FROM THE NEW JERSEY HERALD (Quincy Newspapers, Inc.)
March 25, 2006
Zoning change begins today
By ANDREA LEVENE
Herald Staff Writer
BYRAM -- Under rules that take effect today, the township is taking another step toward a pedestrian-friendly downtown area.
The new zoning passed early this month is meant to have its biggest effect along Route 206. It establishes a "village business district" in the Byram Plaza area to complement the township's village center on Lackawanna Drive and Route 206.
The township's designated village center, established by the state planning commission in 2004, will eventually be a focal point for commercial and residential development. The village center is zoned for mixed-use and will likely include some commercial buildings with apartments above the businesses, officials said.
The new zoning was approved during a Township Council meeting on March 6 and is a direct result of the reexamination of the master plan, said Township Planning Director Chris Hallwig.
"Most of the major changes are along Route 206," he said. "I would say the largest impact will probably be to the commercial character, that could be good or bad depending on how you look at it."
Businesses that are already in the area will not be affected by the changes, Mayor Eskil "Skip" Danielson said.
"The non-conforming uses will be allowed to continue," he said. "There are some existing businesses that do not conform to the new zoning, but they can continue to operate."
Hallwig said the areas where zoning was altered most were vacant properties and commercial areas. The zoning does not greatly alter the densities in pre-existing neighborhoods or near the lake communities, he said.
Starting at Acorn Street and ending just north of Byram Plaza is the Village Business District. The district -- zoned to encourage new development and revitalize the existing commercial development along Route 206 -- allows banks, antique stores, art studios, bakeries and other retailers. The new district replaced the "highway business district," which allowed for strip mall development along Route 206.
North of Byram Plaza and ending just south of Pierson Avenue is zoned for industrial, professional and recreational use. It is designed to accommodate professional buildings, commercial recreation and entertainment uses, Hallwig said.
The zoning ordinance also creates a neighborhood commercial district from Pierson Avenue to Tamarack. The district permits limited retail use that will not increase normal car or truck traffic in the surrounding neighborhoods and discourages strip mall development.
Some residential zoning changes were made in the areas considered environmentally sensitive, including those with steep slopes.
"The density was changed in the vacant land between Forest Lakes and Lake Mohawk," Hallwig said. "For the most part, the zoning did not change much in existing (residential) neighborhoods."