Green Village and Hillsborough’s Downtown

When I first moved to Hillsborough New Jersey some twenty-five years ago, people talked about the traffic on Route 206.  However, I remember sometimes challenging myself to drive down 206  from the  Somerville Circle to my house, about 15 miles away,  without stepping on the brakes.  Some days I did it.  Not anymore.  Things have changed.   Now, almost every intersection  has a traffic light and once in the center of Hillsborough traffic is always stop and go –  but mostly stopped.   Back then, people also talked about a possible solution to the traffic problem – a proposed highway directing north/south traffic around Hillsborough instead of through it.  It was called the Route 206 ‘By-pass’.  People anticipated this project  not only because it would reduce traffic on the  ‘Old 206’, but hopefully provide an opportunity to transform  a congested corridor of strip malls into a beautiful pedestrian-oriented downtown.

Route 206 By-pass

So the Township Committee took steps to make this ‘Downtown’ project a reality.  They hired professional consultants to conduct studies and eventually prepare a plan.  Hillsborough residents were asked for their input into this process.  Computers were set up at  the local library and residents were shown pictures of different built environments and asked to rate them.    It was no surprise what people really liked.  They preferred  images that showed tree-lined streets with wide pedestrian walkways, storefronts with  interesting architecture, outdoor sitting areas,  fountains, bike paths,  outdoor markets, courtyards, interesting side streets, and public plazas to hold community events.  From this information a master plan was created and a new ordinance written.  An Architectural and Site Design Standards Committee (ASDS) was formed to establish design standards.   This committee originally consisted of two planners, an environmental engineer, an architectural historian, a local business person, and myself, a landscape architect.   For five years the committee reviewed  new developments along the periphery of the Route 206 corridor and the major east/west link Amwell Road, but no major projects were proposed for the ‘core’ downtown area during that time.  All this was done in anticipation of the 206 by-pass.  Well the wait is finally over.  The  ‘by-pass’ has been under construction for almost a year now and will soon become a reality.

At the same time, the first major project proposed for the ‘Downtown’ is now being reviewed by the Planning Board.  The next meeting will be this Thursday, March 1st.   It is called ‘Green Village’.  Green Village is a proposed 469-unit apartment complex, with a 130-room extended stay hotel, and a 20,000 square foot retail space, on a 50-acre tract along Route 206.  From the few drawing revealed to the public so far, this project aims to meet the most minimum requirements of the zoning ordinance.  It offers nothing to advance the creation of a downtown.  What the plan shows is a nondescript series of housing and parking lots along a semi-circular road,  only the footprint of a proposed hotel, and along 206, what appears to be a strip mall.   There are no plazas, no courtyards, no interesting side streets,  and no connection to other businesses.  It is an island of development with no connection to the community and no access except by car.

When the ‘Downtown’ overlay zone was established it allowed  for a greater density of retail, commercial and residential development than was previously allowed.    This greater density  suddenly made these properties much more valuable.  In return, developers would be expected to adherence to the ‘intent’ of the design standards.   The  job of the ASDS committee was to insure developers adhered to these standards.  However, two years ago, the ASDS committee was disbanded.  Even though the committee was all volunteer the reasoning was that they provided a duplication of services.  They were told that the Planning Board would be capable of taking over the their responsibilities.

This will be the first opportunity for the Planning Board to do just that.  If this project is approved as it is, not only will we loose the opportunity to experience Route 206 without traffic, but we will loose the opportunity to change the face of Hillsborough for generations.