Paterson Riverfront Strategy
and
A Community Participatory Planning
Workshop Report
Prepared for the City of Paterson, New Jersey
By The Waterfront Center
July, 2003
"PATERSON IS ON THE MOVE!"
COUNCILMAN THOMAS C. ROONEY JR., APRIL 26, 2003
June, 2003
Open Letter to the Citizens of Paterson, New Jersey:
Reclaim Your Riverfront, Now!
That's the theme we suggest and the spirit of the recommendations The Waterfront Center Team makes in the pages that follow.
Our suggestions emphasize practical, do-able actions that are within your capabilities. Some cost nothing but effort, others steps are inexpensive. Nothing that we put forward is out of reach.
We'll urge a variety of steps to be taken immediately. Then, step-by-step, incrementally, we put forward an action plan to enable the citizens of Paterson to reclaim their riverfront. You made an important start years ago to open up to the public the Great Falls, the Raceway and the Passaic as it flows though your city. For one reason and another, that early initiative has faltered.
Now, however, it's time to reclaim what was started, to build on and improve it and to bring vitality to the river in the heart of Paterson. Replacing what is a damaged, marginal area now with activity, learning, commerce and family fun can create a vitality that will serve all of the citizens and reach all age groups.
Everything recommended in our report builds on the day-and-a-half Citizens Planning Workshop held April 25 and 26, 2003, at the Paterson Museum. The findings of your fellow citizens are summarized in the pages that immediately follow and are the heart of this report. We urge you to read what was put forward during those two days. We again thank each of the participants. We admire your creativity, energy, good humor and receptivity to ideas. It tells us that the ability to accomplish the riverfront reclamation exists in Paterson today.
Reclaim Your Riverfront, Now! It's there to do. It will make an enormous difference to your city. It can not only help put Paterson back on the proverbial map, such a reclamation can help lift the spirits of the citizens and show the world what you can do when mobilized.
In keeping with the City's motto: "With Hope and Labor" we trust you will achieve every success.
Ann Breen and Dick Rigby
for The Waterfront Center Team
"For a time, however, Paterson's erratic nature, in a way, did contribute to the city's greatness. It became a magnet for men with ideas as raw as the city itself.
In Paterson people did not just invent; they tried everything -- a repeat revolver, a submarine, an airplane that could fly across the Atlantic. And Paterson did not just manufacture; it produced articles that redefined the limits of life.
It is impossible to think of any other city whose products cut so deeply into the texture of the United States and not only transformed its national character, but revolutionized American relations with the world."
From About Paterson: The Making and Unmaking of an American City by Christopher Norwood (New York: Harper & Row, Publishers 1974, 256 pages, paperback).
"Our goal is to encourage all to look at our city, evaluate its assets, such as those present in the Great Falls area, and recognize that despite its problems, within the fabric of Paterson are qualities that make our city unique and that these qualities can be broadened, upgraded, and capitalized upon. Our purpose to not to "freeze" this area in its 19th Century past, but rather to bring the buildings and surrounding open space into the context of Paterson's present and hopes for the future."
-- Mary Ellen Kramer
Summary of Paterson Citizen's Planning Workshop
Paterson Museum, 2 Market Street
April 25-26, 2003
Paterson, New Jersey
Introduction
A planning workshop involving approximately 50 citizens was held on April 25 and 26, 2003, sponsored by the Paterson City Council. Its purpose was to produce a community consensus about what the future of the downtown riverfront in general and the Great Falls area in particular should be. The workshop was conducted by the Waterfront Center of Washington, D.C., a non-profit corporation based in Washington, D.C. which was engaged by City Council to prepare a Strategic Plan for the Great Falls area which this report embodies. The citizen's workshop is the key component of the Strategic Plan.
Preceding the workshop members of the Waterfront Center team conducted in-depth interviews with a varied group of people selected to represent divergent views. These ranged from business interests to environmental, historic and community organizations. The information gathered in these interviews, which were conducted anonymously, are reflected in the findings and recommendations of The Waterfront Center contained in this report.
Organizational support for the interviews and workshop was supplied by the Department of Community Development, Marilee Jackson, Director. Councilman Thomas Rooney served as liaison between the City and the Center.
Serving as facilitators for the workshop were:
• Ann Breen, co-director of The Waterfront Center;
• Barry Hersh, assistant director, Norman Institute of Real Estate, Baruch College, City University of New York, New York, N.Y.
• Charles Norris, principal, Norris and Norris Architects and Urban Designers, Cambridge, Mass.
The basic idea of the workshop was to bring together a group of representative citizens, assisted by outside facilitators, to develop their own concept plan for the Great Falls area on both sides of the Passaic River, focusing on the area between the Wayne Avenue Bridge on the west and the West Broadway Avenue Bridge to the east. Within this context, the workshop focused most closely on the key Allied Textile Printing (ATP) site.
The workshop recommendations are the beginning point. Follow-up -- in both the organizational sense and in more detailed plans -- is needed, building on the consensus established over the day-and-a-half-long work sessions.
The philosophy of the Waterfront Center is that the best city planners for a city are its users. That is, the business, civic, governmental and neighborhood leaders in any city will know instinctively what will work best. In the words of author Roberta Brandes Gratz, writing in The Living City (Simon & Schuster, 1989):
"The vision for a place should come from the community up, not from City Hall down...Genuine participatory planning, in which public input is desired, not just tolerated, is rare. Public meetings are many; acceptance of the public's preference is rare."
When basic community knowledge and appreciation is joined with outside expertise familiar with economic development techniques, urban design, and waterfront planning principles, a powerful combination is established to forge creative, do-able plans. And so it is the case here.
The recommendations summarized here represent a good deal of give and take and a considerable amount of discussion. The workshop was preceded on Friday afternoon by a bus and walking tour of key sites along the Passaic River. About half of the workshop participants were able to take part in the tour, planned and guided by Michael Wing, executive director of the Paterson Historic Preservation Commission. The workshop itself began with a specially-tailored illustrated show of sample riverfront developments around the country and world presented by Center co-director Breen. Mayor Jose "Joey" Torres opened the workshop Friday afternoon, urging the citizens to take advantage of the opportunity presented them to develop their own vision for the riverfront. Director Jackson also welcomed and thanked the participants.
This report consists of six parts. First is a bit of background on the structure of the workshop. Second is a summary of the Topical Work Group discussions and recommendations conducted Friday afternoon. Third is a summary of the Design Group recommendations developed during an all-day session on Saturday, April 26 and summarized by participants at the closing. Part Four contains the analysis and recommendations of The Waterfront Center Team. Fifth is a listing of Resources. Sixth is a consensus site plan prepared by Mr. Norris for the Center, combining the recommendations developed by three separate design teams. Along with this document all of the worksheets and sketch maps created during the workshop
are returned to the City of Paterson.
Organization of the Workshop
To understand this report, it is necessary to know how the workshop was structured.
Participants were invited with an eye to reflecting the diverse interests of the community. In three afternoon "brain-storming" sessions, participants were divided into topical, or subject area, groups. The assignment was to develop broad goals and priorities within the topic areas to recommend to the workshop as a whole, without site-specific references. Participants were told to think imaginatively and boldly and for the afternoon sessions to not be concerned about cost and responsibilities.
The topical groups were as follows:
• Economic Development Opportunities-- led by
Barry Hersh.
• Design Principles -- led by Charles Norris.
• The Public Realm and Recreation -- led by Ann Breen.
Following summary presentations of the conclusions and recommendations of each of the topical work groups, reported by citizens, participants were re-divided into three design teams consisting of members drawn from each of the afternoon, topical sessions, thus insuring a good mix of the brainstorming discussions in the site planning work. During the Saturday design group discussions, site-specific recommendations were developed, and considerations of practicality, cost and organization were taken up. At the conclusion of all-day design sessions, with each group working on the same site plan, summaries of each independent design group's concept plan were presented in public, again by citizen participants. Important for the community is to notice the recommendations in common developed by separate groups, working with different facilitators who have diverse professional backgrounds and styles. These findings are the core of the developing consensus.
Summaries of Topical Work Groups
• Public Realm. Presented by Gus Penaranda.
Image. The beginning point of the group's findings was the bad image that the City of Paterson has. Note was made that when recruits are brought to William Paterson University they are driven around the city, not through it.
To combat this a concerted public relations plan was suggested, including public access television and welcoming signs, especially on Route 80. This highway provides a window of opportunity given its heavy traffic and "Welcome to Historic Paterson: Home of the Great Falls" or "Visit Historic Colt Factory" signs should be displayed. A City information office should be established, the group felt, promoting the city both within and to the outside world and featuring its artistic community. The importance of events in the city center/riverfront was noted, and the opportunity they present to link to area colleges and the population of New York City with its rail access to Paterson.
Graffiti should be taken seriously and removed as soon as it is discovered. The group stated the existing park areas on the river were unsafe or perceived as unsafe and that eventually there should be a park patrol. For now City police should be deployed and be very visible. A satellite police station in the park is desirable, as is a volunteer police/neighborhood watch kind of effort to supplement the policing.
As part of the overall safety concern, getting citizens involved and invested was felt key. A "buy a brick" campaign where people's names would be placed in a walkway, for instance, is one way to build involvement.
Water Quality. It was felt that there is an issue about the cleanliness of the Passaic, or lack thereof. The river smells at certain periods, and the upstream sewage treatment facilities have to be addressed. There is also a quantity concern, namely that a sufficient flow over the Falls be maintained. The group wants to examine all the regulations and covenants that are in effect that influence these twin concerns.
Dredging around Alfano Island, now silted up, was suggested. And finally, a cleanup of the riverfront was put forward, using among other forces a youth Riverkeepers-type organization. Tires and other debris need to be pulled from the river and the trash that is on the cliffs and in other areas removed. The riverfront should be made visibly appealing, thus encouraging boating and fishing uses.
Awareness. The group felt that there is a general lack of awareness about the Passaic and that in its current condition, it is underused and underappreciated by the populace and lacks adequate accessibility. The group felt strongly that there is an urgency about taking action, that preparation of a riverfront master plan based on this participatory workshop should be a high priority and that, when completed, should be marketed in the community and elsewhere to build support. The group established as its watchword: "No Phoney Baloney!"
History. The unique history of Paterson is an asset to be capitalized on. The fact is that the cultural, industrial and natural heritage of the area is a national treasure, featured, for instance, on a Library of Congress Web site. A way should be found to involve the city's school children; the group felt that the 900 or so students at Kennedy High School, for example, had little understanding of this heritage. Ways must be found, the group stated, to teach this generation, to involve them, to teach them the stories of Paterson and make them proud. One way to accomplish this was to make use of the city's celebrities, from Alexander Hamilton to Lou Costello to Larry Doby to Allen Ginsberg.
Kids and Recreation. Getting young people involved in a cleaned-up river for recreation was suggested as one way to accomplish the education mission mentioned above. Getting the Passaic River and Paterson's history worked into the Board of Education's curriculum at varied grade levels was recommended.
Arts. Revisiting and updating the arts initiatives recommended in a plan prepared in a 1970's was suggested. That initiative envisioned an area near the river of art galleries, restaurants, performance space and artists studios and residences, only a portion of which has been achieved.
• Economic Development. Presented by Sheri Freeman.
This group distilled its two-hours of discussion into seven main headings.
Four-season usability of the river was put forward as the first principle in the economic development realm.
Establishment of evening activities using the riverfront was number two, aiming for the 18-hour city. As it is now, it was noted, Paterson virtually closes at 7 p.m., so the desire is to get things happening after that. In its discussions, the group mentioned jazz clubs and bars, perhaps in the Ryle Avenue area across the river from downtown. A "Little Italy" type of neighborhood was envisioned. Housing would be atop such installations. Outdoor movies and an amphitheater for such attractions plus other performances was also brought up.
Three, the group wanted to see improved accessibility to the river, with a continuous greenway along both sides, a public space established by ordinance. No building should block the way nor should there be private property at the river's edge. Moving the city dog pound from its river site was recommended. The pathway should connect the bridges, making possible a loop for walkers and runners. Bike paths are also desirable. Under the accessibility goals, the group wanted to see direct contact with the river made possible, as with steps or slopes. Plus another pedestrian crossing, to make getting back and forth easier.
Using the city's multicultural richness was put forward, in kiosks with the foods of the city's varied cultures offered as a specific for instance. The group in its discussions noted the need for after-hours storage to make this idea feasible. This richness could also be celebrated at riverfront events.
Maintaining and enhancing the city's historic significance has economic development implications.
An image campaign is needed for Paterson, a catchy slogan needs to be selected, and an effort to convey the sense that the city is fun and safe (as it becomes same) wants to be made.
The group's last big recommendation was to make the riverfront area secure, to install lighting and the clean it up. The basic point made was that if people do not feel safe at the riverfront, they will not come. Or, if they come and feel unsafe, they won't be back. One of the specifics brought up in the deliberations in this subject area was the desirability of a police substation on the river. Another idea was to put police on horses to patrol the site.
Programmed events and festivals are another way to install a feeling of security, provided they are patrolled. In considering the ATP site in particular, the group felt it should be one half in the public domain, the other half being for a mix of commercial activities. Specific uses mentioned included a hotel/restaurant/ballroom complex and/or housing. In the latter case, not beside the river. In general, the group felt housing should be encouraged downtown, over shops for instance, and on vacant lots.