production in the City of New Brunswick and other cities within the State of New Jersey. The suggestions within this memo cite a specific location in the City of New Brunswick, NJ but should be thought of in the broader context of capturing untapped value within under-utilized site locations for residential housing production which have the potential for creating residential vitality, comfortable density, Ÿ to ½ mile distances to rapidtransit, and increased tax revenues for a City. Over the past decade many cities within New Jersey have benefited tremendously from investments within their Housing sectors. But due to rising gas prices, increased landcosts, the effects of the sub-prime lending market, and the damage of the expanse of suburban sprawl on the environment, previous city and state gains that have been acquired have now become questionable in terms of their abilities to remain beneficial. Furthermore, the ability to retain price and value within the housing sector has become questionable as well. This memo is an attempt to link inclusive residential housing with new thoughts for housing site locations which provide for density, social capital
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development, transit access, and have the possibility of being constructed using existing Smart Growth Grants from the State of New Jersey. The City of New Brunswick is being used in this memo because it provides a wonderful example of a city that has a vast majority of the elements that are needed to sustain vitality. The city is the Home of Rutgers University, the World Headquarters of Johnson & Johnson, dozens of fine restaurants, and is within 30-minute rapid-rail transit access to New York City. The city has many positive aspects, but due to incorrect housing policy, the city is not capturing all of the value before it. For example, the majority of the housing stock in the City of New Brunswick is reaching the end of its life cycle and this challenge is a great opportunity for the city. According to 2000 Census data, 61.3% of the city’s total housing stock was created before 1959. This fact is clearly evidenced by simply taking a 30-minute drive through the city. Out-dated housing can be witnessed throughout the center-city business district, areas surrounding the Rutgers University College Avenue Campus, downtown George Street, the corridor of Easton Avenue, as well along the outer perimeters of New Brunswick. This is a dilemma for the City! As New Brunswick seeks to elevate it’s taxbase, lower residents tax burdens, increase city-wide repairs, and become more of a city that excites both tenured residents and newcomers as well, a location of destination, distinction, and of “place” is paramount and such places are best created through the element of housing, diverse amenities, and rapid transit access. The purpose of this document is not specifically to high-light the city’s housing crisis, but to provide new thinking in regards to the use of existing outdated, low density housing stock within prime locations of “place”. Such locations should they be rezoned from current single-family usage to locations with higher height restrictions along with components for higher density, inclusive mixed-use, have the possibility of creating new and desperately needed housing stock. Such changes to the specific location within this memo could possibly assist in creating and sustaining elevated levels of vibrancy, strong social capital, an increase in the city population base, and the reduction of the tax burden for all of the city’s residents.
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The State of New Jersey has made tremendous advances in its initial implementations of SMART growth. Its measures have acted to enhance the livability of residents, elevate property values, and have created new methods of thinking in regards to housing and the essential needs of the residents of the State. Its initial actions have been of high-merit, but in order to create vibrancy within the housing sector it must be coupled with rapid and diverse modes of transit and constructed within areas of high place-value that provide for elevated population density. Providing for housing given such constraints is a challenge, but it can be achieved. A possible example of such a location lies along the perimeter of the City of New Brunswick’s Buccleuch Park. The location given its proximity to the central business district as well as a host of other positive factors, which have been listed below, provides for a location where the housing stock is in need of replenishment and where untapped value can be captured. The park rests upon 78 acres of vast beautiful land and could assist with the State’s initiatives for elevating the interaction of residents with the State’s Green Spaces Initiatives. If high density, high-rise housing structures were permitted to replace the current well-aged single-family dwelling units around the park’s perimeter, new housing possibilities could be created which could set a standard for housing within the region. Furthermore, the current housing stock that surrounds the park is well aged and given the areas high value potential, the location and housing potential is currently greatly under utilized. Should the city rezone the perimeter of the park with higher ceiling heights and greater residential density capacities, the city’s housing dilemma could become a State Spotlight of Success if such density were permitted to occur. Furthermore, given that the mode of automobile usage is quite high in the State of New Jersey, and that it is also highly disliked when high-capacity, high-speed transit alternatives are placed within walkable distances from housing, it is a necessity that a transit component such as 24hr jitnet/van services or light-rail amenities that link the area to the New Brunswick Train Station be an element of such high-density redevelopment within the suggested area. Housing ad Transit go hand-in-hand. In today’s society, the two are inseparable. Such a policy would act as a blueprint, guide, and cookie-cutter
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example of how to approach land usage, high-density inclusive housing, and transit within the State. This proposal also has the potential of creating neighborhoods which are rich in social-capital due to the characteristics of there population densities as well as havens for families and individuals of mixed-incomes and mixed-backgrounds to thrive and build economic stability, and financial mobility through the use of untapped existing City land. As a means to propelling such a proposal, the Federal Government along with the State of New Jersey could permit the City of New Brunswick to create and issue SMART Growth Bonds that would be used to purchase the current properties that are along the perimeter of the park, and to fund for the production of the new dense high-rise housing facilities. Such bonds should provide for the transit components and construction of diverse amenities within the area as well. Such a proposal should seek to capture in infrastructure, the goals and desires of the State for the construction of new sustainable methods of housing production, within areas of high place-value. In closing, New Brunswick is a City with an exquisite history, a very diverse population demographic, and has much to offer in amenity. But given the lack of new housing policies, which can create new housing infrastructures that are linked to rapid-transit access, as well as within walkable distances from the CBD, housing policies within the region may not capture the total vitality, positive social capital, or generated tax-revenues that are possible from investments made within the housing market.
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Positive Effects that Would Facilitate and Sustain the Vitality of High-Density Housing within the Specified Area: •
Acquisition of current housing stock surrounding Buccleuch Park through the use of State Bonds
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High Density Housing within GreenSpaces
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Housing connected with Adaptive Transit Amenity components
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Capturing existing underused and under valued areas as a method to elevate city and state tax revenue and neighborhood vitality
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Creation of measures that enhance automobile-independent commutates through housing amenities and transit proximity
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Rezoning of the existing single-family residential codes surrounding the park to high-density mixed-use
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Elevated Tax-Revenues through increased population levels and building density
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Connecting the new high density area surrounding the park through light rail and private jitney/van services
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Elimination of the city’s 2a.m. “lights-out” law
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- ¼ distance to Rutgers University and New Jersey Transit Rail
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Rutgers Football Stadium effect on sustaining high property value
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Park Effect on sustaining high property values
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Minimization of Automobile Dependency due to Walkable Distance to Local, Regional, and Tri-State Area transit,
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Proximity to Rutgers University, St. Peters Hospital, UMDNJ
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Cleaner Air from the park and minimized automobile usage
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Reduction in asthma and other heath ills
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Histogram of New Brunswick’s Housing Stock
Total Housing Units: 13,893 Pie Chart of Housing Stock Creation
All Charts Based On Year 2000 United States Census Data
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Satellite Image of Buccleuch Park
Gazebo within Buccleuch Park
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Rock Garden of Buccleuch Park
New Brunswick Train Station
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