WOODBURY, NJ City Planning Workshop Department of City and Regional Planning Univeristy of Pennsylvania School of Design Spring 2013
strengthening woodbury’s core
Team Members: Brian Agness Melissa Andrews Libby Horwitz Ke Lin Fritz Ohrenschall Hiro Takahashi Jen Webber Shelly Zhu Instructor: Mindy Watts, Interface Studio, AICP Workshop Coordinator: John Landis, Department Chair Special thanks to Randi Woerner, Director of Economic Development, City of Woodbury and Larry Geiger, Executive Director, Main Street Woodbury, Inc. for their time and input over the course of the semester.
ENERGIZE, LINK, ATTRACT Strengthening Woodbury’s Core
Table of Contents
List of Figures Figure 1: Context Map...................................................................................1 Figure 2: Base Map.......................................................................................4 Figure 3: Land Use........................................................................................5 Figure 4: Zoning............................................................................................6 Figure 5: Historical Development over Time................................................8 Figure 6: Population Change over Time.......................................................9 Figure 7: Minority Population Concentration...............................................10 Figure 8: Top Employing Sectors..................................................................11 Figure 9: Renter/Owner Concentration........................................................12 Figure 10: Regional Leakage........................................................................13 Figure 11: Commercial Sales & Leakage (in thousands).............................15 Figure 12: Broad Street Retail Mix...............................................................16 Figure 13: Commuting Volumes and Distances by Location.......................17 Figure 14: Annual Average Daily Traffic.......................................................18 Figure 15: Mode Share Comparison.............................................................19 Figure 16: Public Transportation..................................................................20 Figure 17: Parks and Open Space...............................................................22 Figure 18: Housing Conditions.....................................................................26 Figure 19: Woodbury Public Schools............................................................27 Figure 20: Educational Proficiency...............................................................28 Figure 21: Crime Comparison, 2010.............................................................32 Figure 22: Broad Street CPTED Analysis .....................................................34 Figure 23: Connect The Day..........................................................................44 Figure 24: Cultural Assets............................................................................45 Figure 25: Transit-Induced Benefits.............................................................46 Figure 26: Goals Matrix................................................................................47 Figure 27: Broad Street Intersection............................................................48 Figure 28: Areas of Broad Street..................................................................50 Figure 29: Recommended Banners Unify City Image..................................52
Figure 30: Vision For a More Inviting Entrance to the City..........................53 Figure 31: Rendering of Gateway Improvements.........................................54 Figure 32: Rendering of Streetscape Improvements Extended...................56 Figure 33: Priority Surveillance Locations...................................................60 Figure 34: City-Wide Public Awareness Campaign Poster..........................61 Figure 35: Aerial of Current Anchor Site Conditions...................................62 Figure 36: Proposed Plan at the Redevelopment Site.................................63 Figure 37: TOD Site as Seen From Future Cafe............................................66 Figure 38: Proposed Trail.............................................................................68 Figure 39: Trail Transect...............................................................................70 Figure 40: Fitness Stations Alongside a Segment of Trail ..........................71 Figure 41: Active Transit Inclusivity on Broad Street Bridge.......................74 Figure 42: Strategies for Improving Broad Street Slope..............................76 Figure 43: Proposed Bike Share Program ...................................................77 Figure 44: Proposed Bike Lane ...................................................................78 Figure 45: Real-time Bus Departure Information........................................79 Figure 46: Pedestrian and Vehicle-Level Wayfinding ..................................81 Figure 47: Prospective BIC Locations..........................................................84 Figure 48: Business Information Center Office............................................85 Figure 49: Vacant Storefront to Art Gallery Transformation........................86 Figure 50: Rendering of Proposed Food Truck Location and Seating.........92 Figure 51: Examples of Different Summer Programs.................................93 Figure 52: Possible Signage To Promote Discount Days.............................94 Figure 53: Outdoor Film Series at the Redevelopment Site........................96 Figure 53: Implementation Matrices............................................................98
Baseline Conditions
1
Goals & Vision
35
Recommendations Energize Link Attract
57 61 77 93
Implementation
107
Introduction to the Plan Woodbury, New Jersey was founded in 1683. It is a traditional small town with a main street commercial corridor, compact neighborhoods, and its own unique identity. Like so many small towns throughout the United States, its vibrancy has been weakened by suburbanization, dependence on the car, and the shift in the American way of life away from the small town community. Since the 1960s, Woodbury has experienced economic decline and a loss of population, but it has also retained many of its greatest strengths. Its resilience is evident in the proud population of residents who remain in the city and seek to improve and restore Woodbury’s economic and community vitality. As part of a broader analysis of Philadelphia’s first suburban communities, The University of Pennsylvania’s School of Design undertook an analytical review and planning process for Woodbury, New Jersey in the winter of 2013. The planning process began by evaluating Woodbury’s existing conditions. The planning team gathered the hard facts and the numbers, but also talked to residents, business owners, and city officials in order to understand the residents’ opinions and vision for their community. Upon completion of the baseline analysis the team proceeded to outline Woodbury’s Strengths, Deficiencies, Opportunities, and Constraints in order to construct a framework around which to consider future scenarios and recommendations.
The vision for the future began with the creation of seven goals for the city. The planning team then imagined different scenarios in which Woodbury could meet those goals. One possibility was a community that caters and serves multiple generations of residents - A City you can Grow with. A different scenario thought about Woodbury as a center of local food, art, and history – Local is Beautiful. Lastly, the team imagined Woodbury as a better, more walkable urban version of itself, building upon the community’s tight street network, abundant open space, and urban environment – Old-New Urbanism. It became clear that to best meet Woodbury’s goals, the final recommendations would need to incorporate elements of all three scenarios, leading to the formation of the final plan – Energize, Link, Attract: Strengthening Woodbury’s Core, which focuses on strengthening Broad Street, better connecting the City’s park system to its commercial core, and transforming what is currently a void in the Broad Street corridor into a new node of activity where the business district meets Woodbury Creek. As part of the first-year City Planning Workshop at the University of Pennsylvania, this plan was completed in May 2013 in cooperation with representatives from the City of Woodbury.
“People have a passion for Woodbury.”
Baseline Conditions
Welcome to Woodbury
1
Community
9
Local and Regional Links
13
Quality of Life
21
Camden
Philadelphia
Distance from Woodbury
676
Philadelphia Camden Haddonfield Lindenwold Glassboro
76 95
Haddonfield
ARE RIVE R LAW DE
13.1 miles 8.8 miles 9.5 miles 13.3 miles 10.1 miles
295
WOODBURY 45
Lindenwold
GLOUCESTER COUNTY Major Highways & Roads Bus Lines
Glassboro
1 | BASELINE CONDITIONS
Figure 1: Context Map
Welcome to Woodbury the city you can grow with
“A nice mix of urban and suburban living– city feel, in the shadows of Philly, but there are farms two blocks down.” —City Employee The City of Woodbury is situated in Gloucester County, New Jersey. Gloucester County is home to 289,000 residents, 10,174 of whom live in Woodbury1. Woodbury is also the seat of Gloucester County and, as such, it is a regional hub to which over 10,000 people come each day to work, many to the Underwood Memorial Hospital and County Justice Complex. Adjacent to Gloucester County are Salem and Cumberland Counties to the south, Camden County to the north, and Atlantic County to the east. Situated between Interstate 295, the New Jersey Turnpike, and Interstate 76, Woodbury is well-connected to the region and eastern seaboard. At the size of just 2 square miles, Woodbury is a relatively dense community just 13 miles or 20 minutes from Philadelphia and 15 minutes from Camden, but travel times can double during rush hour. The town currently has a single-track freight rail line bisecting the city, but there is no passenger rail service. 1
US 2010 Census
Woodbury is the seat of Gloucester County Welcome to Woodbury | 2
base map & context Woodbury’s physical environment is characterized by its main axes created by Broad Street, running north-south, and Cooper and Delaware Streets, running east-west (see Figure 2). This intersection is the center of town, anchored by the County Courthouse and City Hall. Another prominent feature of the city is Woodbury Creek, a tributary of the Delaware River that flows through the community from east to west. The city government and county judicial complexes comprise much of North Broad Street, which is the main commercial corridor for the community. The street is bounded by low-rise buildings with ample street parking and boasts wide sidewalks and pedestrian crossings. Two prominent new developments are being constructed on Broad Street. The first is the renovation of the historic G.G. Green building. The façade is being restored, and affordable senior housing with ground-floor retail is under construction. The second is a new Bottom Dollar Food at the site of the old Barlow Buick. Fortunately for Woodbury, there are community amenities throughout the city. Two such examples are the Underwood-Memorial Hospital, which in addition to being a major employer in the area also provides ready access to medical treatment. Another is Woodbury’s open space network. The network provides publicly accessible green space along the creek corridors throughout the city. The Woodbury Country Club also provided access to open space and recreation until its bankruptcy in 2009, yet the land offers the city potential for growth. 3 | BASELINE CONDITIONS
Gloucester County Courthouse on Broad Street
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Figure 2: Base Map
Welcome to Woodbury | 4
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WOODBURY LAND USE
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54% 11%
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Park Parking Community Services Vacant Land Water Recreation Transportation Figure 3: Land Use Source: DVRPC
5 | BASELINE CONDITIONS
Land Use
Commercial-Core
Medical Hospital
Woodbury’s land use is 54% residential. At the city’s core is a commercial corridor, which accounts for 11% of total land use (see Figure 3). A benefit to Woodbury’s health and wellness, parks, water, and recreational space accounts for 15% of the City’s land.
Commercial-Suburban
Residential > 1,500 SF lots
Commercial-Auto
Residential > 3,500 SF lots
Industrial
Residential > .15 acre lots
Planned Apartment
Residential > .30 acre lots
Zoning The vast majority of the city is zoned residential. Lots that are larger than .3 acres characterize the east side of the city. The west side of the city is denser and consists of .15 acres and 3,500 square foot lots. The commercially zoned area is at the core. Commercially zoned parcels allow for residences above groundfloor retail or offices. More robust possibilities for mixed-use were legalized in Woodbury’s form-based code which came as part of the 2010 Redevelopment Plan.
WO ODB UR Y
CR E EK
Figure 4: Zoning Source: DVRPC
Welcome to Woodbury | 6
a brief history Quakers were the earliest settlers in the Woodbury area. Most were driven from England because of religious persecution. One of those early settlers was Henry Wood, who arrived in 1683 and founded a family settlement called Woodbury. The area remained a family settlement until 1696 when the King’s Highway was built. The highway linked Woodbury to Burlington in the northeast and Salem to the southwest. After construction was completed, Woodbury’s population increased, and an active commercial area along Broad Street blossomed. By the early 1700s, Woodbury became a popular location for Quakers settling in Southern New Jersey, prompting the construction of the Friends Meeting House in 1717. In 1777, Woodbury was the headquarters of the British army under General Cornwallis during his advance on Philadelphia. In addition, the American Continental Army logged an important win against the Hessian army at the Battle of Red Bank, preventing the British from controlling the Delaware River. The battlefield is located just 3 miles northwest of Woodbury, at Fort Mercer. After the Revolutionary War, the population continued to grow and a half-century later, in 1854, Woodbury was officially incorporated as a borough with land taken from Deptford Township. It was reincorporated as a city in 1871.
7 | BASELINE CONDITIONS
Broad Street circa 1940, Village Green Preservation Society From 1880 to 1900, the city experienced its greatest period of growth, coinciding with the expansion of the Green family’s patent medicine business. During this period, Woodbury began to grow rapidly, transforming the surrounding lands from agricultural uses to urban development. The Broad Street area saw many additions to its building stock and many of the city’s largest homes were constructed just prior to the turn of the 20th century. It was also around this time that Woodbury became the seat of Gloucester County.
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Woodbury flourished until the mid 1960s, when population and economic vitality began to decline. From 1970 to 1980, population decreased by almost 20%. At the same time, Deptford Mall opened, creating intense competition for Broad Street businesses. In 1980, Woodbury became the first city in the United States to mandate recycling, leading to a brief period of national recognition. In the past decade, the Underwood-Memorial Hospital has grown significantly and has become a major employer for the city.
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1890 1920 1960
planning context There has been extensive planning in Woodbury in the last decade. In 2006, the city wrote its Comprehensive Master Plan envisioning a city that “provides a desirable place to live, work, and play.”2 Recognizing that the community’s greatest opportunity lay in the revitalization of the Broad Street commercial corridor, the city, along with Group Melvin Design, began the extensive process of drafting and adopting a redevelopment plan. The 2010 Redevelopment Plan is dynamic; it is intended to direct redevelopment in Woodbury over the course of the next 50 years. It is designed to be flexible to allow for adaptation by the city, potential developers, architects and other economic forces. The plan visualizes Woodbury at maximum build-out, providing the community with an idea of what Woodbury could become if its vision of density was achieved. The Redevelopment Plan creates a redevelopment area between the commercial core on Broad Street and the rail line. The plan also creates a form-based code overlay which is intended to guide the design of the community in order to “create an active mixed-use, walkable downtown core that is able to support a variety of housing types; day, night, and weekend commercial uses; government services; active public spaces and fixed rail transit service.”3 Redevelopment Plan and Form-Based Code were enacted into law in 2010.
2000 Figure 5: Historical Development over Time
Source: Rutgers Cartography Lab and USGS Geological Survey
2 3
Woodbury Comprehensive Master Plan, pg. 3 Woodbury Redevelopment Plan, pg. 113
Welcome to Woodbury | 8
Community
demographics & population Like many other small towns, Woodbury’s population peaked in 1960. Since then, Woodbury has generally experienced a slow decline in population as residents have moved to the surrounding townships or beyond. Woodbury was home to 12,453 residents at its peak; today, the population is closer to 10,174 (see Figure 6). Despite Woodbury’s slowed population loss, other factors have been changing. Woodbury is a predominantly White community, but in recent years it has become increasingly racially and ethnically diverse. Of city residents, 69% are White, while the other 31% identify as minority. Much of the city’s racial diversity is concentrated in the southern part of the city, southeast of Barber Avenue (see Figure 7). One in four individuals in Woodbury is African American, and from 2000 to 2010 the city saw a 167% increase in its Hispanic community.
12000
10000
8000
Woodbury’s population peaked in 1960, and decreased 1% from 2000 to 2010. 9 | BASELINE CONDITIONS
1940
1950
1960
1970
Figure 6: Population Change over Time Source: US Census Bureau
1980
1990
2000
2010
The age of the community is also shifting. Even though the median age stayed the same from 2000 to 2010, holding steady at 37 years old, there appear to be a growing number of baby boomers in Woodbury, as the population of people aged 55–59 and 60–64 increased by 33% and 50%, respectively. People appear to be aging in place.
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The community is also losing working-age households with children; non-family households increased by 14% from 2000 to 2010. Family households, two people related by birth, marriage, or adoption and residing together, and households with children under 18 years old all declined by 10% or more. If these trends continue, the city will struggle to meet the needs of its elder residents without a working population. Despite the evidence to the contrary, there is a public perception that young families are moving to Woodbury to take advantage of affordable home values, an attractive and historic housing stock, and local proximity to employment.
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White-61% Minority-39%
15%
Figure 7: Minority Population Concentration Source: US Census Bureau
69%
Woodbury also has a large number of renters. Renting households constitute 42% of all households and are highly concentrated in the neighborhood southeast of Broad Street. This concentration of rentals is also consistent with the concentration of minorities in the city, as well as the neighborhoods with the lowest median income.
The number of working–age households with children decreased 13% from 2000 to 2010. Community | 10
economic conditions Employment Woodbury’s total employment decreased from 1998–2002, but since then, Woodbury employment opportunities have been increasing at a nominal rate. Despite a great number of job opportunities, the City’s unemployment rate increased from 2000 to 2010. In 2010 the unemployment rate was 8.4%, which represents a 56% increase from 2000. The workforce, defined as the civilian population aged sixteen and older, increased by 8% in 2000 to 60% in 2010.4 The three largest employment sectors in the city are Education and Healthcare; Retail; and Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate (see Figure 8).
Unemployment is up 56% from 2000 to 2010 4
2000 Census / 2010 5-year ACS
11 | BASELINE CONDITIONS
Health Services
Retail
FIRE
28.1%
13.2%
10.4%
Figure 8: Top Employing Sectors Source: 2010 Zip Code Business Patterns
Income
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Woodbury median income rose from $41,827 to $58,629 from 2000 to 2010. Despite this increase, Woodbury has challenges associated with poverty and low-income residents. In 2010, Woodbury had twice the rate of householders making under $10,000 as did New Jersey; however, if one looks at the age of residents living below the poverty line, Woodbury’s figures were slightly lower than those of New Jersey with one significant exception. Woodbury had twice the rate of residents aged 65 and older living below the poverty line in 2010. These statistics indicate a sizable disadvantaged elderly population in Woodbury. Lower-income residents in Woodbury are concentrated in the block groups located east of Broad Street in the southern portion of the city. These block groups also contain the largest concentration of renters and minority populations in Woodbury (see Figure 9).
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18%
Renter- 42% Owner- 58%
65%
Figure 9: Renter/Owner Concentration Source: US Census Bureau
Community | 12
Camden
Philadelphia
Cherry Hill Mall
676
76 95
Haddonfield
ARE RIVE R LAW DE
295
WOODBURY Deptford Mall 45
Lindenwold
GLOUCESTER COUNTY
“The malls killed our retail; the retail just vanished.” —City Employee
Figure 10: Regional Leakage
Glassboro
Local and Regional Links
13 | BASELINE CONDITIONS
Local and Regional Links commercial corridors
Woodbury’s main commercial corridor, Broad Street, contains a variety of small businesses, national chains, and institutions. Broad Street is anchored to the north by the high school and county justice system, and to the south by the Rite Aid and coming Bottom Dollar Food. Throughout the corridor there is a blend of retail, restaurants, and services. Despite the variety of commercial and governmental uses, the street provides a retail mix that does not meet local residents’ or workers’ needs. Woodbury’s major employers are poorly connected to the heart of the vibrant downtown and employees fail to patronize downtown businesses. Store placements lack diversity and synergy, decreasing the time people spend on Broad. Currently, 20% of the storefronts on Broad are vacant (see Figure 11). As a result, residents of Woodbury are choosing to spend their dollars in neighboring shopping hubs.
Competition Broad Street faces numerous inherent challenges, including retail mix, but the fundamental issue facing the area is acute competition from surrounding regional malls in Deptford
and Cherry Hill as well as big box stores. Woodbury loses an enormous amount of potential revenue to the surrounding shopping hubs, particularly in clothing, electronics, and sporting goods. These are goods that are highly demanded in the community and which are extremely under supplied5 (see Figure 12). This poses an enormous challenge to Woodbury’s economic vitality, as its auto-centric community is drawn to big-box retailers with parking rather than the compact nature of Broad Street’s commercial corridor. In addition to the main Broad Street corridor, Woodbury contains four additional retail shopping centers. Two of these centers are located in the northeast of the city along Red Bank Avenue and mainly contain chain stores. The third is along South Evergreen Avenue and the final one is far south on Route 45 where Broad Street becomes the Mantua Pike. While these shopping centers face the same challenges as the Broad Street corridor of attracting and retaining businesses, they include more anchor businesses and serve the local community’s needs. 5
2013 Woodbury Market Profile
South Broad Street, east side frontages | 14
Broad Street Challenges Were competition with the surrounding malls not to exist, Broad Street would still face a number of internal challenges. There are a high number of absentee landlords, business owners with no prior experience, and retail shops offering goods that do not match customer demand. Many of the stores on Broad Street are lower-market businesses, including a Cash-for-Gold store, bail bondsmen, fried chicken restaurant, and takeout Chinese restaurant, which provides limited options for sit-down dining. Additionally, many of the stores operate as “back-door businesses,� which draw pedestrian activity away from the main street to their rear parking. Many of these back-door businesses also do most of their businesses with institutional customers and not individuals further deadening the street. The city and Main Street Inc., a not-for-profit organization designed to improve the vitality of downtown, have begun to proactively recruit new retail to promote a better mix, and enroll business owners in their business-training program. Unfortunately, the failure of Woodbury to meet the demographic standards of many national chains is proving to be a challenge. The city has seen some success with the restoration of the G.G. Green medicine building and its ongoing conversion to a mixeduse development; openings of the Bottom Dollar Food Store and Crazy Never Die art supply store are also promising. Recent improvements to Broad Street narrowed the road from four lanes to a two lanes with a center turn lane and bicycle lanes. This has increased walkability and slowed traffic through the downtown. 15 | BASELINE CONDITIONS
The largest employers on Broad Street are governmental and non-profit and do not pay taxes to the city. While these employers draw many people to the city each day, these employees only benefit the city when they patronize local restaurants and stores, increasing the vibrancy of Woodbury’s downtown.
$44,699,028 Retail Gap! Leakage Sales
$6,300
$3,530 $300 Clothing
$370 Electronics
$1,770 $530 Sporting Goods
Figure 11: Commercial Sales & Leakage (in thousands) Source: 2013 Woodbury Market Profile
Local and Regional Links
SERVICES
15 3 insurance
2 staffing
8 law
PUBLIC & ORGANIZATIONS
13 2 news
7 government
2 schools
FOOD
10 4 fast food
4 restaurants
7 3 specialty goods
LOW-MARKET RETAIL SALON
RELIGIOUS
12%
8%
7%
1 bail bond 1 cash for gold 3 electronics 1 thrift
4 3 2 grocery
1 pharmacy
3 2 medical
OFFICE
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4% 4%
1 fitness
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2 organizations 1 museum
1 jewelry
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NECESSITIES HEALTH
16%
2 specialty
HIGH-MARKET RETAIL 3 antiques & gifts
18%
1 office 1 bank
2
16 empty storefronts on Broad! 16
20%
Figure 12: Broad Street Retail Mix Source: Field Study
| 16
transportation & commuting Commuting Pattern Woodbury is a regional employment hub, primarily because of Underwood Memorial Hospital and the County Justice System. According to the US Census Bureau, 10,773 people work in Woodbury, but only 5% of those workers live within the city limits. Swelling the city’s daytime population, workers coming from the surrounding region into Woodbury almost double the population each day (see Figure 13). There are 4,353 people who live in Woodbury and participate in the labor force. The vast majority of those workers leave the city each day. Woodbury has extremely close ties to the surrounding community, as the majority of people who commute into Woodbury for work have less than a 10-mile commute, and of the residents of Woodbury who commute out of the city, 39.1% are commuting less than 10 miles.
Traffic Volume The busiest streets in Woodbury are Broad, Delaware/Cooper Streets and Evergreen Avenue. Broad Street, or County Road 45, carries 20,000 cars in and out of the city. While acting as its main commercial corridor, it connects Woodbury to Salem and Westville. Delaware and Cooper streets carry 14,000 cars each day and connect the core of the city to I295/US130, while Evergreen Avenue carries 18,000 cars a day (see Figure 14). Even though Broad manages to carry over 20,000 cars, it was recently calmed to lower speeds and provide a better pedestrian environment and make it easier for cars to slow down and park, utilizing the main street. 17 | BASELINE CONDITIONS
Burlington Co. 6.5% 701 Burlington Co. 8.9% 386 Philadelphia Co. 9.9% 429
Gloucester Co. 31.9% 1390 Delaware Co. 2.9% 125
Salem Co. 2.6% 275
Camden Co. 19.3% 2080 Camden Co. WOODBURY 18.3% 4.9% 796
527
Gloucester Co. 47.8% 5146
20 miles
30 miles
Atlantic Co. 2.3% 102
40 miles
Figure 13: Commuting Volumes and Distances by Location Source: US Census Bureau, On The Map
Almost as many people commute into Woodbury everyday as live there.
10,246 people commute into Woodbury
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Parking 20,000/day 14,000/day 18,000/day Figure 14: Annual Average Daily Traffic Source: DVRPC Traffic Counts
Local and Regional Links | 18
Commuting Mode Woodbury is an almost entirely auto-oriented community. Driving alone accounts for 85% of commutes while less than 5% use public transportation (see Figure 15). While Woodbury recently created two bike lanes on Broad Street, biking accounts for almost none of the commuting in the city. However, there are quite a few people who do not own a car in this community. 50% of the renters in Woodbury are carless and depend upon public transit services. There is a gross disparity through the city, as 70% of the commuters who use public transit live in southeastern Woodbury.
Public Transit There are six bus routes that serve Woodbury. Four of them start from Center City, Philadelphia and head through Woodbury, south to Pennsville, Salem, Bridgeton, and Glassboro. The ride from Philadelphia takes close to 45 minutes. The other two routes connect Woodbury to adjacent communities. One starts at Paulsboro, west of Woodbury, and ends at Cherry Hill Mall. The
other starts in Woodbury and ends at Avandale Park, southeast of the city. The bus service is available every 10 to 20 minutes between Woodbury and Philadelphia, but to go farther south from Woodbury on those lines, the bus only runs every one to two hours. Currently, a proposed light rail line from Camden to Glassboro through Woodbury is undergoing its environmental impact statement. It would have two stations in Woodbury (see Figure 16).
Parking The city of Woodbury owns multiple public parking areas close to Broad Street that are open to the public free-of-charge (see Figure 14). Additionally, most businesses have their own private parking either in front of the building or in the rear. Street parking is also readily available and free of charge. However, the addition of a bike lane on Broad Street has caused the removal of some street parking north of Cooper and Delaware Streets on Broad Street. 4.7%
10.0%
9.6%
10.6%
1.9% 6.9% 16.8%
18.0%
HADDONFIELD
GLASSBORO
Car, truck, or van— drove alone
LINDENWOLD
Car, truck, or van
2.9%
Public Transportation 70.3%
81.6%
66.7%
Other Figure 15: Mode Share Comparison Source: 2011 American Community Survey
19 | BASELINE CONDITIONS
7.2% 4.9% 3.4% Commuter Rail (proposed)
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84.5%
Red Bank Avenue Rail Station (proposed)
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Woodbury Rail Station (proposed)
Figure 16: Public Transportation Source: New Jersey Transit, GIS files
Local and Regional Links | 20
Quality of Life open space
Woodbury’s Land Despite being densely developed, 11% of Woodbury’s land coverage is open space (see Figure 3). The open space within the city consists of seventeen municipal parks, forested waterfront, sidewalk landscaping tended by the city, private yards, the Woodbury Country Club, and Woodbury Creek6. Woodbury’s public open spaces are throughout the entire community, although there are more individual parks east of Broad Street than west. On one hand, the fragmentation of this land is beneficial to the city, as it maximizes access and ensures that the vast majority of residents are within ¼ mile of a public park (see Figure 17). Nevertheless, the fragmented nature of the parks is problematic from an ecological perspective, as smaller, isolated plots of natural land result in a decrease of both species abundance (how many individuals of a species are present) and richness (the variety of species present).
One stakeholder noted that Woodbury residents use the parks for a variety of community events throughout the year, including the Woodbury Running Club’s relay event and a kayak race. The parks are clean and generally well-maintained, although some could use additional trash cans, benches, and other small improvements. The passive parks are predominantly along the waterfront and consist of mostly forested lands with walking trails. There are a number of “desire paths” snaking through various parks, which make it clear that residents want more official pathways and better connectivity in the parks.
Woodbury has two distinct types of open space: active and passive. The active spaces contain a variety of amenities, including play equipment, tennis courts, baseball diamonds, and canoe launches; there is ample space for more amenities to be added. 6 City of Woodbury, “Parks and Features,” http://www.woodbury.nj.us/recreation/parks-features/.
21 | BASELINE CONDITIONS
Desire paths indicate a need for better open space connectivity
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Passive Open Space Active Open Space Figure 17: Parks and Open Space
Quality of Life | 22
Woodbury’s Water Most of Woodbury’s remaining undeveloped areas are adjacent to Woodbury Creek, a tidal tributary of the Delaware River (see Figure 3). The creek meanders from east to west towards the Delaware River and widens into a series of lakes within the city’s borders. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection conducted monitoring of the biodiversity and water conditions in many of the state’s waterways in 2000 and 2001, and Woodbury Creek Park was one of their sample sites.7 According to the study, the sample site was “moderately impaired” given the variety and quantity of invertebrate species sampled. Further deficiencies in the study included organic pollution and lack of clean water organisms; however, the stream bank vegetation and stability were “fair,” indicating an absence of serious erosion, and fish were recorded as being present. The study mentioned that the creek had slow-flowing water, but it seems to be moving fast enough to have a dissolved oxygen content that, at 9.1 parts per million, supports life underwater. The City of Woodbury does not have exceedingly strict regulations of its waterways. Its subdivision ordinance, in Section 1707.3B8(a), requires the City to evaluate subdivisions during the schematic design phase to determine if a storm water detention area is required, and uses the storm water management standards of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection as reference. The zoning code contains no overlays for 23 | BASELINE CONDITIONS
wetlands, floodplains, or other water bodies. The city has many steep slopes adjacent to water bodies, and some erosion issues were observed on-site. This fact could explain the brown color of much of Woodbury Creek.
Brownfields The city’s 20 brownfield sites and three groundwater contamination areas threaten the health of Woodbury’s open space.7 These sites are located in the south of the city, near the formerly industrial land.8 Further such sites exist in adjacent towns and might affect soil and groundwater within Woodbury. Of those within Woodbury, many are located on the sites of existing car dealerships and gas stations.
7 New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection 8 New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, “i-MapNJ,” http://www. nj.gov/dep/gis/depsplash.htm).
17 MUNICIPAL PARKS
54 ACRES OF WATER
160 ACRES OF GREEN SPACE
4
PLAYGROUNDS
20
BROWNFIELDS
Bell Lake Park, at the western edge of Woodbury Quality of Life | 24
housing quality & affordability Woodbury’s long history alludes to the older housing stock present within the city. Almost all of the homes in Woodbury predate the 1990s and a majority of the housing dates between 1940–1980. There are also a number of historic homes in the city as a third of the units were built prior to 1939. Contrastingly, only 130 new units have been built in the past decade. The housing in Woodbury is generally older than that in surrounding Gloucester County. The median year of home construction in Woodbury is 1948, which is 25 years older than the average home age in the county as a whole. The oldest housing units are concentrated in the original center of the city near Delaware, Cooper, Broad, and Barber Streets. The older housing in the city was also built at a higher density; Woodbury has 5,104 units per square mile compared to the county’s 339 units per square mile.
Housing Style The prevailing housing style is detached single-family homes, which make up two-thirds of all units. There are few attached single-family homes, and most apartment buildings are part of large complexes. Many of the rental units are concentrated in these apartment building complexes, though some are also in attached single-family housing, or old single-family houses for rent.
57.6% of Woodbury’s housing stock is in excellent condition. Only 1.4% is considered failing 25 | BASELINE CONDITIONS
Housing Quality Though much of the housing is at least 50 years old, a vast majority has been maintained and is in good condition. A field survey based on exterior qualities of Woodbury’s housing stock indicates the neighborhoods in the north, east, and west sides of the city have few if any vacant properties or deteriorating buildings. The greatest concentration of distressed housing in the city is located in the neighborhoods south of Barber Avenue (see Figure 18). This area also has the largest concentration of rental units and the lowest income levels in the city. These facts create a poor perception as residents associate rental units with inadequate housing and poverty. Buildings were graded on a scale of A through F as follows:
A: Excellent evidence of recent investment, no physical deficiencies B: Good structure is still excellent, but minor cosmetic repairs are necessary C: Distressed major cosmetic repairs are necessary F: Failing abandoned building with major issues, or vacant lot
EVE
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A: Excellent
B: Good
DELA WAR E
C: Distressed COOP E
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F: Failing
Figure 18: Housing Conditions Source: Field Survey
Quality of Life | 26
Vacancy Woodbury struggles with an increasing vacancy rate. At 8.3% it is higher than Gloucester County by 3% and has increased 2% since 2000. However, unlike many suburban communities, vacancies in Woodbury are not born out of housing bubble foreclosures. Instead 52% of all vacancies are rental units. Woodbury also has a higher rate of renter-occupied housing, 42% higher than the surrounding county’s 20%. The owner occupied rate is 58% and 80% respectively.
education The Woodbury Public School system has three elementary schools and a combined junior-senior high school coterminous with the city’s boundaries (see Figure 19). All four of these schools are underperforming in math and language arts relative to other schools in the state of New Jersey.
Housing Value & Costs The median home value in Woodbury in 2011 was $188,400. This value is lower than the county, but is increasing at a rapid rate. The median home value jumped $90,000 since 2000. The increasing cost has also affected city rents; the median has increased from $495 in 2000 to $854 in 2011. Although housing may be less expensive in Woodbury than Gloucester County, there are still many families burdened by the cost of housing. 352 households in Woodbury spend more than 50% of their income on housing costs. There are an additional 882 homeowners spending between 30% and 49%. Taken together, those experiencing housing stress make up 45% of all homeowners in Woodbury. The renters in Woodbury are not doing any better; 60% spend more than 30% of their household income on rent. Housing costs are a significant concern for most of the community.9
Walnut St. Elementary
Woodbury Jr/Sr High
West End Memorial Elementary
Figure 19: Woodbury Public Schools 9
2000 Census / 2011 5-year ACS
27 | BASELINE CONDITIONS
Evergreen Avenue Elementary
Educational Proficiency On Language Arts proficiency tests, only 21% of Walnut Street Elementary School students, 39% of West End Memorial Elementary School students, and 45% of Evergreen Avenue Elementary School students met state standards. While on average in New Jersey, 90.7% of twelfth graders scored as proficient in language arts, only 64% did at Woodbury JuniorSenior High School (see Figure 20). Woodbury public schools fall well below the state average in math as well. On average in New Jersey, 80.6% of fifth graders tested as proficient in math. In Woodbury, 68% of Walnut Street Elementary School, 78% of West End Memorial Elementary School, and 51% of Evergreen Avenue Elementary School fifth graders scored proficient. The New Jersey State average was 83.33% for twelfth grade. Woodbury Junior-Senior High School scored slightly below the state average, with 81% of students scoring proficient.
Young Families The quality of public education is a large factor in a family’s location decision. While the city has a strong and affordable housing stock, the city’s public schools are underperforming. The poor quality of education negates those savings. Many families are unwilling to send their children to the public schools, opting instead for expensive private school educations. For many parents, other nearby cities with higher quality of education are a better, and more affordable, location decision for their families.
% 5th GRADERS PROFICIENT Arts Proficiency Math Math Proficiency Language Language Arts
Math Proficiency
100%
Language Arts Proficiency NJ Math
80%
NJ Language Arts
60% 40% 100% 20% 80% 0% 60%
NJ Math NJ Language Arts
Walnut 40% Street
West End Memorial
Evergreen Avenue
Glassboro Haddonfield Lindenwold
20% 0% Walnut Street
West End Memorial
Evergreen Avenue
% 12 GRADERS PROFICIENT th
Math Proficiency
Glassboro Haddonfield Lindenwold
Language Arts Proficiency
100%
NJ Language Arts NJ Math
80% 60% 40% 20% 0%
Woodbury Junior Senior High School
Glassboro
Haddonfield
Lindenwold
Figure 20: Educational Proficiency Source: greatschools.org
Quality of Life | 28
organizations and civil society While Woodbury faces many challenges, the city has an engaged population, a large artist community, and many organizations and citizen groups that will enable it to create change. The city has a population proud to call Woodbury home, and this pride is evident in their participation in previous planning processes.
Artist Community At least 1,200 artists reside in Woodbury and its surrounding communities. The Greater Woodbury Arts Council works to promote local artists through community events and programs, and the city would like to do more to engage this vibrant population.
National and Regional Organizations There are a number of organizations working to improve quality of life for residents, such as a YMCA, an Elks Lodge, and regional organizations such as the Hispanic Family Center of Southern New Jersey.
Civic and Community Development Organizations Many organizations exist in Woodbury that focus on community development. The Woodbury Community Gardens Association provides plots for Woodbury residents and fresh produce to local food banks. The Woodbury Education Association unites school faculty in order to enhance students’ education. Main Street Woodbury, Inc. is a non-profit urban revitalization organization 29 | BASELINE CONDITIONS
that focuses specifically on the economic and cultural development of Broad Street. Other civic organizations include the Housing Authority of Gloucester County, the Gloucester County Democratic Committee, Friends of the Woodbury Public Library, and the Mantua/Woodbury Creeks Watershed Association.
Religious Organizations The city contains six churches of various denominations and the historic Woodbury Friends Meeting which still holds weekly meetings. The Greater Woodbury Cooperative Ministries, Inc. works to connect different faith communities with the purpose of accomplishing community projects. Their work includes operating a food pantry, assisting seniors and disabled persons with chores, providing lunches for students in the summer and holding worship services and a high school essay scholarship competition.
Cultural and Sports Organizations A few social community groups are active in Woodbury. These include organizations such as the Sketch Club players, a volunteer community theater organization; the Woodbury Soccer club; and the Woodbury Road Runners Club.
Festivals and Events Woodbury and its organizations have successfully put on different festivals and events to bring together the community and draw in outside residents. These include the Dream Park Festival, a nonprofit indie festival, and the 2012 Art Walk, which featured local artists and businesses.
60 60LOCAL LOCAL
ARTISTS&&ARTS ARTS ARTISTS ORGANIZATIONS ORGANIZATIONS
11 MUSICAL 11 MUSICAL GROUPS GROUPS
DANCEGROUPS GROUPS 88DANCE
44GALLERIES GALLERIES & &MUSEUMS MUSEUMS
33THEATERS THEATERS & THEATRICAL THEATRICAL GROUPS GROUPS
Source: Main Street Woodbury
Quality of Life | 30
crime Woodbury has a higher crime level then many of its neighboring communities, which perpetuates a negative image of the downtown. Many residents of Woodbury and the neighboring towns indicate crime as a major deterrent to visiting or residing downtown.10 In 2010, 520 crimes were committed in Woodbury, of which the majority were non-violent. There were 360 thefts and 96 burglaries.11 There were however, 2 rapes and 3 incidents of arson. Despite this level of crime, the crime rate in Woodbury was the lowest in 5 years.12 While New Jersey averaged 239 crimes per 1,000 residents in 2010, Woodbury had 491. This trend lasted from 2005 through 2010. Woodbury also had higher levels of crime when compared to similar towns such as Lindenwold, Glassboro, and Haddonfield (see Figure 21). Despite having a higher aggregate crime level, Woodbury had fewer violent crimes per capita relative to Lindenwold. Lindenwold saw more violent crimes per capita with rates at 11.2 murders per 100,000 and 33.6 rapes per 100,000, compared to zero murders and 19 rapes per 100,000 in Woodbury Woodbury also had higher levels of hate crimes than both New Jersey and comparable cities. In 2010 Woodbury had two race10 11 12
Community Interview FBI 2010 FBI 2010
31 | BASELINE CONDITIONS
related hate crimes, the fewest in five years. When comparing hate crimes in Woodbury to New Jersey and comparable places, Woodbury had 19 hate crimes per 100,000, higher than Lindenwold (0), Haddonfield (0), and New Jersey (6.2), but lower than Glassboro (29.9).
Crime and Environment The connection between crime and the physical environment has become increasingly apparent. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) provides a method of protecting against crime by changing the built environment. The concept contains six main principles; defensible space, surveillance, territoriality, lighting, landscaping, and physical security. Defensible space is the concept of creating different zones: public, semi-private, and private. Territoriality clearly defines ownership of a space, creating a greater desire of people to keep the space safe. Surveillance occurs both formally and informally, through adding eyes on the street and monitoring with technology. Surveillance clearly defines the unwanted outsider, signaling alarm and action for residents. Lighting creates natural surveillance and discourages crime. Landscaping utilizes both barriers and visibility to create safe spaces. Spaces should be visible and void of hiding spaces. Additionally, landscaping can be
“I don’t want to go to Woodbury at night.” —City Employee
NEW JERSEY
239
Crimes per 1,000 Violent Crimes Property Crimes
4 Murders, 11 Rapes, 1,464 Thefts
491
WOODBURY 0 Murders, 19 Rapes, 3,420 Thefts
277
HADDONFIELD 0 Murders, 9 Rapes, 2,000 Thefts
GLASSBORO
224 0 Murders, 0 Rapes, 1,402 Thefts
446
LINDENWOLD 11 Murders, 34 Rapes, 2,238 Thefts Figure 21: Crime Comparison, 2010 Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation
Quality of Life | 32
used to create barriers to clearly delineate space and ownership. Physical security encompasses many traditional security methods, including locks and alarms. As Woodbury faces many issues of perceived crime, a cursory CPTED analysis was completed for Broad Street to identify key unsafe spots. Nine spots were identified as problematic based on varying CPTED ideals. These spots were then rated from 0 to 5, with 0 representing non-problematic areas and 5 areas perceived as unsafe. Figure 22 displays the nine identified areas, while the table provides further explanations of the environmental safety concerns of these spaces.
33 | BASELINE CONDITIONS
Areas
CPTD Element
Details
Rating
1
Surveillance, Lighting
Space has limited pedestrian use, eyes on the street, and lighting.
.5
2
Territoriality, Surveillance, Landscaping
Currently the space is inactive and large plantings block vision, creating spaces to hide.
2
3
Lighting
Lack of lighting.
.5
4
Lighting
Lack of lighting.
.5
5
Surveillance, Lighting,
The building uses arches as architectural elements that create a visual barrier where a person could hide. Lack of lighting further increases the possibility of hiding.
3
6
Lighting, Surveillance
A deep setback in the front of the building creates an easy hiding space. This is further exaggerated by poor lighting.
1
7
Defensible space, Surveillance, Territoriality, Lighting
While the property is private, it does not feel as if it has an owner. There is no informal or formal surveillance. Poor lighting in the courtyard provides perception that crime can happen and hide in the space.
4
8
Defensible Space, Surveillance
The use of this space is unclear. Lack of neighboring activity creates a lack of surveillance.
1
9
Landscaping, Lighting
A wall blocks views and creates a space to hide. Poor lighting accentuates this problem.
2
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Woodbury Country Club
BAR
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Source: Field Survey
BAR
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Figure 22: Broad Street CPTED Analysis AL
Woodbury Country Club
Quality of Life | 34
Goals & Vision
Goals
35
Scenarios
43
Vision
57
Goals
making Woodbury great Small towns are uniquely equipped to offer a complete lifestyle to their residents while maintaining a serene living environment. They have struggled in recent history to maintain their place amidst suburbanization. Woodbury is no different; the city has a number of strengths to build on, opportunities for positive change, as well as a number of deficiencies. Looking at emerging trends regionally and nationally, as well as the local factors that influence the city, there are significant opportunities to enhance Woodbury, but there are also deeply rooted constraints to the city’s success.
1
Build on Woodbury’s history while remaining open to growth and change
2
Develop a vibrant and safe downtown
3
Foster connectivity through multi-modal transportation options
The planning team formed seven goals for the city which capture the desires and needs of the community. The city has vocalized and begun to advance some of these goals, while others are issues or opportunities identified during our analysis and observations.
4
Integrate people and natural environment for a healthy community
5
Provide an equitable level of service and voice for all community members
These goals are built off of the analysis of the community’s strengths, deficiences, opportunities, and constraints, which are described in greater detail as they pertain to each goal. Each goal addresses fundamental components of the community and seeks to find the value and potential in the city’s diverse elements, as listed below:
6
Take care of existing and aging populations, and attract young families
7
Create a positive and cohesive identity for the city
35 | GOALS & VISION
Build on Woodbury’s history while remaining open to growth and change
STRENGTH: Historic significance
STRENGTH: Human-scale downtown
Woodbury’s history is one of its major attractions. It features five areas on the National Register of Historic Places including the Colonial-era Woodbury Friends’ Meetinghouse and the Gilded Age G.G. Green building. These buildings are a lasting marker of Woodbury’s importance and give the town its unique character.
The city’s design and layout are on a human scale such that Woodbury is pedestrianfriendly, walkable, and relatively dense. The central corridor along Broad Street provides a communal space for economic and social interaction that creates the potential for a charming and vibrant community.
Woodbury Historical Society Building
Main Street retail establishment
OPPORTUNITY: Projected growth Gloucester County is predicted to experience population and employment growth in the coming years. Woodbury, as the county seat, has the potential to capture that growth to improve its economy and residential quality of life.
Gloucester County Administrative Building Goals
| 36
Develop a vibrant and safe downtown
STRENGTH: Walkable street grid
CONSTRAINT: Competition from Malls
Across the nation, there is an emerging interest in more compact and walkable communities. Woodbury has the potential to attract residents and businesses looking for an alternative to a strictly suburban or strictly urban lifestyle.
Deptford Mall, which offers many products that Woodbury residents desire but cannot purchase within the city, pulls much of Woodbury’s economic base away from the downtown commercial corridor.
Aerial image of Downtown Broad Street
Broad Street retail establishment for rent
37 | GOALS & VISION
CONSTRAINT: Unfavorable image of downtown The community’s view of downtown is negative as residents perceive the Broad Street corridor as unsafe. The high volume of car traffic intimidates pedestrians while the lack of activity and lighting at night creates a perception of danger and crime.
Downtown is not always inviting to pedestrians
Foster connectivity through multi-modal transportation options
DEFICIENCY: Auto-oriented
OPPORTUNITY: Regionally accessible
The vast majority of the community is oriented around the automobile, causing a lack of pedestrian traffic in the commercial areas and limiting Woodbury’s economic growth. The auto-oriented nature of the community reduces accessibility for those without cars and inhibits the formation of energetic public places.
Woodbury’s physical location ensures connectivity between its surrounding townships and the area’s larger cities, Philadelphia and Camden. Woodbury is within 20 miles of other regional hubs and is accessible via rail, bus, or auto.This multimodality and proximity ensures ease into and out of Woodbury.
The majority of residents drive everywhere
Woodbury is accessible by highway
OPPORTUNITY: Proposed transit line The planned extension of the light rail system from Camden, through Woodbury, to Glassboro, will have enormous benefits for the city. The rail line will increase regional accessibility, but it will also improve equity in the community by increasing access and creating an alternative to the car. Woodbury could take advantage of this rail line by incentivizing rail riders to get off of the train at the two stops within city boundaries in order to enjoy the city’s amenities.
The proposed line would run from Glassboro to Camden Goals
| 38
Integrate people and natural environment for a healthy community
STRENGTH: Extensive park network The interwoven nature of the city’s parks and waterways adds aesthetic value and creates a place for recreation in the city as well as habitat for land- and water-based wildlife.
The view of Woodbury Creek from Stewert Park 39 | GOALS & VISION
OPPORTUNITY: Growing interest in healthy activity As people become increasingly concerned about health, exercise and being outdoors, communities that can provide access to nature will be in high demand. Not only can the parks be a place of recreation, they have the potential to further enhance community engagement through festivals and programming.
An elementary school playground
CONSTRAINT: Land use trends suburban
As land uses continue to trend suburban in Gloucester County, Woodbury provides the best of both worlds. Not only does it have a nice, walkable downtown but it has the large lots that many families desire. Despite the challenge of being a small town in a suburban county, Woodbury can provide the best of town and country.
the surrounding areas have suburban forms
Provide an equitable level of service and voice for all community members
STRENGTH: Increasing diversity
DEFICIENCY: Geographic disparities
CONSTRAINT: Struggling Retail
The growth in the minority population in Woodbury has provided many opportunities and challenges. While this diversity has brought a number of new community organizations and retail establishments it is not without its challenges. Much of the burden of poverty and unemployment falls on the minority population.
The disparities in median income in Woodbury are concentrated in specific geographic areas such that there are physical barriers between the wealthiest and the poorest sections of the community. Income disparities are also closely correlated to racial makeup and the number of owners versus renters.
Woodbury’s retail selection no longer meets market demand. There is significant leakage to adjacent communities. The current retail establishments along Broad Street frequently suffer from inexperienced ownership and a lack of market demand, and business attraction and retention is low.
Residents of Woodbury get creative!
A poorly maintained home in south Woodbury
Businesses struggle to stay afloat on Broad Street Goals
| 40
Take care of existing and aging populations, and attract young families
STRENGTH: Regional employment hub
DEFICIENCY: Underperforming schools
OPPORTUNITY: Senior housing
As the seat of Gloucester County, Woodbury is the center of the local government and the county justice system. Not only does this guarantee jobs within the city, it provides a constant flow of people in, around, and through Woodbury.
The four public schools in the Woodbury district are all underperforming with respect to the rest of New Jersey. This fact, if left unaddressed, could both restrict the future success of young residents and limit the desire of young families to move to the community.
Woodbury has been building new senior housing units to meet the demand of its aging population. Since much of Woodbury’s poverty is among its elderly, the new affordable senior housing project at the G.G. Green building will help to alleviate some of that problem.
rt
o ep
R
The county’s new Justice Complex 41 | GOALS & VISION
d
r Ca
C
C
C
The school system is underperforming NJ
The G.G. Green building will be senior housing
Create a positive and cohesive identity for the city
STRENGTH: Interconnected civil society
DEFICIENCY: Inconsistent branding
OPPORTUNITY: Shop local
Woodbury is home to a large quantity and variety of organizations focused on community improvement, including recreation clubs, arts groups, political committees, and religious centers of many denominations. There is a strong existing desire to connect and to improve the community.
The signage and wayfinding system in Woodbury is a melange of disparate styles in different areas that fail to tie the city together. Rather than present Woodbury as a brand able to provide visitors with a unique experience, they emphasize that the city is not tied together.
While Woodbury might not be able to compete with nearby malls, it has the opportunity to offer a different experience. Unique, local businesses in an historic setting can bring people to the town and help create an identity for Woodbury as a destination.
Local SHOP
Residents enjoy the Fall Arts Fest
One understated entrance to the city
Wo
odbury
Broad Street has a number of local businesses Goals
| 42
Scenarios
three visions for Woodbury The planning team crafted three visions for what Woodbury could look like in the future. Because Woodbury is a relatively successful city, the scenarios envisioned capitalize on the community’s inherent strength and were intended to be realistic views of what the city could be.
The City you Can Grow With The city’s motto is, “The city you can Growth With.” Building upon that motto and the significant demographic changes that have taken place in the city, the first scenario envisioned a community that caters to the needs of multiple generations of people.
connected through pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure and has desirable destinations that attract residents and visitors. Each of the three scenarios has implications for Woodbury and the core elements of each are represented and addressed in our final recommendations for the city. Woodbury needs to plan for multiple generations, promote local business in order create a unique market that keeps it competitive and increase density and improve its connectivity. All three of these scenarios are critically important to the city’s future.
Local is Beautiful The city’s historic character gave rise to a scenario that envisions a local, art oriented retail corridor. Rather then attempting to compete with the surrounding malls and shopping centers, this scenario created an alternative retail focus that capitalized on the city’s historic charm and artistic community.
Old-New Urbanism Lastly, utilizing the city’s compact grid network, interconnected neighborhoods, and the central location of the commercial corridor, this scenario envisions a community that is highly 43 | GOALS & VISION
Woodbury should work to attract young families, activate the Broad Street commercial corridor, and encourage a walkable lifestyle.
2 grab a cup of coffee 3 go to work 4 pick up some groceries 5 head home for dinner
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‘The City You Can Actually Grow With’ sought to create a community that serves residents of all ages and in all different places of their lives. Woodbury, in this scenario, appeals to workers, young families, and aging individuals.
1 drop daughter off at school
BR
the city you can actually grow with
Live and work The city capitalizes on its employment opportunities to convert commuting workers into permanent residents.
Attract young families Using the quality housing stock and walkable life style, the city draws more young families to the community.
5
4
2
1 COOP E
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Figure 23: Connect The Day
Woodbury Country Club
BER
Woodbury retains its aging population to ensure that people that want to stay in the community have the ability to do so safely and affordably.
3
BAR
Age-in-place
DELA WAR E
One draw to Woodbury that benefits all residents, regardless of age, is the close proximity that daily functions have to one another. Here is a typical day in the life of a resident of Woodbury. Scenarios
| 44
local is beautiful Local is Beautiful utilizes the city’s historic and cultural assets to create a vibrant retail corridor that provides an alternative to the typical suburban shopping mall.
RELIGIOUS
Improve retail mix EEN RGR
BR
OA D
The city supports local businesses and attracts local entrepreneurs to Broad Street.
EVE
CREATIVE ARTS
Build a customer base for Broad Street
DELA WAR E
Through local branding and buy local campaigns the city encourages use of the Broad Street commercial core and draws residents.
CIVIC
Activate space Woodbury uses its historic and cultural assets to make Broad Street a more pleasant place for shoppers. Through public art, historic preservation, and programming, Broad Street is a charming corridor that people wish to spend time in.
COOP E
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Woodbury Country Club
GARDENS
Figure 24: Cultural Assets Source: Field Survey
45 | GOALS & VISION
HISTORY
old-new urbanism Old-new urbanism uses the city’s inherent form and design to create a more vibrant, walkable, urban community for the city’s residents.
Create desirable destinations EEN EVE
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BR CAM
DEN
RAI
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DELA WAR E
RO-
Public and private amenities, residential neighborhoods, and employment centers are all accessible by walking, bicycling, or public transportation.
GLA SSB O
Improve connectivity
OA D
The city has a number of destinations which attract people and provide an engaging shopping or recreational experience.
Transit-oriented development COOP E
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Woodbury Country Club
BER
L SA
BAR
The extended commuter rail catalyzes higher density development. The increased activity enhances connectivity, bolsters economic activity, and drives a positive cycle in the community.
Figure 25: Transit-Induced Benefits Scenarios
| 46
Old-New Urbanism Local is Beautiful The City You Can Grow With We synthesized the three scenarios and seven goals in order to evaluate which of the scenarios addressed the greatest number of goals. The full circles indicate that the goal is thoroughly addressed in the scenarios while the half circles indicate that the scenario addresses, but doesn’t necessarily prioritize the goal. We did not weight our goals, nor are they in a significant order.
GOALS 1
Build on Woodbury’s history while remaining open to growth and change
2
Develop a vibrant and safe downtown
3
Foster connectivity through multi-modal transportation options
4
Integrate people and natural environment for a healthy community
5
Provide an equitable level of service and voice for all community members
6
Take care of aging (existing) population and attract young (new) families
7
Create a positive and cohesive identity Figure 26: Goals Matrix
47 | GOALS & VISION
Vision
BR OA D
unifying the commercial core Broad Street is the main enteryway, thoroughfare, and commercial hub of the city. South Broad Street is anchored by the historic and commercial downtown and North Broad Street is anchored by the major employment centers, but what is happening in between? The Redevelopment Plan focuses on the north and south areas of the city, but there is gap in the Broad Street corridor, DELAcommercial WARE which disconects the economic engines of the city from the primary retail center.
ER
RB BA
Broad Street needs to be one continious corridor in order to enhances the economic and social viability of the city. The intersection of Broad Street and Woodbury Creek provides a number of opportunities because of its proximity to downtown, major employment hubs, and recreational open space. To meet the goals outlined for the city, this nexus was identified as a critical element in filling the void between North and South Broad Street.
RE
Woodbury should have a thriving, connected, and cohesive core which links the city’s employment hubs, residential neighborhoods, and historic downtown. EM SAL
REDEVELOPMENT PLAN Figure 27: Broad Street Intersection Vision
| 48
Recommendations
Energize
51
Link
67
Attract
83
Implementation
97
Recommendations
energize, link, attract: strengthening Woodbury’s core The plan’s final recommendations, categorized under the actions of Energize, Link, and Attract, incorporate elements from each of its three scenarios. Energize entails building upon Woodbury’s physical realm to make it a safer, more pedestrian-friendly, and vibrant city. Link involves improving Woodbury’s transportation networks to better connect residents and visitors to downtown amenities. And Attract means creating a positive, reinforcing cycle of business creation on Broad Street, where new and better businesses bring in more visitors, who desire to spend more time downtown, and who in turn bring in more businesses. The recommendations are designed to be implemented within a twenty-year time frame in order to complement Woodbury’s existing comprehensive and redevelopment plans and the timeline of the proposed light rail system. Individual reommendations within the plan can fit into more than one of the categories of Energize, Link, and Attract. Extending, installing, and improving trails in the city, for example, can be considered a Link recommendation because it fosters an alternative transportation network in Woodbury. However, trails can also bring more people outdoors to exercise during the day, which energizes the community. Each recommendation is placed in a dominant category, but its effects may flow into others. 49 | RECOMMENDATIONS
ENERGIZE
STRENGTHENING WOODBURY’S CORE
LINK
ATTRACT
BR
OA D
Broad Street Typology
RED BANK
Broad Street can broken into four distinct section. Upper North Broad is predominately built around the Underwood Memorial Hospital. Also a place of chain, suburban style development – parking lots in the front, deep set backs.
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Both of Upper and Lower North Broad Street are major employment hubs in the city with Woodbury’s two largest employers, the hospital and the County Justice Center.
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Lower North Broad is the civic area of Broad Street. It is characterized by legal offices, city and county buildings, the high school, the police station and the county justice complex. The area features large employers set back from the street and smaller offices on Broad Street. The lack of retail on the street along with its slope makes it uninviting to walk along.
DELAW ARE
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Figure 28: Areas of Broad Street
Central Broad is the historic and commercial core of Woodbury. It features narrow buildings housing local retailers and restaurants. This area exemplifies the historic charm of Woodbury and the feeling of a traditional main street.
Southern Broad consists of many large stores surrounded by parking like Rite Aid and Walgreens. At its southern end there are lots of car dealerships.
Recommendations
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ENERGIZE
creating a safe, pleasant ,vibrant downtown Woodbury has a strong downtown area and many historical assets. Despite these features, the city struggles with a high perception of crime, a lack of a sense of place, and a lack of pedestrian amenities. These problems lead to an underutilized downtown that both residents and visitors avoid. Drawing people downtown is a top priority for Woodbury. To become a thriving downtown, Woodbury needs to become a safe, vibrant, consistently branded, and pedestrian-friendly place. Once the city has addressed these requisites, targeted interventions at the intersection of North Broad Street and Woodbury Creek will transform a void into a destination for the city’s residents and visitors.
Recommendation 1: Enhance public perception of the city through branding and gateway improvement Woodbury would benefit from a more uniform sense of place and identity. Currently, the city’s branding is inconsistent, and the entryways are lackluster. Fostering a collective identity will improve the image of the city, both internally and for the surrounding communities. Woodbury should promote itself through branding and gateway improvements.
1.1 Consolidate city branding to one unified image for Woodbury Currently, the city’s image is inconsistent. Over time, as materials are replaced or updated, the city should move towards one unified logo and brand. This process should begin by examining the current logos in relation to Woodbury’s current vision for the city. If the vision and current branding are in line, one brand should be chosen, featuring the city’s unique assets. Otherwise, the city should develop new branding by retaining a branding strategist. When implementing the new brand, the process should begin with online elements such as the Woodbury public website. Applying the unified branding to printed materials, including official documents and promotional materials, should be completed as a second phase. In the long term, the new branding should be applied to permanent features of the city, including wayfinding signage, banners, and gateways, as shown in Figures 29–31.
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WOODBURY
WOODBURY
Gloucester County, NJ
WOODBURY
the city you can grow with
WOODBURY
Example of branding applications on city banners
WOODBURY NEW JERSEY
Figure 29: Recommended Banners Unify City Image
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1.2 Construct a planted median with an entry sign into the city on South and North Broad The entrances to Woodbury are currently inconsistently marked. Woodbury should construct large entrance signs on Broad Street at the city’s boundaries to delineate entrance to Woodbury (see Figure 30). Smaller signs of the same design should be placed on Red Bank Avenue, Delaware Street, Cooper Street, Salem Avenue, and East Barber Avenue.
Existing signage into Woodbury gives visitors no indication that they have arrived
EXISTING PROPOSED
Figure 30: Vision For a More Inviting Entrance to the City
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1.3 Repaint the Woodbury Rail Bridge over Red Bank Avenue The Conrail freight rail bridge, or Woodbury Rail Bridge, spanning Red Bank Avenue has potential to be an iconic feature of Woodbury. It is symbolic of the community’s history and should reflect the city’s commitment to historic preservation. The bridge should be repainted and branded with Woodbury’s logo (see Figure 31). This will have the dual benefit of enhancing the space and pleasantness of Red Bank Avenue while further emphasizing the city’s identity.
The Woodbury Rail Bridge, when refurbished, can provide the city with an icon and a source of pride.
EXISTING PROPOSED
To fund this project, the city should leverage Federal Transit Administration New Starts funding as part of construction for the new light rail line.
Figure 31: Rendering of Possible Gateway Improvements to the Woodbury Rail Bridge
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Recommendation 2: Extend streetscape and road improvements north on Broad Street and east on Red Bank Avenue Woodbury completed a number of improvements in its historic core; however, these improvements terminate before the creek. These improvements should be continued over the bridge to North Broad Street to facilitate movement between the job centers in the north and the commercial core in the south (see Figure 32).
2.1
Bury existing electrical wires
Power lines detract from a street’s appearance. They harden the appearance, but by burying electrical lines underground, the streets are clearer, the trees can grow more fully, and the environment feels warmer. Woodbury should work with PSE&G to bury the electrical lines as repairs and improvements to the lines are made in the future.
2.2
2.3 Extend the existing acorn lighting from South Broad Street to North Broad Street The historic-style acorn lighting on South Broad Street should be extended over the Broad Street Bridge to North Broad Street. Acorn lighting increases safety and visibility after dark through providing pedestrian-level lighting. This increased safety will extend active Broad Street hours, reducing monofunctional use of the street.
2.4
Repaint the wrought iron on the Broad Street Bridge
The beautiful wrought-iron railing of the Broad Street Bridge currently appears deteriorated. Repainting the railing will beautify the Broad Street Bridge.
Extend the brick sidewalk north on Broad Street
Broad Street’s sidewalk is brick in the downtown and civic area but becomes concrete farther north on Broad Street approaching the hospital. Currently, the change in building material delineates spaces along Broad Street creating a separation between the job centers to the north and the historic commercial center to the south. The brick should extend to create one continuous walkway, signaling that Broad Street is one cohesive road. 55 | RECOMMENDATIONS
EXISTING
PROPOSED
Figure 32: Rendering of Existing Streetscape Improvements Extended North on Broad Street
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Recommendation 3: Advance physical improvements to Broad Street
Precedent: Curbside Rain Garden Source: Seattle
Broad Street has a traditional small town feel, and the recent road diet from a four-lane highway to a two-lane street has improved the pedestrian experience. However, many infrastructural and design aspects of the street still hinder pedestrian usage.
3.1 Add trash cans and benches at regular intervals along Broad Street Broad Street lacks adequate seating and trash cans. Additional trash cans will help the city remain clean. Benches are an important amenity for Woodbury’s increasing aging population since resting areas become increasingly important on Broad Street. To address these increasing needs, seating should be placed at regular intervals along Broad Street. Past problems led Woodbury to reduce seating along Broad Street, but increased activity on the corridor can help prevent loitering and crime.
3.2
Incorporate rain gardens at curb bump outs
Impervious surfaces and limited landscaping currently characterize Broad Street. Rain gardens should be placed in curb bump outs along Broad Street to soften the landscape, help with storm water control, and provide a buffer between the roadway and the sidewalk. Local plantings should be used to decrease required maintenance for these gardens. 57 | RECOMMENDATIONS
Rain gardens, which are among the most cost-effective means of mitigating stormwater runoff into larger water bodies, are shallow depressions in the earth that have been planted with a range of plant species. The soil in rain gardens absorbs initial runoff, which is then taken up and used by these plants. Rain gardens are also an attractive landscaping strategy.
3. 3 Work with building owners and tenants of historic buildings to preserve facades and historic character
Recommendation 4: Institute crime prevention initiatives
Woodbury’s many historic buildings add character to Broad Street, and preservation of these buildings is critical. Main Street Woodbury has been instrumental in preserving Woodbury’s historic buildings. The organization should continue to partner with local building owners and tenants to preserve facades with historic character. Examples of this partnership include providing seed money, incentives, and grant assistance.
The perception of crime prevents people from shopping on Broad Street, especially at night. This perception derives largely from the high number of property crimes in Woodbury. The Woodbury police department has seventeen patrolling officers equipped with two-way radios, patrolling by cars or bicycles; however, crimes are high compared to comparable municipalities. Both physical and programmatic crime prevention techniques are recommended to decrease crime in Woodbury and ensure a safe environment for residents.
To fund larger improvements and preservation, historic preservation tax credits could be utilized. However, to qualify, buildings need to be on the historic register. As a first step to preserve Woodbury’s historic buildings, the city should partner with Main Street Woodbury and private business owners to create a priority preservation list. The city should then work from this list to put Woodbury’s historic buildings on the National Registry.
4.1
Increase youth programming
Crimes committed by juveniles are a problem for Woodbury. Providing youth programming has been proven to reduce crime in some communities. The New Jersey Youth Corps provides youth programming, but is inactive in Woodbury. Collaborating with this organization to provide programming could mitigate crime. Woodbury should partner with local businesses and large employment hubs to create internship programs. The programs would provide youth with valuable experiences, better preparing them for the workforce. They would also benefit local businesses by reducing labor costs. Additional partnerships such as with the community garden, farmer’s market, Woodbury Sketch Players, or arts groups could also provide other youth programming. Energize | 58
4.2 Work with the Woodbury Police Department and private businesses to increase surveillance, lighting, and frequency of emergency call boxes along Broad Street The best way to mitigate crime is to increase eyes on the street. Many small improvements could be made to increase surveillance on Broad Street. Currently, many businesses operate with limited hours. Working with local business owners to increase operating hours would add additional surveillance to Broad Street. Filling vacant office and apartment spaces located above businesses on Broad Street would also increase the hours during which people keep track of street activity. Many municipalities provide small incentives for businesses that improve their lighting. Incentives include tax breaks, business training, or reduced fees. Implementing emergency call boxes along Broad Street and trails would increase the perception of safety. Call boxes should be easily accessible and visible. Additionally, the Police Department should implement programs to answer the calls in a timely manner. The table at right provides implementation for each space (see Figure 33). The areas identified as unsafe areas through the CPTED analysis should be priority spaces for lighting and surveillance improvements. Figure 33 illustrates recommendations for the areas identified.
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Areas
Implementation
Priority
1
Add lighting, call box, or traditional surveillance. Continue programming from police parking lot to area. Partner with Quaker Meeting House to provide programming in this space, and require lighting on visual barriers Increase lighting Increase lighting Increase lighting, place call box in area, utilize traditional surveillance Fill window displays to increase visitors to space. Hold programming in courtyard space. Increase lighting. Replace front sign. Place interactive fountain in area. Encourage development on Southern Broad Street. Remove wall and increase lighting
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Example of emergency call boxes that should be strategically placed through the city
Woodbury Country Club
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Proposed Trails
Figure 33: Priority Surveillance Locations
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4.3 Partner with the Woodbury Police Department to implement a public awareness campaign to reduce property crime Property crime remains the most prevalent type of crime in Woodbury. The city should hold a crime awareness campaign, in partnership with the police department, that includes such small initiatives as distributing flyers, workplace information sessions, and public awareness billboards.
Recommendation 5: Foster development of anchor sites along the Woodbury Creek Corridor Currently, a physical, economic, and activity gap exists between North and South Broad Street. The Underwood-Memorial Hospital anchors North Broad Street, and the civic buildings and commercial core anchor South Broad Street. Connecting these vital assets is critical to facilitating economic development and moving people through the community in an active way. Increasing the number of anchor sites between vital assets will increase movement and productivity along the entire corridor.
5.1 Encourage higher-density use in the area bound by North Broad Street, Red Bank Avenue, and the Rail Line
Watch Out for
Pickpockets Figure 34: Example of a City-Wide Public Awareness Campaign Poster
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The site opposite the hospital at the southeast corner of North Broad Street and Red Bank Avenue, just north of the lake, is significantly underutilized, with large parking lots, a transistor station, and large retail like CVS Pharmacy and McDonald’s (see Figure 35) . Its current use and form discourage walking and disconnect North and South Broad Street. To invite pedestrians to the area and foster growth, Woodbury should encourage dense development on this site. One potential plan for this area takes into account the future development of the passenger rail line proposed between Glassboro and Camden and creates highdensity uses while retaining human scale and providing ample community space (see Figure 36). In this proposed site plan, the existing suburban-style uses are cleared to allow for more
The transit line currently being planned and its station at Red Bank will catalyze private development of residential and commercial buildings. Developers will leverage public investments on the site. The city should coordinate with the transit authority to provide infrastructure to attract development while benefiting the city in terms of increased tax revenue and vibrancy. The city could provide two large incentives for development: providing a shared parking facility and site assembly. Under the redevelopment plan, the city has the right to claim land for development, and that power could aid parcel consolidation. The proposed sketch plan provides a possible future for the site. It would incorporate a large parking garage to be shared between the transit station and the new development in an effort to reduce developer costs and meet the shared parking requirements of the zoning and form-based code. The passenger rail would also create new demand for residential development, since as a transit-oriented development location, it would provide quick access to Philadelphia and Camden. Bringing vitality to the site and North Broad Street is the goal of the plan. Building on successful precedents, this multi-family housing complex with retail and restaurant options will bring residents to Woodbury and provide amenities for current residents and employees (see Precedent: CityCentre, Houston).
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compact development. The area should be mixed use, with retail on the ground floor and office or residential space above.
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Broad Street Lake POLICE
Figure 35: Aerial of Current Anchor Site Conditions
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Proposed Train Station
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Figure 36: Proposed Plan at the Redevelopment Site
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1
TOD Site (6.4 acres) Program Details:
Precedent: City Centre, Houston Gensler, The Office of James Burnett
Red Bank Building (A)
Boardwalk Building (B)
Height
6 stories (75 ft)
3 stories (35ft)
Retail
35,000sqft
15,000sqft
Office
0sqft
30,000sqft
Housing
145 Units
0 units
(1,100sqft average)
C: 500 space garage, 5,000sqft retail, transit facilities/access D: 10,000sqft programmed lawn space E: 500ft boardwalk for outdoor dining and recreation
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Visitor’s Cafe (see Recommendation 5.2, p. 75) Program Details: 1 story (15 ft) 8,000sqft, commercial unit and visitor center. Porch with lake views and seating.
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Trail Extension (see Recommendation 6.1, p. 69) 10’ asphalt multi-use path Switchback down slope from road with pedestrian stairs
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Food Trucks (see Recommendation 15.1, p. 93) Two food trucks in surface parking lot Picnic tables out front.
The vision for City Centre, Houston was to demolish the existing improvements and re-develop the property into a premier mixed-use, lifestyle development. A desire to have varied amenities clustered in a tight project answered consumers’ psychographic and demographic profiles. The strategy was to answer these desires by developing the site with mixed uses grouped in such a way as to be sensitive to and complementary of certain core adjacencies. In particular, the circulation of the site was designed in a way to give equity of road space to both vehicles, pedestrians, and bicylists through shared space, paving consistency, and driving and walking surfaces sharing the same plane, much like the Dutch Woonerf street typology.
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5.2 Attract a food establishment that also acts as a community information center to the southeast corner of the Broad Street Bridge The police station parking lot is a prime area for recreational and retail activity (see Site 2 on p. 64). It serves as a midpoint between the hospital and the civic center and justice complex, but also provides waterfront access and park amenities. The city should relocate this parking lot and create a café, pavilion, and information center (see Precedent: Milk & Honey). The café should be accessible to pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders, and motorists, as well as connect to Woodbury’s park system to cater to recreational users. This park system is underutilized, but by providing public restrooms and a restaurant facility, the waterfront parks could become a destination for Woodbury’s residents. The city should lease land at a reduced rate to a developer. By decreasing land costs, the city can attract a desired tenant and retain site control. Further incentives could include providing public maintenance of the property’s exterior and grounds.
5.3 Network and foster relationships with regional developers Without encouragement, Woodbury will not develop. The city should create a promotional packet designed to interest developers in Woodbury. By networking and fostering relationships with developers active in the South Jersey market, Woodbury would promote itself as a prime area for growth. 65 | RECOMMENDATIONS
Precedent: Milk & Honey, Sister Cities Park Studio Bryan Hanes, Digsau
Serving as both a Visitor Center and a Café, Milk & Honey offers up quicksnacks for those heading to work and lunches for those in need of a pit stop while exploring the expansive Ben Franklin Parkway. This model, as applied to Woodbury, could be in the form of a café or eatery where people can take small concession items to go, but can also get a cup of coffee or sandwich. Outdoor seating overlooking Woodbury Creek creates an indoor/outdoor space that is engaging to passersby. These improvements would make the area a weekend destination for the city’s residents, as well as help bridge the connection between North and South Broad by serving as a mid-point destination.
Figure 37: TOD Site as Seen From Future Cafe
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LINK
connecting people to the downtown Woodbury has the potential to be a highly connected and dynamic community. Connecting residents to the downtown and public and private amenities is critical. By promoting the use of trails as an additional connecting feature of the city, and improving the infrastructure and experience for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit riders, Woodbury can be a highly connected and accessible place to live, work, and play.
Recommendation 6: Promote active and passive enjoyment of Woodbury’s outdoors As obesity becomes an increasing issue in communities, facilitating better access to physical recreation becomes highly important. Woodbury has many small parks; however, they currently lack amenities and are underutilized. To increase healthy use of the parks, increased amenities and programming are recommended. Woodbury parks should contain amenities for varying age groups and activity types to provide for accessible and utilized spaces.
6.1 Expand and enhance existing trail network along the waterfront Woodbury’s waterfront has the potential to provide opportunities for scenic recreation, and could foster the movement of alternate types of transportation through the city, particularly from the city edges to the Broad Street core. Pedestrian trails currently exist west of the athletic fields at Woodbury Junior/Senior High School, as well as informally in some locations along Woodbury Creek between the Justice Complex and East Barber Avenue (see Figure 38). Generally, Woodbury could make improvements to these trail sections by widening the trails to allow for increased pedestrian traffic, stabilizing the trail to reduce storm water runoff or erosion, laying down pervious asphalt where the trail is currently dirt, and installing police call boxes in strategic locations along the trail for added safety.
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Figure 38: Proposed Trail Extensions
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The trails network plan can be divided into six segments, each with distinct implementation strategies. These strategies derive from three distinct intensities of use (see Figure 39) that tie into the character of the existing or planned neighborhood. 1. Core site at Red Bank Avenue and North Broad Street Construct a 30-foot wide boardwalk running from Broad Street to Stewart Park along the north Woodbury Creek bank. Pedestrians and cyclists permitted. 2. Wood Street to Laurel Street,Tatum Street to North Broad Construct a 12-foot wide permeable asphalt trail with pedestrian and bicycle access on the north and south banks of Woodbury Creek. 3. Laurel to Cooper Street, East Barber Avenue to Union Street Along the west Woodbury Creek bank, acquire rightsof-way from property owners using easements, direct purchase, or eminent domain. Construct an 8-foot wide pedestrian-only trail. 4. Lake Drive Construct a 5-foot wide permeable concrete sidewalk only on the west side of Lake Drive. Construct a 10-foot wide cycle track in the west lane of Lake Drive itself. 5. Union Street to Columbia Street Construct an 8-foot wide permeable asphalt trail with pedestrian and bicycle access adjacent to railroad lines. 6. From railroad north to Harding Street via Columbia Street Construct a 10-foot wide cycle track in the east-side parking lane. 69 | RECOMMENDATIONS
These separate segments can be constructed incrementally as funding allows, and can also serve as an initial model or test case for adding further trails along other parts of Woodbury Creek. Trail segments near the intersection of Broad Street and Woodbury Creek should be prioritized since they link to the city’s core community and recreational sites. The trails could expect funding through the New Jersey Trails Program and US DOT’s Transportation Alternatives program with local matches. The boardwalk would be funded along with the redevelopment of the transit-oriented development site and new commercial development.
Through Woods
Existing Trail Segment: Dirt path, <6’ width, heavily wooded
Road Space Permitting
Cycletrack Segment: Paved and painted cycletrack, adjacent sidewalk space, utilizing existing street space.
Throughout City
Trail Segment: Paved path, 8’ width, grass buffer between water and path surface, decorative fencing between path and private property when necessary
At TOD Site
Boardwalk Segment: Wood plank construction, extending up to the building frontage, >8’ width, grass or decorative bollard buffer between water and path surface, kayaking or canoeing access points
Figure 39: Trail Transect
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6.2 Place outdoor exercise equipment intermittently along trails To facilitate additional physical activity and promote trail use, outdoor exercise equipment should be placed along the trail network. Varying types of equipment are available, from stationary bars to movable equipment. The city should undertake further research to better evaluate what level of investment to make in this equipment. As the importance of physical activity becomes more apparent, additional funding for these projects is becoming available. Occasional grant funding is available for playgrounds and exercise equipment, and Woodbury should contact non-profits such as Kaboom to understand funding opportunities. If funding cannot be procured through grants, public-private partnerships with local fitness centers should be investigated. In exchange for exclusive rights to hold classes and training programs on the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s land, private fitness clubs would be asked to fund the equipment investment. 71 | RECOMMENDATIONS
An outdoor exercise station can be placed at the Lake Drive waterfront ,which has a long stretch of land that can accommodate other programming.
EXISTING PROPOSED
Figure 40: Fitness Stations Alongside a Segment of Trail Extension
6.3 Create a public canoe, paddleboat, and kayak rental facility
6.4 Construct a picnic area in the small park on Woodbury Creek and Hunter street
Woodbury has many water bodies within its municipal boundaries; however, currently they are largely underutilized. While boat launches exist, few residents have the resources to use these amenities.
Woodbury aims to attract additional families to the city. Increasing family amenities would heighten Woodburyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appeal as a place to raise a family. A picnic area, including picnic benches, tables, and trash cans, should be added to the small park on Woodbury Creek at Hunter Street.
The municipality should build a small public canoe, kayak, and paddleboat rental facility and business to increase use of the water bodies. The facility should be small in scale, consisting of a small structure for sales and materials storage, and separate storage for one to ten boats. Funding for the facility could be gained through rental fees for boats, paddles, lifejackets, and snack sales. The facility could be staffed by local residents to provide employment opportunities. Additionally, the business could benefit the City by providing additional revenue.
6.5 Partner with existing fitness clubs to hold events on and in city trails and parks The city should partner with local fitness centers to increase use of the public parks. This would have the dual benefit of promoting the fitness clubs and programming the public space with exercise and nutrition classes.
6.6 Partner with schools and workplaces to encourage walking to school and work The city should partner with local schools and workplaces to encourage walking to school and work. Examples of this encouragement could include awareness campaigns, incentive programs, and group walking programs. To make this goal feasible, the city should leverage Transportation Alternatives Safe Routes to School funding to pay for safe routes coordinators and capital improvements.
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Recommendation 7: Diversify the Broad Street Bridge for multi-modal use The Broad Street Bridge is a key feature of the physical space that links North and South Broad Street. However, it currently acts as a divider, separating North and South Broad Street, as well as the east and west sides of Woodbury Creek. The bridge has two lanes of automobile traffic in each direction and sidewalks on both sides of the bridge, but the auto-oriented nature of the roadway discourages people from crossing the bridge and limits the mobility of pedestrians and cyclists.
7.1 Reduce speed of automobile traffic across the Broad Street Bridge by lowering the speed limit and adding traffic calming measures Woodbury should work with the New Jersey Department of Transportation to lower the speed limit and consider trafficcalming interventions to slow traffic over the bridge. This will create an environment that is more conducive to active transit, and will further facilitate movement between North and South Broad Street.
73 | RECOMMENDATIONS
7. 2 Mark Bike Lanes on the Broad Street Bridge The bike lanes that currently run on Broad Street end at the bridge. This will create awareness among motorists that cyclists have a right to space on the roadway and will create a safer environment for cyclists. The lanes will also provide an additional buffer for pedestrians walking across the bridge to downtown amenities.
7. 3 Place pedestrian crossings at the intersection of Broad Street and the trail network and opposite the UnderwoodMemorial Hospital, south of the Red Bank Avenue intersection Given the speed of traffic along Broad Street, and the infrequent pedestrian crossings, it is a challenge for pedestrians to safely cross the roadway. Woodbury should increase the designated crosswalk space and place signage that reminds motorists to yield to pedestrians. There should be a crossing south of the Woodbury Creek, where the recreation trail meets Broad Street, and another across from the Underwood-Memorial Hospital, south of the Red Bank Avenue intersection.
PROPOSED
WOODBURY
WOODBURY
EXISTING
TO BRIDGE
10’
10’ Sidewalk
5’
11’
5’ Shoulder 11’ Traffic Lane
12’
12’ Center Turning Lane
11’
5’
7’
11’ Traffic Lane 5’ Shoulder 7’ Sidewalk
TO BRIDGE
10’
10’ Sidewalk
5’
11’
5’ Bike Lane 11’ Traffic Lane
12’
12’ Center Turning Lane
11’
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11’ Traffic Lane 5’ Bike Lane 7’ Sidewalk
Figure 41: Strategies for Active Transit Inclusivity on Broad Street Bridge
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Recommendation 8: Minimize the impact of the slope south of Woodbury Creek Pedestrians walking south on Broad Street across the Woodbury Creek Bridge experience an uphill climb to reach the downtown and civic center. This topographical change plays a role in discouraging movement between North and South Broad Street. By providing resting opportunities along the slope, and creating a more welcoming environment, the distance the slope climbs will feel less significant for pedestrians.
8.1 Provide intermittent benches along Broad Street from Woodbury Creek to Hunter Street The slope provides a physical challenge for many individuals. Providing resting spaces will decrease the negative perception of the uphill. Seating should be placed along the sidewalk without blocking the walking pathway.
8.2
Add native vegetation along sidewalks
Broad Streetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current design is monochromatic and uninteresting for pedestrians. Adding a variety of plantings along the sidewalk will increase the perception that the space is pedestrian friendly.
75 | RECOMMENDATIONS
8.3
Etch quotes and epigrams into sidewalk
Many municipalities have utilized art and small design elements to create more interactive spaces for pedestrians. To increase Woodburyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sense of place, and provide distraction for pedestrians along Broad Street Bridge, quotes and epigrams should be etched intermittently into the sidewalk.
SIDEWALK PLANTERS
ETCHED PAVERS
BENCHES
TRASH CAN ART
RAIN GARDEN
Figure 42: Possible Strategies for Making the Broad Street Slope More Pleasant
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Recommendation 9: Promote active transit through bike infrastructure
9.3 Implement a Woodbury bike share between the Underwood-Memorial Hospital and Delaware Avenue
Woodbury has already begun to utilize and integrate bike infrastructure. Biking promotes an active lifestyle, and it increases patronage of local stores and services. Making Woodbury a more bicycle friendly community would slow down peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pace and better connect them to their surroundings. This would better incentivize patronage of employees to local Woodbury businesses.
Many cities have successfully implemented bike share programs. Woodbury should provide eight public bikes that can move between the Hospital and the downtown area, facilitating movement between the two spaces. This would be a small-scale work-based program created to increase ease of movement around the city to Broad Street commercial areas. A ten-minute lunchtime walk from the Hospital to Delaware Avenue in the historic commercial core becomes a three-minute bike ride.
9.1 Extend the bike lane north on Broad Street, and create lanes on Hunter Street and Barber Avenue. The existing bike lane added on South Broad Street between Barber Avenue and the Woodbury Creek Bridge should be extended north on Broad Street and new ones created on Hunter Street and Barber Avenue. These roads are usually wide enough to accommodate lanes which will increase safety and safe areas for biking. Other smaller routes may require shared-lane markings or traffic calming to create a complete network).
9.2
Add public bike racks near job and recreation centers
Bike parking is a concern for bikers, especially in areas of high theft. Providing bike racks at important hubs in Woodbury will reduce challenges for bikers in Woodbury and further promote the activity. 77 | RECOMMENDATIONS
Figure 43: Proposed Bike Share Program with Underwood-Memorial Hospital
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1/4 mile buffer 1/2 mile buffer Existing bike lane Proposed bike lane Figure 44: Proposed Bike Lane Extensions
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Recommendation 10: Enhance the experience for riders waiting for bus transit
Although many Woodbury residents do not own a car, there is limited public transportation infrastructure in the city. While full route upgrades are costly, improving the waiting experience for bus riders provides a lower cost option of improving public transit service in Woodbury.
10.1 Provide bus stop structures with seating at stops along Broad Street
passengers can feel comfortable visiting their establishments while waiting for their bus without the fear of missing it. Providing realâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;time data is an ongoing effort of New Jersey Transit. Individual bus stop improvements could be made as a partnership between New Jersey Transit and local sponsors. Businesses should be encouraged to post bus data on already present television and computer monitors. To incentivize business investment in real-time data, the city and Main Street Woodbury should call attention to how posting real-time data in businesses will increase their patronage.
Currently, there are few structures in Woodbury for residents to wait under in times of bad weather. Adding additional bus stop structures with seating would provide increased protection and comfort for riders. This is especially important for older Woodbury residents.
10.2 Post bus schedules and add real-time data for arriving buses at stops and local businesses Providing riders with bus arrival information is crucial. This should be done through illuminated signage showing the next bus to arrive. In the short-term this can show the next scheduled bus. As New Jersey Transit rolls out real-time data it can show where the bus is. Many transit agencies publicly release data that can be used by local businesses. By providing bus schedules, real-time signage, and fare purchase options, local businesses can make 79 | RECOMMENDATIONS
Figure 45: Real-time Bus Departure Information
10.3 Add creative programming to improve bus-waiting experience
Precedent: Creative Bus Stops Bruno Taylor
To further encourage usage, the experience of waiting for buses should be made more enjoyable. Many towns and cities have utilized art and entertainment to improve the bus waiting experience. Examples of bus stop improvements could include public art, portable libraries, food carts, or public games. Municipalities have seen success in partnering with local organizations to improve bus-waiting experiences. Examples include Philadelphiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public electronic libraries implemented in partnership with the Free Library. The city should partner with its organizations such as the local library, community garden, farmers market, Elks Lodge, YMCA, and local artists to provide programming.
Artist Bruno Taylor placed a swing in an existing bus stop in London providing riders with a more enjoyable wait. The swing was very successful and reduced the perceived waiting time. These playful, low-cost types of intervention can make taking transit more enjoyable and cement a sense of place by providing unique stops for each location. Having unique bus stops in Woodbury sponsored by local entities and sanctioned by New Jersey Transit could give each stop along Broad Street a unique feel.
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Recommendation 11: Add and clarify wayfinding and signage Although Woodbury is a small city, signage is important for both pedestrians and drivers. Currently the city lacks full signage.
11.1 Provide signage at both pedestrian and vehicle level The signage in Woodbury is focused on directing automobile traffic. The lack of pedestrian signage makes it more difficult for visitors to find destinations and increases the feeling that the city is auto-centric. During the process of unifying branding for the city, new signage must include pedestrian-level wayfinding as well as existing tourist-oriented directional signage meeting Federal Highway Administration standards.
Underwood-Memorial Hospital Red Bank Station Woodbury Friends’ Meetinghouse County Justice Complex
WOODBURY the city you can grow with
Underwood-Memorial Hospital
Justice Complex
0.1 miles
Woodbury Jr./Sr. High School
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Red Bank Station
0.4 miles
G.G. Green Building
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Red Bank Station Woodbury Friends’ Meetinghouse County Justice Complex
WOODBURY the city you can grow with
Figure 46: Pedestrian and Vehicle-Level Wayfinding Unifies the Image
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Underwood-Memorial Hospital Red Bank Station Woodbury Friends’ Meetinghouse County Justice Complex
Justice Complex
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Woodbury Jr./Sr. High School
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Red Bank Station
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Red Bank Station
G.G. Green Building
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Woodbury Friends’ Meetinghouse
Underwood-Memorial Hospital
County Justice Complex
WOODBURY the city you can grow with
WOODBURY the city you can grow with
of The Street
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fostering a lively business core
Woodbury’s retail faces many challenges and is underperforming. Many owners of current businesses have limited business knowledge, and do not utilize the training programs available in the city. Despite being a major employment hub, workers do not frequent local businesses. Significant competition from neighboring shopping centers draws the customer base away from Woodbury’s local retail. Additionally, Woodbury’s demographics and building layouts are unattractive to largescale businesses and firms. Despite efforts, the city has struggled to attract new retailers. These issues have led to high levels of vacancy in the downtown. To address these issues Woodbury should support their current businesses, encourage infill of small local businesses in its historic core, and increase development on the Northern and Southern section of Broad Street.
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Recommendation 12: Continue to support existing local businesses to ensure their longevity Despite Main Street Woodbury’s current business training program, many businesses in Woodbury struggle due to the limited business knowledge of owners. Supporting both current and future businesses is an integral strategy to addressing Woodbury’s underperforming retail.
12.1 Create a Business Community Information Center To enhance the use of Main Street Woodbury’s business services, Woodbury should create a Business Information Center (BIC). The BIC would provide one location for business owners to obtain information about doing business in Woodbury. The center would also provide support for newly started businesses which might have insufficient equipment such as fax-machines, copymachines, or computers. The ideal location for BIC would be in an easily accessible, public location like the library. Partnering with the library would provide a low-cost space to the BIC. If there is no available place in the library, using a vacant building on Delaware Avenue or Broad Street would provide another option. Although this location would be closer to the business owners, it requires rent and reduces the chance to use the vacant places for new businesses. To fund equipment, small monthly or one-time-use fees for use of the equipment could be charged to the business.
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Figure 47: Prospective BIC Locations
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1.2 Require business training as part of the Woodbury Business Assistance Loan program
Recommendation 13: Reduce vacancy along Broad Street through attracting local businesses
The existing Woodbury Business Assistance Loan program administered by the city should require that businesses participate in the Main Street Woodburyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business training program in order to receive funding.
Filling Woodburyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s high number of vacancies is a top priority for the city. To accomplish this, Woodbury should continue to actively recruit businesses. While in the past Woodbury has focused on attracting national retailers, the future should focus on attracting local business owners, and small-scale specialty shops.
12.3 Host networking events for local business owners, entrepreneurs and the local legal community to increase collaboration, patronage, and awareness As part of the Business Information Center, networking events between businesses and local service providers such as legal offices could be held to increase business stability. These connections would benefit not only local businesses, but the local services as well.
Figure 48: Business Information Center Office
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13.1 Partner with Main Street Woodbury and local commercial landlords to convert vacant storefronts into temporary galleries In the long-term Woodbury should actively recruit businesses to fill vacancies; however, in the short term, Woodbury should partner with building owners to create temporary gallery spaces. Woodbury has seen an increase in artistic activity and has smartly and successfully used vacant parcels to display art. While these temporary galleries will not bring additional revenue into the city directly, they will decrease the negative impact of the vacant parcels currently present to Broad Street. These galleries will increase the positive perception of Broad Street and draw additional customers to the corridor. Implementation for this project poses difficulties, as the vacancies are not owned by the city. Active outreach by the city and Main Street should be done with local building owners. In pitching the project, the city should promise to maintain the properties for
the duration of the gallery, and pitch the increased advertisement of the space for potential renters and buyers.
A vacant storefront turned into an art gallery to enliven the street and create interest in vacant sites.
Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;M STILL
FOR LEASE AS GREAT AS I AM AS AN ART GALLERY, CAN YOU JUST IMAGINE ME AS A STORE? CALL (xxx) xxx-xxxx FOR MORE INFORMATION
Figure 49: Vacant Storefront to Art Gallery Transformation
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13.2 Provide information on vacant properties and a business wish list on Main Street Woodbury and the City’s websites Woodbury currently provides vacancy information through its website, however, this information is underused. Many municipalities have had success in decreasing vacancies through posting vacancy and information on desired businesses online. To assist with recruiting businesses, both Main Street Woodbury and the City of Woodbury should update their websites to include information on currently vacant parcels and their desired businesses.
13.3 Utilize national funding to promote minority and female owned businesses Broad Street needs to serve as a hub for all community members. To increase the feeling of connection to Broad Street, all groups residing within Woodbury should feel represented and have personal connections to Broad Street. As grant funding is available for projects providing funding for lower income and minority focused work, Woodbury should reach out to minority and female entrepreneurs to open businesses. Funding possibilities include Community Service Block Grants in partnership with local non-profits, or Community Development Block Grants.
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13.4 Hold a “new-business” competition with prizes of reduced rent for business plan winners Fostering creative businesses is important for Woodbury, however, many businesses have opened on Broad Street that do not meet customer demand. Utilizing creative methods to monitor businesses on Broad Street will increase the City’s control over the retail mix. Some municipalities have seen success in reducing vacancies through business competitions. These programs put out requests for business plans, then partner with local building owners to provide prizes of free or reduced rent temporarily. This allows the city to monitor business plans, as well as gives entrepreneurs an opportunity to open businesses. This has the dual benefit to building owners in that it increases their property value because the corridor is more stable, and also finds them reliable tenants. To gain local building owner support, the city should advertise the benefit of increased stability in tenants after the competition, and the occupancy as opposed to vacancy in these spaces.
13.5 Partner with Main Street Woodbury to actively recruit currently understored businesses to Broad Street Currently Woodbury is understored in many areas. Woodbury should address this issue by actively recruiting new businesses. The current stores neither meet the retail needs of Woodbury residents or employees. Based on the 2013 Woodbury Market Profile, and case studies from other similar areas, seven key areas of recruitment were identified; clothing, accessories, specialty food, necessities, miscellaneous, high end, and restaurants. These stores should be chosen to address the retail demands of both those who live in Woodbury and those who work there, providing them with options that will encourage them to utilize downtown. Within these understored categories the following store types are recommended:
Clothing Stores Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Exercise and outdoor Accessories Shoe store Eye glasses and repair Jewelry
Necessities Shipping and office store Computer repair and store Hardware, paint, garden supplies
Specialty Food
High end specialty
Cheese shop
Local food and crafts and information Toy store
Bulk spices and candy
Miscellaneous Dog grooming
Restaurants Wings Mediterranean Breakfast and brunch place Brewery pub Coffee Shop Mexican While there is no guarantee these stores will thrive in Woodbury, they have profited in similar areas. The city should look further at the market profile to determine the priority of these recommendations. By placing information in local businesses, on websites, and in information packets in the business center, the city can begin to advertise the types of stores it desires.
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13.6 Create a “Wheels to Walls” business program Food trucks provide a necessary service with low start-up costs for areas without enough restaurant space. Many of these food trucks are strong businesses which want a brick and mortar home but face challenges in making the transition from truck to storefront. The Wheels to Walls program would work with successful food trucks that would like to establish a permanent location on Broad Street to help them find and lease space. Particular emphasis would be placed on finding space on North Broad Street near the food trucks’ proposed locations and in the narrow buildings of Central Broad which are difficult to lease to larger businesses or those that require a larger street frontage (see Precedent: Kababji Grill).
Precedent: Kababji Grill Washington, DC
Kababji Grill in Washington DC was a popular area Lebanese food truck. It is now a viable, permanent restaurant on Connecticut Avenue. The truck can still be seen around town, but residents always have the option of dining in. Creating food options that appeal to hospital and Justice Complex workers will help create the customers who will support a food trucks’ transition to a full-fledged resturants. This is the premise of the “Wheels to Walls” program which will help restaurants transition when space is built on North Broad Street’s anchor sites.
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Recommendation 14: Encourage higher density development North and South of the historic core
14.2 Encourage development in the area bordered by Broad Street, East Barber Avenue, and Hopkins Street
While the core of Broad Street contains historic assets and smaller buildings, the North and South of Broad Street provide opportunities for higher-density development. Currently, parking lots and mid-sized box stores cover much of the area. The Bottom Dollar and G.G. Green buildings will catalyze further development of the south end, while the future rail line will provide increased opportunities for transit-oriented development. To capitalize on these current characteristics, Woodbury should encourage build out and development in these areas.
The southern section of Broad St. consists mainly of retail amenity stores, including the CVS, and the coming Bottom Dollar. These buildings have large floor plans, and cover large portions of their parcel space; however, the area bounded by Broad St., E. Barber Ave., and Hopkins St. contains only two small buildings facing Broad Street. The buildings, especially the building at the corner of Barber Avenue and Broad Street, are smaller in scale than the surrounding buildings, and are a poor utilization of the space.
14.1 Develop an alternate pitch highlighting Woodburyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unique assets to attract national retailers Woodbury has struggled to attract large national retailers to the City. Other municipalities have had success in reversing this trend by creating new marketing packages focusing on their assets. If Woodbury cannot meet the national demographics, the city needs to build a case highlighting what they do have to offer; a daytime population that is double the number of residents in the city, a stabilized population, downtown development projects, and potential transit access.
Woodbury prides itself on having an urban aspect. As the city faces the possibility of a new rail line, and changing demographics, the urban fabric will need to adapt to fit the changing needs. The new rail line will provide opportunities for transit oriented development, and due to its proximity to the new rail stop, the Broad Street, Barber Avenue, Hopkins Street block is an ideal location for Woodbury to increase density. In addition to meeting new needs of the community, increasing the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s density will have many benefits. It will help address crime and the perception thereof, by increasing eyes on the street. Additionally, creating density along Broad St. will encourage walking to work and amenities, therefore addressing community health concerns. For these reasons, the current buildings on the site should be demolished, and the city should actively search for a developer interested in building housing and retail. Attract | 90
Recommendation 15: Build a customer base for Broad Street through programs and events
Precedent: Farragut Fridays Washington, DC
Woodbury is a regional hub, yet it does not capitalize on this characteristic. Many workers commute into Woodbury daily, but few shop or eat at local businesses. To increase patronage of local businesses, Woodbury should work to better connect its workers, residents, and visitors to its businesses.
15.1 Partner with hospital to attract food trucks by providing parking area, seating, trash cans, outdoor electricity, and permits. The city should work with Underwood-Memorial Hospital to provide the necessary infrastructure to attract food trucks to the southern most parking lot of the hospital. There are limited options for hospital workers to lunch at, and the majority stay in the Hospital cafeteria. By creating a quick, local, and affordable alternative, the city and hospital can increase the number of people on Broad Street (see Precedent: Farragut Fridays). The necessary infrastructure includes trash cans, additional seating, designated truck parking areas, and outdoor electricity plugs. Studies have indicated trucks help increase pedestrian traffic on streets, adding additional vibrancy to areas, and decreasing crime by adding eyes on the street. The city should work with the Underwood-Memorial Hospital to fund the improvements, and gain free parking space for the food trucks. 91 | RECOMMENDATIONS
Farragut Fridays are a Friday afternoon staple in downtown DC. Every Friday food trucks line the perimeter of the square and office workers spill out into the square to enjoy a wide variety of lunchtime specials. Woodbury can benefit from the presence of food trucks especially in areas underserved by restaurants. Next to the hospital where the food trucks are proposed, there are very few restaurants within a close walk. Food trucks will provide more lunch options.
Figure 50: Rendering of Proposed Food Truck Location and Seating
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15.2 Connect with local business owners to publicize programming in private establishments on Woodbury’s website Private businesses should work to increase programming to draw customers to their businesses. These events could include trivia, wine and beer tastings, and happy hours. The city should use their and Main Street Woodbury’s websites to promote private businesses’ events. This provides a promotional outlet for businesses hosting events and also increases activity and programming in the city.
15.3 Create monthly employee discount day to local bars, restaurants, and retailers Monthly citywide discount days for employees of large businesses including the justice complex and UnderwoodMemorial Hospital should be utilized to draw patronage to local businesses. Additionally, the city could consider weeklong city celebrations for employees, such as “nurses appreciation week”, that offer events and citywide discounts. 93 | RECOMMENDATIONS
Figure 51: Examples of Different Summer Programs
Figure 52: Possible Signage to Promote Discount Days
15.4 Expand festivals Festivals are a method of providing funding for small city projects and drawing residents and visitors to city areas. Woodbury has had success with previous festivals such as the Fall Arts Fest in drawing attention to local businesses by attracting people to Broad Street. Woodbury should continue this success by increasing festivals and programming on Broad Street. Festivals should be held during all seasons to highlight the Woodbury core throughout the year. To increase funding for these festivals, Woodbury should include outside vendors in at least one of the festivals and charge a vending fee. Vending fees should also be collected from local vendors participating in festivals. Ticket sales should also be used to fund festivals. Other municipalities have seen success in funding through charging one entrance fee to festivals, or selling ticket packages for use at individual vendors.
the fall arts festival features local artists and vendors
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15.5 Hold an outdoor summer film series during Woodbury should start an outdoor film series during the summer. This will increase visitation to the Broad Street area and facilitate increased shopping and patronage at local businesses. Funding for the series could be gained by charging a small entrance fees or by partnering with the future TOD property management company.
15.6 Partner with the High School to program the meadow between the school and the waterfront. The grassy area between the Junior/Senior High School and the waterfront is currently used for athletic fields. The portion closest to the waterfront and to Broad Street, which is not used by the school in a formal capacity, has access to the new trail system and to Broad Street. This area should be programmed during the summer months. Potential events or amenities could include miniature golf, movies, beer gardens, Frisbee golf, corn hole, and game tables.
95 | RECOMMENDATIONS
Figure 53: Rendering of an Outdoor Film Series at the Proposed Redevelopment Site
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Implementation vision into action
Implementation for the plan will take place over the next twenty years. It will be staged in order to maximize the immediate benefits to the city while putting in place the long-term, infrastructure development that will sustain Woodbury well into the future. While every recommendation and its action steps were previously discussed in each respective section, they were meant to be part of a larger implementation strategy. This implementation plan will help priortize staging and long-term redevelopment efforts to strengthen Woodburyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s core. The projects, using the individual implementation steps laid out in each section, will be staged in accordance with their readiness, complexity, and prospects for funding. The time horizon ranges from year one to twenty. If a capital project is marked for year five it means that it is being worked on in year five. If a program is marked in year five it means that it is in the process of being implemented in year five. Once the program is implemented it will be expected to continue running but its implementation is shown to be finished. Many projects and programs will be implemented across a number of years. For some, like the anchor sites at Broad and Red Bank, this is because planning can start in year five once more is known about the prospects of the GlassboroCamden Line passenger rail. In year ten, if the rail line exists to 97 | IMPLEMENTATION
bolster demand for the project, then construction and financing on the site may start with full site build out not being expected until year twenty. The same time frames apply to program, some of which will have delayed implementation since they are related to a capital project and others which will require more funding to start. Various agencies will partner with the city to help implement this vision for a strengthened Woodbury. In each case, the city is the primary actor that has the largest interest in catalyzing a reinvigorated Broad Street. To do this, it will partner with a number of government and non-governmental agencies for coordination and funding purposes. Governments include county, state (including transportation agencies), and federal. Nongovernmental organizations fall into either: community non-profit or private. Community non-profits like Main Street Woodbury can work with the business community. Other community nonprofits might include philanthropic organizations and foundations. The grouping private organizations is meant to include business entities like private developers as well as non-profit organizations like the hospital that seek to grow or build in Woodbury. This grouping is meant to help indicate to the city who they should be partnering with to implement their plan by providing a simple summary of more detailed information in the action items.
PHASING
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7: Diversify the Woodbury Creek bridge for multi-modal use
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11: Add and clarify way finding and signage
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13: Reduce vacancy along Broad Street by attracting local businesses
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14: Encourage higher density development North and South of the historic core
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15: Build a customer base for Broad Street through programs and events
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9: Promote active transit through bike infrastruture
12: Continue to support existing businesses to ensure their longevity
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6: Promote active and passive enjoyment of Woodbury’s outdoors
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5: Foster development of anchor sites along the Woodbury Creek Cooridor
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4: Institute crime prevention initiatives
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2: Extend streetscape and road improvements on Broad St. and Redbank Ave.
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Figure 54: Implementation Matrices
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