8. Community Facilities

Transcription

1 8. Community Facilities 8.. Chapter Overview 8... Introduction Community facilities are public or publicly-funded facilities, such as police and fire protection, emergency medical response, hospitals, schools, and libraries. This chapter updates the identification of facilities at the county and municipal levels with a focus on those within the Northern Branch Corridor s one-half mile study area. Generally, impacts to community facilities are related to potential access issues resulting from the increase in rail traffic proposed in association with the revised Preferred Alternative. The revisions that specifically affect community facilities include: Change in project terminus: the revised Preferred Alternative would terminate in Englewood and would therefore not impact any community facilities in Tenafly. Public comments submitted during the DEIS phase expressed concerns pertaining to potential impacts to community facilities located in Tenafly, specifically Tenafly High, two elementary schools, and two private schools. The sentiments expressed in the comments are no longer applicable to the revised Preferred Alternative, which terminates prior to entering Tenafly. There would be no adverse effects on Tenafly community facilities. West Side Avenue alignment: the placement of the rail right-of-way along West Side Avenue in North Bergen increases the number of at-grade crossings for commercial and industrial operations located on the west side of the proposed right-of-way. In North Bergen, developed land uses and emergency service providers are concentrated on the east side of the rail right-of-way. NJ TRANSIT is familiar with the needs of emergency service providers and public safety issues as they pertain to grade crossings. NJ TRANSIT would coordinate with North Bergen and Hudson to develop physical and operational measures to mitigate the potential for access issues to and from these establishments by emergency services. There were no public comments submitted during the DEIS phase that expressed concerns pertaining to community facilities in the revised study area. This reanalysis therefore addresses only new impacts that have arisen due to the changes in the Preferred Alternative, as well as the incorporation of updated facility data Summary of Findings of DEIS and SDEIS Generally, impacts to community facilities are related to potential access issues resulting from the increase in rail traffic proposed in association with the Preferred Alternative. Following are the specific impacts associated with the Preferred Alternative: The Preferred Alternative would not require the acquisition of land that is currently in use as a community facility, which includes all emergency service providers, schools, medical facilities, and extended care facilities. The Preferred Alternative would not result in an increase in population in the study area that may otherwise burden community facilities, particularly schools, but also emergency services. South of, and including, Englewood Route 4 Station, developed land uses are concentrated on the east side of the rail right-of-way. Emergency service providers and schools are likewise located east of the right-of-way. As a result, increased rail traffic and frequent grade crossings do not present an impact to community facilities in North Bergen, Fairview, Ridgefield, Leonia, or Englewood south of Route 4. Chapter 8: Community Facilities 8-

2 The rail alignment north of Englewood Route 4 Station, which includes the remainder of Englewood, bisects the municipality, with community services and facilities located on both sides of the right-of-way. Without mitigation measures, the increased grade crossings may affect access to community facilities, such as schools, and may result in delays for mobile service providers. NJ TRANSIT is familiar with the needs of emergency service providers and public safety issues as they pertain to grade crossings. NJ TRANSIT would coordinate with the local jurisdictions and the affected counties to develop physical and operational measures to mitigate the potential for access issues to and from community facilities and services. Grade crossing pre-emption, dispatch protocols, and community education and information campaigns are some of the initiatives that would be explored in this regard. NJ TRANSIT would also develop emergency service response plans with each regional and municipal emergency service provider prior to the initiation of passenger rail service in the project corridor. The emergency response plan would include several measures designed to educate emergency responders and the community about grade crossing issues and may include physical improvements and protocols designed to facilitate the movement of emergency responders across the rail right-of-way. The specific method of coordination would be determined through negotiations with each municipality Methodology Community facilities were identified through mapping, internet data searches, and telephone calls to municipalities for public and private schools, libraries, hospitals, police facilities, fire houses, ambulance corps, and extended care facilities. The street locations of these facilities were mapped and the one-halfmile study area boundary was overlain on the community facilities base map to identify those facilities located within one-half mile east and west of the rail right-of-way centerline. Facilities that are essential for public safety and life safety, including police, fire, and emergency services, were included at the county and municipal levels regardless of the facilities distance from the rail right-of-way. These critical services are mobile resources and the location of their headquarters is less important than the geographic distribution of land uses within each municipality and the potential effect of the proposed project on access to those uses. This requires a broader approach to the analysis than would be afforded with a strict half-mile study area boundary. Other community facilities that generally are not critical to life safety, including schools and libraries, were included only if they are located within the one-half-mile study area boundary Environmental Review Information regarding the existing conditions and potential impacts and mitigation for previously identified community facilities is included in the DEIS. This section updates and supplements this analysis for newly identified facilities at the regional level (public safety only) and at the municipal level Existing Conditions The following section describes updates and additions to the regional and municipal facilities that serve the Northern Branch Corridor. Community facilities are identified graphically on Figures 8- through 8-6 and are listed in Table 8-, first at the regional scale, followed by the municipal level. Newly identified facilities or facilities for which information has been updated, such as new addresses, are discussed in more detail by municipality immediately after Table 8-. Chapter 8: Community Facilities 8-2

3 Northern Branch Community Facilities Figure 8-: Regional 3 Passaic Bergen The Bronx Hudson Manhattan Queens Englewood Hospital & Medical Center Englewood Town Center Station Englewood Route 4 Station Essex Union Half-Mile Study Area Proposed Stations Brooklyn Leonia Station 9W Proposed Alignment HBLR Stations Hudson Bergen Light Rail Palisades Park Station Law Enforcement Ridgefield Station - Hudson C. Sheriff's Office 2 - Hudson C. Sheriff's Office 9st Street Station Bergen PD 4 - Bergen C. Sheriff's Office 5 - NJ TRANSIT Hoboken Cmd 6 - NJ TRANSIT PD 7 - Hudson C. Sheriff's Office 9 Fire Department 8 - NHRFR Engine /Bat. 8 Manhattan 9 - NHRFR Engine 5/Bat NHRFR Ladder 5/Bat Queens - NHRFR Engine 9/Bat NHRFR Engine 3/Bat. 3 Source: Jacobs Miles 278 Brooklyn

4 Northern Branch Community Facilities Figure 8-2: North Bergen 9st Street Station Bergen 9 7 Hudson Manhattan Law Enforcement North Bergen Police Department 2 - North Bergen Police Operations Center Medical Facility 3 - Palisades Medical Center 4 - North Bergen EMS North Bergen HS 6 - Franklin Elementary 7 - Horace Mann Elementary 8 - Lincoln Elementary 9 - Hudson of Technology 6 Half-Mile Study Area Proposed Stations HBLR Stations Proposed Alignment Hudson Bergen Light Rail Miles Source: Jacobs

5 Palisades Park Station Northern Branch Community Facilities Figure 8-3: Fairview/Ridgefield Bergen 4 0 Hudson Manhattan 2 6 Law Enforcement - Fairview Police Department Ridgefield Police Department Ridgefield Station Fire Department 3 - Fairview Volunteer Fire Department 4 - Ridgefield FD Engine Co. # 5 - Ridgefield FD Engine Co. #2 6 - Ridgefield FD Engine Co. #3 Medical Facility 7 - Fairview Emergency Response Unit 8 - Ridgefield Volunteer Ambulance Corps 9 - Shaler Academy 0 - Slocum Skewes Elementary - The Young and Elementary Library 2 - Ridgefield Public Library Half-Mile Study Area Proposed Stations Proposed Alignment 9st Street Station Miles Source: Jacobs

6 Northern Branch Community Facilities Figure 8-4: Palisades Park Bergen Hudson Manhattan Law Enforcement - Palisades Park Police Department Fire Department 2 - Palisades Park Fire Department Notre Dame Interparochial 4 - Early Childhood Center Library 5 - Palisades Park Library Half-Mile Study Area Proposed Stations Proposed Alignment Palisades Park Station Miles Source: Jacobs

7 Northern Branch Community Facilities Figure 8-5: Leonia 3 Bergen 4 Hudson Manhattan 6 Law Enforcement - Leonia Police Department Fire Department 2 - Leonia Fire Department Leonia High Leonia Station Leonia Middle 5 - Anna C. Scott Elementary 6 - St. John the Evangelist Community Center Leonia Senior Center Library 8 - Leonia Public Library Half-Mile Study Area Proposed Stations Proposed Alignment Miles Source: Jacobs

8 5 Northern Branch Community Facilities Figure 8-6: City of Englewood 7 8 Englewood Hospital & Medical Center 3 9 Bergen Hudson Manhattan 2 0 Law Enforcement - Englewood Police Department Fire Department 2 - Englewood Fire Department Englewood Town Center Station Medical Facility 3 - Englewood Hospital Englewood Volunteer Ambulance Corps 5 - Lillian Booth Actors Home 6 - Inglemoor Center 7 - McCloud Elementary 8 - Dr. John Grieco Elementary 9 - D.A. Quarles Early Childhood Center Englewood on the Palisades Charter - Yeshiva Ohr Hatalmud of Englewood Ability Community Center 3 - Southeast Senior Center Library 4 - Englewood Public Library Half-Mile Study Area Proposed Stations Proposed Alignment Miles Source: Jacobs 6

9 Table 8-: Summary of Regional Facilities Community Facility Regional (Figure 8-) Hudson Sheriff s Office Hudson Plaza Hudson Sheriff s Office Detective Bureau Hudson Sheriff s Office Administration Building Bergen Police Department Location Municipalities Served Within Study Area? Revised Since DEIS 257 Cornelison Avenue, Jersey City No Yes 555 Duncan Avenue, Jersey City Hudson (North Bergen) No No 595 Newark Avenue, Jersey City No Yes 327 E. Ridgewood Avenue, Paramus, Hudson (Fairview, Ridgefield, Palisades Park, Bergen Sheriff s Office 0 Main Street, Hackensack No Yes Englewood) Hudson- NJ TRANSIT Police Department Penn Plaza, Newark Bergen Light No No Rail (HBLR) NJ TRANSIT Hoboken Command North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue (NHRFR) Engine /Battalion Hudson Place, Hoboken HBLR No Yes 97 Paterson Plank Road, North Bergen North Bergen No No NHRFR Engine 5/Battalion rd Street, North Bergen North Bergen No No NHRFR Ladder 5/Battalion 3 83 Kennedy Boulevard, North Bergen North Bergen No No NHRFR Engine 9/Battalion Kennedy Boulevard, North Bergen North Bergen No No NHRFR Engine 3/Battalion Hudson Avenue, North Bergen North Bergen No No North Bergen (Figure 8-2) North Bergen Police Department Headquarters North Bergen Police Department Substation and Operations Center Palisades Medical Center North Bergen Emergency Medical Services 4233 Kennedy Boulevard, North Bergen North Bergen No No 60 Tonnelle Avenue, North Bergen North Bergen No No 7600 River Road, North Bergen North Bergen Fairview 6222 Granton Avenue, North Bergen North Bergen Yes No North Bergen High 747 John F Kennedy Boulevard W., North Bergen North Bergen Yes No Franklin Elementary 52 Columbia Avenue, North Bergen North Bergen Yes No Horace Mann Elementary rd Street, North Bergen North Bergen Yes No Lincoln Elementary and rd Street, North Bergen North Bergen Yes No Annex Kindergarten Center Hudson of Technology th Street, North Bergen North Bergen Yes No Fairview (Figure 8-3) Fairview Police Department 59 Anderson Avenue, Fairview Fairview No Yes Fairview Volunteer Fire Department Fairview Emergency Response Unit 59 Anderson Avenue, Fairview Fairview No Yes 53 Grant Street, Fairview Fairview No Yes No No Yes No Chapter 8: Community Facilities 8-9

10 Table 8-: Summary of Regional Facilities (continued) Community Facility Location Municipalities Served Within Study Area? Revised Since DEIS Ridgefield (Figure 8-3) Ridgefield Police Department 604 Broad Avenue, Ridgefield Ridgefield Yes No Ridgefield Fire Department Engine Co. # 803 Broad Avenue, Ridgefield Ridgefield Yes No Ridgefield Fire Department Engine Co. #2 588 Bergen Boulevard, Ridgefield Ridgefield No No Ridgefield Fire Department Engine Co. #3 530 Shaler Boulevard, Ridgefield Ridgefield Yes No Ridgefield Volunteer Ambulance Corps 403 Shaler Boulevard, Ridgefield Ridgefield Yes No Shaler Academy 455 Shaler Boulevard, Ridgefield Ridgefield Yes No Slocum Skewes Elementary 650 Prospect Avenue, Ridgefield Ridgefield Yes No The Young and Elementary 04 Maple Avenue, Ridgefield Ridgefield Yes No Ridgefield Public Library 527 Morse Avenue, Ridgefield Ridgefield Yes No Palisades Park (Figure 8-4) Palisades Park Police Department 275 Broad Avenue, Palisades Park Palisades Park Yes No Palisades Park Fire Department 275 Broad Avenue, Palisades Park Palisades Park Yes No Notre Dame Interparochial 32 First Street, Palisades Park Palisades Park Yes No Early Childhood Center 27 st Street, Palisades Park Palisades Park Yes Yes Palisades Park Library nd Street, Palisades Park Palisades Park Yes No Leonia (Figure 8-5) Leonia Police Department Wood Park, Leonia Leonia Yes No Leonia Fire Department Boro Place, Leonia Leonia Yes No Leonia High 00 Christie Heights Street, Leonia Leonia Yes No Leonia Middle 500 Broad Avenue, Leonia Leonia Yes No Anna C. Scott Elementary 00 Highland Street, Leonia Leonia Yes No St. John the Evangelist 260 Harrison Street, Leonia Leonia Yes No Leonia Public Library 227 Fort Lee Road, Leonia Leonia Yes No Leonia Senior Center 305 Beechwood Place, Leonia Leonia Yes No Englewood (Figure 8-6) Englewood Police Department 75 South Van Brunt Street, Englewood Englewood Yes No Englewood Fire Department William Street, Englewood Englewood Yes No Englewood Hospital and Medical Center 350 Engle Street, Englewood Englewood Leonia Palisades Park Ridgefield Englewood Volunteer Ambulance Corps 7 Jay Street, Englewood Englewood Yes No Lillian Booth Actors Home W Hudson Avenue, Englewood Englewood Yes No Yes No Chapter 8: Community Facilities 8-0

11 Table 8-: Summary of Regional Facilities (continued) Community Facility Location Municipalities Served Within Study Area? Revised Since DEIS Inglemoor Center 333 Grand Avenue, Englewood Englewood Yes No McCloud Elementary 325 Tenafly Road, Englewood Englewood Yes No Dr. John Grieco Elementary 50 Durie Avenue, Englewood Englewood Yes No D.A. Quarles Early Childhood Center 86 Davison Place, Englewood Englewood Yes No Englewood on the Palisades Charter 65 W Demarest Avenue, Englewood Englewood Yes Yes Yeshiva Ohr Hatalmud of Englewood 0 W Forest Ave, Englewood Englewood Yes Yes Ability 75 Knickerbocker Road, Englewood Englewood Yes Yes Englewood Leonia Southeast Senior Center for 228 Grand Avenue, Englewood Palisades Park Independent Living Ridgefield Fairview Yes Yes Englewood Public Library 3 Engle Street, Englewood Englewood Yes No Source: Jacobs, 205 Regional Facilities The Hudson Sheriff s Office, which serves the Northern Branch community of North Bergen, operates from two additional facilities, Hudson Plaza at 257 Cornelison Place in Jersey City and the Administration Building at 595 Newark Avenue in Jersey City. Hudson Plaza houses several operational units, including the 9 Coordinator, Warrants, and Patrol. The Administration Building contains the Court Bureau and Public Information, as well as other administrative functions. The previously identified facility at 555 Duncan Avenue in Jersey City houses the Detective Bureau. The Bergen Police Department provides police coverage for roadways and property located within each municipality and provides specialized assistance to municipalities within the. The Bergen Police Department is located at 327 E. Ridgewood Avenue in Paramus. The Bergen Sheriff s Office, located at 0 Main Street in Hackensack, is comprised of 500 employees who support the justice system. In addition to its headquarters in Newark, the NJ TRANSIT Police Department operates a command center from Hoboken from which officers serve passengers of the HBLR. The Hoboken Command is located at Hudson Place, Hoboken. North Bergen No additional schools have been identified in North Bergen in the study area for the revised Preferred Alternative. However, the McKinley at 30 Liberty Avenue, New Durham Christian Academy at 466 Tonnelle Avenue, and St. Brigids at 46 th Street and Liberty Avenue are either no longer in operation or are located outside of the study area. These facilities have been removed from the analysis for the SDEIS Preferred Alternative. The North Bergen Free Public Library is located at 84 Bergenline Avenue, outside of the study area, and has been removed from the analysis. Fairview The Fairview Police Department s headquarters is located at 59 Anderson Avenue. Within Fairview s geographic limits, there are no east-west crossings of the rail right-of-way. The Fairview Volunteer Fire Chapter 8: Community Facilities 8-

12 Department provides services from its facility at 59 Anderson Avenue, which it shares with the Fairview Police Department. The department operates with 2 volunteers and a fleet of four fire response apparatuses. Within Fairview Volunteer Fire Department s service coverage area, there are no east-west crossings of the rail right-of-way. The Fairview Emergency Response Unit provides primary emergency medical response for the Borough of Fairview, as well as mutual aid response to neighboring municipalities. Vehicles are dispatched from a facility at 53 Grant Street. The unit responds to approximately,800 calls per year. Palisades Park The Early Childhood Center, located at 27 st Street in Palisades Park, is a co-educational school serving 370 kindergarten, first grade, and special education needs students. The school is located approximately 0.45 miles from the rail right-of-way. The Palisades Park Volunteer Ambulance squad is no longer in operation and has been removed from this analysis. Ambulance services are now provided by Englewood Hospital in Englewood. Englewood The Southeast Senior Center for Independent Living is located at 228 Grand Avenue. The center, which services southeast Bergen, hosts a variety of activities, including exercise classes, support groups, health care programs, and elderly services. The previously identified Saint Cecilia s Interparochial was located on Demarest Avenue; this school has since closed and has been removed from this analysis. Newly identified schools include Englewood on the Palisades Charter, a public charter school located at 65 West Demarest Avenue. The school serves 204 students in Kindergarten through 5 th grade. Englewood on the Palisades Charter is located approximately,000 feet west of the rail right-of-way. Additionally, Yeshiva Ohr Hatalmud of Englewood is an all-boys high school located at 0 W. Forest Avenue. The school has 50 students in grades 9 through 2. Yeshiva Ohr Hatalmud of Englewood is located approximately one-quarter mile west of the rail right-of-way. Finally, the Ability, located at 75 Knickerbocker Road is a private co-educational school serving students in prekindergarten through 8 th grade. The Ability is located approximately one-half mile west of the rail right-of-way. It should be noted that the three newly identified schools are located on the west side of the rail right-of-way, the same side as the Englewood Fire Department, Englewood Police Department, and Englewood Volunteer Ambulance Corps Potential Impacts and Mitigation No Build Alternative There are no changes to the effects of the No Build Alternative compared to the assessment performed for the DEIS Preferred Alternative Impacts The improvements planned for the Northern Branch Corridor would not physically displace any community facility or impede access to community facilities during the construction phase of the project. The Preferred Alternative would not directly or indirectly introduce a new residential population to the project study area and, therefore, is not expected to overburden existing health and medical facilities, schools, or libraries. The Preferred Alternative is not expected to result in an increase in population requiring additional emergency resources. Impacts to emergency services are confined primarily to issues of access resulting Chapter 8: Community Facilities 8-2

13 from the increased number of vehicles through the grade crossings proposed under the Preferred Alternative. However, the regional and municipal community facilities, as well as the majority of the developed areas served by them, are concentrated to the east side of the rail right-of-way. The exception to this is Englewood where substantial development has occurred both east and west of the rail alignment. The proposed light rail activity would result in frequent grade crossings that would occur approximately every three minutes during the peak period. Commercial development is prevalent throughout Englewood Town Center before transitioning to residential, recreational, and institutional in the vicinity of Englewood Hospital and Medical Center Station site and north. Public safety services, as well as emergency response services and the three newly identified schools, are located on the west side of the right-of-way. Mitigation NJ TRANSIT would develop an emergency service response plan with each regional and municipal emergency service provider prior to the initiation of passenger rail service in the project corridor. The emergency response plan would include several measures designed to educate emergency responders and the community about grade crossing issues and may include physical improvements and protocols designed to facilitate the movement of emergency responders across the rail right-of-way. The specific method of coordination would be determined through negotiations with each municipality. NJ TRANSIT would also coordinate with school districts and busing companies that serve the municipalities that may be affected by the increased frequency of grade crossings to ensure the safety and timely arrival of students who are bused to school. Areas North of Englewood The Preferred Alternative is now planned to terminate in Englewood near the border with Tenafly. The Preferred Alternative would not affect community facilities north of Englewood. The shift to overnight freight service would not affect community facilities or services as freight rail traffic is infrequent. In the event of a regional emergency requiring assistance from emergency service providers in areas north of Englewood, the same dispatch protocols or similar mitigation methods applied in the study area municipalities would be applied to facilitate movement of emergency vehicles across the rail right-ofway Summary of Environmental Effects of the DEIS and SDEIS There are no unmitigable, significant adverse effects on community facilities resulting from the implementation of the Preferred Alternative. The most notable potential impact occurs north of Englewood Route 4 Station where development and community facilities and services are located on both sides of the rail right-of-way. In these circumstances, access to and from community facilities and services may be affected by increased rail traffic. Coordination between NJ TRANSIT and the local jurisdiction would mitigate access issues through a combination of educational programs, physical improvements, and adjustments to dispatch protocols. Table 8-2 summarizes the potential effects on public facilities resulting from the implementation of the Preferred Alternative. Chapter 8: Community Facilities 8-3

14 Table 8-2: Summary of Potential Impacts and Mitigation by Municipality Municipality Regional Services North Bergen Fairview Ridgefield Palisades Park Leonia Summary of Impacts No physical taking of facilities or services. Access issues anticipated to be minor. Coordination between providers and NJ TRANSIT would mitigate potential issues. All services and facilities and majority of developed land located east of right-of-way. No physical taking of facilities or services. Access issues anticipated to be minor. Coordination between providers and NJ TRANSIT would mitigate potential issues. All services and facilities located beyond /2 mile study area boundary. No impact. All services and facilities and majority of developed land located east of right-of-way. No physical taking of facilities or services. Access issues anticipated to be minor. Coordination between providers and NJ TRANSIT would mitigate potential issues. All services and facilities and majority of developed land located east of right-of-way. No physical taking of facilities or services. Access issues anticipated to be minor. Coordination between providers and NJ TRANSIT would mitigate potential issues. All services and facilities and majority of developed land located east of right-of-way. No physical taking of facilities or services. Access issues anticipated to be minor. Coordination between providers and NJ TRANSIT would mitigate potential issues. Englewood From Leonia border to the proposed Englewood Route 4 Station, no impact. North of Englewood Route 4, right-of-way bisects community. Access across right-of-way may be delayed by rail grade crossings. Coordination between providers and NJ TRANSIT would mitigate potential issues. Chapter 8: Community Facilities 8-4