Westfield Mayor Takes A Look Back And Forward To 2025

WESTFIELD, NJ — At Tuesday night's Town Reorganization meeting, Westfield Mayor Shelley Brindle gave a State of the Town address — looking back and ahead.

Brindle gave her State of Town Address which included a look back at improving street safety with the addition of four-way stop intersections, adding to its police force, obtaining a record $15 million surplus, and more.

She also looked to the future with goals to maintain maintain exceptional fiscal oversight, prioritize public safety, enhance parks and recreation offerings, champion quality of life issues, foster resident engagement and inclusivity, and manage affordable housing obligations and advance downtown revitalization initiatives.

Moving forward, Brindle noted some downtown improvements to come including construction on the Lord & Taylor site anticipated to start in 2026 as part of the One Westfield Place project, improvements to the former Good Lube property at the corner of South and Central Avenues, and moving the Open Quimby project forward.

See below for Mayor Brindle's full State of the Town Address from the Annual Organization Meeting of the Town Council on Jan. 7:

I am honored to deliver the 2025 State of the Town Address.

First and foremost, I'm proud to report that Westfield is stronger than ever, achieving unprecedented success across every metric and positioning us for sustainable, long-term prosperity.

Our strength stems from significant accomplishments over the past several years, with 2024 being one of the most productive of my seven years in office.

This has been in large part due to our fiscal stewardship, which enabled a 0 percent municipal property tax increase, a record $15 million surplus, record high property values, and increased investments in capital projects and personnel in critical areas to better serve you.

It’s important to reflect on these achievements to remind ourselves of the importance of effective local governance. At a time when our attention seems focused on national politics, the real work and progress happens in our own communities, as we’ve experienced here in Westfield.

Whether it's making our streets safer, fostering a business-friendly environment, implementing climate-friendly policies, uniting our community through events like AddamsFest, or working to keep Westfield affordable, proactive and effective local government has made a meaningful difference in our residents' daily lives.

These successes are due to the work done by the local leaders on this dais tonight and by those who came before us, our exceptional municipal staff, the numerous volunteers we’re appointing to boards and commissions this evening, and the many others who contribute their time and talents in ways seen and unseen. I extend my gratitude to all of you for your partnership and commitment to ensuring that Westfield remains one of the best places to live.

As we look to 2025, our key objectives continue to be those that have served as our foundation since I’ve been in office:

1. Maintain exceptional fiscal oversight
2. Prioritize public safety
3. Enhance parks and recreation offerings
4. Champion quality of life issues
5. Foster resident engagement and inclusivity
6. Manage affordable housing obligations and advance downtown revitalization initiatives

1) Maintain Exceptional Fiscal Oversight

• Seek new revenue sources and operating efficiencies to reduce reliance on residential property taxpayers to deliver on public priorities.
• Manage debt levels to enable investments in capital projects that deliver public benefits and support new development, while maintaining sufficient surplus levels to uphold our AAA bond rating.
• Leverage revenue growth and expanding ratables to accelerate town capital projects and ultimately support long-term school district priorities without further taxing residents.

2) Prioritize Public Safety

Our investments in police staffing and equipment have paid off, resulting in a 70 percent reduction in auto thefts and a 12 percent increase in traffic stops to deter speeding. We will continue to stay vigilant on these fronts, and also:

• Implement additional traffic mitigation measures, increase enforcement, and crack down on e-bike and scooters that flout regulations.
• Identify opportunities for pedestrian safety improvements, including enhanced signage and additional all-way stops where appropriate, beyond the four installed last year.
• Initiate public input for the Safe Roads for All public safety plan, funded by a $100,000 U.S. Department of Transportation grant, incorporating a Vision Zero component to eliminate pedestrian accidents.
• Sustain historic high levels of police and fire department staffing.
• Advance plans for a new, modernized main firehouse on Central Avenue, following the acquisition of the adjacent property, enabling the purchase of modern apparatus and implementation of best practice safety protocols to better serve the community.
• Complete the replacement of every street sign in town with higher visibility signage; auction old signs to support public art installations curated by the Public Arts Commission.

3) Enhance Town Parks & Recreation Offerings

• Conduct a public engagement process, to begin in Q1 and led by a selected design firm, to finalize the design plan for Tamaques Park, potentially including amenities such as additional parking, a new entrance/exit off Lamberts Mill Road, pickleball courts, an ice rink funded through a public/private partnership, a lighted turf field, a dog park, renovated basketball courts, and senior wellness equipment.
• Finalize improvements to the Houlihan/Sid Fay field complex with an expected Q3 construction start date, including additional parking, restrooms, security lighting, and ADA compliance.
• Leverage the DPW's newly expanded dedicated parks and field division to eventually assume maintenance of all school district fields, beginning with one field in 2025, aiming to upgrade all town and school fields and achieve savings through economies of scale. We’ll also continue our partnership with the Board of Education to further enhance the school system’s fleet management.
• Accommodate the growing popularity of pickleball by re-lining tennis courts at Memorial Park and ensuring standalone pickleball courts are included in the Tamaques Park redesign plan.

4) Champion Quality of Life Issues

• Pave approximately 11 miles of road this year as part of our innovative paving program. By the end of 2026, we will have repaved 100 percent of the town's roads since 2018 — an unprecedented accomplishment for any municipality. Our 2019 paving ordinance has resulted in utilities covering 50 percent of the paving costs, saving taxpayers nearly $20 million.
• Improve and automate processes for parking permitting and enforcement by mid-year to provide a better and fairer user experience while maximizing current parking capacity, including:
  • Enabling online purchasing of daily permits, eliminating the need for commuters to meet parking officers before 7 a.m.
  • Expanding and adapting the number of daily permits based on usage and day of the week, and adding daily permits for the Watterson lot.
  • Enabling online purchasing and renewal of commuter, employee, and residential permits.
  • Increasing enforcement of two-hour street parking limits around the train station, enabled by additional patrol car license plate readers.
• Accommodate and encourage biking by adding safety measures and installing additional bike racks at key downtown locations and the train station.
• Expand sustainability initiatives, including stormwater improvements, recycling efforts, and climate actions.
• Oversee completion of the new public plaza being constructed as part of the Westfield Crossing development on South Avenue and funded by the developer, serving as a beautiful east gateway into Westfield.
• Finalize our downtown historic preservation plan and consider the designation of additional town landmarks.

5) Foster Resident Engagement and a Culture of Inclusivity

• Expand the visibility of the Human Relations Advisory Commission (HRAC) and the Mental Health Council to promote inclusivity, foster empathy and understanding, celebrate diversity, and denounce racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, and hate of any kind.
• Support and expand initiatives and events that celebrate and unite our community, including AddamsFest, March to Yorktown Day, the 150th anniversary of the Fire Department, public art installations, and Downtown Westfield Corporation (DWC) events such as Sweet Sounds, Open Quimby, holiday events, and more.
• Initiate planning for America’s 250th anniversary on July 4, 2026: Westfield will be participating in the America250 initiative, an opportunity to celebrate our unique and rich history as part of a broader, national celebration led by Julie Diddell of the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route New Jersey. I’d like to thank Julie for her ongoing dedication to highlighting Westfield’s history, and am thrilled to unveil the winning logo tonight for our participation in America250, designed by local artist Jenn Wilner. More information to come shortly about the formation of the planning committee and opportunities for community participation.

And lastly, and most significantly:

6) Manage Affordable Housing Obligations and Advance Downtown Revitalization
Affordable Housing

Resolving our fourth round of affordable housing obligations by the state’s June 30 deadline is the most significant action this governing body will undertake this year. Our objective is to proactively shape outcomes that prevent potential builders' remedy litigation, safeguard the predominantly single-family zoning that characterizes our suburban community, and fulfill our moral duty to contribute to solving New Jersey’s housing crisis. As your elected officials, we are committed to negotiating an agreement with the state that secures the most favorable results for our residents.

This includes ensuring that our obligation is fair and realistic, that any new affordable housing developments are strategically located to offer economic benefits to our community, are accessible to public transit to alleviate traffic congestion, and are designed to minimize impacts on schools and infrastructure.

These principles guided our decision when approving projects like the American Legion Redevelopment Plan, set to commence construction this year and provide 22 affordable housing units for at-risk veterans, as well as One Westfield Place, which will deliver 33 affordable housing units and provide housing primarily for residents 55+ to avoid straining our schools. And if not for the approved Redevelopment Plan already in place, the Lord & Taylor site would be subject to potentially much higher density requirements as part of our fourth round of affordable housing obligations.

This brings me to the status of this transformative downtown redevelopment project.

Downtown Redevelopment

Upon taking office in 2018, my team, including three of whom are on this dais tonight, pledged to tackle the complex challenge of identifying comprehensive long-term solutions to support our local businesses by expanding and diversifying our downtown economy. At that time, our downtown faced a double-digit vacancy rate, with numerous "For Rent" signs and even a Spirit of Halloween pop-up store occupying a prominent storefront—an alarming indicator of decline. I was frequently asked why downtown Westfield couldn't emulate the success of neighboring towns like Cranford or Summit, with their many new businesses and parking structures to support sensible growth.

So here we are today, having embarked on redevelopment efforts similar to those our neighboring towns initiated decades ago, with our downtown vacancy rate reduced to approximately 3%, excluding Lord & Taylor. Ironically, it was the closing of that beloved store that set in motion the subsequent approvals for One Westfield Place, and that development is now the reason why so many new businesses have chosen to open in Westfield.

While we have publicly committed to this future investment, it obviously hasn't happened yet. In speaking to new store owners, particularly eateries, it becomes apparent that we simply don’t have enough residents to sustain the growing number of these establishments. To ensure their success and avoid the boom-and-bust cycles historically experienced by our downtown, we must attract and accommodate downtown employers whose employees will patronize these businesses.

We also need more residents living downtown to support our businesses throughout the week, which is precisely the aim of One Westfield Place. Unfortunately, the longer the seven acre Lord & Taylor site remains vacant, the greater the opportunity cost for our businesses and residents.

The primary reason for the delay in starting One Westfield Place is the ongoing litigation by the Westfield Advocates for Responsible Development. Although a judge's decision definitively ruled against their initial claims, they filed an appeal which is pending, and just last week filed an additional lawsuit alleging that the newly amended and scaled down One Westfield Place Redevelopment Plan, which addressed many of their concerns, is also inconsistent with the Town’s Master Plan.

Despite the delays, I am often reminded by the many supporters of this project that the loudest voices do not necessarily represent the majority, and that a great many of us remain focused on the economic potential and vibrancy of a forward-looking vision for our downtown.

In terms of next steps, with the recent approval of the amended Redevelopment Plan, the Town Council will move to vote on the amended Redevelopment Agreement and related financial documents once the Finance Policy Committee has reviewed them. We are hopeful that our Council colleagues will support these amendments, and once adopted, the Planning Board will then review the site plan application, likely later this year. Construction is anticipated to begin on the Lord & Taylor site in 2026.

Additional Downtown Priorities

Open Quimby has proven to be enormously popular, yet it has created some parking and operational challenges for existing Quimby businesses. We had hoped to accelerate the Quimby Street renovations last year as part of the One Westfield Place public improvements. In light of the OWP delays, and the popularity of this initiative, we aim to move the Open Quimby project forward as part of the Town's capital budget process, pending the Finance Policy Committee's review, with a targeted completion date of June 2026.

The planned Quimby Street improvements will significantly enhance the streetscape and aesthetics while addressing business owners’ concerns by creating a permanent one-way, flexible festival street. The upgraded plans will allow the street to be opened/closed easily with electronic bollards, create an expanded brick paved pedestrian experience, and fully restore on-street parking in between events.

Furthering our downtown beautification efforts, we also intend to initiate the design plan for the soon-to-be-acquired former Good Lube property at the corner of South and Central Avenues. In addition to beautification, this project will include pedestrian safety enhancements and potential traffic flow improvements.

And lastly, we anticipate an exciting announcement by the Board of Trustees of the Center for Creativity at the Rialto, revealing their long-term plans for this iconic landmark to serve as an anchor for a downtown arts district.

As you may recall, the Town Council designated this building as an area in need of redevelopment in 2020 to retain control over its future and ensure it would not be demolished and replaced with an apartment building. Since then, a group of residents purchased the building, a $5MM donation for the Center for Creativity was secured in 2023, and I have been actively advocating with leaders at New Jersey’s Economic Development Authority for potential significant grant funding.

Meanwhile, Center for Creativity volunteers have been engaging community members, as well as arts and fundraising professionals, to develop a plan that will revitalize this aging building while supporting our downtown economic development efforts.

We look forward to the public presentation of their strategic plan and remain committed to collaborating with the Rialto board and the community to restore and rejuvenate this local treasure.

Conclusion

In closing, I believe I speak for the entire Town Council when I reiterate our commitment to working together to accomplish great things for our cherished town, inspired by the engagement of our residents and the genuine love of Westfield shared by our entire community.

Tonight, I am proud to affirm the strength and vitality of Westfield, made possible by neighbors, volunteers, employees, and elected officials working together to make it so. God bless our great community and country, and may 2025 bring health, happiness, and good fortune to you and your family.

Happy New Year!