MAYOR'S UPDATE:

WEEK ENDING JANUARY 27

I’d like to thank everyone who joined us last week for our Facebook Live discussion about Planning and Design for the One Westfield Place proposal. I moderated a panel that included Town Planner Don Sammet, Redevelopment Planner Chris Colley from Topology, and the various professionals from Streetworks, as well as architect Harry Peltz from their firm Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners, which is nationally renowned for their adaptive reuse and historic preservation work. Please take the time to watch and hear them share details about the process that led to the proposal, insights into the design and planning strategy, and what happens next.

• The replay can be viewed here.  
• The presentation slides can be viewed here. 

Streetworks also hosted an information session on Wellness and Sustainability earlier this week in the Preview Center, where they held a robust discussion about sustainability measures incorporated into One Westfield Place, such as reducing carbon footprint and emissions, electrification of project elements, and water conservation/managing stormwater runoff. They also provided details about the programming efforts dedicated to the public spaces, which will be managed by Biederman Redevelopment Ventures, a world renowned consultancy that specializes in programming public spaces such as Bryant Park in Manhattan. You can view the replay of this session here. 

We’ve also produced a handy fact sheet which overviews the financials of the proposal so that residents can view the high-level information in one place, with a QR code to our website where you can get more details.

As a reminder, you can find all presentations and documents/FAQs related to the proposal at the One Westfield Place Information Center on our website.

Once again, I want to thank the many residents who have made the effort to stay informed. On that note, the Town Council will be meeting on Tuesday night, when the Redevelopment Plan for the proposal will be introduced. In terms of procedure, there will be a presentation by our redevelopment planners, Topology, and redevelopment counsel Steve Mlenak. This presentation is being delivered to the elected officials so that we have the opportunity to hear the details of the proposed Redevelopment Plan and ask questions in a public setting. Public comment will follow, and then the legislative portion of the meeting will get underway, which will include the Council’s vote on whether or not to refer the Redevelopment Plan to the Planning Board for their review of consistency with the Master Plan at their February 6 meeting. If that approval is reached, the Redevelopment Plan comes back to the Town Council at the February 14 meeting for an adoption vote.

And lastly, as the Lunar New Year continues through February 5, we wish health, peace, and prosperity in the Year of the Rabbit to all of our neighbors who celebrate.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

WESTFIELD HIGH SCHOOL SWIM TEAMS

Congratulations to the Westfield Blue Devils boys and girls swim teams, each ranked #1 in the NJ.com Top 20, for their repeat victory last weekend as Union County champions! Way to go!

MLK SERVICE DRIVES CONTINUE

It’s not too late to contribute to two local MLK Day service drives! Thank you to the WHS Community Service Club and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Westfield, who are joining forces to collect toiletries and other personal care items for the Westfield Food Pantry. Items most in need include shampoo, conditioner, body wash, feminine hygiene, razors, soap, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and hand/body cream. You can drop these items off at the bins outside of Holy Trinity or the main entrance to Westfield High School, or you can shop off of the Amazon wish list, which will deliver the items directly. If you would like to instead contribute directly to the Westfield Food Pantry, you can do so via Pay Pal.

Thank you to the Union County Board of County Commissioners for partnering with the Town to establish a drop-off point at the Westfield Police Department for their MLK Day of Service Supply Drive to benefit Moms Helping Moms. Drop off diapers, wipes, formula, maternal/baby hygiene, and menstrual products in the Police Station until January 31.

ANNUAL BUDGET FORUM

Last night, the Finance Policy Committee and Town Finance professionals hosted the annual public budget forum in Town Hall, where they reviewed the performance of the 2022 budget, provided an overview of the 2023 budget process, and solicited input from residents prior to this year's budget formation. This is a meeting that committee Chair Councilwoman Habgood initiated when we first took office as a way to provide more transparency into the budget process, and has proven to be very successful in increasing resident engagement as we look ahead to the annual budget introduction in March.

You can view the presentation slides on our website, and the replay of the discussion is available here. 

AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY IN WESTFIELD EXHIBIT

Don’t miss an incredible opportunity to experience Westfield’s African American history with a new exhibit that is part of the MLK Association of Westfield’s African American History Project, with generous support from The Westfield Foundation.

Fascinating historic panels and an accompanying timeline take visitors from slavery and colonial times through to the present day, including an exhibit on the excellence of Black athletes in Westfield, and a specially commissioned quilt highlighting the history. Two short documentaries by Westfield’s own Isaiah Anderson will also be presented – one about the Black Professional Zone in Westfield and another about an African American neighborhood that once existed in what is now Brightwood Park.

You can view this free exhibit at the Center for Creativity at the Rialto from January 28 through February 28 on Fridays from 3:00 - 7:00, and Saturdays/Sundays from 12:00 - 5:00. 

GIRL SCOUTS

Thank you to the third grade Jefferson School Brownie troop for their visit to Town Hall this week. The girls enjoyed a tour of the building and had great questions about our municipal departments. We talked about their troop’s initiatives, what they’re studying in school, and of course, Girl Scout cookies. If you have a group that is interested in meeting with me at Town Hall please send me an email at mayorbrindle@westfieldnj.gov. I love to show our kids how local government works.

HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY

Lastly, and most importantly, as we close out this week, I want to acknowledge International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which serves as an important reminder of the atrocities committed in the name of hatred that we can never allow to be repeated. We stand with our Jewish friends and neighbors, not just today, but every day, to denounce hate in all forms.