Votech as a Sustainable Source of Affordable Housing by Adaptive Reuse
- Bloomfield Sustainability
- Apr 10
- 2 min read
these are additional questions and suggestions we were not given the opportunity to ask at the Master Plan meeting on 4/8 because we were cut for time.
As referenced in the Master Plan demographic section, Bloomfield will continue to grow and we need to prepare in order to retain our teachers, seniors and first responders and live in a thriving town.
At the master plan meeting we were told that Bloomfield already meets the "minumum standard" (the town motto?) But that doesn't change the fact that we need to be planning for the next 10 years. There is little argument that Bloomfield needs more affordable housing.
From a sustainability standpoint, According to the UN Environment Program,
The buildings and construction sector is by far the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, accounting for a staggering 37% of global emissions.
The most sustainable way to provide more housing is Adaptive Reuse.
Master Plan P. 129 (sec 7.5.1) 209 Franklin Street - The Votech
…At this time, the Township anticipates demolishing the former school building and redeveloping the 5 acre site for recreation and open space.
We disagree.
The Votech building is a sturdy, historically important building. The proposal to create a park will only burden us taxpayers with the cost to dispose of environmental hazards, when the cost to remediate and encapsulate the school would be comparable. Adaptive reuse of the school would move or at least the the cost burden onto a developer's proforma and off our tax bill.
Bloomfield could create an RFP to solicit partner developers to convert the building into affordable housing, thereby preserving the building and simultaneously serving our community's needs.
Adaptive reuse of old schools has already been successful around the country, from Newark to Chicago.
Several good articles:
"Repurposing School Buildings into Housing" January 2024
"How Adaptive Reuse Can Ease the Housing Crisis" October 2024
Teacher’s Village in Newark, for example also provides community space for artists and theater groups.
Another concern on the Master Plan, a question we didn't have time to ask, was regarding the properties at 177 and 209 Franklin St (the Votech and South Junior High) The Land Use and Zoning Maps seem to conflict on these maps.
Was the Votech property previously rezoned as recreational in the 2014 reexamination? - Land use shows it as “Private/Institutional” which is correct, but 177 Franklin is shown as already zoned “Public/Rec”
Is this map already reflecting presumptive future zoning?
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