The Planning Board accepted a new redevelopment study of the former St. Mark’s Church and surrounding properties that’s largely similar to the one conducted five years ago.

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After about 30 minutes of discussion and questions during the Nov. 26, the Planning Board accepted the study and recommended to City Council that the area, comprised of six lots, be designated in need of redevelopment.

Dec. 10 UPDATE: City Council on Monday night unanimously approved a resolution (AR-265-24) designated the lots as a condemnation area in need of redevelopment.

The latest study reiterated some of what the 2019 study noted as qualifying factors for the site but none of the lots have changed or improved since 2019. The most recent 92-page report is available in its entirety here.

.In 2019,  the Planning Board accepted similar redevelopment study and and City Council agreed, designating the area as in need of redevelopment, with an option for eminent domain. The area was included in the Arts District Redevelopment Plan and after that plan was adopted in 2020, some questions were raised about the validity of notice for when it was originally approved, Board Planner McKinley Mertz explained. “There has not been much change since the last study but it was prudent,” she said.

The study encompasses six properties within Block 162:

• 288 Seminary Ave., Lot 8
• 277 Hamilton St., Lot 9
• 308 Seminary Ave., Lot 10
• 322 Seminary Ave., Lot 11
• 1613-17 Gordon Place, Lot 12
• 309 Hamilton St., Lot 13

All six lots qualify under some criteria of the state redevelopment law and the study area as a whole qualifies under E, Mertz said.

• A – Building is in substandard, unsafe or dilapidated condition
• B – Industrial, commercial or manufacturing that has been discontinued or abandoned
• C – Unimproved, vacant land for at least 10 years not likely to be developed through private capital
• D – Building that is dilapidated or deleterious land use and other factors detrimental to the public
• E – Underutilized property related to condition that’s impeding property acquisition
• F – More than 5 acres which have been destroyed, resulting in material depreciation
• G – Designated Urban Enterprise Zone (which does not apply to Rahway)
• H – Consistent with smart growth planning principles

The study area is about 1.5 acres, predominantly vacant land, with the former St. Mark’s property comprising 60 percent of the area, just less than 1 acre. The rest of the parcels are residential lots between 5,000 and 6,500 square feet.

The St. Mark’s properties (Lots 9 and 13) comprise a large part of the site and are “significantly constrained” by flood plains. Current Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) standards require dry access for residential development, Mertz said. The study shows how much of Hamilton Street is within the AE flood zone, making it difficult to meet that standard.

One of the three homes on Seminary Avenue is in “pretty nice shape,” said board member Alex Shipley, and asked what compensation property owners would receive in the case of eminent domain. If there’s a developer interested in all of the properties that’s unable to negotiate with each owner, the city can condemn and the owner would get “just compensation,” including for relocation, if necessary, board attorney Karl Kemm explained. Each property owner would be appraised individually, he added.

The site is definitely in need of redevelopment, board Chairman Jeff Robinson said. “If anything, it’s deteriorating even more since the last study was done,” he said, questioning whether it’s viable for redevelopment. Though it’s not up to the Planning Board, Robinson suggested the property might be left as green space given flooding issues over the years.

The board only accepts the report and makes a recommendation to City Council on whether to declare an area in need of redevelopment, after which zoning then typically gets determined, Mertz said.

Essex Street resident Christian Clarke was the only person to speak during the public comment portion of the meeting. He supported Robinson’s idea of turning into a green space. “I can’t imagine anyone would want to live in an area that floods,” he said, or how businesses would operate in an area that floods.

Linden-based Capodagli Property Company acquired the former St. Mark’s site in August 2022 via its Meridia on Hamilton, LLC, and later acquired 309 Hamilton St. for $430,000 in December 2023, according to property records. As recently as September 2023, city officials said that concepts presented for the site have so far been unacceptable.

In November 2020, AST Development presented a concept for 36 townhomes between Hamilton Street and Seminary Avenue. The Lavellette-based firm was also behind the development of Reva Rahway, a 219-unit building on the site of the former Center Circle sports complex on Main Street.

Editor’s note: This post was based on an audio recording of the Nov. 26 Planning Board meeting.

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