More Ground-Floor Businesses May Be Allowed In Westfield

WESTFIELD, NJ — The Town is looking to expand the area where ground-floor businesses can operate under a new proposed ordinance.

At its May 14 meeting, the Westfield Town Council introduced the ordinance "to allow for ground-floor office uses in the Central Business District(CBD) at very specific locations on the 'fringe' of Town as recommended in the Town’s master plan," said Mayor Shelley Brindle.

Currently, the Town's zoning requires a concentration of retail sales and services, restaurants, and personal services to occupy ground-floor tenant spaces in the CBD area.

However, outside of the core which Brindle called the 'fringes' of the CBD area, the ordinance will now allow for a variety of office-type businesses on the ground floor including offices of high rates of visitation such as physical therapist offices and the like.

Brindle said this new ordinance was necessary "to bring additional visitors from both inside and outside of Westfield and to really evolve and create some more flexibility in our Downtown."

She added that the ordinance would allow the Town to adapt to the changing times since some of those "fringe" properties — in terms of configurations — don't lend themselves to traditional retail storefronts.

The ordinance follows a similar amendment completed in 2017 that allowed for ground-floor offices on North and South Avenues.

The introduction was passed and now goes before the Planning Board for review. It will return to the Town Council in June for a public hearing and vote on adoption.

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