Westfield board approves easement for Grand on Main development

The Westfield Board of Public Works and Safety on Friday approved a project easement that will allow public parking and public access to site improvements at the Grand on Main development after a brief presentation by city economic development staff.

Janelle Fairman, executive chief of economic and community development, told the board the agreement accompanies a planned TIF (tax increment financing) bond and a grant to the developer to increase the size of the parking garage. "The developer will be responsible for all of the maintenance with the exception of the artwork itself," Fairman said, adding that the city will install and maintain the artwork.

The easement will permit public parking within designated areas of the garage and public access to sidewalks, an artwork plaza and other site improvements. Fairman said the new garage has a total capacity of 558 spaces; the developer may issue up to 447 monthly passes, and the city has identified 111 spaces that will be reserved for short-term or daily public parking. The board was told the garage will continue to offer three hours of free public parking for short visits. Fairman said the development group formed for the project is called Jersey 32 (a combination of Scander and BW Construction) and that the developer is expected to select the same manager currently used for the adjacent public garage.

A board member asked how the new facility would interact with the existing city-owned garage and whether management or free-parking rules would change. Fairman said the ownership and management structures differ and that the public-parking rules (including the three-hour free period) would remain unchanged.

After the presentation a motion to approve the easement was made and seconded. The Chair announced the result after a voice vote: "motion carries." The transcript records the voice vote but does not provide a roll-call tally or the names of the members who moved and seconded the motion.

Fairman said the agreement will be executed by the Board of Public Works and Safety and will also require approvals from the parks board and the redevelopment commission as part of the project's public–private partnership approvals. The board adjourned shortly after the vote.

Next steps: staff will finalize execution of the easement and the item will proceed to the parks board and redevelopment commission for their consideration.