WATERFRONT SOUTH PLAN DRAFT MAY 2022

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WATERFRONT SOUTH

NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN | MAY 2022

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Acknowledgements The Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan is the result of a 12-month community-driven planning process led by the Heart of Camden CDC with funding support from the Camden County Municipal Utility Authority (CCMUA) and the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (NJ DCA).

Over 200 residents participated in this process, contributing their time, commitment and ideas to the plan. City and County agencies, community organizations, local businesses and institutions also participated as community stakeholders and as critical partners in future implementation steps.

Planning Team Heart of Camden Carlos Morales, Executive Director Donna Helmes, Community Development Consultant Jessica Franzini, Community Development Tawanda “Wawa” Jones, Community Engagement Holly Walker, Community Engagement Kitchen and Associates Claudia Bitran, AICP, PP, Project Manager John Theobald, AICP, PP, Project Planner Dan Farrell, Planner

Stakeholder Interviews Angel Osario, DCCB Angel Perez, CFET Armando Alfonso, NJ DEP Asiyah Kurtz, Fireworks Commissioner Jeff Nash, Camden County Councilperson Shaneka Boucher, City of Camden Dr. Ed Williams, City of Camden Dept. of Planning Father Vince, Sacred Heart Frank McLoughlin, NJ DEP Kathey Cullen, Camden Community Partnership Kathryn Cruz, CFET Kevin Becica, Camden County Jack Bernardino, Covanta Jack O’Byrne, Camden Shipyard Museum Joe Balzano, EMR Jon Compton, CFET Jon Latko, Cooper-Grant Neighborhood Association Mark Smouha, Mynt Properties Meishka Mitchell, Camden Community Partnership Olivette Simpson, Camden Redevelopment Agency Rick Bolton, Compass (Microgrid) Robert Bingaman, South Camden Theatre Company Robin Pailey, Nick Virgilio’s Writers House Scott Schreiber, CCMUA Sulena Robinson Rivera, Camden Redevelopment Agency

Heart of Camden Board Ben Hill, Board President Pepe (Aldoph) Piperno, Vice President John Mapes, Treasurer Janice Lynch, Secretary Andrew Kricun Gliselle (Nimi) DelValle Michael Vassalotti Monsignor Michael Doyle Nickolas Cangelosi Patrick Mulligan Sandra Kelly Shaneka Boucher Stephanie Culbreath* Steve Ayscue Tabatha Stevens Timothy Heatwole Shenk *deceased

Wawa Jones

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Residents Aicha Gonzaloz Alexis Narvaez Alicia Lawrence Amon Daves Anisha Pitman Ashley Powell Asia Brown Brian Alston Brandon Troutman Brianna Fowler Brittany Grange Carl Carpenter Charlene Loman Charmaine Cherise Skinner Cheryl Heatwole Shenck Christina Allen Darnell Hance David Taplin Diana Foster Ellen Pavlacka Francine Richards Gary Skinner Geraldine Margo Greta Culbreath Gloriana Curdero Gwendolyn Peterson Hannah Hallis Holly Walker Jackeling Caldwen Jackie Vincent Jacqueline Rodriguy Jaemarine Jones Jasmine Walker Jason Birriel Jessica Carruolo John R. Shaw Jordan Mc Joselina Ramos Juan Maysonet Keeosha Smith

Kendra McBride Lakeysha Waitman Latrayia Jackson Margarita Rodriguez Maria Narvaez Maria Popora Marion Ross Marion Trusty Michelle Prillis Mike Biles Mike Morgan Missy Biles Natalie Corn Natalee Mullings Patricia Howell Patricia Wells Paula Fisher Portia Simmons Precious Thomas Richard Thomas Robin Palley Ronen Walker Rosemarie Koumer Ruth Garbarino Sarah Roes Shannon Johnson Silvia Mincey Stacey Pierce Stephaine Epps Tansalia Parker Timothy Shenck Tonya McCo Toya Walker Vercy Dupont Veronica Apine Virgina Westbrook Wanda H Willie Barnes Will David Yasmin Figuenoa

Community input for the vision board

Mr. Willie

Fall Festival

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Sophisticated Sisters Parade Source: Camden Sophisticated Sisters

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Dear Waterfront South Residents & Stakeholders, It has truly been an honor for our organization, The Heart of Camden, to spearhead the development of the “Catch the Wave: Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan.” This 10-year vision honors the legacies of the past while amplifying the voices of the present and laying the groundwork for a thriving, revitalized neighborhood of the future.

In the words of Monsignor Michael J. Doyle, “From the first day I was here, I always dreamed that…the people of Camden would see the water and the river and know the beauty of the place they reside.”

Thank you to the community residents and stakeholders who dedicated your time and efforts to this year-long planning process. Hundreds of residents and two dozen stakeholders contributed, including non-profit organizations, local businesses, industries, and government agencies. This comprehensive 10year plan is a culmination of your advocacy and activism. We cannot thank you enough for investing your time and talents in creating a shared vision for the revitalization of Waterfront South.

This plan builds on the successes of the past by continuing the momentum achieved through decades of community organizing, activism, and redevelopment. The challenges of yesterday were met with fierce tenacity and grit by Waterfront South’s local leaders including but not limited to Monsignor Michael J. Doyle, South Camden Residents in Action, and previous Heart of Camden leadership. We honor their efforts. It is because of them that the community is here today, standing in its power, well-positioned for continued redevelopment and regrowth.

This Plan belongs to everyone. Much like the development of the plan itself, its implementation will require an all-hands-on-deck approach that maximizes community impact and inclusivity. We at The Heart of Camden ask that you join us as we work over the next decade to collaboratively implement the recommendations and strategies outlined in this Plan. We cannot do it on our own. We must build the neighborhood’s capacity to achieve progress together.

At this time, it is my honor to invite you to “Catch the Wave.” As you venture through the Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan, I hope you will be inspired by all that has happened, all that is still possible, and all the ways you personally can get involved and make a difference.

Sincerely, Ben Hill Board President

Carlos Morales Executive Director

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Glossary CCMUA: Camden County Municipal Utility Authority CFET: Center for Environmental Transformation CSS: Camden Sophisticated Sisters DCCB: District Council Collaborative Board U.S. EPA: Environmental Protection Agency HOC: Heart of Camden LIHTC: Low Income Housing Tax Credits ROWS: Residents of Waterfront South TOD: Transit Oriented Development NJ DCA: New Jersey Department of Community Affairs NJ DEP: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

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Contents INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................1 CHAPTER 1: NEIGHBORHOOD OVERVIEW................................................. 19

CHAPTER 2: NEIGHBORHOOD PRIORITIES & RECOMMENDATIONS...... 51 Priority 1: A Healthy and Clean Environment.................................................... 53 Priority 2: Improved Neighborhood Connections........................................... 61 Priority 3: Housing Choices.................................................................................... 65 Priority 4: Safe and Clean Streets.......................................................................... 71 Priority 5: Economic Growth and Opportunity................................................ 75 Priority 6: Community Amenities and Services................................................ 79 Priority 7: Waterfront Access and Enhanced Public Realm............................ 83 Priority 8: Environmental Standards and Social Equity.................................. 87 Priority 9: Atlantic Avenue as a City gateway.................................................... 89 Priority 10: Build Capacity...................................................................................... 91 CHAPTER 3: IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY................................................ 95

APPENDIX I: GREENING WATERFRONT SOUTH PLAN (2020)................. 111

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1 Neighborhood Plan Fall Festival

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INTRODUCTION

Introduction The Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan is the result of a twelve-month communitydriven planning process facilitated by the Heart of Camden with financial support from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (NJ DCA) and the Camden County Municipal Utility Authority (CCMUA). It sets forth a shared vision for the future of the neighborhood and outlines recommendations and strategies guiding revitalization initiatives to bring that vision to fruition within the next ten years.

Over the past twenty years, a series of public and private investments introduced a new vision for Waterfront South, looking to shift the community’s identity away from the industrial legacy of the 20th century through the preservation of its historic residential core and introduction of a lively arts and culture scene as anchors for revitalization. That period also renewed attention to the negative impact of neighboring utilities and industrial activities on the environment, health and quality-of-life for local residents. All in all, significant progress was made, resulting in long standing community partnerships with the Heart of Camden, CCMUA, neighborhood arts and cultural organizations, and others.

Despite these many successes, there is still much work to be done to fulfil Waterfront South’s potential as a neighborhood of choice. This neighborhood plan capitalizes on the many accomplishments of the past decade, and the unique assets defining the community to address some of the neighborhood’s most pressing needs and identify solutions for the future. Above all, this plan seeks to leverage the resiliency and commitment of neighborhood residents and organizations to promote a culture of collaboration, partnerships and collective action.

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Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan | 2

Neighborhood Vision In 10 years, Waterfront South will be a neighborhood of choice. … A place where residents are fully empowered to have an active role in their community where economic growth walks hand in hand with quality-of life, and where businesses are environmentally and socially responsible. … A place where history, arts and culture reflect and strengthen neighborhood identity and character, and where small businesses and entrepreneurship can flourish and thrive. … A clean, safe and walkable neighborhood, with improved access to the waterfront where housing choices are available across incomes and household needs and where quality services and amenities can be found within walking distance from people’s homes.

Guiding Principles Diversity

Inclusion

Everyone is at the table

Everyone’s voice matters

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Equity

Everyone benefits

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Social & Environmental Justice

Everyone has access to resources that support a healthy, clean, safe, thriving community

INTRODUCTION

Overarching Goals

Strengthen Build from within, leveraging neighborhood assets to reverse population loss and promote a clean, healthy, safe and thriving community for all.

Connect Improve neighborhood connections with the Waterfront, Economic Zone and City Assets.

Grow Establish a framework for expanded neighborhood capacity to implement the goals of the plan

1 A Healthy and Clean Environment 2 Improved Neighborhood Connections 3 Housing Choices

Neighborhood 4 5 Priorities

Safe and Clean Streets Economic Growth and Opportunity

6 Community Amenities and Services 7 Waterfront Access and Enhanced Public Realm 8 Environmental Standards and Social Equity 9 Atlantic Avenue as a City gateway 10 Build Capacity DRAFT MAY 2022

Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan | 4

CITY MAP 0

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YOU ARE HERE WATERFRONT SOUTH

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City of Camden

Parks/Open Space

Highway

PATCO

Circuit Trails

Neighborhood Boundary

Historic Overlay

Primary Corridor

River Line

PATCO Station

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Walter Rand Transit Center River Line Station

INTRODUCTION

Neighborhood Boundaries Waterfront South is situated in the southwestern section of the City of Camden, with boundaries defined by Atlantic Avenue to the north, Interstate Highway 676 to the east, Newton Creek to the south and the Delaware River to the west.

These boundaries coincide with Census Tract 6018.

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View of the Delaware River from the neighborhood waterfront

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Why a Neighborhood Plan?

A neighborhood plan describes a shared vision for the future of the neighborhood, a 10-year vision established by the people who live, work and invest in the community. It reflects the collective commitment to that vision and provides a roadmap for strategies and initiatives bringing that vision to fruition.

The last neighborhood plan developed for Waterfront South (2007-2017) had a tremendous impact for the community as it guided much of the work done over the past fifteen years to protect the historic section of the neighborhood and reverse a pattern of disinvestment that characterized the community for decades. This new 10-year plan builds on the good work of the past to respond to today’s communities’ needs, goals, and opportunities.

Local Impact An updated neighborhood plan will: 1. Empower residents and community organizations to have an active role in neighborhood decisions and community building; 2. Guide future public and private investments; 3. Open up new funding opportunities towards project implementation;

Regional, State, & National Opportunities This neighborhood plan also builds on new trends and opportunities at the national, state and local levels which favor a renewed dialogue about neighborhood goals and priorities: 1. A national housing shortage and growing demand for affordable housing helps refocus attention to cities and the need to re-invest in neighborhoods; 2. Increased investments at the federal level in housing and infrastructure make new resources available to local communities; 3. A new regulatory environment at the state level that seeks to mitigate the environmental challenges historically faced by legacy industrial communities while also addressing the effects of climate change; 4. New economic development programs at the state level, geared to attract new businesses and generate jobs with a focus on equitable and inclusive outcomes for impacted communities; 5. Finally, Camden’s own economic renaissance coupled with a renewed commitment by the current Mayor to neighborhood investments as the backbone the City’s successful revitalization.

4. Promote opportunities for collaboration and partnerships between residents, community organizations, governmental agencies and businesses; 5. Promote coordination and effective use of limited resources.

The 2007 Revitalization Plan informed strategic investments to preserve the historic core of the community through new housing initiatives and the adaptive reuse of historically significant structures into arts and cultural organizations. It renewed the community’s focus on projects aimed to mitigate the environmental impact of neighboring utilities and industrial activities. The plan helped facilitate strategic alliances, resulting in long standing community partnerships with the Heart of Camden, neighborhood arts and cultural organizations, CCMUA among others.

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NEIGHBORHOOD INVESTMENTS (2000-2020) 8 Liney Ditch Park NJTF/CCMUA/ Camden City/TD Bank

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9 Native Plant Nursery CFET/CCMUA •2011

South Camden Theatre Co. Heart of Camden•2005

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Ferry Ave Rain Garden CCMUA •2011

CFET Heart of Camden•2005

11 3 Waterfront South Rain Garden CCMUA •2011 Nick Virgilio Writers House Heart of Camden•2010

12 CCMUA Upgrades CCMUA•2010 -2015•$20m

4 13 Camden Fireworks Heart of Camden•2016

Phoenix Park CCMUA•2015

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MJD Fieldhouse Heart of Camden•2012

Holtec Hotec •2017•$260m

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Shipyard & Maritime Museum Heart of Camden•2016

SJPC Electrification Grant SJPC •2021•$6.6m

7 Housing Investments Heart of Camden •Over 20 Years •150 Homes• $20M

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Light Rail Station NJ Transit (Proposed) Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan | 8

Planning Initiatives The Waterfront South Catch the Wave Neighborhood Plan, is informed by a number of planning initiatives and studies that focus on the neighborhood and the city around it. Ensuring that ideas align cohesively with these proposals is critical to keep the consistency of these different efforts.

Camden Master Plan (2002) The City of Camden Master plan is the blueprint for development in the city. This plan lays out several ways to help improve Waterfront South. The overall plan is focused on housing and industry. There is a need to rehab the occupied and vacant housing stock, create new infill housing in the historic core, create new housing for seniors, and continue with housing improvement and technical assistance to home buyers. The State is to release port land to create industrial centers.

Transportation improvements include upgrading roads to lead to these new centers as well as a station from a new light rail line to Glassboro. Other planned benefits include the construction of a new elementary school a new mini police station in the neighborhood.

Waterfront South Revitalization Plan (2007) The Heart of Camden developed this plan to focus on creating a light-commercial corridor on Broadway, create market-rate and affordable housing as well as improving the existing housing stock and creating a cleaner and healthier environment. The area addressed here is the historic neighborhood core. The plan was for the Heart of Camden to rehab and construct 200 housing units from 2008-2017. While being the developer they would also help get would be homebuyers in contact with financial institutions. Environmental cleanups like brownfield and superfund site remediation as well as the minimizing the smell from the sewage plant were proposed.

South Jersey Freight Transportation & Economic Development Assessment (2010) This study, done for the New Jersey Department of Transportation, focused on freight infrastructure and the growing shipping industry associated with 9

Camden’s port terminals (Broadway and Beckett Street).

The plans for the Broadway Port, located in Waterfront South, are to create or repair infrastructure as well as develop ways to lessen the impact the port has on the residential neigbhorhood. To keep truck traffic out of the neighborhood the plan calls for a new I-676 interchange that directly connects to the Port of Camden. This, combined with a new local connector roadway within the port, would take the traffic off of Broadway and out of the neighborhood. Improved gate access and queuing lanes would improve security as well as reduce congestion.

Cooper-Grant/Central Waterfront Plan (2015) Led by the Coopers Ferry Partnership and the CooperGrant Neighborhood Association, this plan is the culmination of ideas to transform multiple neighborhood identities ranging from downtown institutions and employment areas, waterfront attractions, and a port and industrial district. The plan brings recommendations for plan area through economic development, healthy neighborhoods, resiliency and open space, and circulation. The goal is to help revitalize these neighborhoods by investing in housing, parks, jobs, and encouraging the screening of industrial areas from residential view. The planning area borders Waterfront South and many of the ideas from this plan can affect the neighborhood. Creating better biking connections along with waterfront will connect Waterfront South with the downtown. Pushing for a more environmentally friendly port in the planning area will also affect how the port functions in Waterfront South.

Camden County Bicycling and Multi-Use Trails Plan (2015) The Camden County Bicycling & Multi-Use Trails Plan is built upon existing Greenways plan from the DVRPC’s Camden County Open Space and Farmland Preservation Plan. It also builds off the Camden GreenWay plan. The plan is to create an interconnected network of roadway bicycle lanes and separated multi-use trails to help create a safer network for residents to use to commute (work/school) or for leisure. This would connect to and be an addition to the regions Circuit Trails. There are two projects in consideration for this plan that would impact

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INTRODUCTION

Waterfront South. One is the Light Rail with Trail project which would run along the rail lines and I-676. This is an off-road trail. The other would be a bike lane on Ferry Ave running from 2nd St in Camden to Haddon Ave in Collingswood.

The Camden Greenway Circuit Trails Plan (2016) The plan done by the New Jersey Department of Transportation establishes a network of greenways along the waterways throughout the city connecting to the regional Circuit Trail. It calls for pedestrian upgrades, bike routes, and bike paths along with critical upgrades and repairs to existing sidewalks. New greenways in Waterfront South would be down Ferry Ave and 4th St as well as a loop trail connecting the Michael J. Doyle Fishing Pier, Phoenix Park, and Liney Ditch Park via the side of rail right of way. A Circuit Trail connection would go along the rail line adjacent to I-676. This would connect downtown Camden with Gloucester County.

team identified 47 locations for GSI projects which include stormwater bumpouts, tree trenches, rooftop disconnects, naturalized areas, parking lot or other impervious surface retrofits, rain gardens, and bioswales.

The plan also calls for placemaking features for Liney Ditch Park and Phoenix Park.

The Camden Health Element (2021) The plan done by DVRPC establishes a policy framework to help improve the physical and emotional health of Camden residents. The Health Element provides a highlevel vision and concrete strategies to promote health as a priority for Camden’s future growth and development.

It describes the relationship between planning and public health, reviews current health conditions and social determinants, and proposes policies and actions to improve the environmental and social conditions for better health for all residents.

The Last Mile Solution (2022) The Camden Parks and Open Space Plan (2020) Camden Community Partnership and The Trust for Open Land came together to create a plan that establishes a vision to ensure access to a high-quality park within a 10-minute walk for all Camden residents. The plan address the need for spaces promoting social gatherings, exercise, and flooding mitigation. The plan identifies priority areas according to four main categories: Equity, Absorb, Protect, and Cool. It focuses on the need to support communities with historic under-investment, address stormwater challenges, minimize coastal and riverine flooding, and mitigate urban heat islands. All of the parks in Waterfront South require some sort of repairs.

Greening Waterfront South (2021) This plan was created by Rowan University, Cerulean LLC, Heart of Camden, and Camden Fireworks which was funded by the Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority. The purpose of the plan was to locate and propose green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) solutions for areas prone to flooding. The community input led the team to where the worst flooding occurred. The

This is an ongoing study being done by Rowan University, Camden Community Partnership, and the South Jersey Transportation Authority with results to be released by December of 2022. The focus of this report is to study the traveling habits of Camden’s residents to determine ways to better connect them to public transportation. They will also study the effectiveness of ridesharing, shuttles and expanded park-and-ride lots as some potential ways to more easily connect residents to public transportation.

Glassboro-Camden Light Rail Line Study (On-going) NJTransit and PATCO are studying The GlassboroCamden Line (GCL) corridor to restore passenger rail service along an existing rail line traversing Gloucester and Camden counties. The line would make station stops in Glassboro, Pitman, Sewell, Mantua Township, Woodbury Heights, Woodbury, Westville, Gloucester City and Camden. The plan is to have a stop in the Waterfront South neighborhood between Ferry Ave and Carl Miller Blvd. This will connect the neighborhood to regional universities and major job, shopping, and health care centers.

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Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan | 10

Planning Process The planning process for the Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan started in the Summer of 2021, when efforts by HOC helped secure financial support for a comprehensive update to the neighborhood plan. The planning effort was led by the Heart of Camden and builds on the success of the organization’s previous experience leading planning initiatives and community development work in the neighborhood. HOC procured the services of Kitchen & Associates to help facilitate the planning process and prepare the final plan report.

This effort is driven by input from neighborhood residents and community stakeholders who, despite the challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, found the time and energy to participate in full force, attending community events, meetings, responding to surveys, and sharing ideas for the plan. This planning process has provided the community an opportunity to come together, discuss concerns, developed shared goals and identify priorities for future investments.

Neighborhood Walking Tour

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INTRODUCTION

Fall Festival on Broadway

Fall Festival

Listening Session #1: Public Safety

Neighborhood Walking Tour

Community Review Session - April 2022

Fall Festival on Broadway

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Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan | 12

Planning Steps & Timeline Summer 2021:

Organizational Structure and Inventory of Existing Conditions

Fall 2021:

Asset and Needs Assessment / Community Input

Winter 2021:

Plan Development/Community Review and Feedback I

Spring 2022:

Final Plan/Community Review and Feedback II

Neighborhood Walking Tour

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The planning effort initiated with a comprehensive overview of existing conditions, demographics indicators, mapping and data collection. Along with a review of neighborhood history and applicable planning initiatives, this phase provided the baseline information supporting the planning process. HOC and its team also developed the structure for community outreach and engagement, establishing an outreach team and timeline of community activities. The organization met with local, county, regional, state, and national stakeholders to provide baseline information and understand any and all proposed activities, investments, and plans for Waterfront South.

The asset and needs assessment phase included community engagement activities aimed to elicit residents’ input on neighborhood vision, goals and priorities. Approximately 200 residents participated in a variety of events and shared their thoughts and ideas for the future of the Waterfront South.

Informed by the wealth of information and insights gained from the community engagement phase, the planning team developed a framework for the neighborhood plan along with initial recommendations addressing key community themes and priorities. Results from this effort were presented to the community for feedback at two community review meetings.

The last step of the planning effort focused on refining recommendations and development of the implementation strategy identifying strategies, key partners and implementation timeline. This phase also included plan documentation and a final presentation to the community.

Community Meeting

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INTRODUCTION

Community Engagement The Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan is the result of a 12-month community-driven planning process informed by the input and participation of neighborhood residents and community stakeholders. Approximately 200 people contributed their time, knowledge, and commitment to a shared vision for the future of the neighborhood. Despite challenges imposed by COVID-19, community members showed up at community events, in-person meetings and Zoom sessions to share insight about neighborhood priorities and help shape a path for the future.

1. Community Events Two community events were held in the Fall of 2021 to disseminate information about the Neighborhood Plan and invite the community to participate in upcoming focused discussions:

Spreading the Word As the lead organization for this effort, the Heart of Camden strived to ensure meaningful opportunities for participation, making a concerted effort to invite community members to the process through community events, door-to-door community surveys, flyers’ and posters distribution, regular updates by text and social media, emails and a website dedicated to planning updates.

❱ The Fall Festival provided the planning team an opportunity to meet with residents and gain their insights about community assets, challenges and vision for the future. As a day-long outdoor event with food, music, activities and giveaways, the festival set a positive tone for community engagement and helped expand the reach to people and age groups who are typically underrepresented in planning efforts. ❱ The Neighborhood Walking Tour was held two weeks later and counted with the participation of 13 residents who walked the neighborhood with the planning team and shared their thoughts, concerns and ideas for neighborhood improvements.

Catch the Wave Website

Neighborhood Meeting Poster

Fall Festival community mapping

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Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan | 14

2. Listening Sessions Six listening sessions were held in the Fall / Winter of 2021 and 2022. Although these sessions were originally planned as in-person events, COVID restrictions forced the need to pivot to online gatherings. Each meeting addressed a key topic of the neighborhood plan, including public safety, environment, open spaces, housing, economic development, transportation and infrastructure. Meetings (both in-person and online) were recorded and made available for review on the plan’s website: (www.icatchthewave.com)

3. Stakeholder Interviews Stakeholder interviews were held throughout the planning process. The interviews provided the planning team with critical information about each organization’s involvement in the community, current and future work, goals and initial thoughts regarding partnerships leading to implementation efforts.

4. Community Surveys The Heart of Camden conducted a comprehensive survey with neighborhood residents in the Winter of 2022. Surveys were conducted online and in-person

by members of the HOC team. A total of 107 responses were received, providing additional insight into themes discussed during listening sessions.

5. Community Review meetings Three review meetings were scheduled in the Spring of 2022 to elicit residents’ feedback on proposed recommendations. Two of the meetings were held via Zoom providing residents the opportunity to review findings and recommendations and help steer the plan to reflect key priorities for the next ten years. A final Open House meeting is scheduled for May 2022 as a first opportunity for comments before the final completion of the plan.

6. Other outreach efforts In an effort to maximize reach and community involvement, the planning team attended local meetings including resident meetings (ROWS) and public safety meetings held by DCCB, door to door outreach, texting SMS community, a website, one-on-one resident discussions, social media, and zoom virtual meetings.

As part of the Fall Festival residents were asked to imagine what they wanted to see for the future of their neighborhood. They were given three different promts to finish which were then displayed.

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Coloring pages of neighorhood landmarks were given out to children so they could participate at the Fall Festival

INTRODUCTION

What We Heard Housing

Economic Development

Waterfront South’s housing stock consists primarily of single-family attached and detached homes most built in the early twentieth century.

With just over one thousand residents, Waterfront South struggles to sustain neighborhood serving commercial uses. Broadway, the historic commercial corridor, is home to a handful of businesses, several cultural institutions and social service organization. However, residents must travel outside of Waterfront South for most basic needs.

Population and housing stock have shown decades of decline and vacant homes and land are found throughout the area.

Despite the extensive vacancy, there is pent up demand for both rental and ownership housing in the neighborhood and a low inventory of available housing on the market.. Survey respondents indicated significant interest in purchasing and renting homes in Waterfront South.

Challenges to expanding the housing stock include a disparity between market values and construction cost, tax lien and title encumbrances on much of the vacant real estate.

There is need in the community for a broad variety of housing to serve a range of income levels and family demographics from market rate family homes to affordable senior housing.

A few larger parcels, including the former Croft Mills site on Broadway and the shuttered Mickle School present opportunities to introduce new typologies such as senior or special-needs rental housing.

Surrounding the residential heart of the community are numerous large-scale utility and industrial uses that are economically important for the region but provide little direct economic benefit to the community. Scattered smaller light industrial operations are also present.

The cluster of arts and culture organizations, along with highly valued parks and open spaces, are seen as major assets in the community driving opportunities for neighborhood reinvestment and development.

Arts organizations would also increase their impact on the community by better aligning their programming, spaces and operational hours with residents’ interests and needs.

Residents also identified job readiness and food access as areas where residents need enhanced assistance.

Community members are concerned that future development remains equitable, and that the community remains affordable for those who live there with development opportunities are inclusive of local and minority entrepreneurs.

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Public Safety

Open Spaces

Residents feel generally safe on their blocks. However activities surrounding the sale and use of drugs and prostitution bring concerns to residents.

Waterfront South is home to an abundance of open spaces, some of which are heavily used and programmed with community activities and others which are less utilized.

While community policing has improved the sense of safety in the area, abundant vacancy and unkept industrial areas continue to harbor significant criminal activity.

Liney Ditch Park and the Fishing Pier are both heavily used by residents who contribute to keeping these spaces clean and safe.

Residents sense of safety decreases significantly after dark when poorly lit streets provide additional cover for illicit activity. While over 90% of survey respondents felt safe outside their house during the daytime, that number falls to only 66% at night.

Peace Park and Memorial Park are located on Broadway and while they are highly valued as central community spaces, they became spaces that harbor illicit uses.

Temporary shelter, refuse and narcotics paraphernalia inhibit community use of these spaces.

Narcotics sales in the community are fueled by easy access from I-676, significant truck traffic and a large population of homeless and in-crisis individuals accessing nearby supportive services.

Phoenix Park, a large and relatively new public amenity on the waterfront, provides valued waterfront access however lacks the amenities and access to make it fully safe and usable by the community. Residents identified spaces for private parties, outdoor fitness opportunities and events such as movies and music as priorities for investment.

In addition to the violence, prostitution and vagrancy that accompany the robust narcotics sales in the area, Waterfront South is also impacted by illegal dumping with much of the refuse being deposited in the community originating outside of Camden.

While many residents are familiar with the “Stop It” app and nearly 65% of survey respondents indicated regular use of the app, residents often lack clarity on the best methods of communication with the City regarding safety and nuisance issues. Residents are also often hesitant to involve law enforcement in response to social problems.

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INTRODUCTION

Infrastructure and Transportation

Community Amenities and Services

The presence of port related industrial uses and proximity to I-676 generate truck traffic in Waterfront South, impacting quality-of-life for residents. While a new port access plan seeks to limit truck traffic in residential areas, conflicts remain between residents and industry regarding truck routes and access, particularly on Ferry Ave and in coordination with bicycle routes.

Sacred Heart Church is a major asset in the community as an active house of worship, with many local parishioners and others who commute to Waterfront South from other parts of the region and who are also involved in ministry and services.

Heavy truck traffic and decades of neglect have left neighborhood streets in dire need of repair. While the City is presently coordinating street repairs with underground utility upgrades, surface conditions remain poor on several residential streets.

Deferred sidewalk maintenance also further inhibits mobility. Insufficient and inconsistent street lighting is another area of concern for residents. A survey of lighting conditions has identified street lights in need of repair and the areas of most need of enhanced lighting.

Bus stops in the neighborhood also suffer from insufficient lighting along with lack of seating and poor signage, discouraging transit use. Over 60 % of survey respondents identified private vehicles and carpooling as their primary transportation methods.

A proposed light rail station would enhance connectivity and could attract new businesses and residents, however the area around the proposed station is currently underdeveloped and requires investment to reconnect with the neighborhood’s residential core.

Waterfront South is home to a cluster of social services which is seen by residents as a plus and helps define the character of the neighborhood as a giving, charitable community.

The concentration of recovery and human service providers located in and adjacent to Waterfron South include an adult shelter and a methadone clinic located on Atlantic Avenue. Residents cite these organizations for attracting significant numbers of people suffering from substance abuse, disorder and homelessness into the community, putting increased pressure on public spaces and law enforcement. Residents would like to see a balanced approach where services can continue to exist without the negative impact on the streets.

The cluster of arts and cultural organizations contribute to a lively arts scene and attract patrons from surrounding communities. Residents expressed interest in more arts programming geared toward the community at hours that work with their schedules.

Residents also mentioned the wish to have spaces associated with the local arts groups shared with the broader community as spaces that can be used by other neighborhood groups and private functions.

Environment Environmental justice and the challenges faced by the community as an overburdened community are top priority in the neighboorhod. Residents expressed concerns about air quality, truck traffic and their impact on the health of local families and children.

Over 80% of survey respondents rated air quality as needing improvement. Trucks were identified by residents as the primary source of noise pollution.

Community members want information and consistent monitoring regarding the impact of adjacent industrial uses.

Residents also want to be engaged in land use decisions that impact the environment and residents’ quality-of-life.

Ultimately, it is the community’s goal to see a shift in land uses to less impactful activities.

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Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan | 18

Rowhomes on Jasper Street

19

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NEIGHBORHOOD OVERVIEW

1

CHAPTER

Neighborhood Overview Waterfront South is situated in the southwestern section of the City of Camden, with boundaries defined by Atlantic Avenue to the north, Interstate Highway 676 to the east, Newton Creek to the south and the Delaware River to the west.

Covering approximately 0.8 square miles of land area, the neighborhood is defined by a historic residential core and an extensive economic zone along the waterfront comprising port related activities, active industries and regional infrastructure facilities. Two active freight rail lines run through the neighborhood, to the west and east of the residential core.

According to the last U.S Census (2020), 1,102 people live in Waterfront South, primarily within the 25 residential blocks that make up the historic district. The core residential area is also home to a neighborhood school, local churches, arts and cultural organizations, small businesses, community services and parks. Broadway and Ferry Avenue are two primary corridors organizing

access and circulation in the neighborhood. Broadway also serves as the neighborhood’s main street with a small but growing concentration of shops and services, and a thriving cluster of arts & culture organizations.

Industrial uses extend along 1.4 miles of the Camden’s waterfront including the South Jersey Port Corporation and their related manufacturing, warehousing, storage facilities, regional recycling plants, trucking businesses and other mixed industrial activities. The neighborhood also includes the regional utility Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority, a natural gas power plant, and the Covanta Trash-to-Steam Co-Generator plant.

Waterfront South is a state-recognized Environmental Justice community. The abundance of industry in close proximity to this large residential community, coupled with associated diesel truck traffic, places an environmental burden on families of Waterfront South.

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Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan | 20

NEIGHBORHOOD ASSETS

Neighborhood Boundary Highways Railroads Primary Corridor Bus Lines Park

1

Shipyard & Maritime Museum

2

Camden Fireworks

3

Nick Virgilio Writers House

4

South Camden Theatre Co.

5

CFET

6

Heart of Camden

7

Clothes from the Heart

8

Urban Promise

9

Seeds of Hope

10 Camden Rescue Mission G.H. Bass Comprehensive

11 Recovery Center

Bethel Pentacostal 12 Holy Temple

13 Sacred Heart Church 14 Grace Apostolic Church N 21

0

430

860

15 Sacred Heart School

1,720 FEET

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NEIGHBORHOOD OVERVIEW

Neighborhood Assets One of the first questions brought to the community during the initial phases of the planning process relates to community assets. The Fall Festival allowed the planning team to learn from community members about the places, people, services and amenities that make Waterfront South a special and unique place.

Responses received highlighted the following as significant community assets of importance and positive impact in residents lives: ❱ Waterfront & Parks ❱ Community Services ❱ Arts & Culture ❱ Community & Neighbors

Neighborhood Asset Mapping

Neighborhood Asset Mapping

Neighborhood Asset Mapping

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Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan | 22

Neighborhood Assets

Waterfront & Parks Access to the waterfront, whether it be through the Fishing Pier or Phoenix Park, is a big highlight of life in Waterfront South. Although connections to the waterfront are not as direct or intuitive as they could be, local residents value the opportunity to enjoy a sunny day along the river and appreciate the open views. Expanding connections to the waterfront and maximizing the use of that area for recreational purposes is a top community goal for the future of the neighborhood.

Parks play a large role in the neighborhood. Every resident lives within a 10-minute walking distance of a park. There are 13 acres of park land ranging from large riverfront parks to small neighborhood gathering spots. ❱ LINEY DITCH PARK: Although the neighborhood offers several opportunities for outdoor recreation, Liney Ditch stands out as residents’ favorite neighborhood park. With primary access from Jasper Street, the park sits at the very heart of the residential section of the neighborhood and offers multiple opportunities for active and passive recreation, including an active community garden, a sports court, a playground and an amphitheater. The park also functions as gathering place for community events and provides students at the adjacent Sacred Heart school a safe space for recess and physical education activities. Liney Ditch is also partially connected to Phoenix Park and Michael Doyle Fishing Pier through footpaths and easements around the CCMUA property. ❱ PHOENIX PARK: A recent addition to the waterfront and to the neighborhood, Phoenix Park was converted from a contaminated brownfield site to a park in 2015 through coordinated efforts between NJ DEP and CCMUA. The park is currently operated by CCMUA and is connected to the neighborhood on Jefferson St and through a footpath running on the south side of CCMUA. The park offers residents and visitors a rare

23

opportunity for access to the waterfront along the southern end of the Camden riverfront. Concerns about safety, lack of activities for families with children were raised as opportunities for future improvement. ❱ MICHAEL J. DOYLE FISHING PIER: The Pier is another key neighborhood highlight among residents who use the area as a fishing spot and as a place to meet friends for chess games or just admire the views of the Philadelphia skyline. The fishing pier is accessed by car from Ferry Avenue and connects to Phoenix Park through a pedestrian easement along the CCMUA property. ❱ MEMORIAL PARK: With frontage on Broadway, Memorial Park was originally conceived to accommodate a memorial for Camden residents from the 8th Ward who served in WWII. Despite its central location in the neighborhood, this City park is underused and underkept favoring illicit activities and fostering a general perception among residents of an unsafe place. Restoring the space as an active community amenity is a priority for residents. ❱ PEACE PARK: Centered in the very heart of the neighborhood, this small park has an incredible potential as a neighborhood pocket park and focal point in the areas main intersection (Broadway and Ferry) and across the street from the Sacred Heart church. In recent years, however, the park has been used as a gathering place and shelter for homeless individuals. ❱ OTHER OPEN SPACES: The neighborhood also includes Stone Circle Park, Ferry Ave Rain Garden and the Waterfront South Rain garden as small open spaces. Although they are lightly used as recreation amenities, they provide a relief with greenery within the residential area. Maintenance and upkeep were highlighted by residents as a concern related to those spaces.

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NEIGHBORHOOD OVERVIEW

Liney Ditch Park

Phoenix Park

Peace Park

Waterfront views of the Philadelphia Skyline from the Fishing Pier

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Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan | 24

Neighborhood Assets

Community Services Local community services and organizations rank high as important community assets, connecting residents to services and resources, promoting community events and providing assistance to those in need. ❱ HEART OF CAMDEN: Established in 1984 by Monseigneur Michael J. Doyle, the Heart of Camden carries his vision for community building and has become a natural partner for organizations in the region looking to investment in the neighborhood. As the local community development organization, the Heart of Camden is involved with various aspects of community development. Residents identify the Heart of Camden as a reference for services and resources and appreciate its work in bringing the community together around holidays and seasonal events. The organization is also focused on brick and mortar neighborhood initiatives, including affordable housing and economic development. ❱ MJD FIELDHOUSE: The Fieldhouse is a focal point for the neighborhood, especially for youth who benefit from local sports programs, activities, and services.

The community center and gymnasium are also some of the few spaces in the neighborhood large enough to accommodate community gatherings and private events. Example activities held in this location include The Village with Camden County Metro Police Department, health clinics, food distribution, and programs of Camden Sophisticated Sisters, and LUCY Outreach. ❱ SACRED HEART SCHOOL: As the only school in the community, this PreK-8 school serves approximately 185 students, many of whom are residents of the Waterfront South. The school has strong ties with the community and established partnerships with local organizations for some of its educational programs.

Located on Jasper and 4th Street, the school is part of the Sacred Heart ‘campus’ which also includes the church and the Center for Environmental Transformation. ❱ SACRED HEART CHURCH: Sacred Heart stands on the corner of Broadway and Ferry. An iconic neighborhood building is a symbol of the power of community and resistance in the fight for social and

25

environmental justice. This historic church is at the heart of much of the work done in the past 40 years to rebuild the Waterfront South after the decline of the shipbuilding industry. The church fulfills many roles in the area, serving as a traditional place of worship, and as a bridge between community and volunteers through a variety of services and programs. ❱ SEEDS OF HOPE MINISTRIES: Seeds of Hope Ministries is a faith based organization focused on providing assistance to individuals experiencing homelessness, sex workers and reentry assistance for formerly incarcerated individuals. Operating out of a renovated building at 1700 Broadway the organization operates three ministries; My Father’s Hands, South Jersey Aftercare and She Has a Name. The ministries provides weekly breakfasts, drop in services, and assistance in connecting to recovery services. ❱ CAMDEN RESCUE MISSION: The Camden Rescue Mission located at 1634 Broadway is a nondenominational mission with a 90 year history of providing services in Camden, NJ. The non-profit organization provides emergency assistance including clothing, food, furniture and counseling to families in crisis. An annual book bag drive gives away up to eight hundred supply packed bookbags a year to area students. ❱ G.H BASS COMPREHENSIVE RECOVERY CENTER: The recovery center occupying a 16,000 sf facility at 508 Atlantic Avenue houses Camden Treatment Associates a CARF-accredited medication-assisted treatment program providing care for individuals with opiod use disorder. Outpatient programs available include methadone maintenance treatment, group and individual therapy. In addition to supporting treatment programs case managers also work to connect clients to ongoing services such as employment placement, housing and medical care. ❱ JOSEPH’S HOUSE OF CAMDEN: Joseph’s House located at 555 Atlantic Avenue opened in 2014 provides food, shelter and social services to individuals experiencing homelessness. The overnight shelter can provide services for up to 75 individual guests per night. In addition to overnight shelter with cots clients are provided with dinner and breakfast, access

DRAFT MAY 2022

NEIGHBORHOOD OVERVIEW

to laundry and toilet facilities, emergency clothing and hygiene and case management services. In addition to it’s overnight guests Joseph’s House provides case management services for additional adults. ❱ JOE’S PLACE: Joe’s Place, is located at Broadway and Ferry Ave, named after Joseph A Pacera serves meals on Saturdays and holidays to people in need. Each week a different family or group prepares and provides the meal to be served. The organization is sponsored

by Sacred Heart Church.

Sacred Heart Church

❱ URBAN PROMISE: Urban Promise is a faith based organization focused on youth and young adult development. The organization operates youth focused services across the City of Camden and work in collaboration with the Maritime Museum on Urban Boatworks. In 2018 Urban Promise took over operations at the Fellowship House facility on Broadway in Waterfront South and operate Camp Peace, a youth summer camp, and other programming serving local youth out of the building. ❱ URBAN BOATWORKS: Since its founding in 2009, Urban Boatworks has been building character and skills through the craft of wooden boat building.

Middle and High-School youth partake in the craft of building wooden paddle boards, canoes, and kayaks and launching them on local waterways. Working alongside volunteer mentors and instructors, students develop leadership and problem solving skills. ❱ SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY THRU ME: SRTM’s mission is to engage, employ and empower youth through building the skills they need to become community leaders. Programs immerse students in government and justice issues through model United Nations, Youth and Government programs and Justice Advocacy.

Social Responsibility Thru Me

Seeds of Hope

Heart of Camden

Urban Boatworks

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Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan | 26

Neighborhood Assets

Arts & Culture In the same way that trees and grass produce oxygen around us, being surrounded by the arts makes a community a healthier place to be. The Waterfront South arts and cultural organizations grew from the 2007 Waterfront South Stategic Neighborhood Plan and have become an integral part of the neighborhood’s identify over the past 20 years. The neighborhood’s budding Arts & Culture District offers residents opportunities for expression, reflection, entertainment, and education. Moreover, Waterfront South arts organizations serve as economic drivers and builders of community. Six organizations, all within walking distance from each other and in the heart of the historic district, provide a variety of opportunities to the local community, City and region. In an effort to improve collaboration, consolidate resources and maximize their reach, these organizations have formed an alliance in 2021, representing a new chapter for the arts and culture scene in Waterfront South and reinforcing the neighborhood’s potential as an arts & cultural destination in the region. ❱ THE SOUTH CAMDEN THEATRE COMPANY: The Theater Company is located in the Waterfront South Theater, the first Camden theater to open its doors in over 100 years. The 6,000 sf building provides auditorium seating for up to 96 people and additional support spaces. The Theater Company is a non-profit professional theater company that puts on live theater productions with paid actors and crew and has also hosted movie nights and other community events. ❱ THE SHIPYARD AND MARITIME MUSEUM: The Camden Shipyard and Maritime musuem, founded in 2006, provides a cultural link to Waterfront South’s proud shipbuilding past. The museum is located in the former Church of Our Savior, constructed in 1893, and houses exhibitions dedicated to Camden’s rich maritime and ship building heritage. Urban Boatworks operates in partnership with museum and teaches middle and high school youth how to build wooden paddleboats, canoes, and kayaks while developing life and leadership skills.

27

❱ CAMDEN FIREWORKS: Located in the historic fire house once home to Camden Engine Company 3 the Camden Fireworks opened their gallery and artist’s space in 2016. The ground floor gallery provides exhibition space featuring local artists. Studio spaces available on the upper level offer affordable space to artists, makers and designers. A series of workshops provides leaning opportunities throughout the year for community members ❱ THE NICK VIRGILIO WRITERS HOUSE: Opened in 2018 with assistance from the Heart of Camden, the Writers House is home to the Nick Virgilio Haiku Association dedicated to forwarding the work of famed Camden poet Nick Virgilio and promoting the writing of Haiku Poetry. In partnership with Mighty Writers the association provides educational programs to support literacy, creative writing, and self-expression through the writing of haiku and other verse forms.

The Writers House facilities include spaces for writing, presentations, a small kitchen and a garden area. ❱ CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSFORMATION: The Center for Environmental Transformation (CFET) is an environmental justice and awareness organization that developed from a group of parishioners at Sacred Heart Church. CFET works in collaboration with neighbors sponsoring gardening project tree plantings and education. CFET manages three garden sites in Waterfront South, covering approximately one half acre of land including raised beds and a hoop house. The organization is housed in the former convent at Sacred Heart Church and has facilities to house up to twenty-four guests. ❱ CAMDEN SOPHISTICATED SISTERS: The Sophisticated Sisters Drill Team specializes in a variety of dance styles include Drill, Step, Hip Hop, Contemporary, Ballet, Modern and Jazz. The organization is a nonprofit youth-based organization, with a 30 year legacy of providing structure and teaching leadership skills.

CSS is currently based out of the MJD Fieldhouse. The Boys drill team (the Distinguished Brothers) and drum line (The Almighty Percussion Sound) complete the Sophisticated Sisters team.

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NEIGHBORHOOD OVERVIEW

The South Camden Theatre Company

Camden Shipyard and Maritime Museum

Camden FireWorks

The Nick Virgilio Writer’s House

Center for Environmental Transformation

Camden Sophisticated Sisters

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Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan | 28

Neighborhood Assets

Community & Neighbors When residents speak about what they love about Waterfront South, neighbors and community are repeatedly highlighted as the neighborhood’s most important assets. Residents prize the strong connections established between neighbors and a deep sense of belonging. A diversity of races, ethnicity and ages are also emphasized as contributing to the neighborhood uniqueness. Waterfront South is a community where families help each other and where people come together in both good and challenging times.

Fall Festival on Broadway

29

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NEIGHBORHOOD OVERVIEW

Easter Event

Fall Festival on Broadway

Community event at MJD Fieldhouse Source: Camden Sophisticated Sisters DRAFT MAY 2022

Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan | 30

Demographic Indicators

POPULATION

1,700

Waterfront South is home to 1,102 of Camden’s 71,191 residents.

(U.S. Census 2020) Over the past 20 years, the neighborhood has lost approximately 30% of its population. The community has a high percentage of young residents with roughly 32% under 20 years old and over 55% of residents between the ages of 20-65.

Just over 11% are above the age of 65.

1,291

1,102 2000

2.9 CAMDEN

2010

2.4 WATERFRONT SOUTH

HOUSEHOLD SIZE, 2019

55.5% 20-65

31.9% Under 20

11.1% Over 65

AGE, 2019

48.5% Black 11.5% White 11.5% Two+ 4.8% Asian

57.4%

42.6%

Male

Female

GENDER, 2019

RACE AND ETHNICITY Waterfront South is a racially diverse community. Where 48.5% of the neighborhood’s residents are black, 11.5% white, 4.8% asian. Roughly 38% of all residents identify as hispanic.

23.0% Other Source: U.S. Census, 2020 Data

31

2020

DRAFT MAY 2022

37.8% HAS HISPANIC HERITAGE

NEIGHBORHOOD OVERVIEW

MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME

$23,520

$27,015

$73,672

WATERFRONT SOUTH

CAMDEN

CAMDEN COUNTY

Median household income in Waterfront South is lower than that of the CIty of Camden and approximately 25% of the County’s median income. The poverty rate is at 32% and is less than the City average of 36.1%.

1 in 3

HOME INTERNET ACCESS

74.1% Camden

RESIDENTS EXPERIENCES POVERTY

41.5%

CAMDEN POVERTY RATE

10.1%

COUNTY POVERTY RATE

Waterfront South

HIGH SCHOOL GRAD OR HIGHER

Home internet access among Waterfront South residents is significantly lower than in the City.

50.0% ENGLISH

36.1%

71.8% 75%

LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME

BACHELOR DEGREE OR HIGHER

44.7% SPANISH

9.0%

Waterfront South has a high Spanish speaking population. The neighborhood is almsot split in half between English and Spanish being spoken at home.

Camden

5.7%

Waterfront South

Source: U.S. Census ACS, 2019 Data

The neighborhood has an unemployment status of 14.6% which is roughly double Camden’s average of 7.2%.

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Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan | 32

Neighborhood History Today’s Waterfront South lies on the ancestral lands of the Leni Lenape indigenous peoples. Recently unearthed artifacts date the existence of a Native American community on the riverfront back to approximately 1,400 BC. The extension of railroads to the area in the 1850s started the transformation from a rural, agrarian community into an industrial center. The community, originally named Stockton, was annexed to the City of Camden as part of the 8th ward in 1871. Ferry service via steamboat connected Camden’s waterfront to the City of Philadelphia across the Delaware River and a maritime industry grew around the rail-served port. Through the middle of the 20th century, the New York Shipbuilding Company and other maritime and manufacturing industries dominated the waterfront and brought prosperity to families and businesses in the community’s growing residential core. Houses of worship such as Sacred Heart and The Church or our Savior (now the Camden Shipyard and Maritime Museum) served a tight knit immigrant community where residents were largely employed locally. From 1899 through the 1960s, the shipyard produced over 500 vessels for the U.S. government. The community’s labor made significant contributions to the WWI and WWII efforts, building warships and aircraft carriers such as the USS Independence, while also producing commercial cargo barges and passenger liners.

During the second half of the 20th Century, a decline in industry along with urban renewal projects brought new challenges to Waterfront South. The New York Shipbuilding Company saw its last contract ( for the USS Pogy), cancelled in 1967 and the North-South Freeway was extended between Railroad Ave and Master St, severing the community from city neighborhoods to the East. The Waterfront South was increasingly disconnected both physically and economically from the City and disproportionally impacted by the urban decline that defined the era. During that time, increasingly noxious uses began to fill the vacancies left by the departure of maritime Industry along the riverfront. An expanded sewage treatment facility processed the bulk of the region’s sewage refuse and regularly released sickening smells into the air while increased diesel truck traffic to the port rattled residential buildings and produced dangerous emissions. The neighborhood population

declined, homes were abandoned, and businesses shuttered.

In the 1980s, Monsignor Michael Doyle of Sacred Heart Parish founded the Heart of Camden Community Development Corporation and brought widespread public attention to the social and environmental justice issues plaguing the City of Camden and, more particularly, Waterfront South. Father Doyle appeared on CBS’s ‘60-minute Show’ in 1983 with harsh criticism of plans for the massive expansion of the sewage facility.

Grass roots community activists, aiming to protect their community from the threat of environmental hazards and sickening smells, organized in opposition to sewage plant emissions forming South Camden Citizens in Action (SCCA) in the 1990’s. SCCA successfully challenged the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to enforce air quality regulations that led to the CCMUA’s construction of enclosed sewage storage and reduced odors. The group brought the battle for environmental justice to the courts, the press and the streets bringing much needed awareness to the issues of racism, poverty, and environmental overburdening. While the legal fight to prevent expansion of the sewer plant by the Camden County Municipal Utility Agency (CCMUA) and subsequent construction of the St Lawrence Cement Plant on a portion of the former Shipyard was not fully successful, the fight for environmental justice continued in the community, bringing significant quality of life improvements to residents. The creation of Phoenix Park, the rerouting of truck traffic away from the residential core, and additional green spaces grew out of the organizing work of residents of Waterfront South.

Ultimately the City Redevelopment Plan that threatened

USS Independence at the NY Shipyards

33

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NEIGHBORHOOD OVERVIEW

the area was overturned and historic designation for the residential core was protected. While the overburdening of the community continues, significant progress was made at mitigating environmental hazards and a strong community was formed around environmental justice.

In the early 2000s, the community organized around new goals for community change, highlighting opportunities for investments in housing, commercial activity, arts, and culture. In 2007, the Heart of Camden and neighborhood residents collaborated to create the Waterfront South Strategic Neighborhood Plan.

The plan prioritized the revitalization of the Broadway Corridor, expansion and upgrades to the housing stock and mitigating environmental hazards. With guidance form Monsignor Doyle, assistance of Heart of Camden and contributions from private philanthropy, several arts and cultural organizations were established in the community including the Maritime Museum, Camden Fireworks Gallery, Nick Virgilio Writers House and the Waterfront South Theatre. New open spaces were created, and the historic Liney Ditch Park was revitalized.

Advocacy from the community encouragedthe South Jersey Port Authority to begin plans to manage and mitigate truck traffic. CCMUA embarked on a series of facility improvements and green infrastructure initiatives adding new parks, shelterbelt tree plantings and rain gardens to the community while also mitigating odor emissions.

In the past decade, Waterfront South has made significant strides at rebuilding its core residential area, cultivating a budding arts & cultural district, improving the physical environment and establishing a thriving community of residents and organizations who are dedicated to improving the quality of life within the neighborhood. Despite these efforts, the community remains over-burdened by social and environmental challenges heavily generated by external pressures, such as heavy industrial uses. Tax Credits administered by the New Jersey Economic Development Agency created opportunity for new businesses to relocate to the City, occupying fallow industrial land surrounding the Waterfront South’s residential core. In contrast to the historic Maritime industries that were deeply connected to the economic and cultural life of the community,

these new businesses remain largely disconnected from the neighborhood. Residents have grave concerns regarding the environmental practices occurring on these sites as well as their site maintenance and traffic management. The dual epidemics of homelessness and substance abuse disorders have also had a significant impact on the community. A concentration of social services and public health agencies draws a significant number of citizens in need from the region to the area.

The growing population of those seeking services have burdened the community social fabric and has led to neighborhood challenges. Easy highway access and abundant vacancy provide safe harbor for narcotics sales and related activities such as prostitution and gun violence. While today’s residents are deeply committed to helping those in need, the need to balance that reality with the community’s safety and well-being remains a priority.

The Waterfront South community embarked in this planning process building on a culture that deeply values environmental and social justice and a history of collective advocacy for change. Residents prize the unique tight knit community life in their neighborhood and the community’s historic role in the history of Camden. Residents remain committed to reducing the environmental and social overburdening of the neighborhood, reconnecting to the larger City of Camden and it’s neighborhoods, growing its successful arts & cultural district, while continuing to build and expand the unique assets within the community in order to make it possible for current residents to continue to live and thrive in the Waterfront South and for new residents to choose to make it home.

Ground breaking of Sacred Heart School

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Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan | 34

Historic Timeline

1778 Historic Map of Camden 35

Historic Croft Mills DRAFT MAY 2022

NEIGHBORHOOD OVERVIEW

New York Ship Building Company

South Camden Theatre Company DRAFT MAY 2022

Camden Fireworks Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan | 36

LAND USE

Neighborhood Boundary Highways Railroads Primary Corridor Commercial Community Services Industrial

Source: DVRPC, 2015 Data

Parking Recreation Residential Transportation/Utility

N 37

Vacant 0

430

860

1,720 FEET

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NEIGHBORHOOD OVERVIEW

Land Use Land use patterns in Waterfront South reflect the neighborhood’s historic past as a working class residential community connected to a regional center for port and industrial activity. ❱ NEIGHBORHOOD CORE: The neighborhood is made up primarily of a core of 25 residential blocks covering approximately 15% of the neighborhood’s land area. The Broadway corridor defines the center of the neighborhood as a primary circulation corridor and the community’s commercial node. Residential blocks are short and walkable and lined with single family homes. The majority of the neighborhood core is made up of rowhomes with some apartments over commercial on Broadway and a scattering of detached single-family homes throughout. ❱ BROADWAY: This is the primary access to downtown Camden and the only commercial street in the neighborhood. The corridor includes residential properties with some commercial and mixed-used buildings scattered along. This area also includes a cluster of arts and culture organizations.

Residential: 4th Street

Mixed Use: Broadway Corridor

❱ ECONOMIC ZONE: Rail access and connections to the Delaware River have been the primary vectors of development in the neighborhood, contributing to define the industrial zone as a north / south stretch along the waterfront and additional properties inland directly connected to highways. Between active industrial uses and utilities and legacy sites (brownfields), industrial uses are responsible for approximately 70% of the land area of the Waterfront South. ❱ ATLANTIC AVE & BROADWAY: Atlantic Avenue provides access to exit 4 of I-676 and is a major access point for commercial and vehicular traffic accessing Waterfront South and the City of Camden. Land use along Atlantic Avenue to the west of the North-South Freeway represents a transition between the mixed neighborhood uses of Central Waterfront and the industrial use of Port of Camden controlled land to the south and west. The area is home to a mix of industrial and institutional uses and concentrates several vacant and underutilized parcels.

Industrial: MAFCO

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Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan | 38

ZONING

Neighborhood Boundary Highways Railroads Historic Overlay C1: Commercial C2: Commercial CV2: Conservation Overlay Source: Camden County, 2020 Data

GI2: General Industrial LI1: Light Industrial OLI: Office Light Industrial PRI: Port Related Industrial

N 39

R2: Residential 0

430

860

1,720 FEET

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NEIGHBORHOOD OVERVIEW

Zoning Development in Waterfront South is regulated by the City of Camden Zoning and Land Use Ordinances. . ❱ R-2 | MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL: Approximately 682 parcels in the neighborhood are zoned for residential uses allowing primarily single and two-family housing types. ❱ PRI | PORT RELATED INDUSTRIES: This zoning designation covers the majority of the land along the Delaware River. The PRI zone permits manufacturing and light industrial uses with the exception of fabrication and food processing. The majority of the current port uses follow the warehousing, cargo yard, docks, offices, manufacturing, or light industrial uses.

Some specific uses are not permitted in this zone, such as junkyards and automobile graveyards.

Commercial

❱ LI-1 | LIGHT INDUSTRIAL: LI-1 covers the blocks north of Jackson Street and along Atlantic Avenue, permitting light industrial uses. Heavy manufacturing activities and port uses are not permitted in this area. ❱ C-1 AND C-2 | COMMERCIAL: C-1 and C-2 designations extend along the Broadway corridor, between Jefferson and Jackson Streets. Both districts permit residential and commercial uses as well as mixed-use structures. ❱ SOUTH CAMDEN HISTORIC DISTRICT: The historic district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990 and represents a self-contained working class district dating to the late 19th century with development continuing through the early 20th century. The district includes residential structures, houses of worship, schools and commercial buildings.

The Church of our Savior erected in 1880, now the Maritime Museum, and Sacred Heart Church erected in 1886 are contributing structures along with the former Fire Engine #3 from 1889 which now houses the Fireworks gallery and art space. In 2004, Preservation New Jersey listed the historic district as endangered due to the threat of demolition to expand industrial and port uses. A portion of the National Register Historic District is recognized in the City of Camden Zoning Code with an historic overlay which affords additional city review for new development within its boundaries.

Light Industrial

Residential

Port Zone

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Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan | 40

Housing The residential fabric of Waterfront South is concentrated within a 25-block area defined by Jackson Street, 6th Street, Chelton Avenue and 4th Street. The area consists primarily of rowhomes built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Built originally as workers housing for the port and shipping industry, this residential area was listed in the New Jersey and National Register of Historic Places in 1990. Although the South Camden Historic District designation includes churches, mills, factories and commercial buildings along Broadway, the traditional residential blocks bring significance to the entire district as one of the few examples of an early 20th century working-class community in Camden.

Today, there are 549 residential units in the neighborhood and 85% of these homes are single-family units, attached or detached. The majority of these units are two-story brick structures with small façade variations including porches, stoops and other architectural elements that lend character to these historic structures.

Attached Homes (Rowhomes)

Despite the significant vacancy that challenges the area, existing homes form consistent and attractive residential blocks. Homeownership rate (at 50.9%) is substantially higher than the City’s average of 39%, demonstrating residents’ pride in their home and community.

Significant efforts were made in the 1990s and early 2000s by the Heart of Camden with support from private foundations and public funding to rehabilitate the neighborhood’s housing stock, breathing new life into the old homes. Approximately 25% of the neighborhood’s homes received some type of investment towards rehabilitation and upgrades. Significant efforts were made at the time to promote homeownership through first time homebuyers’ assistance programs geared to local residents and incentives to attract new residents to the area. The efforts demonstrated successful results in the revitalization of the community.

Semi-Detached Homes (Twins)

Although there is ongoing demand for homes in the community, issues connected with property title, tax floreclosures and other encumbrances limit the availability of homes on the market. At the same time, limited resources at the household level have resulted in properties in deteriorating conditions.

Apartments above Retail on Broadway 41

DRAFT MAY 2022

NEIGHBORHOOD OVERVIEW

549 HOUSING

HOMEOWNERSHIP RATE

50.9%

Waterfront South

UNITS

Camden

27.5%

MEDIAN HOME VALUE

72.5%

$71,600

$84,600

WATERFRONT SOUTH

CAMDEN

VACANT

OCCUPIED

38.9%

Source: U.S. Census, 2020 Data

HOMEOWNERSHIP RATE Approximately 50% of all homes in Waterfront South are owner occupied. This rate has slightly decreased over the past two decades but remains higher than the City’s rate of approximately 39%.

HOUSING TYPES

0

NEW HOMES WERE BUILT IN THE PAST 20 YEARS

59.7% OF WATERFRONT SOUTH HOMES WERE BUILT PRIOR TO 1939

MEDIAN HOME VALUE

Over 75% of the neighborhood consists of rowhome style housing. The next most typical building types are detached homes at 11% and 2-unit buildings at 12%.

MEDIAN HOUSING VALUE The median housing value was $71,600 in 2019. The neighborhood has seen the median value increase by approximately $16,000 over the last 10 years.

$71,600

$84,600

$197,800

WATERFRONT SOUTH

CAMDEN

CAMDEN COUNTY

Source: U.S. Census ACS, 2019 Data

DRAFT MAY 2022

Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan | 42

ECONOMIC ACTIVITY

Neighborhood Boundary Broadway Corridor Highways Railroads Primary Corridor Recycling Industry Port Industry Freight Industry Manufacturing Industry Energy Industry

N 43

0

430

860

Utility

1,720 FEET

DRAFT MAY 2022

NEIGHBORHOOD OVERVIEW

Economic Activity The Broadway corridor

Economic Zone

Broadway is the neighborhood’s commercial corridor and a focal point for the community. Once a thriving neighborhood business area, Broadway businesses were deeply impacted by the economic downturn of the 1960s and the resulting loss of jobs and incomes in the neighborhood. Today, the corridor includes a small number of businesses and community organizations interspersed with residences and vacant properties.

The economic zone of the Waterfront South comprises multiple businesses ranging from small light-industrial activities such as print shops to extensive and land intensive industrial operations. A significant section of the economic zone lies within land owned by the South Jersey Port Corporation who manages two terminals in the City while also leasing land and space to a variety of operations. Recycling, freight and port related activities prevail in the area, employing workers from across the region. Other businesses include Lehigh Cement and Camden Steel Yards among others.

Targeted investments made by the Heart of Camden in the late 1990s and early 2000s towards rehabilitation of historic structures and the establishment of the arts and cultural organizations contributed to create a more dynamic environment, attracting residents and visitors to the corridor and adding a new identity to the area as a cultural district. New housing opportunities were created to attract residents to the corridor and ensure pedestrian traffic and activity. However, that process of revitalization did not fully succeed in overcoming some of the fundamental challenges impacting the neighborhood as a whole: population loss, a decline in household incomes, issues with public safety and environmental hazards were some of the factors preventing businesses from keeping their doors open or new businesses from moving in. The physical interruption of the corridor by industrial activities between Atlantic and Jackson streets further reinforce the challenges faced by local businesses.

Mini Market on Broadway

The neighborhood has experienced a significant influx of industrial activities in recent years as part of the City’s efforts to attract new businesses and jobs through state tax credit incentives under the 2013 Economic Development Act. Such efforts brought a number of businesses to Waterfront South. Holtec and EMR stand out due to their extensive footprints in the neighborhood and specific community concerns about the environmental impact of those activities. While new industries moved in, others left or closed. MAFCO, a traditional licorice manufacturing plant situated on Jefferson Street and occupying a significant stretch of the neighborhood’s waterfront, closed doors in recent years.

Beyond industrial activity, this majority minority community also hosts regional utility and energy plants, including the County Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant (CCMUA) and the Camden Energy Recovery Center (Covanta). The neighborhood also includes the Camden Power Plant on Chelton Avenue.

Covanta

DRAFT MAY 2022

Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan | 44

ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS 1

Kramer Chemicals Inc.

2

Lectronic Research Labs Inc

3

Camden Iron & Metal Inc.

4

R Fanelle’s Sons

5

Migali Industries Inc.

6

Camden Iron & Metal Inc

7

Martin Aaron Inc/Rhodes Drum Co.

8

Liedtka Trucking Inc.

9

Broadway Redevelopment

10

Village Hope Phase II

11

Clement Coverall Co.

12

Fellowship House of South Camden

13

CRA New Homes

14

Camden Paperboard Corp.

15

McCormick’s Express

16

Thomas & Muller Co Inc.

17

Camden Waterfront South Project

18

Waterfron South Service Station

19

Camden Cogeneration Facility

20

Hospital Central Services Cooperative inc.

21

Holcim US Inc.

22

Broadway Terminal

23

Air Products & \Chemicals Inc. Neighborhood Boundary Highways

Source: NJDEP, 2016 Data/ NJOGIS, 2016 Data

Railroads Primary Corridor 100 - Year Flood Zone Recycling Industry Port Industry Freight Industry Manufacturing Industry Energy Industry

N 45

0

430

860

Utility

1,720 FEET

DRAFT MAY 2022

NEIGHBORHOOD OVERVIEW

Environment Environmental Risks

Brownfield Sites

Waterfront South faces a multitude of environmental challenges. Contaminated brownfields, persistent remnants of the area’s industrial past, lie adjacent to currently active high-impact industrial concerns that process the material waste of the region. Sewage, trash and scrap metal of Camden County and beyond are funneled to Waterfront South for processing. These industries release toxins into the air, ground and water, raising alarm of the health risks incurred by residents and their families. The community’s riverfront location brings additional risks with much of the community located within the 100-year floodplain. These compound risks contribute to an overburdening of environmental stressors on the Waterfront South community.

DEP data from 2016 identifies over twenty brownfield sites within the boundaries of the neighborhood. Most of these conditions are the result of the area’s industrial past when shipbuilding and manufacturing dominated the waterfront. With the collapse of the maritime economy in the second half of the 20th century, Waterfront South was left without its economic engine and an abundance of fallow contaminated land was left in its wake. Work has been done in recent years to remediate and convert contaminated sites into community assets and spaces for industry: Phoenix Park was remediated by the CCMUA and now serves as one of the few waterfront access points for the neighborhood; Holtec campus is located on another, larger, remediated site at the southern end of the community, despite these effort significant brownfield acreage remains, surrounding the residential core. Future development of vacant and former industrial land will depend on assessing the levels of contamination and developing remediation plans appropriate for the proposed future land uses.

Climate Change Waterfront South is at risk of stormwater and tidal flooding as the majority of the neighborhood sits within the 100-year flood plane. As extreme weather becomes more frequent and severe, the neighborhood will be at risk to more flooding in the future. Its location along the Delaware River and Newton Creek only increases the chances of frequent flooding. The prevalence of impervious surfaces and the combine sewer system (CSS) makes the neighborhood even more at risk for.

During heavy rain events the CSS discharges stormwater and sewage into parts of the neighborhood.

Environmental Justice and Overburdened Communities National and Statewide attention has recently focused on protecting residents of environmentally overburdened communities from the expansion and proliferation of environmental stressors. Years of environmental advocacy helped shape New Jersey’s state law S232, effective as of September 2020 as a first step at targeting environmental legislation to specifically protect communities like Waterfront South, historically impacted by environmental stressors without adequate input or review. Through new criteria used to identify overburdened communities and implement protocols for the permitting of new and expanded environmentally impactful uses, the law mandates a public process that brings residents to the table and makes permits conditional to meeting environmental justice requirements. Importantly, the law allows NJDEP to apply special permit conditions to avoid or minimize environmental or public health stressors and enables review of the of environmental strain on a community during the permitting process. While the law does not regulate the performance of existing stressors, most of the industrial activity in Waterfront South would be subject to the requirements of S232 if seeking to modify or expand existing operations. New Jersey’s Environmental Justice Law is considered as precedent for proposed national action on the overburdened communities through the Environmental Justice for All Act S.872 and is bringing additional national attention to the need for enhanced scrutiny to the overburdening of low-income and minority communities nationwide.

DRAFT MAY 2022

Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan | 46

VACANCY

Vacancy The decline in industry, residential flight from the city, environmental burdens, and shifting demographics have contributed to the vacancy found throughout Waterfront South. There are approximately 400 vacant properties and 85 abandoned or not occupied buildings with 27.5% of the housing stock sitting vacant. The majority of the vacant lots can be found north of Ferry Ave and south of the dense intact core at Winslow St. Some have been taken over as yards or used as storage but the majority are empty lots. Many of these lots are owned by the City which makes them good contenders for redevelopment. A concentration of city owned lots exists near the planned future passenger train station north of Ferry Ave. Targeted consolidation of certain lots with infill in more intact blocks could lead to a stronger development approach.

Neighborhood Boundary Source: Hopeworks, 2020 Data

Highways Railroads Primary Corridor Building Not Occupied Building Abandoned

N 47

0

430

860

Vacant Lot

1,720 FEET

DRAFT MAY 2022

PROPERTY OWNERSHIP

Property Ownership The majority of the land in Waterfront South is privately owned.

A significant portion of land is either held by homeowners or by businesses in the industrial zones. The largest public and institutional landowners are the South Jersey Port Corporation, Camden County MUA, the City of Camden and the Heart of Camden (HOC). A large concentration of industrial land is owned by the port while City and HOC owned land is scattered throughout the residential core. Since the areas along the river are largely occupied, the City and HOC owned-lots are prime for infill housing and larger development efforts.

Neighborhood Boundary Highways Railroads Primary Corridor Camden Board of Education

Source: Camden County, 2020 Data

Camden Count MUA Camden Redevelopment Agency City of Camden Heart of Camden South Jersey Port Corporation NJDOT Conrail

N

0

430

860

Private

1,720 FEET

DRAFT MAY 2022

Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan | 48

TRANSPORTATION

Neighborhood Boundary Highways Railroads Primary Corridor Bus Lines

Source: NJOGIS, 2020 Data

Bus Stop

N 49

0

430

860

401

Salem to Philadelphia

402

Pennsville to Philadelphia

410

Bridgeton to Philadelphia

412

Glassboro to Philadelphia

450

Cherry Hill Mall to WRTC

453

Broadway to Ferry Ave Station

457

Moorestown Mall to WRTC Proposed Light Rail Station

1,720 FEET

DRAFT MAY 2022

NEIGHBORHOOD OVERVIEW

Transit Waterfront South is currently served by seven New Jersey Transit bus lines. These routes run through the neighborhood connecting it to downtown Camden and Philadelphia to the north and suburban and rural towns to the south and east. Bus lines run on primary neighborhood corridors, including Broadway, Ferry Ave, and Atlantic Ave. Bus stops are typically located in every block.

There is a plan for a station between Ferry Ave and Carl Miller Blvd. for the proposed light rail line between Camden and Glassboro. This would provide connection between the neighborhood and the region to shopping, education, healthcare, and jobs.

Source: Glassboro-Camden Line Final EIS

NJ Transit Bus

Light Rail Station Rendering

Master St

Viola St

Ferry

Ave

Carl Miller Blvd

I-676

6th St

Source: Glassboro-Camden Line Final Environmental Impact Study Proposed Light Rail Station layout in Waterfront South. The future South Camden station is proposed between Ferry Ave and Carl Miller Blvd DRAFT MAY 2022

Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan | 50

2

CHAPTER

Neighborhood Priorities & Recommendations

Plan recommendations are organized around three overarching goals and ten priorities.

Overarching goals describe ultimate outcomes anticipated once neighborhood projects are completed.

Strengthen

Connect

Grow

Build from the core, strengthening residential blocks and creating economic opportunities for neighborhood businesses and local entrepreneurs.

Leverage neighborhood assets to reverse population loss, retaining existing residents and attracting new ones. Promote a clean, healthy, safe and thriving community for all.

Improve connections with the Waterfront as an integral part of the community.

Establish a framework for growth with improved neighborhood capacity, where residents are engaged and organized, community organizations have the resources required to advance community projects and solid partnerships are established between residents, organizations, institutions, government and businesses

51

Improve connections to businesses located in the Economic Zone with a safer and improved public realm.

Improve connections with downtown Camden and adjacent neighborhoods.

DRAFT MAY 2022

NEIGHBORHOOD PRIORITIES Connect to the City • Atlantic Ave as a city gateway • Improved connections • New services and amenities • Mix of land uses • Anchor development

Strengthen • Healthy and clean environment • Green infrastructure • Improved connections • Housing choices • Safe and clean streets • Economic growth and opportunity • Community amenities and services

Connect to the Waterfront • Waterfront as a public amenity • Improved public realm • Improved connections

Connect to the Economic Zone • Improved public realm • Address eyesore industrial areas • Signage and wayfinding • Green infrastructure

N

0

430

860

1,720 FEET

DRAFT MAY 2022

Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan 52

1

A Healthy & Clean Environment “Our neighborhood is a sacrifice zone. By hosting a disproportionate share of county waste services and other polluting facilities, Waterfront South bears the collective burden of our region. The environmental injustices of our neighborhood are bad and getting worse, and we need a comprehensive plan and structural support to change the status quo. We need tools like this neighborhood plan to give us leverage to fight for a better future for our kids.”

region. The environmental injustices of our neighborhood are bad and getting worse, and we need a comprehensive plan and structural Mike Morgan, Waterfront South Resident support to change the status quo. We need tools like this neighborhood plan to give us leverage to fight for a better future for our kids.”

“Our neighborhood is a sacrifice zone. By hosting a disproportionate share of county waste services and other polluting facilities,

For decades, Waterfront South residents have been faced with the risks associated with a disproportionately high concentration of environmental hazards located within the neighborhood’s square mile. Between regional utilities, industrial plants, close proximity to the port and regional transportation corridors, the neighborhood is routinely impacted by a number of environmental stressors that negatively impact quality-of-life and health outcomes for residents and their families. Significant concerns about air pollution associated with industrial activities and truck traffic, noise, odors, land and water contamination were reported by the community during the planning process.

Although positive efforts have been made in the past twenty years by individual agencies and industries to mitigate the environmental risks associated with their operations, exposure to high levels of air pollutants is still a top concern, further amplified in recent years by repeated incidents connected to local business operations. Just in the past year, two major fires occurred at EMR’s scrap metal recycling facility, sending noxious smoke and odor over the neighborhood, exacerbating already high levels of existing respiratory conditions, and leaving residents stranded and unable to return to their homes for hours.Concerns about expansion

53

of the industrial footprint in the neighborhood and lack of clarity about permitting, land use approvals and monitoring are top priorities among community members. Moreover, residents cite the lack of public engagement from industry and governmental agencies, and scarce community control over land use approvals as contributing to the environmental burden of this majority minority community.

As an area historically marked by the presence of industrial uses, the Waterfront South is also challenged by a concentration of contaminated sites. A 2016 NJDEP map identified 23 known contaminated sites in the neighborhood. Targeting site clean-up for future redevelopment is another fundamental priority for the next ten years.

Finally, preparing the neighborhood for resilience against the impact of climate change remains central to this riverfront community. As a low-lying section of the City, the neighborhood is also threatened by flooding risks and combined sewer overflow (CSO). The 2020 Green Infrastructure Plan for the Waterfront South identified a number of opportunities for green infrastructure projects to minimize risks in the neighborhood.

Recommendations from that plan inform the strategies presented below.

DRAFT MAY 2022

PRIORITY 1

1.1 Advocate for regular communication with NJ DEP and the Office of Environmental Justice

1.2 Monitor neighborhood air and water quality

Work in partnership with NJ DEP and the Office of Envrionmental Justice to remove barriers to accessing resources to better inform and advocate for environmental justice in Waterfront South. The Office Environmental Justice was created by NJ DEP to ensure fair and equitable treatment in decision-making that affects residents and their environment, communities, homes and health. It directs NJ DEP to develop guidance for all NJ state departments to incorporate environmental justice considerations into their actions.

And, it calls for the NJ Department of Health and the NJDEP to continue to expand the NJ Environmental Public Health Tracking Network. The Network collects data on health, human exposures, and environmental hazards.

While NJ DEP makes data about air emissions generated by individual uses available to the public, there is little information about the cumulative impact of those uses to the community. The NJ Environmental Justice Law passed in 2020, stipulates that DEP assess the public health and environmental risks created by facilities as they renew or expand licensing permits in overburdened communities. Waterfront South residents will benefit from a clear understanding about the permitting process and mechanisms to stay up to date regarding permit applications. A first step in that direction could include outreach to NJ DEP for educational seminars, walking residents through the new regulatory requirements and opportunities for community input. Furthermore, the NJ DEP should provide periodic reports and updates to local neighborhood groups and their representatives regarding information about new requests for expansion of existing businesses, potential siting of new industry, brownfield identification and remediation updates, and provide information on how the DEP, itself, is actively reducing the negative environmental impacts on the overburdened community of Waterfront South.

a. Leverage community-based air monitoring as tools for education and advocacy An important step in addressing risks associated with air pollution is to raise awareness and help educate residents and local businesses about air quality in the community. Community-based monitoring efforts such as the Purple Air monitor installed at CFET on Ferry Avenue provide up to date information about air quality that is both relevant and actionable for individuals and communities. The Purple Air monitor is a sensor that collects local air quality data and enables CFET to share that data with the Waterfront South community.

Identifying mechanisms to expand awareness about the neighborhood monitor and educating residents about the information available will help increase awareness and lead to proactive engagement in the dialogue with industrial neighbors and governmental agencies. Potential ways to disseminate information in the community include: ❱ Include regular updates about air quality in the agenda for monthly resident meetings. ❱ Invite residents to educational sessions about air quality monitoring along with information about monitors installed in the City and neighborhood. ❱ Spread the word about resources available online and through apps such as Purple Air (https://map.purpleair. com) and EPA’s AirNow (https://www.airnow.gov ❱ Secure funding for citizen science projects to collect data on local pollution and evaluate potential risks to public health.

Air Monitor

The purple air monitor in Waterfront South is a resident led initiative. The monitor is located at CFET and provides up to date air quality information on particulate matter. The above screenshot exemplifies the information available online.

Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan 54 DRAFT MAY 2022

a. Advocate for comprehensive air monitoring and data While community-based air monitoring provides a helpful low-cost reference about local air quality, the need for comprehensive monitoring beyond the typical particulate matter data provided by systems like Purple Air remains as a priority for community members. The Spruce Street Station located in downtown Camden tracks a broader range of pollutants but may not capture the more specific conditions presented in the southern section of the city. Re-installing the air monitor originally located at CCMUA should provide a closer portrait of the environmental conditions in the neighborhood. NJ DEP is the agency responsible for the CCMUA sensor. b. Identify household level solutions to mitigate the impact of air pollution in indoor air quality.

This two-fold recommendation includes both an educational and financial component. ❱ Education: While permanent solutions addressing air quality are the ultimate goal for the Waterfront South and region, short-term initiatives at the household level will help mitigate the impact of air polution and minimize potential health effects for individuals at risk living in the neighborhood. Educational seminars about household level solutions to improve indoor air quality is a potential community initiative to help ensure livable conditions within people’s homes. ❱ Financial: Individual indoor solutions are often costly for residents living on fixed incomes. Grants and partnerships with manufacturers can help bridge that gap. A potential approach can include a stipend for air quality solutions as a component of home repair and upgrade programs recommended under Priority 3 – Housing Choices.

strategies to mitigate health risks. Although the 2005 study remains relevant as historic baseline data, having informed several mitigation efforts over the past decade, much has changed since 2005 with respect to industrial activities, with new industries moving in and other businesses closing or relocating. Likewise, environmental parameters have changed over the years, justifying the need for a new comprehensive air quality assessment.

1.3 Ensure community participation in land use decisions that may increase environmental risks “…Overburdened communities must have a meaningful opportunity to participate in any decision to allow in such communities certain types of facilities which, by nature of their activity, have the potential to increase environmental and public stressors and, that it is in the public interest for the State, to limit the future placement and expansion of such facilities in overburdened communities” (NJ State Environmental justice Law, Chapter 92, C.13:1 D-157)

The 2020 NJ Environmental Law provides a framework for community participation in decision making related to industrial facilities planning to establish or expand their footprint in the neighborhood. While standard City permitting and processes around development projects welcome public input and participation, a special review process should be considered for environmental justice communities with an eye on the specific environmental impact of new projects in the area. Beyond land use impact, communities should be informed about the environmental implication of proposed projects.

c. Advocate for an updated air quality report The Waterfront South Air Toxics Pilot Project prepared

by NJDEP in 2005 provided the community with a critical reference about air toxics and particulate matter impacting air quality in the neighborhood. The study assessed air pollution sources, identified air toxics and particulates with greatest health risks, assessed levels of pollution found in the area and identified

55

2005 NJDEP Report DRAFT MAY 2022

PRIORITY 1

1.4 Target brownfield sites within the residential core for redevelopment There are several brownfield sites in close proximity to the residential core of the Waterfront South.

This plan provides general recommendations for the future use of these sites, establishing priorities for investment according to community priorities.

a. Prioritize the Howland Croft mill property for site clean-up and redevelopment Situated on the south end of Broadway, the Howland Croft Mill housed a garment factory for over 70 years. In 1928, the mill employed over 300 people from Camden, drawing its workers heavily from the surrounding neighborhood. The business remained open until the 1950s and served primarily as a storage facility since then until an eight-alarm fire destroyed the property in 2011, displacing residents from surrounding properties, and leaving behind an old gas stack as the only vestige of the factory’s footprint.

The property occupies an entire city block comprising 1.7 acres of land and can serve as a community anchor along Broadway with economic development opportunities generating jobs, services and housing

options in the neighborhood. The property is currently zoned for residential uses (R-2) and could accommodate the community’s vision for a mixedincome multi-family housing development with ground floor retail or community services and an affordable senior development. Site remediation is naturally a key first step in that process and one that will inform the feasibility of residential uses in the property. Efforts should be made on the short-term to place the property in the City’s priority list for funding towards remediation.

b. Assess the conditions of other brownfield sites for future redevelopment The planning team identified 16 other brownfield properties in the neighborhood for consideration in future redevelopment plans. Six of these properties are located within the residential core (between Jackson Street and Chelton Avenue) and should be evaluated in the context the neighborhood’s overall vision for housing and economic development. A preliminary assessment of each property based on past uses will help identify directions for future reuse.

The Howland Croft Mill building was destroyed by a fire in 2011. The site should be prioritized for environmental assessment, remediation, and redevelopment.

DRAFT MAY 2022

Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan 56

BROWNFIELD SITES

One of the brownfield properties situated along the eastern end of the neighborhood is included in plans for the future Light Rail Stop proposed between Ferry Ave and Carl Miller Blvd.

Source: NJDEP, 2016 Data

Legend: Property for remediation and redevelopement Croft Mills site

N 57

0

215

430

Brownfield sites

860 FEET

DRAFT MAY 2022

PRIORITY 1

1.5 Green Infrastructure The City of Camden, through the Camden SMART Initiative, has been aggressively focusing on the implementation of green infrastructure projects to mitigate the risks of flooding and combined sewer overflow. Waterfront South has been a key target area for such projects due to its character as a lowlying waterfront community prone to flooding and combined sewer overflow events. CCMUA, a key partner of the Camden SMART Initiative, has been at the forefront of neighborhood initiatives, as both a neighborhood partner and as an agency seeking to minimize the impact of CSO events on the City’s infrastructure. As the agency sponsoring both the 2020 Green Infrastructure Plan and this 2022 Neighborhood Plan, CCMUA is the natural implementation partner for future green infrastructure projects. Recommendations described below prioritize opportunities within City owned properties, public rights-of-way, parks and open spaces. Partnerships with industrial facilities should help identify additional opportunities within port land and other privately owned industrial properties. Further details about those opportunities are described under Priority 7 of this Neighborhood Plan.

a. Expand tree coverage at parks and neighborhood streets The Camden Parks and Open Space Plan identifies the Waterfront South as a high to very high priority area for mitigating urban heat islands. Expanding tree coverage along neighborhood streets is an effective strategy to reach that goal. Beyond their role in helping offset rising temperatures, trees also trap pollutants and mitigate runoff and flooding. Partnerships between residents, CCMUA, the NJ Tree Foundation, local organizations and businesses can help leverage technical capacity, funding, coordination and community participation towards a multi-year effort targeting residential blocks on a first phase and expanding the reach along neighborhood corridors and industrial areas.

Phoenix Park was identified by residents as a priority area for tree planting to further encourage the use of the park in the summer. Trees will also have a positive impact on future plans for Broadway Avenue, providing shading and cooling and encourage pedestrian traffic.

DRAFT MAY 2022

The Greening Waterfront South Plan focuses on mitigating flooding and combined sewer overflows in the neighborhood. Multiple types of GSI projects have been identified as stormwater management solutions for the community: a. BIoswale b. Constructed Wetlands c. Green Roofs d. Naturalized areas e. Parking lot retrofits f. Rain gardens g. Rooftop capture and reuse h. Stormwater bumpouts i. Tree trenches

Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan 58

amenity and has been identified as a priority for investments. A first step in that direction includes the development of a comprehensive improvement plan integrating programming, safety, green infrastructure, and maintenance. Organizations like Project for Public Spaces and The Trust for Public Land can support this effort through design grants and community driven solutions to re-activate the park while maximizing green infrastructure opportunities.

❱ Among existing neighborhood parks, Memorial Park provides another great opportunity for coordinated programming, beautification, and green infrastructure initiatives aimed to reclaim that open space as a focal point for the community. Situated along the southern end of Broadway Avenue, the park is rarely enjoyed by local residents, having become a place for prostitution and drug activity. Green infrastructure initiatives including a rain garden should be an integral part of the future planning of the park.

Waterfront South is identified as a priority area for projects mitigating urban heat islands

b. Parks and open spaces The 2020 Greening Plan describes improvement opportunities at two of the neighborhood’s main parks: Liney Ditch and Phoenix Park. Conceptual plans highlight options for bioswales, rain gardens and storm inlets at Liney Ditch. Tree planting and deep-rooted planting zones are identified at Phoenix Park. In an effort to align these recommendations with the input received from the community in this planning process, the following steps are recommended: ❱ Target Liney Ditch as a priority park for investment.

Liney Ditch is highly valued as an active community

Source: Greening Waterfront South Plan, 2020

Source: Camden Parks & Open Space Plan, 2020

❱ Support CCMUA’s ongoing efforts to improve residents’ experience at Phoenix Park through a combination of tree planting, green infrastructure, programming, and public safety initiatives.

Proposals for Liney Ditch and Phoenix Parks from the Greening Waterfront South Plan 59

DRAFT MAY 2022

PRIORITY 1

c. Leverage maintenance of green infrastructure as an economic opportunity for young residents A recurring concern expressed by residents with respect to green infrastructure projects relates to maintenance and upkeep of those spaces. PowerCorps Camden, a current partner for the City’s green infrastructure initiatives, provides job training and opportunities to young residents in the City. A targeted effort to identify young residents of the Waterfront South as ambassadors for local green infrastructure projects with a key role in maintaining and educating neighbors about existing and future neighborhood installations, would ensure consistency in maintenance efforts while also promoting skill building and leadership opportunities among young residents.

1.6 Promote Environmental Awareness and Stewardship Beyond public and private investments aimed at improving environmental conditions in the neighborhood, programs engaging local families in environmental initiatives will help raise awareness among residents about the positive impact of individual choices and actions and the role each person can play as a caretaker of the environment. The following activities exemplify positive initiatives to be developed in partnership with local groups. CFET is a natural partner in this effort: ❱ Promote zero waste events and discourage single use disposable giveaways in local community events. ❱ Develop a local campaign educating residents about trash, re-use and recycling.

Power Corps Camden Power Corps Camden provides training and a living stipend to Camden youth working on projects that improve stormwater management, clean and green vacant lots and improving community space and parks. On completion of the six-month term of service Power Corps, alumni receive assistance with continuing education, extended national service opportunities and job placement in career-related fields.

❱ Create a community tool shed. ❱ Promote neighborhood walks along the waterfront with opportunities to learn about the wildlife diversity that inhabits the area

1.6 Adopt Green Standards

d. Adopt property-based solutions Solutions at the residential level will be a key component in the effort to improve resilience and mitigate the growing impact of weather events in the community. Several organizations in the region already have programs dedicated to education and technical assistance to residences and small commercial property owners looking to implement stormwater solutions in their properties. CCMUA and the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program are key community partners in the City. A targeted campaign to Waterfront South residents could include classes and training sessions along with supplies such as rain barrels and other materials at no cost or discounted prices.

As the community moves forward with plans for future housing and economic development, efforts should be made to minimize the impact of new buildings on local infrastructure while also contributing to improve neighborhood environment through ecologically sound design and construction solutions. Between State, County and City ordinances, there is a solid regulatory framework guiding future development towards best practices. Residents and community stakeholders can have a critical role tracking proposed development projects and ensuring the critical attention required to minimize any potential negative impact on the neighborhood.

DRAFT MAY 2022

Camden Sustainability Ordinance The City of Camden became the first municipalitiy in New Jersey to adopt a sustainablity ordinance in 2015. The ordinance requires an Environment Impact and Benefit Assesment before projects are approved.

Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan 60

2 Improved Neighborhood Connections Waterfront South’s residential fabric is, in many ways an island. Encroached by industrial uses and severed from neighboring Centerville by the elevated interstate highway on the east, the community is poorly connected to the City and region. Pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular connections to vital City resources and nearby communities are challenged by insufficient infrastructure. While, truck traffic accessing the industrial zone regularly traverses residential streets, compromising public safety, bringing noise and air pollution. Waterfront South will benefit from improved connections to help improve safety and encourage development.

A multifaceted approach is needed to strengthen connections between Waterfront South and adjacent communities and improve safety and circulation within the community. Additional measures are required to steer truck traffic away from residential streets and increase safety on Broadway and Ferry Avenue. Residential streets and sidewalks within the community are in need of repair and safe bike routes connecting residents to downtown Camden and to waterfront amenities is a high prioritiy for community members. Implementing a program of green and complete streets on major corridors will forward connectivity and increase resilience.

61

In addition to enhanced community corridors, reimagined underpasses as gateways, well-lit and beautified with local art, will express neighborhood pride and welcome visitors. For residents without access to a car, public transit is a critical link to jobs and services. Improving currently inhospitable bus stops and expanding mobility will strengthen connections to the city and the region. The following recommendations require coordination with City and County agencies as well as NJ Transit

DRAFT MAY 2022

PRIORITY 2

Despite recent County and City efforts to restrict truck traffic to a limited area of the neighborhood, truck presence in the residential area, and especially on Ferry Avenue and Broadway, are still a top concern among residents. Beyond noise, air pollution and constant vibrations generated by large size trucks, residents reported a number of circulation issues experienced by local drivers and pedestrians including speed, visibility at crosswalks and intersections, and incidents with cars parked on the streets.

While ultimately the community wishes to see all truck traffic eliminated from the core residential area, steps should be taken on the short-term to manage trucks by regulating traffic hours, enhancing signage and limiting the types and sizes of vehicles allowed in the neighborhood. Traffic enforcement is a critical component of this strategy, requiring regular police enforcement and monitoring from the neighboring businesses that generate truck trips in the area.

Central Waterfront

Gateway

Cooper Lanning

Parkside

Gateway Liberty Park

Broadway

Central Waterfront

Cooper Lanning

Whitman Park Parkside

Existing Street Conditions

Centerville

Broadway Broadway

Waterfront South

Source: City Assesment, 2021

2.1 Eliminate and reroute truck traffic away from the residential area

Liberty

Park Woodland Ave

Morgan Blvd

Morgan Village

Whitman Park

Failed

Very Poor

Fair

Serious

Poor

Satisfactory

Good

Centerville

Fairview

Waterfront South

Woodland Ave

Broadway

Morgan Village

Morgan Blvd Camden City Port Access Truck Route Location Map Second Street (Camden City) Reconstruction Atlantic Avenue (Camden City) Reconstruction

Camden County truck route plan

Ferry Avenue (CR 603) Reconstruction Broadway (CR 551) Reconstruction Fairview

Camden City Port Access Truck Route Location Map

2.2 Repair streets in bad conditions Second Street (Camden City) Reconstruction Atlantic Avenue (Camden City) Reconstruction

Ferry Avenue (CR 603) Reconstruction Broadway (CR 551) Reconstruction

Like many of the City’s neighborhoods, several streets in Waterfront South are poorly maintained and inadequate for safe driving and circulation. Potholes, grade defects, cracks and other hazardous conditions damage cars and promote accidents. A citywide assessment of street conditions performed in the past two years will help guide priorities for road repairs. The existing street conditions map describes the results of the street assessment, highlighting Filmore Street, Winslow street and 6th Street as top priorities for road repairs.

Emerald St shows poor street conditions from City’s assesment

DRAFT MAY 2022

Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan 62

2.3 Pedestrian safety

2.4 Establish a safe bike route to the waterfront and downtown Camden

Waterfront South’s dense residential core is a compact and walkable community with a street network established prior to automobile dominance of the cityscape. While the community’s DNA is naturally pedestrian friendly, degraded sidewalks compromise walkability and deter pedestrian access. Assisting homeowners and property owners with critical sidewalk repairs and addressing the gaps in sidewalk maintenance created by vacancy is a priority to help maintain walkability. Targeted crosswalk and signage improvements at critical locations such as the area around the Sacred Heart School will enhance safety in the community. The intersection of Broadway and Ferry Ave, a critical crossroads at the heart of the community, deserves specific attention with potential reconfiguration geared at prioritizing pedestrian safety and deterring commercial traffic from cutting through residential blocks.

Segment 1: Bike Sharrows

Efforts to improve bike connections throughout the City should include a safe and dedicated bike route connecting Waterfront South residents to downtown Camden. The following diagram describes a proposed route down Ferry Avenue to 2nd Street. Broken down in three segments, the proposed bike lane would run as a shared lane on Ferry Avenue, and as a dedicated lane within the 70ft right-of-way of 2nd Street. This concept is consistent with three other plans calling for a bike route on Ferry / 2nd Street corridors. County’s efforts to implement sections of the Port truck traffic circulation plan provide a concrete opportunity to fund and build this bicycle connection in the next few years.

Segment 2&4: 2-way sidewalk bike lane

Segment 3: 2-way parking protected bike lane Current

To Philadelphia

4 3

Lan sdo wne

Proposed

4

Atl an tic Av e Ave

Whi tma n Ave Eve rett St

2

3 Jackso n Ave Webster St

Carl Miller Blvd

1

2

Jasper St

Winslow St

y Av e S 6th St

Viola St

Filmore St

S 4th St

Ancona St

S 2nd St

Emerald St

Broadway

Fe r r

1

Arlington St

Jeffer son St

63

Chelton Ave

DRAFT MAY 2022

Proposed Bicycle Connection

PRIORITY 2

2.5 Implement green and complete streets along Broadway and Ferry Waterfront South is one of the neighborhoods identified

by EPA on a 2016 Green and Complete Streets report for the City of Camden as an opportunity area for green and complete streets. The report lists Ferry Avenue as a top contender due to flooding risks and recommends further investigation for other potential streets.

Converting the two main neighborhood corridors into green and complete streets will positively impact the community, enabling residents to move safely along these high traffic areas while integrating much needed green stormwater infrastructure as concrete measures to decrease flooding risks and minimize impact on the City’s combined sewer systems.

2.7 Re-imagine existing underpasses as safe and attractive neighborhood gateways Underpass connections between the Waterfront South and other South Camden neighborhoods present a wonderful opportunity for streetscape improvements focusing on safety and beautification initiatives. The three east-west corridors – Carl Miller Blvd, Ferry Avenue and Chelton Avenue - are key links to other parts of the City and region and frequently used by residents in daily trips. Residents expressed specific concerns around the underpasses, as dark and isolated areas. A combination of public art, lighting and sidewalk improvements can help transform these spaces into welcoming neighborhood gateways.

Example of a complete street with safe accomodations for pedestrians, bicycles, and drivers

2.6 Reconfigure 4th street as a oneway street 4th Street is an important residential corridor in Waterfront South with intense vehicular traffic generated by residences, school, park and the theater. Concerns about pedestrian safety on this residential street have led community members to identify the conversion of the street from a two-way to a one-way corridor as a solution to discourage drivers who speed through the street from Ferry Avenue. A reconfigured 4th street would run as a one-way corridor from Jasper Street, heading north and south.

Neighborhood Underpasses

Underpass Improvements Philadelphia DRAFT MAY 2022

Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan 64

3 Housing Choices “Housing options in the Camden Housing Market are critical to the revitalization of the city and the Waterfront South neighborhood. Camden must compete with the region to sustain and build its market. Options are those of construction type, design, target market while offering Rental and Homeownership opportunities. The Camden Housing market requires a multi-faceted strategy that must include partnerships between the public, private and nonprofit sectors. Camden requires innovation to retain existing residents and attract new ones. We want residents to benefit from the growth in regional housing markets through less deed-restricted housing. As we create a sustainable reality for our community, we need to also ensure that they are sensitive to the health of our environment and end environmental injustices so that the investments our residents make in purchasing homes in our community are a great investment. “ Shaneka Boucher, Waterfront South Resident A conceptual built-out analysis performed by the planning team indicates that vacant parcels and abandoned structures located within the 25 blocks that form the historic district could yield, if developed ‘by right’ (under the current R-2 zoning district), an additional 300 to 400 new housing units in the neighborhood. That would represent close to a 90% expansion of the housing stock from the current 549 units that exist today. While this is just a hypothetical number disconnected from current market forces and other development parameters, it provides a sense of scale related to housing opportunities associated with vacant land that was previously occupied by homes and the neighborhood’s potential to rebuild its residential fabric within the next ten years.

A variety of strategies will be required to rebuild the neighborhood fabric and expand housing opportunities. The recommendations presented below seek to address the following priorities identified by the community during the planning process: ❱ There is an unmet demand for housing options beyond the typical rowhomes that characterize 90% of the housing stock in the area. Residents reported a lack of housing options for seniors who wish to downsize from their current homes and families who wish to stay 65

in the neighborhood but require more space. Housing choice is, therefore, a top priority for the community, for all income levels and in both ownership and rental options. Over 60% of residents who responded to the community survey expressed interest in purchasing a home in the next three years. ❱ Homeownership preservation ranks as another key community priority to ensure both affordability and the long-term viability of the historic housing stock.

Initiatives and programs aimed to assist individual homeowners in their efforts to maintain and upgrade their properties are presented here as key components of a future housing strategy. Likewise, protecting current homeowners from predatorial wholesale homebuyers is another facet of homeownership preservation. ❱ Local developers, including resident entrepreneurs, have demonstrated interest in acquiring and developing new homes in the neighborhood. However, tax liens and other legal encumbrances prevent potential investors from acquiring and develop vacant properties. Clearing those properties and bringing them back to use is a third component of the housing strategy guiding future investments.

DRAFT MAY 2022

PRIORITY 3

HOUSING STRATEGY

Game Changer Opportunity Rezone for mixed-use development Promote mixed-use along Broadway

Rebuild Leverage vacant land for infill and redevelopment TOD opportunity Adaptive Reuse

Legend: Proposed Light Rail Station Historic Overlay Camden Board of Education

Strengthen

Camden Count MUA

Rehab

Camden Redevelopment Agency

Infill

City of Camden

Multi-family redevelopment opportunity

Heart of Camden South Jersey Port Corporation Private Building Not Occupied Building Abandoned Vacant Lot

N

0

215

430

860 FEET

DRAFT MAY 2022

Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan 66

3.1 Strengthen well established residential blocks The residential core of Waterfront South that lies South of Ferry Avenue includes largely intact blocks of traditional rowhomes. These blocks harbor the rich community and cultural life that make Waterfront South unique within Camden and are predominantly owner-occupied, with limited vacancy. The few scattered vacant homes and lots throughout the area are, however, attractive nuisances, inviting squatters, illegal dumping and irregular activities into an otherwise stable residential area. A concerted effort to tackle these isolated properties through residential rehabilitation and new construction will create new housing opportunities in the area with minimal investment but a positive impact to surrounding homes. A key challenge about redevelopment of vacant properties relate to title and deed issues. While several of these vacant properties are owned by the Heart of Camden or the City, some still remain entangled in private estates and tax delinquencies. To bring these abandoned parcels into the development pipeline, a coordinated effort with the City will be required to identify and resolve ownership and tax lien issues. New homes in this area will certainly address the unmet demand for ownership and rental housing, creating an excellent opportunity for near term development projects that will further strengthen the neighborhood and expand the residential base. Key strategies to achieve this goal include:

a. Create new homeownership opportunities through rehab and infill housing New homeownership opportunities will be a critical component of a housing strategy south of Ferry Avenue.

Combined, properties owned by the City and Heart of Camden provide an excellent opportunity to jump start an early development phase. The Heart of Camden anticipates a near term development of up to 39 new construction and rehab units targeted for affordable homeownership within the neighborhood residential core. Funding will draw from a combination of City and corporate grants, Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit funds, Historic Tax Credit funds and construction loans.

Development in this area should focus on fostering equity and opportunities to build wealth locally.

Developer assistance programs such as Jump Start Philly provide a model for local partnerships, expanding development opportunities to small developers and local entrepreneurs.

Jump Start Philadelphia Jump Start Philly, sponsored by Philly Office Retail a community focused real estate company, partners with local non-profits and the Philadelphia Housing Authority to support aspiring developers and create opportunities for residents to invest and develop in their own neighborhoods. The program offers a combination of training, networking, and loans to finance the acquisition and renovation of residential properties.

Short term loans are available for up to 85% of total project cost in qualified areas of the city. Properties are made available to investors via a lottery administered by the Housing Authority.

Solid block housing: Ferry Ave

67

DRAFT MAY 2022

PRIORITY 3

b. Assist current homeowners with essential home repairs and upgrades Most of the homes in Waterfront South are within the historic district and nearly 60% of them are over 100 years old, dating back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Older homes require significant and costly maintenance. They tend to also have outdated systems and are not energy efficient. Programs and funding to help homeowners upgrade systems and make basic repairs already exist in Camden and have demonstrated successful results in upgrading the local housing stock, one property at a time. The ‘My Home’ program administered by St Joseph’s Carpenters Society in East Camden provides a good example of a local program that assists low-income homeowners with essential repairs and helps preserve equity in their homes.

Although home repair programs target primarily life and safety improvements, a closer look at the specific needs of the Waterfront South will help tailor the program to include additional items such as porch lights and sidewalk repairs. c. Support renter residents who wish to purchase a home in the neighborhood Current residents who wish to become homeowners have struggled to find housing available to purchase in the neighborhood. Keeping residents with community ties in Waterfront South is a critical step in reversing decades of population decline. In addition to improved access to affordably priced for-sale homes, residents can also benefit from connections to lending institutions and homeownership literacy programs such as the Homeowner Academy operated by St Joseph’s Carpenter Society in East Camden. The program provides financial literacy training and assists residents who wish to become homeowners in their journey through the process.

opportunity for larger employers such as EMR, South Jersey Port Authority and Holtec to assist employees with down payment assistance and other incentives towards the purchase of homes in the Waterfront South.

e. Promote Adopt-a-lot program for nondevelopable vacant lots Some vacant parcels in the neighborhood may not be appropriate for new construction due to size or orientation. In such cases, the City’s Adopt-a-lot program provides adjacent property owners the opportunity to acquire the parcel at minimal costs for use as an open space or off-street parking. Residents who tried to engage in this program in the past have reported that challenges with deed transfer and costly property insurance requirements inhibit broader participation in the program. City assistance to streamline this process will empower residents to reclaim and repurpose vacant lots while enhancing the physical and safety character of residential blocks. f. Redevelop the former Croft Mills site as an anchor mixed-use development The Croft Mills property provides a unique opportunity to anchor the Broadway corridor in Waterfront South with a new residential/mixed-use development project. The full block site is currently vacant and could accommodate a sizable multi-family housing development. Located on Broadway and with direct access to bus lines and neighborhood services, the site can provide an ideal opportunity for senior housing. New and affordable senior housing will help retain residents in the community as their housing needs change and release existing housing stock for new families.

d. Partner with corporate neighbors to establish a local homeownership assistance program At one time, Waterfront South was a community deeply connected to local employment with much of the neighborhoods’ workforce connected to jobs in the shipyards and other maritime industry along the waterfront. While the nature of employment today is not as hyperlocal as it was a century ago, there is an Croft Mills site

DRAFT MAY 2022

Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan 68

3.2 Rebuild residential blocks with high vacancy While the residential fabric south of Ferry Avenue is largely intact and will benefit from targeted infill and stabilization efforts, the blocks north of Ferry provide an opportunity for more significant redevelopment, expanding the residential base of Waterfront South and attracting new residents who will support local businesses and organizations. The area is currently characterized by significant vacancy and a concentration of city-owned parcels, some of which slated for the future light rail stop proposed on Ferry Avenue. Future redevelopment initiatives on that section of the neighborhood will require a comprehensive land acquisition and consolidation effort. The following strategies will help advance the goal of restoring residential blocks north of Ferry Avenue:

a. Assemble land and identify potential partnerships for redevelopment A partnership between the City and potential development partners will be required to generate meaningful redevelopment opportunities north of Ferry Avenue. While the City will take the lead in land acquisition and assembly efforts, private investment coupled with multiple funding opportunities will be required to realize the potential of these properties as mixed-income housing options. In order to facilitate development in this area, potential development partners should be identified based on performance record and with a commitment to sustainable and equitable development.

b. Prioritize mixed-use development along Broadway Avenue The process of restoring residential blocks north of Ferry Avenue should include a careful approach to the Broadway corridor. Resident surveys and discussions indicate the desire to see a variety of housing options along the avenue, combined with ground floor retail, services or community spaces. Live / work solutions, mixed-use multifamily apartment buildings and traditional apartments above shops were some of the housing typologies identified by the community as appropriate solutions for the corridor.

Example of mixed-use buildings with ground floor commercial space and upper floor residential units.

c. Redevelop the former Mickle School building for housing use The former Mickle School building at the corner of 6th Street and Carl Miller Boulevard can be a catalyst project, anchoring development north of Ferry Ave. The adaptive reuse of this historic school structure can accommodate unmet housing needs such as special needs or artist work/live apartments.

Heart of Camden Housing Priorities for the next 5 Years Rehabilitation Homeownership

40 Units

New Construction Homeownership 20 Units Rental

40 Units

Total Units

100 Units

Former Mickle School building

69

DRAFT MAY 2022

PRIORITY 3

d. Leverage future transit investments for a transit-oriented development Plans for the future Camden-Glassboro light rail line anticipate the location of a station in the neighborhood, between Carl Miller Blvd and Jackson Avenue just west of the I-676 underpass. The extension of light rail service to the Waterfront South provides a unique opportunity for a gateway development anchoring the residential core with higher density, mixed-income and mixeduse development. A mix of uses can bring jobs, new programs and services to the neighborhood, coupled with higher density housing options. In anticipation of the new transit amenity, careful consideration should be given to zoning and development standards surrounding the proposed station and forward efforts at land assembly and lot consolidation.

Legend: Proposed Light Rail Station

Building Abandoned

Building Not Occupied

Vacant Lot

Extensive land availability along the north-eastern end of the neighorhood provides an opportunity provide an opportunity for a transit oriented development

Example of Transit Oriented Development

A Game Changer Opportunity!

Atlantic Ave e Lansdowne Av Whitman Ave

S 6th St

Broadway

S 4th St

Everett St

Jackson St ry

r Fe e Av

Webster St

Waterfront South aerial between Atlantic Ave and Jackson St

DRAFT MAY 2022

While neighborhood blocks between Jackson and Atlantic Avenue are primarily industrial in use, the opportunity to reclaim that area as an extension of the neighborhood fabric should be looked at as a future goal for the community, should current businesses choose to relocate, and properties be available for sale. The future light rail station serving the neighborhood and increased housing demand are key factors driving that potential. Moreover, as described on Priority 9, a re-imagined Atlantic Avenue that serves as a City gateway can reinforce opportunities for commercial uses and services and help establish that area as a mixed-use zone promoting commercial and residential uses. Rezoning of properties along Broadway, between Atlantic and Everett will allow for a broader variety of uses.

Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan | 70

4 Safe and Clean Streets Waterfront South’s residential blocks are typically well kept with street trees, rain gardens and public art showing layers of care and investment by residents and community groups who have worked to improve the community over the past several decades. Residents look out for one another and generally feel safe in their homes and on the blocks where they live. However, public safety and clean streets remain priorities as the community struggles to manage the impact of the dual overburdening of concentrated social services that serve mostly non-city residents, high-impact industrial uses, dangerous truck traffic, and increased prostitution and drug activity that follow such truck routes. Decades of limited City services and deferred maintenance have left the appearance of disinvestment in much of the public realm and limited enforcement of codes and regulations have enabled some commercial interests to neglect property maintenance standards. At night, as in much of Camden, streets are dark, and vacant lots and buildings provide cover for illegal dumping and illicit activity.

Enhanced lighting is critical to improving public safety in Waterfront South. Community members currently feel far less safe at night then during daylight hours. Street lighting in the community is insufficient with many of the limited number of streetlights not operational. While repairing and expanding street lighting is a critical step additional illumination can be provided by incentivizing the installation of exterior lights on residential porches and public building facades. Beyond illuminating dark streets public safety will be increased through enhanced communication with the Camden County Police and continued support of DCCB’s efforts to support neighborhood safety. A regular schedule of community cleanups will assist in keeping neighborhood streets clean and build community through the coordinated work of

71

community groups and block leaders. While residents are able to assume responsibility for keeping their own blocks free of trash and litter expanding the operations of Camden Special Services District, already active in the area around Holtec, can provide critical support towards cleaning major corridors and deterring short dumping. Securing vacant lots and installing cameras at critical locations is another important step in eliminating the illegal dumping that burdens Waterfront South with refuse originating elsewhere.

Businesses and industrial uses should also be expected to do their part to keep their neighborhood clean by implementing improved property management and remaining aware of their residential neighbors and location within an urban community.

DRAFT MAY 2022

PRIORITY 4

4.1 Improve neighborhood lighting conditions Research shows that lighting improvements in residential neighborhoods have a positive impact in crime reduction. Well-lit streets inhibit crime activity by making areas more visible to neighbors and police, and encourages people to spend more time outside, thereby increasing movement and informal surveillance. Three measures will help improve lighting conditions in Waterfront South: ❱ Street lighting: The District Council Collaborative Board (DCCB) has been a critical partner of the Waterfront South community in the effort to improve lighting conditions. In collaboration with residents and the CCPD, DCCB completed a comprehensive street lighting assessment in 2021, reporting outages and identifying areas where new lighting is needed.

Conversations with resident indicated the areas around 6th street, Filmore and Viola as areas of concern.

Parks and pedestrian connections to parks were also identified as places where residents feel unsafe due to limiting lighting. ❱ Porch lights: DCCB has also started a porch light campaign to encourage residents to keep their porch lights on at night as an additional lighting and safety measure. The campaign assists residents with energy efficient light bulbs and installation of porch light fixtures. This effort was initiated in the past year and will have a positive impact with additional funding and assistance to DCCB in their outreach efforts. ❱ Exterior lighting at public buildings: Another measure to help enhance lighting in the neighborhood includes exterior lighting at public buildings. Structures like schools, churches and community buildings can help improve safety through lighting installation on building facades. As a historic district with wonderful examples of historic structures, enhanced lighting on individual buildings will also help highlight these special neighborhood assets and beautify their areas.

Buildings on Broadway like the Heart of Camden, FireWorks, churches and the old bank building can be targeted for that initiative.

Facade lighting Philadelphia

4.2 Enhance communication with Camden County Police Department A recurring topic in conversations with the community about public safety relates to lack of clarity among residents about ways to communicate and report incidents to the CCPD. Although CCPD makes multiple channels available for reporting, there is confusion about the proper use of each channel, especially when it comes to the use of online tools and smart phone applications. Residents have also reported hesitancy in calling the police with concerns about potential implications to themselves, family members or neighbors. At the same time, the police reports that call data helps determine the assignment of officers throughout the City, so residents are encouraged to call if they would like to have a certain level of police presence in the neighborhood.

A concerted communication campaign from CCPD can help address these issues. Although the police participates in monthly meetings and makes itself available for questions and updates, information shared at meetings does not reach all residents. Additional coordination with HOC and local resident groups can help the CCPD disseminate information about reporting tools. Information sessions, informational materials distributed at community events and doorto-door outreach can help maximize CCPD’s reach and impact.

DRAFT MAY 2022

Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan 72

4.3 Support DCCB’s efforts in the neighborhood District Council Collaborative (DCCB) has been supporting neighborhood safety efforts in Waterfront South community since 2019. Along with the Camden County Police Department, DCCB is a critical neighborhood partner, helping residents identify concrete solutions to improve safety in the community.

Several community meetings were held to date, both in-person and remote, helping identify neighborhood challenges around public safety and actionable steps to address those challenges. The street lighting campaign is the first of those steps. Future initiatives include a porch light program and the development of a block captain system.

4.4 Expand Camden Special Services District’s presence in the neighborhood Through their Clean and Safe Program, the Camden Special Services District (CSSD) provides street maintenance services in various sections of the City.

Beyond downtown Camden, CSSD ambassadors (known around town as ‘yellow-jackets’) also serve neighborhood corridors, parks and other public spaces. Although they are solely responsible for street maintenance, the ambassadors’ regular presence on the streets ensures a safer and welcoming environment. CSSD already serves the area around Holtec in Waterfront South. Expanding these services to Broadway and Ferry Avenue is a natural next step, benefiting both businesses and residents. A partnership between CSSD and local industrial businesses can help create a dedicated funding stream to support services.

CSSD is also dedicated to hiring Camden residents, so the initiative can also help secure employment opportunities for Waterfront South residents as local CSSD ambassadors in the neighborhood.

4.5 Establish a neighborhood cleanup program targeting residential blocks Beyond Broadway and Ferry, residents and community organizations can organize to establish a neighborhood cleanup program addressing trash and clutter on residential streets and public spaces. As a compact community of 25 residential blocks, a collective community effort can be a manageable initiative to keep streets, parks and residential front yards clean and well maintained. A cleanup program can include two levels of neighborhood efforts: ❱ Neighborhood wide efforts can be initiated by a central organizing group (local organizations, resident groups) and focused on a schedule of seasonal clean up events targeting parks and public spaces.

Neighborhood clean-ups require significant planning, coordination, outreach and supplies. An ongoing partnership with the City and businesses can help support these activities. ❱ Block level efforts can be initiated by block residents and target individual blocks. Block cleanup efforts can be done more regularly as they require coordination primarily between same block residents. Block efforts provide a great opportunity for neighbors to meet and come together around shared goals. New community leadership can also emerge from these activities and can lead, on the long-term, to the establishment of a block captain / block ambassador program.

CSSD Yellow Jacket Ambassadors

73

DRAFT MAY 2022

Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee This program works with registered block captains to keep City blocks clean.

The committee promotes and organizes clean up events, provides block captains with cleaning tools and with information and guidance, in support of volunteer block captains.

PRIORITY 4

4.6 Maintain and secure vacant lots

Did you know?

While residents can help maintain their properties and streets clean, maintenance of vacant lots falls within individual owners’ and, ultimately, in the case of absentee owners, the City’s responsibility. The upkeep of vacant lots is an important component of a safe and clean neighborhood program and requires consistent efforts to clear overgrown vegetation, remove trash and litter. Given the magnitude of vacant properties in the Waterfront South, priority should be placed on infill lots between occupied homes.

Did you know that illegal dumping can be reported anonymously online through Camden Reports? https://www.camdenreports.com/dumping-form

4.7 Address illegal dumping The City of Camden is aggressively working to address illegal dumping, a problem that has challenged Camden neighborhoods for decades. In Waterfront South, this problem is amplified by the extensive amount of vacant land and underutilized industrial sites.

To address this issue, the City has recently secured funding for the installation of cameras at illegal dumping sites. Waterfront South is a natural candidate for one or more cameras at most critical sites to be identified by the community.

Another important step in the process of eliminating illegal dumping is to disseminate information to residents about ways to report illegal dumping events.

Information should be shared at public meetings, social media, posters and fliers.

4.8 Enforce property maintenance by local businesses and industrial uses Proper upkeep of industrial properties should be an integral component of a clean and safe neighborhood program. Large industrial sites with extensive stretches of unkept land have been reported by community members and contribute to amplify an already challenging task to keep the neighborhood clean.

Issues like litter and overgrown vegetation should be regularly addressed. A possible way to monitor and encourage businesses to do their part as neighbors is to establish a direct channel of communication between the community and industrial businesses to report trash and maintenance issues.

4th and Winslow St illegal dumping 4th & Winslow St illegal dumping

4.9 Address irregular activity by truck drivers Beyond the environmental hazards and safety risks they bring to the neighborhood, truck traffic adds an additional layer of safety issues and nuisance experienced by residents with contracted truck drivers who solicit prostitutes on residential streets and feed into the drug activity taking place in the area. Industrial businesses should have an active role in addressing this issue with initiatives to discourage irregular behavior.

DRAFT MAY 2022

Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan 74

5 Economic Growth and Opportunity “Cultural projects are not simply a luxury but play a fundamental role in reviving the fortunes and boosting the prospects of minority and other disadvantaged communities. When people become involved in the design, creation, and upkeep of places, they develop a vested interest in using and maintaining these spaces. When they have a true sense of “ownership” or connection to the places they frequent, the community becomes a better place to live, work, and visit. The residents’ feelings of respect and responsibility for the place bonds them to that place and to each other.“ Robert Bingaman, Waterfront South Arts & Cultural Alliance

A vision for economic development and opportunity builds on the unique assets of Waterfront South to revitalize Broadway as a thriving commercial corridor, attract new investments to the neighborhood and connect residents to economic opportunity.

The cluster of arts and culture groups, along with neighborhood parks and industrial businesses generate opportunities for the neighborhood as drivers of economic development. Arts and culture, along with parks can help define the neighborhood’s unique identity in the City and region, drawing visitors and generating additional demand for businesses and services. Industrial businesses can help expand local

75

employment opportunities, support training and professional development while also creating demand for local retail and services on Broadway.

The following recommendations leverage community resources to promote the neighborhood’s identity as a hands-on community seeking to restore its economic vitality through the creativity, skills and resources of its people combined with positive partnerships leading to jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities. A focus on green light-industrial economy as a new economic engine makes up the third pillar of the economic strategy guiding investments in the next ten years.

DRAFT MAY 2022

PRIORITY 5

5.1 Leverage arts & culture as an engine for economic development The six Waterfront South arts and cultural organizations are unique assets in the City of Camden. Clustered in the neighborhood core, they form a strong pillar for future growth and economic development. The following strategies will help solidify the neighborhood’s potential as an art and culture district:

a. Host annual citywide arts & cultural event, inviting artists from the City to showcase Camden’s work and talent.

Seasonal events anchored by local arts and culture groups will put the neighborhood on the map of regional events, highlight Camden’s arts scene, and reinforce the neighborhood identity as an arts district. b. Identify and recruit new arts and culture partners to locate in the neighborhood.

Proximity to the existing cluster of organizations can help attract new creative groups and businesses to Waterfront South. A concerted campaign led by the Waterfront South arts and culture community with support from Heart of Camden and the City should be considered to identify and market existing structures within the neighborhood with potential for rehabilitation or conversion into new offices and art studios.

of local residents’ initiatives and collaborative efforts between organizations. A local makers space can provide the space for people to produce and sell their own goods and attract artisans, micro and small-scale manufacturing businesses that benefit from a collaborative environment and proximity to highways and the region for supplies and distribution.

A makers space on Broadway, right at the heart of the neighborhood, can be a strong catalyst for economic development and help develop a niche demand for services and retail spaces along the corridor. A few spaces were identified by the community as potential location for that type of facility. Some of the historic structures on the avenue, such as the old Bank Building and the Olsen Hardware store could be good contenders for such uses. The bank building is currently owned by Holy Bethel Pentecostal Temple. A closer understanding of their use of the space along with future plans could help identify opportunities for partial use of the space.

A first step in support of a makers initiative includes further explorations with the community and a closer understanding of the steps required to create a community makers space. Nation of Makers, a national organization aimed to support the maker movement, can provide initial guidance in that direction.

d. Seek funding opportunities to expand capacity for the Waterfront South arts and culture community.

Recent efforts by local groups to coalesce around shared goals and improve collaboration can expand their opportunities for funding and expanded capacity.

A new staff position within that coalition to oversee and coordinate collective initiatives will be a critical step to bring projects to fruition. e. Promote the creative economy with spaces and infrastructure that support small-scale manufacturing and artistic endeavors.

There is a growing interest from residents and local groups to establish a flexible makers’ space in support Forge in Greensboro is a non-proft community makers space with affordable memberships granting access to shared spaces and tools for individual projects, classes and events.

DRAFT MAY 2022

Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan 76

5.2 Re-imagine Broadway as a thriving mixed-use corridor “Commercial corridors have a crucial role in building healthy vibrant communities. They are not just places where local residents shop and gather, but places where people build wealth through small businesses, find jobs, and share, celebrate and preserve community culture.”

A series of incremental initiatives and targeted investments will help restore Broadway as a commercial corridor and focal point of community life. Efforts described under Priority 2 to maintain the corridor clean and safe will enable residents and local organizations to re-imagine possibilities for short-term and long-term interventions targeting the core stretch of the corridor, between Jefferson and Jackson streets.

a.Promote mixed-use development through rehabilitation and new construction Broadway’s revitalization provides an opportunity to explore mixed-use development opportunities that emphasize housing, services and commercial spaces as critical components for a successful corridor. New housing opportunities along the avenue can help attract new residents to the neighborhood and steadily build the critical mass required to support the types of businesses and services that make up a healthy community. Housing, in particular, was identified as a top priority for future development, with emphasis on small units and creative work-live arrangements.

Partnerships with small developers can help identify small mixed-use development opportunities between Jackson and Jefferson that match the scale of the neighborhood as 2 to 3-story structures with new storefront opportunities, flexible living/working arrangements and upper floor residential uses.

Coral St Arts House in Philadelphia provides an example of live/work and artists housing.

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b. Target the preservation and rehabilitation of historic structures as neighborhood assets and anchors on the Broadway corridor Past efforts by the Heart of Camden and City of Camden to rehabilitate historic neighborhood structures have been critical components of the neighborhood’s revitalization. In the next 10 years, efforts should be made to preserve and repurpose the Olsen Hardware store and Bank Building. A variety of State programs coordinated by New Jersey Historic Trust can help advance these projects with funding through grants and loans. c. Promote streetscape improvements, placemaking and beautification projects A partnership with the local arts and cultural community can help establish a creative, handson, community-based approach to streetscape and placemaking initiatives along the corridor. Artists and residents can come together to re-energize the avenue with public art installations, sculptures and seasonal interventions on vacant structures and empty lots that reflect the neighborhood’s character. Signage with markers for historic structures, banners and wayfinding are additional components of a successful strategy. There is already a solid public art tradition in the neighborhood. Building on that experience can help define the character Broadway’s character as a live ‘community art gallery’ and a place for creative expression.

ARTeriors Ocean Ave Gallery in Atlantic CIty is a community art project inviting local artists to reimagine the spaces of an abandoned home in the neighborhood. The resulting work was open for public visitation during the Summer of 2021.

DRAFT MAY 2022 Source: Atlantic City Arts Foundation

PRIORITY 5

d. Identify partnerships for essential community services along the corridor Residents reported that basic services are, for the most part, met outside of the community. This pattern especially impacts residents who do not own a car and who rely on transit or rides from family and friends for essential shopping and services. Results from the resident survey indicate the following types of businesses and services residents would like to see in the neighborhood: ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱

Laundromat Convenience store Small grocery store Fresh food stand Clothing store Medical offices Hair salon Restaurants Coffee shop Gym and fitness center

While current demand generated by residents may be insufficient to support brick and mortar investments for some of these services, partnerships with existing businesses in the City can help create pop-up events bringing services to the neighborhood in coordination with neighborhood events. Food trucks during theater days, groceries can be made available via Virtua’s Mobile Grocery Store. Essential and medical services can also be connected via mobile services.

5.3 Promote local jobs and small business opportunities a. Connect residents to local job opportunities ❱ Partner with local employers for local training and employment opportunities ❱ Expand access to City employment resources including Camden Works, community job fairs and

b. Connect residents to entrepreneurship programs ❱ Partner with LAEDA for training program ❱ Create jobs within the neighborhood

c. Invest in minority and women owned businesses ❱ Identify local financial partners as investors in inclusive growth ❱ Identify service providers with programs tailored to MWBE businesses ❱ Identify grants and other funding opportunities in support of start-up MWBE businesses

5.4 Seek partnerships with local institutions for non-industrial uses Camden has a wealth of institutions with ambitious expansion plans and space needs that may exceed their existing footprints. Rutgers University, Cooper and Virtua hospitals, Camden County College are some of these institutions with potential requirements for additional spaces and satellite locations. Waterfront South can provide a desirable option due to proximity to downtown, highway and future light rail connection.

A Game Changer Opportunity!

Waterfront South is uniquely positioned in Camden and, perhaps in the region, to develop a new type of industrial economy that focuses on reduced carbon emissions, energy efficiency and zero impact to the environment. While existing companies located in the economic zone advance goals to minimize their environmental footprint, a focus on Green Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Business Practices can help transform the area’s identity attracting businesses that, by nature of their own activities, advance sustainability goals with the well-being of people and communities as primary priorities. A green economy can help redefine the Waterfront South economic zone as a GREEN economic zone and, on the long term, shift Camden’s identity from a legacy industrial city DRAFT MAY 2022 to a forward looking green, resilient and sustainable community.

Green Economy Image

Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan 78

6 Community Amenities and Services “Green Space is vital to the quality of life for the residents of our city. Cities were not built for people; they were built for commerce. Nothing nutritional or life sustaining grows from cement and asphalt. I believe that every little tree, bush and plant enhances not only the air quality but also the aesthetics of the city. I encourage everyone to plant something even if it is in a small container. There is something about watching things grow that brings joy. I have begun planning a pollinator garden for my block. That green space will benefit my neighbors as well as birds and butterflies.”

Portia Simmons, Waterfront South Resident

In the past twenty years, investments in Waterfront South helped build the infrastructure required to support community.

Between new and improved parks and the emergence of several community and arts organizations, Waterfront South has developed an excellent network of amenities and services. The following strategies will leverage local neighborhood assets for community development, through placemaking, arts, cultural and educational opportunities. A special emphasis is placed on young residents through leadership, recreation, and development initiatives and on opportunities to maximize the use of neighborhood facilities, whether they be community buildings or parks, to meet the community needs. Strategies for enhanced community connections and improved access to services are also included. Community spaces and parks can be employed to highlight the neighborhood identity, promote community and improve access to family services.

6.1 Leverage local arts & cultural assets for community development

❱ Broadway beautification projects (Priority 5)

a. Partnerships for placemaking projects Local arts and community groups will be key community partners in future placemaking, beautification, and wayfinding initiatives aimed to improve Waterfront South’s public realm. Individually or collectively, they can help lead the creative process around placemaking projects and facilitate the dialogue between artists and the community during design and implementation efforts. Local arts groups can also help identify potential funding opportunities for such projects. The following projects described in different sections of the plan are good contenders for such partnerships:

❱ Public art installations in the arts and culture district which can expand outward as funding allows (Priority 5)

❱ Redevelop boarded up and vacant buildings near Broadway as artist live-work spaces (Priority 5)

❱ Connections to the waterfront (Priority 7)

b. Partnerships for community arts and culture Beyond placemaking initiatives, local arts and culture groups can also leverage their spaces and resources towards programming for local residents:

❱ Work with community groups to identify inclusive programming opportunities

❱ Underpass gateway projects (Priority 4) ❱ Gardening and front yard projects (Priority 4) 79

❱ Children and youth focused programs, including art related workshops and summer camps

❱ Schedule events at times that work for residents DRAFT MAY 2022

PRIORITY 6

6.2 Support and celebrate neighborhood youth Waterfront South is a young community with 31.9% of residents under 20 years of age. Community conversations during the planning process suggested a scarcity of options for young residents in the area and the need to connect them to opportunities in the City and region. The following strategies can help address these needs:

a. Establish a youth leadership group to help inform and implement future community projects An organized youth group will provide young residents the opportunity to develop leadership skills while actively participating in their community. A local youth group can tackle community projects in partnership and with guidance from local leaders. The group can have an advisory role and serve as a bridge to connect local youth to services and programs in the city and region. MJD Fieldhouse and CSS are critical parties in the process of creating this group.

DB4 Philadelphia Da Bottom For Community DB4 is a youth advocacy group established in 2012 with support from the CHOICE planning process in Philadelphia’s Mantua neighborhood. The group, which takes its name from Mantua’s neighborhood moniker “DA Bottom” aims to bring influence to community engagement, provide access to educational opportunities and raise awareness of social and economic issues that impact urban communities.

b. Expand youth programs at existing neighborhood facilities The MJD Fieldhouse is a valuable community space and the main venue for youth activity in the neighborhood.

The space has the potential to become a hub for local youth programs with extended hours and expanded opportunities. After school programs and summer camps are just some examples of additional opportunities to be explored in partnership with local organizations in the City and region.

Arts and culture groups in Waterfront South provide a unique opportunity for youth development programming. Coordinated efforts between these groups and the youth leadership group will help develop programming that will engage the areas youth.

The Museum initiative includes the development of a multi-purpose vocational training facility housing a variety of programs in partnership with local organizations. Current plans include workshop space and classrooms serving the Carpenters Union PreApprenticeship program, movie set development and other initiatives in collaboration with Urban BoatWorks and Camden FireWorks. The Museum initiative exemplifies the creative re-use of one of the neighborhood’s most significant structures, the Church of Our Savior, to advance important community goals. c. Employment and job readiness Expanding access to existing youth development programs and forging training and internship opportunities with local employers will help young residents connect to the local economy and develop skills necessary to break cycles of generational poverty.

Camden’s expanding business community provides opportunity to connect local youth to workforce training and internship opportunities. Local nonprofits offer development opportunities that connect directly to the environment, culture and history of the community. ❱ Connect local youth to workforce training and internship opportunities in Camden expanding businesses such as American Water, Subaru, and Campbells ❱ Expand access to youth development programs that

DRAFT MAY 2022

Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan 80

build skills and connect youth to their local history and environment such as Urban Boat Works at the Maritime Museum. and CFET’s summer youth farming internships. ❱ Connect neighborhood youth to City recreation and employment and job readiness programs such Power Corps and CSSJ jobs

6.3 Maximize the use of existing community spaces Waterfront South residents expressed a desire for greater access to shared spaces within the community.

Residents identified need for spaces for community events, private rentals, and room for new community programming. Several local organizations are home to spaces with the potential to accommodate broader community use, however, residents are often unclear on what locations are available for their use and how they may access them.

Developing an inventory of available spaces within Waterfront South and assessing their potential uses will identify opportunities to maximize community access.

Developing central point of information and calendar where community members can identify community spaces and reserve them will broaden access and enable greater programming within the community.

6.4 Activate parks and open spaces Parks and open spaces in Waterfront South are highly valued by the community, providing opportunities for recreation, gardening and gathering. While each open space plays a unique and important role in community life, they all face challenges related to maintenance, programming and the social challenges associated with homelessness and irregular activities that impact the neighborhood.

Liney Ditch is the main forum of outdoor civic life in Waterfront South. It is heavily used as an amenity by the adjacent Sacred Heart school, neighborhood families and gardening groups. Phoenix Park, managed

by CCMUA, is more remote from the residential core and has less active uses but provides a critical link to

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the waterfront and river access. Residents identified a need for enhanced programming and physical improvements to maximize the benefit of these important public spaces. Memorial Park, a smaller public space at the southern end of the residential core, is home to a well revered WWII service memorial but it is severely disinvested and requires a more in depth vision for long term sustainability. Two sets of strategies including programs and park improvements will help re-energize Liney Ditch and Phoenix Park.

Memorial Park will benefit from a long-term vision plan and short-term steps leading to that vision.

a. Programs and events ❱ Sports and recreation activities: partnerships with local organizations can bring existing and well established recreation programs to the neighborhood. ❱ Seasonal park activities: Seasonal events provide residents with opportunities to enjoy time outdoors and in community. Summer movie nights, holiday festivals, community picnics were some of the suggested activities to be added to the schedule of either Liney Ditch of Phoenix Park. ❱ Health and wellness activities: Group walks, dance, Zumba, or other fitness classes exemplify activities that can be coordinated by local residents. ❱ Arts and culture: local arts and culture organizations are unique partners for creative programming of park spaces. Public art installations, arts & crafts festivals, outdoor theater performances and group reading sessions are examples of activities that will activate the parks and foster connections between arts groups and the neighborhood.

b. Park Improvements The 2020 Greening Waterfront South Plan, outlines a program of physical improvements for Liney Ditch and Phoenix Park with amenities identified by the community geared at enhancing park safety, sustainability and useability. During the planning process, neighbors identified the need for additional lighting, interpretive signage and a maritime themed playground at Phoenix Park. Other improvements may include:

DRAFT MAY 2022

PRIORITY 6

❱ Improved sports courts with permeable surface ❱ Shade structures including pavilions and pergolas

6.5 Establish a Family Success Center Family Success Centers consolidate programs and provide family-friendly activities geared at strengthening families and crisis aversion. Establishing a Family Success Center In Waterfront South will provide much needed resources to local families including housing services, life skills training, parent education and parent-child activities.

❱ Picnic tables and other seating arrangements ❱ Outdoor exercising equipment ❱ Bike racks ❱ Trash receptacles and recycle bins

c. Memorial Park Previous efforts to form partnerships for the maintenance and improvement of the space have stalled and the park is currently plagued by litter, illicit drug use and neglect. While residents occasionally utilize the space for cookouts, the physical condition of the park limits community use and fails to honor those memorialized on the monument.

Restoration of Memorial Park to a viable public space in the heart of the residential area requires a plan for physical improvements and long term maintenance.

In the short-term, the City should re-establish basic services to clean and maintain the park. The public alley running from Viola to Jefferson street should be included in that effort. On the long-term, the community should seek partnerships with organizations like Trust for Public Land or Project for Public Spaces to fund communitydriven plans for the park. The long-term sustainability of the park is an important component of a plan.

Consistent maintenance and programming will ensure the long-term success of that open space. Partnerships with City institutions and private sector businesses may provide a path for successful implementation.

6.6 Promote coordination between regional service providers Waterfront South is home to a number of regional service providers that serve at-risk and in-crisis individuals from a broad geographical area. Community residents understand the value of these organizations and the important role they play in the region but have expressed concern about the impact of their concentration in the community, attracting significant numbers of clients to the area for daily services. By working together and including the community in the conversation, these organizations can identify opportunities to minimize their unintended impact on the neighborhood’s streets and public spaces. Regional service providers should be invited to participate in community dialogue and identify collaborative efforts to ensure a better experience for their clients and the community.

“Supportive Services are important to a healthy and strong community. I am an advocate for our community to focus on building life skills that are essential to Waterfront South: home support, public housing, companion service, waiver respite care services, senior adult services, student support services (college), nutritional services, health and wellness, supported employment training, family counseling, and social group monthly events. A healthy community is a strong community” Sharine Eliza, Waterfront South Resident

Memorial Park

DRAFT MAY 2022

Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan 82

7 Waterfront Access and Enhanced Public Realm Multinational corporations and regional authorities occupy much of the land on Camden’s Waterfront South and can contribute to transforming the public realm of that economic zone. The state and its operator, the South Jersey Port Corporation’s, continued industrial development is detrimental to a good quality of life is at odds with New Jersey’s pledge to help environmentally burdened neighborhoods and Waterfront South’s designation as an Environmental Justice community. Priority 7 focuses on specific intiatives to be implemented on the industrial waterfront to improve the physical environment and safety in the neighborhood.

Today, the physical appearance of the area does not reflect the significant business activity and extensive public funding that fuel the district’s economy.

Organizational pledges of values such as Sustainability, Equity and Community featured on corporate websites defy the atmosphere of disinvestment and disarray created by poor site management practices and a recurring pattern of disinvestment in the neighborhood’s public realm. While some industrial concerns have shown evidence of greater attention to their physical environment than others, the overall physical appearance of the district is poor and telegraphs a deep disconnect between industrial businesses and the neighborhood where they are

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located. Fencing, sidewalks and cartways are in poor conditions, trash and debris are strewn about the area and unused trucks and equipment deteriorate on unkept lots. Businesses on the industrial waterfront would benefit from coordinated efforts and collective solutions to improve the physical appearance of the district and better reflect their corporate missions and important roles in the regional and global economy.

Established buffers and improved site maintenance along with enhanced lighting, branding and navigational signage will reflect the area’s economic significance and show a commitment to being better neighbors to the residents of Waterfront South and the City of Camden.

DRAFT MAY 2022

PRIORITY 7

7.1 Reclaim the waterfront as a public amenity While much of the waterfront in the neighborhood is occupied by industrial uses and is mostly inaccessible to the community, significant investments were made over the years by CCMUA and other governmental agencies to improve access to the area, resulting in public spaces like the Michael J. Doyle Fishing Pier and Phoenix Park. Looking into the future, further efforts should be made to build on these investments and expand waterfront access through a network of greenways and safe connections to the neighborhood with easements through EMR and the old MAFCO property.

The map below describes the community’s vision for a waterfront greenway running from the old MAFCO property to the north end of EMR’s property, in the area historically known as Kaighn’s Point, where the old ferry terminal connecting Camden to Philadelphia operated.

Coordinated investments between EMR, CCMUA and Mynt properties can bring about a transformational improvement to the neighborhood and City. An important first step in that direction includes enhanced connections between the neighborhood and waterfront, establishing a safe and attractive Waterfront Loop between Liney Ditch Park, the Pier and Phoenix Park. Signage, sidewalk improvements, landscaping and lighting are key components of that effort.

Atlantic Ave

Kaighn’s Point

Reading Railraod Terminal at Kaighns Point

Proposed Waterfront Loop

Former MAFCO Property

Existing connection Proposed waterfront path Neighborhood connections

Proposed linear park along the waterfront on industrial properties which gives residents a greater connection to the water. This would run from the MAFCO property up to Kaighns Point. It would also connect Liney Ditch Park directly to the fishing pier.

DRAFT MAY 2022

Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan 84

7.2 Secure and beautify perimeter of industrial properties Each of the businesses located in the Waterfront South have the responsibility to maintain their properties and ensuring an enhanced neighborhood environment.

Key individual site improvements include the following: ❱ Install green buffers around industrial uses that abut residential areas. CCMUA’s buffer at Liney Ditch Park is an example that should be followed by other port industrial businesses. ❱ Increase safety and security at night with improved street lighting and additional site and building lighting. ❱ Secure perimeter boundaries with walls, fencing and landscaped areas.

Birdseye of former MAFCO site

A Game Changer Opportunity!

As companies close or relocate away from the neighborhood, new opportunities arise to introduce new uses and integrate community improvements into future waterfront development. The recent purchase of the old MAFCO property by Mynt Properties represents one such opportunity favoring a positive dialogue between the new owner and the community about site improvements and potential initiatives favoring public access to the waterfront and other amenities.

❱ Develop consistent signage identifying businesses and providing directions for traffic flow. Signage should reinforce truck free zone and assist in directing commercial traffic away from residential areas. ❱ Keep sidewalks clean and litter free

Hargrove Property in Cramer HIll provides a good example of a well maintained industrial property with enhacements to the public realm

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DRAFT MAY 2022

PRIORITY 7

7.3 Address eyesore industrial areas

7.4 Improve signage and wayfinding for industrial district

Conrail’s right-of-way cuts a swath through Waterfront South creating a long stretch of unmanaged land from the main rail line along I-676 to the port. The area around the railroad is poorly maintained and poorly secured and includes perilous pedestrian and vehicular crossings. A coordinated effort between the City, Conrail, South Jersey Port Corporation (SJPC) and other businesses that rely on the railroad should include a plan to maintain and improve fringe areas and address abandoned right-of-ways.

Navigating Camden’s economic zone in Waterfront South is challenging and hazardous. Insufficient signage creates confusion for truck drivers and vehicles arriving from I-676 and conflicts with other patterns of circulation generated in the neighborhood, including private vehicles circulation and parking, transit, foot and bike traffic. Wayfinding signage will go a long way in helping improve circulation and establish the area’s identity as a neighborhood and a distinct district within the city, reflecting the importance of the area as an economic engine in Camden and in the region.

Navigational signage will help steer commercial traffic away from the residential core and is an important component of an overall strategy to improve the public realm in south Camden.

7.5 Identify opportunities for green infrastructure in industrial properties

Improved railroad right-of-way is a central strategy for a safer and enhanced public realm

Industrial sites with extensive land areas and higher than usual percentages of impervious surfaces can help mitigate environmental risks through targeted green infrastructure practices. Partnerships between private businesses, City and County agencies can help identify opportunities for private investments with long term benefits to the community. Examples of green infrastructure initiatives include: ❱ Tree planting along public streets ❱ Green buffers and stormwater ❱ Rain gardens

High Impact: As two of the largest uses in the neighborhood’s industrial waterfront.

SJPC and EMR’s efforts to upgrade and enhance their facilities will have a signficant impact in the community.

Rails with Trails in Oregon shows the potentiol to optimize the use of the railroad right-of-way creating a community greenway DRAFT MAY 2022

Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan 86

8 Environmental Standards and Social Equity The primary businesses in Waterfront South’s industrial district are multinational corporations and regional authorities with reach and resources that extend well beyond the neighborhood’s boundaries. EMR, Covanta and Holtec are multinational corporations with global footprints in several countries. CCMUA and South Jersey Port Authority are regional authorities.

These organizations publicly share commitments to social equity and environmental responsibility, but few have successfully aligned their impact at the local level, in this majority minority community, with their corporate goals. A key priority for the next ten years includes a broader and concrete commitment from industrial businesses to the community, working to minimize their environmental footprint and maximize their social impact. Stronger environmental standards for their operations in Waterfront South and commitment to the adopted corporate values of equity will foster the development of a green and socially responsible economic zone that is a both a better

neighbor to the Waterfront South’s community and a stronger representative of the resurgent economy of the city of Camden.

In that same vein, future businesses looking to locate within the neighborhood’s industrial zone should be evaluated according to their commitment to both environmental responsibility, environmental justice, and social equity. These parameters will foster the development of a green economic district that redefines its relationship to the community from one of resource extraction and overburdening to an example of equitable creation of wealth and opportunity, with a net positive social and environmental impact.

Corporate Commitments CCMUA’s Green Energy Initiatives and Covanta’s Community Outreach and Environmental Justice Policy exemplify organizational goals aimed at reducing their environmental footprint. xxxx: Key initiatives include: ❱ xxxx COVANTA

CCMUA ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱

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Energy self-sufficiency Environmental performance review Green infrastructure projects Living shoreline Water conservation Committment to “Zero odor” goal

❱ ❱ ❱ ❱

New baghouse installation at Camden plant Making emissions data publicly available Minimize emissions and reduce discharges Open communication with local communities

DRAFT MAY 2022

PRIORITY 8

8.1 Report environmental impact Baseline data on pollutant emissions is critical to understanding environmental risks in Waterfront South and the region. Although some businesses already make their data easily available to the public, this is not yet common practice across the neighborhood’s economic zone. Commitment to shared and current data is a first meaningful step towards communication and a helpful tool in the dialogue towards environmental goals.

At the state level, communication with NJDEP to advocate for regular and updated information about the cumulative impact of environmental hazards to the community should be advanced. As discussed under Priority 1, the neighborhood is due for an update to the 2005 Air Quality report.

8.2 Develop and communicate goals for a clean and green economic zone The 2020 New Jersey Energy Master Plan establishes ambitious goals of 100% clean energy by 2050. The 2018 Sustainable Camden County Plan establishes additional benchmarks at the local level for sustainability. These plans provide a helpful framework for collective responsibility. Private businesses in Waterfront South can do their part in this effort and help achieve local goals through a shared vision and commitment to individual organizational steps charting a path to sustainability, resiliency and reduced environmental impact. On the long-term, moving businesses from fossil fuels to a clean economy.

8.3 Commit to socially equitable business practices Commit to socially responsible business practices that focus on extending economic benefits to the residents of Camden and Waterfront South. Establish programs to hire locally and source locally and hire locally and source locally and support to minority and women-owned businesses.

8.4 Commit to sustainable waterfront development practices Much of the industrial land in Waterfront South is also part of the environmentally critical Delaware River waterfront. The City of Camden sustainability standards and WEDG standards developed by the Waterfront Alliance provide a roadmap for sustainable waterfront development and a process for verification and vetting of proposed development. Businesses looking to upgrade and expand their facilities should strive to incorporate those guidelines in their projects.

8.5 Prioritize socially and environmentally conscious businesses Future businesses locating in the neighborhood’s economic zone, who benefit from public funding in infrastructure as well as tax incentives should be evaluated on the basis of environmental and social performance standards. The Aspire Program, the new economic development program managed by NJEDA, incorporates these goals as parameters for project selection with a focus on development projects that advance climate resilience, environmental justice, equitable development and workforce housing opportunity.

8.6 Plan for the long-term reclamation of the waterfront land Industrial uses in Waterfront South have evolved over the last century in response to economic trends and technological advancements. These shifts have had a significant impact on land uses. While current industrial uses play an important role in the regional economy and may remain in the area for years to come, demand for land in the area will continue to change and opportunities to re-imagine the use of land may arise. Residents expressed a desire to see the waterfront restored and reimagined.

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Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan 88

9 Atlantic Avenue as a City Gateway Atlantic Avenue plays an important role as an entry point to Camden from I-676, serving as a gateway to the City and a primary access to both the industrial waterfront and South Camden neighborhoods. Running from Front Street to Haddon Ave, the avenue serves as an important connector but can become more than a throughway with an effective land use strategy that builds on convenient access from the region to establish a new node of services and commercial activity in the City. The area can cater not only to the demand for services and amenities generated by local residents and industrial businesses, but to a broader regional market that includes visitors and commuters who access the City from I-676.

A number of concerns were expressed by the community with respect to Atlantic Avenue and surrounding blocks.

Traffic and public safety rank high among those concerns, with an emphasis on the conflicts between truck traffic and neighborhood circulation. Drug activity, homelessness and prostitution have also found a home in the area, reinforced by the cluster of regional social services located on the avenue and a desolate environment marked by abandoned properties and vacant land.

Traffic and circulation improvements proposed by Camden County and anticipated for implementation in the next few years can be the catalysts for change around Atlantic Avenue and help leverage public and private investments towards the area’s revitalization. A strategic plan, focusing on land use, infrastructure upgrades and an assessment of market potential will help identify redevelopment opportunities for the corridor and surrounding blocks. A re-imagined Atlantic Avenue can spur economic development and have a transformative impact for Waterfront South and other neighborhoods in south Camden.

9.1 Improve safety and connectivity between neighborhoods As the County embarks on physical and traffic improvements for Atlantic Avenue, consideration should be given to additional measures, aimed to strengthen connections between Waterfront South and surrounding neighborhoods, primarily Central Waterfront and Bergen Square. Additional improvements to the area should include:

a. Clear and secure vacant land along the corridor.

Much of the land along Atlantic Avenue functions as a cemetery for abandoned trucks, shipping containers

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and other vehicles. A first step in the transformation of the avenue involves full removal of abandoned vehicles along with efforts to clear and secure vacant lots.

b. Pavement and re-surfacing.

Streets around Atlantic Avenue that are in severely deteriorated conditions should be included in the County’s plans for road improvements. c. Improved sidewalks, crosswalks, signage, lighting and ADA compliance should also be included in the scope of improvements, ensuring safer pedestrian connections between neighborhoods.

DRAFT MAY 2022

PRIORITY 9

9.2 Create a long-term plan for the Atlantic Avenue gateway zone While roadway and infrastructure improvements will address immediate needs for the avenue and the industrial zone, a strategic plan will help establish a long-term vision for the future of the area, identify potential market opportunities and redevelopment priorities. The future implementation of a light rail stop in Waterfront South will generate a renewed demand for land in the area, expanding services, amenities and job opportunities. A vision for the Atlantic Avenue Gateway Zone will require a coalition of neighborhood organizations, businesses and City agencies in support of planning and implementation efforts.

9.3 Leverage access and economic activity to promote new services and amenities Atlantic Avenue can serve as a commercial corridor for South Camden, serving multiple needs at the local, city and regional level:

a. Community-oriented services: Such as medical offices, healthcare facilities and pharmacies will serve neighborhoods to the north and south of Atlantic Avenue. b. Free standing commercial spaces: Such as food stores, chain stores and restaurants, banks and garden centers can be accommodated with space for parking and service areas. c. Light industrial uses: Such as construction offices, carpentry shops and light manufacturing can benefit from easy access to I-676 and the region.

9.4 Identify opportunities for anchor development on Atlantic & Broadway The concentration of vacant properties around the intersection of Atlantic & Broadway provides an opportunity for a meaningful gateway development.

Much of the first block of Broadway between Atlantic and Mechanic Street is vacant and lands itself for an anchor mixed-use development opportunity. Coordinated efforts between the City Planning Department, CRA and neighborhood organizations can help identify potential DRAFT MAY 2022

The Invest South/West website shows the extensive community engagement process and one of the winning RFP responses.

A Game Changer Opportunity!

Invest South/West provides and example of an equity driven process that could inform development of the long-term plan necessary for the reimagining of Atlantic Avenue as a vibrant city gateway. The coalition of city agencies, local care providers, business interests and community groups including Heart of Camden, Cooper-Grant Neighbors Association, the South Jersey Port Corporation and Camden Community Partnership should work together develop a wholistic strategy for public improvements that addresses the needs of local business and the goals of community residents. The concentration of vacant land at Atlantic and Broadway, in particular the block between Broadway and Mechanic Street provides an ideal site for a catalytic anchor development to serve as the game changer needed to transform Atlantic Avenue.

Chicago’s Invest South/West initiative launched in 2019 layers economic development resources and planning tools to spur the development of new public amenities, retail, and community services for 10 historically disinvested commercial corridors in the city. The initiative marshalled resources of multiple city departments, community organizations and corporate and philanthropic partners toward the reimagining and reinvesting in the targeted corridors. The process provided support for local businesses, funded public realm improvements, and spurred the restoration of historic buildings. Input from community engagement events and roundtable groups of stakeholders informed the alignment of public investments and guided an RFP process for catalytic private investment. Winning RFP responses responded to the community planning process with mixed-use development proposals that included business incubator space, community centers, commercial and industrial development.

Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan 90

10 10.1 Build Capacity for Civic Engagement Waterfront South has a long tradition of community organizing, advocacy and action. Over the years, residents have come together regularly to fight for environmental justice and to advance goals for community building and neighborhood improvements.

The implementation of this neighborhood plan provides the community a renewed opportunity to organize and revisit goals towards civic engagement and community action. A multilayered approach to capacity building will help solidify the community’s organizational ability to advocate for and advance neighborhood priorities while creating new opportunities for resident involvement and leadership. It should also help establish clear channels of communication between residents and other stakeholders in the community. The following strategies will help reinforce engagement and reconnect neighbors around shared goals:

a. Strengthen the resident groups A key immediate goal includes the need to broaden resident participation at local resident groups, expanding lines of communication with residents who do not traditionally engage in community affairs. That effort should focus on outreach to immigrants and resident representation across age, race and income groups. ❱ Broaden resident participation, expanding lines of communication with residents who do not traditionally engage in community affairs. The effort should focus on outreach to immigrants and resident participation across age, race and income groups. ❱ Improve outreach and communication, developing a communication plan with platforms that maximize reach across multiple resident groups. A community website, Facebook page, community texting and printed newsletters are some of the standard options available at minimal costs. Consider the need to communicate in multiple languages as needed.

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❱ Maintain a regular schedule of community meetings throughout the year and identify potential opportunities for an annual community gathering or hands-on community project (annual neighborhood clean-ups, annual community picnic, and others). ❱ Identify regular funding streams in support of community events, communication and outreach. ❱ Seek training opportunities around planning, zoning and development issues shaping land use decisions in Camden.

b.Establish a block ambassador program In its work with the Waterfront South community, DCCB identified the development of a block ambassador program as a key public safety initiative. Block leaders, identified in the neighborhood as Community Connectors, can help advance multiple neighborhood initiatives including community communication, public safety projects, tree planting and other physical improvements. A block-level program will help residents take ownership of their immediate areas and work in collaboration with their neighbors to improve living conditions, one block at a time. c. Establish environmental justice task force Multiple conversations held with residents during the planning process suggest the opportunity for a dedicated community initiative around environmental justice. While Waterfront South residents have been able to quickly mobilize around recent environmental threats and incidents, a concerted effort to advance the community goals for a clean and healthy environment through information, organization and advocacy will increase community awareness and empower residents to take a more active role in the dialogue about the future of their neighborhood.

DRAFT MAY 2022

PRIORITY 10

South Camden Citizens in Action’s:

Source: Courier-Post

South Camden Citizens in Action’s history of grass roots neighborhood activism and fighting for environmental justice provides a hyper-local example of an organized community achieving results. Formed in 1998 to “Stop the Stink” SCIA battled environmental racism impacting Waterfront South in the press, street and courtroom. Spurred by opposition to a concrete slag grinding factory South Camden Citizens in Action vs NJDEP, filed in 2001, charged that the DEP employed discriminatory permitting practices in locating a concentration of high impact uses within Waterfront South. While their initial legal victory was ultimately overturned in Federal court the group’s advocacy won millions of dollars in concessions and improved environmental controls. Importantly, through the activism of SCIA, the environmental hardships of Waterfront South were brought to the attention of the public and put to bear on local politicians.

Community action successfully overturned a redevelopment plan that threatened to displace the community, forced the city to reroute diesel trucks and spurred significant investment in improved environmental operations at CCMUA. The grass roots actions of SCIA forms the basis for the dialogue around environmental justice in Waterfront South today amid new threats of expanding industrial use and a need for renewed attention on dangerous practices and equitable development.

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Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan 92

d. Establish a Youth civic group Residents have also expressed the desire to find opportunities for actve youth participation in community projects. The DB4 youth team in Mantua, Philadelphia, provides an inspiring example of a local youth group supported by the local civic association to promote projects and events geared to young residents and addressing topics of their interest. In partnership with local service providers and institutions, DB4 held community events around community projects and hosted seminars and round tables about employment opportunities, higher education, health and wellness among others. A similar initiative in Waterfront South could help leverage teenagers and young adults to action advancing community projects included in this neighborhood plan.

10.2 Build Organizational Capacity for Project Implementation Local neighborhood organizations fulfill incredibly important roles as local partners on the ground who are charged with turning the community’s vision into concrete projects. Their ability to carry out short- and long-term revitalization initiatives hinges on a number of factors, including clarity about their mission in the community, an effective board of directors and a skillful executive staff able to address the multiple facets of community development work.

Organizations like the Heart of Camden and the six groups that form the Waterfront South arts and culture community are tasked with addressing a broad range of community needs. While originally organized around a primary mission, they have taken on a number of additional roles over the years, in response to the community’s growing demand for services.

Recommendations from this very neighborhood plan assign potential new roles to each of these groups, further justifying the need for a thorough assessment of current and future capacity required to advance neighborhood goals. A close focus on board capacity, technical and financial capacity will help prepare community groups for plan implementation:

a.At the board level A focus on inclusion and diversity will help ensure equal representation, including resident representation and local groups who are typically underrepresented 93

in organizational leadership. Strategic review of their mission and organizational goals will also help existing boards revisit their roles in the process of plan implementation.

b. At the administrative and technical level A primary focus on having the right people, skills, and resources to deliver services. Efforts to identify opportunities for strategic hiring, training, and technical assistance.

10.3 Establish Partnerships Positive partnerships and coalition building between community stakeholders are critical to the successful implementation of this neighborhood plan. Consistent collaboration between residents, community groups, governmental agencies and local businesses will allow the stakeholders to act on plan implementation, working towards common goals, shared efforts and bringing resources to bear towards positive outcomes. ❱ Waterfront South Collaborative: Establishing a collaborative forum for stakeholders to work together is a first critical step towards implementation. The Waterfront South Steering Committee, formed originally by the Heart of Camden to help inform the neighborhood plan, can easily pivot as an implementation collaborative, establishing a regular channel of communication between residents and organizations in the private, public and non-profit sectors, focused on information sharing, project updates, shared initiatives and relationship building.

The Waterfront South Collaborative (suggested name for this implementation entity) should include representation from the community and organizations identified on the plan as key implementation partners. ❱ Camden Waterfront Coalition: At the City level, residents discussed the goal to establish a Camden Waterfront Coalition, bringing Waterfront South neighbors together with residents of other waterfront communities in the City to address challenges around waterfront access, environmental risks, land use and resilience against the impact of climate change. Shared efforts between communities like Cramer Hill, North Camden, Central Waterfront and Waterfront South will help amplify community voice around significant issues faced by Camden residents.

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PRIORITY 10

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Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan 94

Mural at 4th Street and Jasper Street

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IMPLEMENTATION

3

CHAPTER

Implementation Strategy

The implementation of a neighborhood plan as multi-faceted as the Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan will require leadership and coordinated efforts between Heart of Camden, local community organizations, residents, City and other governmental agencies, local institutions, and partners in the private and non-for-profit sectors. Successful implementation will rely on solid partnerships, consistent communication, community outreach and active pursuit of funding opportunities to advance projects into completion.

The following pages describe the steps required to translate the recommendations outlined on this plan into action. While the timeframe for implementation extends through the next ten years, several recommendations can be quickly acted on and at low to no costs. Other recommendations will require multiple steps before execution, including fundraising, and project development.

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Immediate Steps Over the next months, the Heart of Camden will initiate the process of implementation and convene community partners to solidify roles and identify priority projects. An important first step in that direction will be the plan’s acceptance and adoption by the City of Camden. An adopted plan confirms the City’s recognition and support of the neighborhood plan, ensuring alignment of local investments with community goals and priorities. Equally important will be NJ DCA’s acceptance of the plan, which will ensure support at the state level and potential access to multiple funding opportunities.

Implementation Roles As the local community development organization and primary driving force behind the plan, the Heart of Camden plays a critical role as facilitator and advocate for plan implementation. However, responsibility for implementation lies on multiple community partners who are already doing important work in the neighborhood and who can take ownership of specific components of the plan, contributing their capacity, expertise, and resources to the process and translating strategies into projects through execution.

❱ GETTING THE WORD OUT Tracking and communication about progress on implementation efforts are two key components of the Collaborative’s responsibility. Establishing tools from the onset to help track implementation steps will help maintain members of the Collaborative and other partners up to date progress on projects and initiatives.

In the same vein, efforts should be made to set up a platform for outreach and communication with the broader community, including Waterfront South residents, to disseminate information about the Collaborative’s activities and where individual partners can shared updates about their initiatives. The website created for the planning process (www.icatchthewave. com) can be quickly transitioned into a communication tool supporting implementation efforts. Newsletters and annual events are some other ways to get the word out and celebrate projects completed.

The following groups of stakeholders should be represented as core members of the Waterfront South Collaborative.

❱ WATERFRONT SOUTH COLLABORATIVE As discussed in Priority 10 of this plan, an implementation committee should be established as soon as possible to help guide implementation work associated with each of the ten neighborhood priorities. The Waterfront South Collaborative will build off of existing relationships and of those established during the planning process to provide a regular channel of communication between residents, community organizations, governmental agencies and businesses. This platform will help partners share updates about their initiatives, coordinate efforts and identify opportunities for collaboration. A shared platform for implementation will help define priority projects and reinforce collaboration and accountability between partners.

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❱

Neighborhood Residents

❱

Heart of Camden

❱

Waterfront South Arts & Cultural Alliance

❱

Small neighborhood businesses

❱

Sacred Heart Church

❱

Sacred Heart School

❱

City of Camden

❱

CCMUA

❱

Camden Redevelopment Authority

❱

Camden Community Partnership

❱

Camden County

❱

Camden County Police Department

❱

Corporate industrial businesses

❱

South Jersey Port Corporation

❱

Regional community services

❱

DCCB

❱

Local Nonprofit Organizations

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY

Implementation Steps The Implementation Matrix described in the following pages summarize the plan’s priorities, recommendations and strategies. The matrix also describes anticipated outcomes - quantitative or qualitative associated with each of the strategies. Timeframe for implementation and a description of core partners required to carry the recommnedations through completion are also described, along with potential funding sources available to support the work to be done.

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PRIORITY 1 | A Healthy and Clean Environment RECOMMENDATIONS

STRATEGIES

1.1Advocate for regular communication a. Advocate for regular with NJ DEP and communication and updates with NJ DEP the Office of Environmental Justice

METRICS

IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE

Outreach to NJDEP and commitment to regular updates

Immediate

Updates about air quality at meetings; a. Leverage communty-based educational sessions; awareness air monitoring as tools for about local air education monitor; ongoing outreach and advocacy 1.2 Monitor NJ DEP air monitor b. Advocate for neighborhood comprehensive air monitoring installed in the neighborhood and data air quality Educational c. Identify household level campaign; funding solutions to mitigate the opportunity under impact of air pollution in Home Repair indoor air quality program d. Advocate for an updated air Updated air quality quality report report 1.3 Ensure community participation in landuse decisions that may increase environmental risks Perform Phase I a. Prioritize the Howland Croft environmental 1.4 Target mill property for site clean-up assessment.

Include property in brownfield and redevelopment priority list for site sites within remediation the residential core for Perform b. Assess the conditions of redevelopment other brownfield sites for preliminary environmental future redevelopment assessment a. Expand tree coverage at Established parks and neighborhood Neighborhood tree planting program streets b. Parks and open spaces 1.5 Green Infrastructure

c. Leverage maintenance of green infrastructure as an economic opportunity for young residents d. Adopt property-based solutions to mitigate stormwater

1.6 Promote environmental awareness and stewardship 1.7 Adopt Green Standards

New green infrastructure projects # of WFS residents employed by Power Corps

KEY PARTNERS

ANTICIPATED FUNDING SOURCES

Immediate

Immediate WFS Residents Short-term

Heart of Camden Camden Collaborative

Short-term

CCMUA

Short-term

City of Camden

CFET CRA NJ DEP

Short-term

NJ Tree Foundation Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program

Short-term

Short-term

Brownfields Remediation Fund Campbells Foundation NRTC CCMUA City of Camden Dodge Foundation NJDCA NJDEP US EPA Other environmental funders to be determined Subaru Others to be determined

Medium-Term

Immediate

Short-term Established Neighborhood program New development built according to green standards

Medium-term Immediate

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Implementation Timeline: Immediate (Up to 1 Year) / Short-Term (1 - 3 Years) / Medium-Term (3 - 6 Years) / Long-Term (6 - 10 Years) Implementation timeline subject to change. Some activities may be implemented throughout the entirety of the 10 year time frame.

PRIORITY 2 | Improved Neighborhood Connections RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 Eliminate and reroute truck traffic away from the residential area

STRATEGIES

METRICS

a. Short-term steps: Regulate truck traffic hours, enhance signage, limit vehicle sizes

Short-term steps implemented

b. Long-term step: Eliminate truck traffic

No truck traffic within the residential area

2.2 Repair streets in bad conditions

IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE Short-Term

Medium-Term

Streets repaired and repaved

Short-term

2.3 Pedestrian safety

Improved sidewalks, improved intersections

Medium-Term

2.4 Establish a safe bike route to the waterfront and downtown Camden

Bike route implemented

Short-term

2.5 Implement green and complete streets along Broadway and Ferry Avenue

Green and complete streets implemented on Broadway and Ferry Avenue

Long-Term

2.6 Reclassify 4th Street as one-way street

One-way project implemented

Short-term

2.7 Re-imagine existing underpasses as safe and attractive neighborhood gateways

Safe and improved underpasses

Short-term

KEY PARTNERS

ANTICIPATED FUNDING SOURCES

WFS residents Heart of Camden WFS Arts & Culture Camden Community CCIA Partnership CCMUA Camden County Camden Greenways

City of Camden

CCIA

NJ DCA

CCMUA

NJ DEP

City of Camden

NRTC

DVRPC

US EPA

NJDOT

William Penn Foundation Others to be determined

Implementation Timeline: Immediate (Up to 1 Year) / Short-Term (1 - 3 Years) / Medium-Term (3 - 6 Years) / Long-Term (6 - 10 Years) Implementation timeline subject to change. Some activities may be implemented throughout the entirety of the 10 year time frame.

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PRIORITY 3 | Housing Choices RECOMMENDATIONS

STRATEGIES

METRICS

# of new housing a. Create new homeownership units rehabilitated opportunities through rehab and/or new and new construction construction Established home b. Assist current homeowners repair program. # with essential home repairs of homeowners and upgrades benefiting from the program. # of residents participating in 3.1 Strengthen c. Support renter residents homeownership well established who wish to purchase a home program and in the neighborhood connected to residential homeownership blocks opportunities d. Partner with corporate Established neighbors to establish a local homeownership homeownership assistance assistance program program e. Promote Adopt-a-lot # of residents program for non-developable benefiting from vacant lots program f. Redevelop the former Croft Mills site as an anchor mixed- Site redeveloped use development Revitalization plan identifying redevelopment opportunities a. Assemble land and identify development potential partnerships for partners redevelopment Land acquisition plan 3.2 Rebuild Land acquired residential blocks with high b. Prioritize mixed-use vacancy New development development along Broadway on Broadway Avenue

IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE

KEY PARTNERS

ANTICIPATED FUNDING SOURCES

Medium-Term

Short-Term

Short-Term

WFS Residents Medium-Term

Short-Term Medium-Term

Short-Term

Heart of Camden Camden Board of Education City of Camden Corporate businesses

City of Camden Home Program Federal Opportunity Zone NJ DCA Affordable Housing Trust Fund NJ DCA HOME Program

CRA

NJ EDA - Aspire Program

Local developers

NJHMFA

Neighborhood housing services

NJ Transit NRTC Others to be determined

Medium-Term

c. Redevelop the former Mickle School building for housing use

School building redeveloped

Long-Term

d. Leverage future transit investments for a transitoriented development

New housing opportunities north of Ferry and east of Broadway

Long-Term

Implementation Timeline: Immediate (Up to 1 Year) / Short-Term (1 - 3 Years) / Medium-Term (3 - 6 Years) / Long-Term (6 - 10 Years) Implementation timeline subject to change. Some activities may be implemented throughout the entirety of the 10 year time frame.

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PRIORITY 4 | Safe and Clean Streets RECOMMENDATIONS

STRATEGIES a. Street lighting

4.1 Improve neighborhood lighting conditions

b. Porch lighting program c. Exterior lighting at public buildings

4.2 Enhance communication with Camden County Police Department (CCPD) 4.3 Support DCCB’s efforts in the neighborhood 4.4 Expand Camden Special Services District’s presence in the neighborhood 4.5 Establish a neighborhood cleanup program targeting residential blocks

4.6 Maintain and secure vacant lots

4.7 Address illegal dumping

4.8 Enforce property maintenance by local businesses and industrial uses

4.9 Address irregular activity by truck drivers

METRICS

IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE

Repaired and Improved street lighting # of homes participating in the program Improved lighting at public buildings and neighborhood landmark structures Established communication program disseminated to WFS residents Resident involvement in public safety efforts led by DCCB CSSD services in the neighborhood

KEY PARTNERS

ANTICIPATED FUNDING SOURCES

Short-Term Short-Term

Short-Term

Immediate WFS Residents Immediate

Immediate

Resident led cleanup efforts are held Short-Term regularly at the neighborhood and block levels City maintains vacant lots on a Ongoing effort regular schedule Significant reduction in illegal Immediate dumping. Increased enforcement and resident reporting Industrial properties are Immediate well-kept and maintained Corporate businesses take measures to discourage irregular Immediate activities including communication with CCPD and residents

Heart of Camden

Camden County

Camden Community Partnership

Campbells Soup

Camden County Police Department

City of Camden

CCMUA

City of Camden

Industrial partners

DCCB

Local businesses

Industrial businesses

NRTC

Local businesses

Subaru

Power Corps

NJ DOT

PSE&G

PSE&G Others to be determined

Implementation Timeline: Immediate (Up to 1 Year) / Short-Term (1 - 3 Years) / Medium-Term (3 - 6 Years) / Long-Term (6 - 10 Years) Implementation timeline subject to change. Some activities may be implemented throughout the entirety of the 10 year time frame.

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PRIORITY 5 | Economic Growth and Opportunity RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Leverage arts & culture as an engine for economic development

STRATEGIES a. Host annual arts & cultural event

WFS Arts and culture event held annually

b. Identify and recruit new arts and culture partners to locate in the neighborhood

Growing number of arts and culture organizations in the neighborhood Expanded funding opportunities in support of A&C programs

c. Seek funding to expand capacity for the WFS arts and culture community d. Promote the creative economy with spaces and infrastructure that support small-scale manufacturing and artistic endeavors

5.2 Re-imagine Broadway as a thriving mixeduse corridor

Makers space established in the neighborhood

IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE

Short-term

Medium-term

Medium-term

c. Promote streetscape improvements, placemaking and beautification projects

Streetscape plan completed and implemented

Short-term

c. Invest in minority and women owned businesses 5.4 Seek partnerships with local institutions for non-industrial uses

Arts and culture community Camden Historical Society

Historic structures receive funding for rehabilitation and adaptive reuse

b. Connect residents to entrepreneurship programs

WFS Residents Heart of Camden

Long-term

a. Connect residents to local job opportunities

ANTICIPATED FUNDING SOURCES

Medium-term

New mixed use development and new structures along Broadway

Incremental growth of essential services in the neighborhood Increased number of local employment options in the neighborhood.

Residents participate in local training programs # of residents participating in entrepreneurship programs # of minority and women owned businesses in the neighborhood New investments and new development by local institutions

KEY PARTNERS

Short-term

a. Promote mixed-use development through rehabilitation and new construction b. Preserve and rehabilitate historic structures as neighborhood assets and anchors for the Broadway corridor.

d. Identify partnerships for essential community services

5.3 Promote local jobs and small business opportunities

METRICS

Long-term

Camden Works

Dodge Foundation

City institutions

National Endowment for the Arts

City of Camden

NJ Arts and Culture

NJ Community City of Camden Historic Preservation Foundation Office NJ Council of Arts Corporate businesses

NJDCA

Neighborhood businesses

Renewal Fund

NJ DCA Short-term

Bloomberg Philanthropies

NJ Tree Foundation NJ Historic Preservation Office

NRTC

William Penn Foundation Others to be determined

LAEDA Short-term

Local developers

Medium-term

Long-term

Implementation Timeline: Immediate (Up to 1 Year) / Short-Term (1 - 3 Years) / Medium-Term (3 - 6 Years) / Long-Term (6 - 10 Years) Implementation timeline subject to change. Some activities may be implemented throughout the entirety of the 10 year time frame.

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PRIORITY 6 | Community Ammenities and Services RECOMMENDATIONS

6.1 Leverage local arts & cultural assets for community development

6.2 Support and celebrate neighborhood youth

STRATEGIES

Placemaking projects funded and completed Art and culture programs to b. Partnerships for community expanded include local arts and culture residents (families, children, senior residents) Youth leadership a. Establish a local youth group established leadership group to help with dedicated inform and implement future plan, structure and community projects funding stream

IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE

a. Partnerships for placemaking projects

b. Expand youth programs at existing neighborhood facilities

c. Youth employment and job readiness

6.3 Maximize the use of existing community spaces

a. Programs and events 6.4 Activate parks and open spaces

METRICS

b. Park Improvements

c. Memorial Park

ANTICIPATED FUNDING SOURCES

Long-term WFS Residents Heart of Camden Medium-Term

Camden Community Partnership Camden Sophisticated Sisters

Short-term

CCMUA CFET

New programs expanded in the neighborhood # of young residents participating in training programs, internship opportunities and job readiness programs Central point of information and calendar of spaces available for community use / rental. # of new programs available in neighborhood parks Improvements implemented at local parks Community driven plan for the plan completed and implemented

KEY PARTNERS

Short-term

Short-term

City of Camden Corporate businesses

Catholic Charities

CSSD

City of Camden

Lucy Program

Corporate businesses

Mighty Writers

Promise Neighborhoods

MJD Fieldhouse Short-term

Power Corps Shipyard Maritime Museum

Short-term

Social Responsibility thru Me

Short-term

Supportive service providers located in the neighborhood

Medium-term

Trust for Public Land

6.5 Establish a Family Success Center

New center located in the WFS

Short-term

6.6 Promote coordination between regional service providers

New platform of coordination between providers

Immediate

Others to be determined

Urban Promise / BoatWorks

Implementation Timeline: Immediate (Up to 1 Year) / Short-Term (1 - 3 Years) / Medium-Term (3 - 6 Years) / Long-Term (6 - 10 Years) Implementation timeline subject to change. Some activities may be implemented throughout the entirety of the 10 year time frame.

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PRIORITY 7 | Waterfront Access and Enhance Public Realm RECOMMENDATIONS

STRATEGIES

METRICS

IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE

Expanded waterfront 7.1 Reclaim the waterfront as a public amenity access with safer Medium-Term and improved connections Safe and Improved public realm 7.2 Secure and beautify perimeter of Medium-Term industrial properties around industrial properties Conrail right-ofway and private 7.3 Address eyesore industrial areas industrial propertie Medium-Term s are maintained and improved 7.4 Improve signage and wayfinding for industrial district

7.5 Identify opportunities for green infrastructure in industrial properties

New and improved signage and Medium-Term wayfinding

New green infrastructure projects installed within private industrial properties

KEY PARTNERS WFS Residents Heart of Camden Camden Community Partnership Camden SMART

CCMUA

CCIA

City of Camden

CCMUA

Environmental Infrastructure Trust

Center for Aquatic Sciences

NJ DCA

CFET

NJ DEP

City of Camden

NJ DOT

Conrail

NRTC

EMR

Industrial property owners

Industrial Partners Mynt Properties NJ DEP NJ DOT

Medium-Term

ANTICIPATED FUNDING SOURCES

NJ Tree Foundation

William Penn Foundation Others to be determined

SJPC

Implementation Timeline: Immediate (Up to 1 Year) / Short-Term (1 - 3 Years) / Medium-Term (3 - 6 Years) / Long-Term (6 - 10 Years) Implementation timeline subject to change. Some activities may be implemented throughout the entirety of the 10 year time frame

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PRIORITY 8 | Environmental Standards and Social Equity RECOMMENDATIONS

STRATEGIES

8.1 Report environmental impact

8.2 Develop and communicate goals for a clean and green economic district

8.3 Commit to socially equitable business practices

8.4 Commit to sustainable waterfront development practices

8.5 Prioritize socially and environmentally conscious businesses

8.6 Plan for the long-term reclamation of the waterfront land

METRICS Industrial business located in WFS make their environmental data available to the community Industrial businesses establish green operational goals for their facilities in WFS Industrial businesses establish and communicate to equitable business practices Industrial businesses adopt high standards for sustainable practices in their projects City and County include social and environmental impact in their process of recruiting new businesses to the City and to the WFS

IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE

KEY PARTNERS

ANTICIPATED FUNDING SOURCES

Short-term

Short-term

WFS Residents Heart of Camden

Short-term

Short-term

Camden County Economic Development

EPA NJ DCA

City of Camden

NJ DEP

Covanta

NRTC

EMR

Others to be determined

Holtec SJPC NJ DEP

Medium-term

Long-term vision plan for the waterfront is completed

Long-term

Implementation Timeline: Immediate (Up to 1 Year) / Short-Term (1 - 3 Years) / Medium-Term (3 - 6 Years) / Long-Term (6 - 10 Years) Implementation timeline subject to change. Some activities may be implemented throughout the entirety of the 10 year time frame.

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PRIORITY 9 | Atlantic Avenue as a City Gateway RECOMMENDATIONS

9.1 Improve safety and connectivity between neighborhoods

STRATEGIES

METRICS

IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE

a. Clear and secure vacant land along the corridor

Properties along Atlantic Avenue are maintained and cleared of abandoned trucks, shipping containers

b. Pavement and re-surfacing

Streets are repaired Short-Term and repaved

c. Improved sidewalks, crosswalks, signage, lighting and ADA compliance in Atlantic Avenue area

Safer and Improved pedestrian connections Medium-Term around Atlantic Avenue

9.2 Create a long-term plan for the Atlantic Avenue gateway zone

9.3 Leverage access and economic activity to promote new services and amenities

9.4 Identify opportunity for anchor development on Atlantic & Broadway

KEY PARTNERS

ANTICIPATED FUNDING SOURCES

Short-Term

Vision plan is prepared and completed with Long-Term resident and stakeholder input Community oriented uses, commercial spaces Long-Term and light industrial uses are developed along Atlantic Ave Strategic plan for Atlantic & Broadway is prepared and Long-Term completed with resident and stakeholder input

WFS Residents Heart of Camden Camden Community Partnership Camden County Central Waterfront Residents CGNA City of Camden LAEDA Private developers

CCIA CCMUA City of Camden EPA NJ DCA NJ DEP NJ EDA NRTC Others to be determined

Implementation Timeline: Immediate (Up to 1 Year) / Short-Term (1 - 3 Years) / Medium-Term (3 - 6 Years) / Long-Term (6 - 10 Years) Implementation timeline subject to change. Some activities may be implemented throughout the entirety of the 10 year time frame

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PRIORITY 10 | Build Capacity RECOMMENDATIONS

STRATEGIES

a. Strengthen the local civic association

10.1 Build Capacity for Civic Engagement

b. Establish a block ambassador program

c. Establish environmental justice task force

d. Establish a youth civic group

10.2 Build Organizational Capacity for Project Implementation

a. Board capacity

b. Administrative and technical capacity

a. Establish Waterfront South Collaborative 10.3 Establish Partnerships a. Establish Camden Waterfront Coalition

METRICS Increased number of residents participating at meetings and community events.

Improved channels of communication between residents.

Regular funding stream in support of community events. Civic participation in City dialogue.

Program is established with resident representation, guidelines and support EJ task force is established by WFS residents with support from local community organizations and environmental groups Civic group is established with leadership and opportunities for involvement Organizations have revisited their board structure, membership and include representation from WFS Organizations identify staff needs, funding sources in support of new and expanded staff Collaborative is established with representation from community partners Coalition is established with representation from waterfront neighborhoods, regular schedule of meetings and action plan

IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE

KEY PARTNERS

ANTICIPATED FUNDING SOURCES

Short-Term (with some immediate steps) WFS residents Heart of Camden

Short-Term

Short-Term

Arts & Culture organizations

American Water

Camden County

Bank foundations

Camden waterfront neighborhood civic organizations

Bread and Roses Foundation

CCMUA

Campbell’s Soup

CFET

Community Foundation of South Jersey

City of Camden

Short-Term

Short-Term (with some immediate steps) Short-Term (with some immediate steps)

Housing and Community Development Network of NJ

Camden County

Dodge Foundation Impact 100

NJ Community Industrial businesses Foundation NJ DEP NJ DCA Nonprofit Center of LaSalle University Nonprofit Center of South Jersey Statewide Enviornmental Justice Task Force

NRTC Subaru William Penn Foundation Others to be determined

Youth based organizations

Immediate

Immediate

Implementation Timeline: Immediate (Up to 1 Year) / Short-Term (1 - 3 Years) / Medium-Term (3 - 6 Years) / Long-Term (6 - 10 Years) Implementation timeline subject to change. Some activities may be implemented throughout the entirety of the 10 year time frame DRAFT MAY 2022

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The following list describes projects identified by the Heart of Camden as reflective of community talks over the years. As noted, these projects are included in the plan with the first column identifying the specific priority in which they can be found. The next community meeting will provide residents the opportunity to discuss priorities for investments in the next 3 to 5 years. These projects will be included in that discussion, along with other proposed recommendations.

Priority #

Project

Project Scope Chelton and Filmore From Jasper to Ferry Ave heading north New Fencing and Trees

2

Rain Garden Phase II 4th St ONE WAY Stone Circle Park- Improvements New Railine Stop Underpass improvements - public art and new lighting

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

Croft Mills Rehabilitation of Winslow Court (Winslow St) Carl Miller Infill Project 4th and Emerald Infill Project Jackson Street Infill Project Rehabs and Infill / East of Broadway Rehabs / West of Broadway Broadway

3 3 3 4 4 5 5 5

Transit Oriented Development Project Pride Academy Existing Homeowner Facade Improvement Eyes in the Sky- 5 new cameras Improvement District- Clean Team Empty Lot Viola and Broadway Urban Promise Facade Improvements Viola and Broadway Lot

5 5 5 5 5

1800 Broadway Project- Old Bank Building The Hardware Store Warehouse- The Mill Broadway's Market Broadway Infill Project

6

Camden Shipyard Museum

6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6

Fireworks MJD Fieldhouse Peace Park- Learning Park Peace Park Phase II Liney Ditch Improvements MJD Pier Access Bridge- Jackson St Entrance Joes Place- Food HUB Jackson Street Park

7 7 7 7 7 7

Chelton Ave Chelton Ave CCMUA Pier Expansion- EMR Site MJD Pier Access Signage Project EMR Greenways- expansion of Pier

1 2 2 2

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70 Units of Mixed Use- Ground floor retail- Brownfield Remediation Vertical High Density Housing Multifamily Development New Construction Homes- 10 Units New Construction Homes- 4 Units 2 New Homes 50 rehabs and 20 new construction 50 rehabs 10 rehabs MIXED USE 6th and Ferry Revitalization Project- Ferry Village / Up to 400 Units of New Construction Senior Housing Project Illegal Dumping and Crime Broadway Parking and Pocket Park to support commerical businesses Broadway Parking Lot, Open Space or Building (Mixed Use) Potential Conversion into Ground Floor Cafe, Housing and/or Makers space Mixed Use Development- Offices and Ground Floor Retail Artists Makers Space and Youth Training Center New Mini Supermarket Mixed Use Development- Residential and Ground Floor Retail Multi-use Vocational Training Facility, Artist Residency/Studio Space Vacant Lots- Repurpose Public Art in Vacant Lots (Atlanta and Convington Kentucky) SHIPS Family Success Center and Youth HUB

Basketball and Handball Courts and lighting Signage and Public Art Broadway Food Hub- Food Desert Access Corner of Jackson and Broadway Waterfront access signage and bricks repairs / Fencing and maintenance Fencing of Trailer Storage Zero Emissions Project- Smell Emissions Project Waterfront Access DRAFT MAY 2022 Jackson Street Entrance From Jackson to Front Street (closes the loop)

4 5 5 5

Improvement District- Clean Team Empty Lot Viola and Broadway Urban Promise Facade Improvements Viola and Broadway Lot

5 5 5 5 5

1800 Broadway Project- Old Bank Building The Hardware Store Warehouse- The Mill Broadway's Market Broadway Infill Project

6

Camden Shipyard Museum

6 6 Priority 6# 6 6 6 6 6 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 8 8 9 9

Fireworks MJD Fieldhouse Project Peace Park- Learning Park Peace Park Phase II Liney Ditch Improvements MJD Pier Access Bridge- Jackson St Entrance Joes Place- Food HUB Jackson Street Park Chelton Ave Chelton Ave CCMUA Pier Expansion- EMR Site MJD Pier Access Signage Project EMR Greenways- expansion of Pier EMR- Encapsulation Project EMR- Sidewalks EMR- Fencing EMR - Greening EMR -My Auto Store EMR-Storage Jackson Street Signage Jackson Street Buffer Project SJPC Independent Freight Eagle Plastic Recycling Covanta Covanta Ferry Ave to Broadway Atlantic Ave Gateway Project

Project Scope

Basketball and Handball Courts and lighting Signage and Public Art Broadway Food Hub- Food Desert Access Corner of Jackson and Broadway Waterfront access signage and bricks repairs / Fencing and maintenance Fencing of Trailer Storage Zero Emissions Project- Smell Emissions Project Waterfront Access Jackson Street Entrance From Jackson to Front Street (closes the loop) Fencing, Sidewalks and Greening Fencing, Sidewalks and Greening Fencing, Sidewalks and Greening Fencing, Sidewalks and Greening Fencing, Sidewalks and Greening Fencing, Sidewalks and Greening

Greening and Fencing Project Fencing and Trees Fencing and Trees Baghouse project Community Benefits Agreement Mixed Use zoning Signage and Zoning Changes- Commercial Uses Feasibility for future green or other development (where trucks currently stored)

1/6 1/6 1/6

Chelton and Jefferson Memorial Park Improvements Daniels Auto Repair Shop

2/6

Phoenix Park and Liney Ditch BROADWAY- Expand Streetscape and Lighting from Jefferson to Jackson

4/5

Broadway Parking and Pocket Park to support commerical businesses Broadway Parking Lot, Open Space or Building (Mixed Use) Potential Conversion into Ground Floor Cafe, Housing and/or Makers space Mixed Use Development- Offices and Ground Floor Retail Artists Makers Space and Youth Training Center New Mini Supermarket Mixed Use Development- Residential and Ground Floor Retail Multi-use Vocational Training Facility, Artist Residency/Studio Space Vacant Lots- Repurpose Public Art in Vacant Lots (Atlanta and Convington Kentucky) SHIPS Family Success Center and Youth HUB

Demolition and Greening Bridge- Connector Green Elevation Bridge - expansion of park on green space

DRAFT MAY 2022

Catch the Wave Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan | 110

Appendix I

111

DRAFT MAY 2022

APPENDIX

1 Phoenix Park Park 1.1 At the bowl that ponds

CCMUA

1.2 Near riverfront 1.3 Near benches 1.4 Along existing paths

Multiple practices Deep rooted plants

2.45

2 Park Linkage New trail Trail 3 Liney Ditch Park Park 3.1 Basket ball courts 3.2 Near community garden

CCMUAMAFCO Camden City CCMUA

Add trees

Camden City

Add rain garden

3.3 Entrance/seating

Camden City

Rain garden/bioswale to inlet

3.4 At low spot 3.5 Basket ball courts alternative 4 1621 Broadway

Camden City CCMUA

Bioswale Convert to porous, (Rutgers plan)

5 6 7 8 9 10.1

10.2 S. 4th St & 10.3 Jasper St 11 415 Emerald Street

Inst.

Comm. garden

Gallons Annually (at 60 in/ yr)

x x

1800

Gazebo with Green roof (60 x 30ft) 0.0413 Add trees More plantings

Sign "for Camden Print sale" Works 400 Carl Miller Pervious lot Camden Redev Broadway & Carl Pervious lot Camden City Miller 331 Winslow Pervious lot Camden City 400 Block Burnt E-Zone Mgt Winslow factory 1800 Block Pervious Ancona area along road

Gallons Annually (at 46 in/yr)

0.0413

1,122

51,612

67,320

x x x x

Multiple practices Plantings around inlets

x

6.3

11,526

0.265

7,185

330,508

431,098

4760

0.109

2,960

136,150

177,587

x

3960

0.109

2,967

136,493

178,034

x

27,710 36,480

0.636 0.84

17,274 22,741

794,585 1,036,415 1,046,065 1,364,432

x x

x

Reduce impervious cover

0.268

n/a

Plantings behind stone circle Plantings behind stone circle

0.37 0.049

n/a n/a

x x

More natural plantings Convert to meadow

0.0238 n/a 1.7 n/a

x x

Stormwater bumpout, manage rooftop and impervious

0.062

2528

0.058

1,576

72,490

94,553

Cistern through drip irrigation

2.39

506

0.012

315

14,510

18,926

x

0.099 0.053

2,693 1,441

123,876 66,297

161,578 86,474

x x

0.014

382

17,549

22,890

x

Church of the Sacred Heart

Downspout planter 4320 Downspout planter. Drainage from 2312 two bldgs w/Ferry frontage Camden Redev Infiltration trench foot of 0.0872 612 greenhouse

x

x

65

DRAFT MAY 2022

Green Roof

Gross Stormwater Acres Vol (gal) Area Capture (SF) Treated during (Acres) 1" of rainfall*

Naturalized areas

Design Proposal

Stormwater Bumpouts

Land Type Land Owner

Parking Lot Retrofit

Site name

Tree Trench Rain Garden

ID

Rooftop Disconnect

Table 5.1 A Full List of Proposed GSI Projects

Catch the Wave Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan | 112

12.1 1840 Broadway 12.2 1832 Broadway

Nonprofit Heart of org.

Camden

12.3 Broadway & Ferry 13 1914 Broadway Memorial Park 14 630 Ferry Ave Lot by RR tracks 15 600 Morgan Industrial Street 16

17 18 19.1 19.2

Camden City

Gallons Annually (at 60 in/ yr)

Downspout planters Parking lot retrofit - subsurface storage. Direct downspouts.

Turn lawn to naturalized area

0.032 0.3

1800 2330

51,615 66,813

67,324 87,147

0.13

n/a

x

Additional plantings

0.45

n/a

x

0.04

n/a

x

18.77

34,000

0.781

21,195

974,951

1.69

40,000

0.918

24,935

1,147,001 1,496,088

Camden City

Covanta/Energy Remove impervious, convert lawn Recovery to meadow before Newton Creek.

Center 1930 South 6th Impervious Colonial 69,000 sf. ft impervious, reduce lot for sale Processing impervious on perimeter, provide stormwater feature. Discharge to existing inlet at Chelton & 6th.

1736 Broadway Open space Camden City Plantings 1707 Fillmore St Vacant Camden City vegetated 1912 Broadway Nonprofit Shipyard Downspout planter org.

Museum Back corner downspout planter

20 508 Atlantic Ave Lot

21 522 Chelton Ave Sidewalk 22 1700 Block S. 4th Sidewalk 23 1710 Broadway + Roadway Carl Miller 24 400 Block Roadway Atlantic 25 400 Atlantic Ave Vacant building 26 Jackson Street

Camden Recovery Properties Camden City Camden City

Jen-Cyn Enterprise

18,000 SF CCMUA parking lot w. storm system 27 Jackson & Ferry Vacant lot CCMUA

28 613 Chelton

676 ROW

0.041 0.053

1,122 1,452

x x

x

1,271,675

x x

0.0459 n/a 0.021 n/a 0.202

2526

x x 0.058

1,575

72,433

94,478

x x

Trees rather than tree trenches because no storm drains

1.26

Multiple locations along Chelton Multiple locations for tree trench

n/a n/a

4,380 2500

0.101 0.057

2,730 1,558

125,580 71,688

163,800 93,506

Stormwater bumpout

n/a

15,171

0.348

9,457

435,029

567,429

Stormwater bumpout

n/a

7560

0.174

4,713

216,783

282,761

x

Shallow green inlets at road to intercept and pass through a bioretention feature in ROW Retrofit existing system to add parking island of subsurface storage; gateway to fishing pier

0.385

14,970

0.344

9,332

429,265

559,911

x

n/a

16,000

0.367

9,974

458,800

598,435

Rain garden with two new inlets

0.0058 2200

0.05

1,371

63,085

82,285

x

0.182

4,937

227,106

296,225

x

NJ Dept of Linear rain garden at toe of slope - n/a Transportation outlet to existing inlet on road.

x

7920

x x x

x

x

x

66

113

DRAFT MAY 2022

Green Roof

Gallons Annually (at 46 in/yr)

Naturalized areas

Gross Stormwater Acres Vol (gal) Area Capture (SF) Treated during (Acres) 1" of rainfall*

Stormwater Bumpouts

Design Proposal

Parking Lot Retrofit

Land Type Land Owner

Tree Trench Rain Garden

Site name

Rooftop Disconnect

ID

29 2210 Broadway Commercial HCSC - Laundry Ponding evident on N. Woodland, retentive grading on slope to reduce volume and velocity.

30 400 Jasper Nonprofit South Camden Existing landscape beds elevated/ Street org.

Theater expanded to provide storage, intercept downspouts.

31 Salem & Viola Dead-end Camden City reduce impervious cover 32 Viola & 6th Roadway Camden City Stormwater bumpouts dimensions 20' x 6' 33 Along 6th street Roadway Camden City Stormwater bumpout 34 433 Jackson Street 35 Camden Fireworks back lot & alley 36.1 Carl Miller & 6th 36.2

Superfund S. Jersey Port site Corp Vacant lot Camden Fireworks

Parking lot retrofit/subsurface storage Porous pavement + GSI demonstration projects

Gallons Annually (at 60 in/ yr)

1.46

6460

0.148

4,027

185,241

241,618

0.07

2460

0.056

1,533

70,541

92,009

0.0459 Unknown Unknown 121,968

4800 4300

0.11 0.1

2,992 2,680

137,640 123,303

179,531 160,829

x

x

11,800

0.27

7,356

338,365

441,346

x

x

44,280

1.02

27,603

1,269,730 1,656,170

0.15

1832

0.04

1,142

52,532

68,521

x

12,336 2280

0.28 0.052

7,690 1,385

353,735 63,710

461,393 8,100

x

TBD 960

0.022

598

27,508

35,880

Educ. Inst. Camden Board Rain garden around flagpole 0.735 of Educ.

Downspout planter & storage at inlet to intercept 4" pipe 36.3 De-pave where possible 37 Carl Miller & Roadway Camden City Stormwater bumpouts dimensions Filmore 20' x 6' 38 Rescue Mission Nonprofit Rescue Mission Vegetable Garden (lots behind) 0.23 org.

39 Jackson & Vacant lot Metropolitan Rain garden & murals 0.065 Filmore Investment Co. 40 Atlantic & 4th Bus stop NJ transit Bus shelter with green roof 41 Broadway & Bus stop Bus shelter with green roof Ferry 42 Carl Miller, Roadway Camden City Traffic calming planted island and Ferry, & 4th crosswalks 43 4th street Viola Roadway Camden City Increase storage + tree trenches to Jefferson along 4th St. 44 Ferry, Broadway Roadway Camden City Traffic calming planted island and & Jasper crosswalks 45 Broadway & Gateway Camden City Pocket park/splash pad/ brick Jackson archway 46 Broadway & Roadway Camden City Stormwater bumpout 20' x 6' Webster 47 Broadway & Roadway Camden City Stormwater bumpout 20' x 6' Viola

x x

x x

x x

x

x

x

n/a

x

2500

0.057

1,558

71,688

93,506

80 80

0.0018 0.0018

50 50

2,294 2,294

2,992 2,992

x x x

n/a 23,598

x 0.54

14,710

676,673

882,617

x

n/a

x

n/a

x

960

0.022

598

27,508

35,880

x

960

0.022

598

27,508

35,880

x

67

DRAFT MAY 2022

Green Roof

Gallons Annually (at 46 in/yr)

Naturalized areas

Gross Stormwater Acres Vol (gal) Area Capture (SF) Treated during (Acres) 1" of rainfall*

Stormwater Bumpouts

Design Proposal

Parking Lot Retrofit

Land Type Land Owner

Tree Trench Rain Garden

Site name

Rooftop Disconnect

ID

Catch the Wave Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan | 114

DRAFT MAY 2022

Catch the Wave Waterfront South Neighborhood Plan | 115