Housing and Neighborhood Development Services, Inc.

The plan entitled Visions and Goals for the Valley, charts the future of the Valley for the next 10 years. It was created “from the ground up.” Hundreds of people participated in forums, small groups, surveys and community meetings, with teams of student and faculty researchers and volunteer planners.   The Valley Revitalization Plan was approved by the state, making HANDS the first organization and neighborhood to receive plan approval under the Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit Act.  

Few neighborhoods in New Jersey have as distinct an identity and as rich a history as the Valley neighborhood on the Orange/West Orange border.  It was once the hat-making capital of the world and for years has been a destination for a good Italian meal.  Today it is an odd mixture of old houses, neglected factories, lively community groups, a wonderful location and plenty of other assets and challenges.  It is a Smart-Growth location extraordinaire, - an urban location where intelligent planning and neighborhood scale development can create new residential and commercial opportunities.

Visions and Goals for the Valley is not a “Redevelopment Plan” but rather a strategic revitalization plan that sets goals based upon the vision of residents, business owners, young people and community organizations.  The plan is broad and comprehensive in scope with many of the details to be worked out as each objective becomes a project to be completed.  It recognizes that state funding of the Valley Neighborhood Preservation Program will expire in February 2005.   

HANDS Inc., a community development corporation active in the Valley for 17 years, took the lead in shaping this plan over the last two years – following a day-long planning event held in June, 2001 under the banner of Orange Model City – 2010.  Since then, HANDS brought together Valley stakeholders with resources from four universities to shape the vision, goals and objectives presented here.  The plan also incorporates the results of other planning initiatives and documents including the Valley Neighborhood Preservation Program, Urban Enterprise Zone and the HUD Consolidated Plan.

 The Valley with its underdeveloped, former industrial sites is one of few opportunities in the area for extensive neighborhood planning.   Revitalization of the Valley has already started and three important steps have been taken.  The City of Orange Planning Board has begun a study to determine if a portion of the Valley should be designated a Redevelopment Area and a joint Smart Growth grant application was submitted to the State by both towns.  The City has begun to embark on the first update of the Master Plan since 1968 as well as the first major revision of the Zoning Ordinance since it was adopted in 1984.  This plan establishes a strategic framework to shape and guide that development and to coalesce the efforts of all who believe that the Valley is and will be a vibrant, vital place to live, work and raise a family.  

Acknowledgments and Sources

The preparation of the Valley Plan was a collaborative effort among Valley stakeholders, community groups, local government, academic institutions and HANDS Inc. Without the strong support, cooperation, and input from each of the individuals and agencies, this plan would never have been completed. It is hoped that this strong collaboration will provide the direction and energy needed to implement the recommendations of this plan.  The final document was compiled by a team that included the staff of HANDS Inc. led by volunteer planners, Tom Schulze and Margo Borg. The members of this collaboration are listed below:  

Information and recommendations in this document was gathered from previously published studies and public meetings. The sources for this material are listed below.  

ü      An Initial Community Meeting on June 23, 2001 , which was attended by 150 stakeholders, under the banner of Orange-Model City - 2010.

ü      The results of a Rutgers University team of graduate City Planning students led by Professor Alan Mallach who researched the area’s needs and helped residents develop a neighborhood plan. This work included a meeting with the public on September 28, 2002 to discuss the area’s concerns and desires, numerous follow-up meetings between the Rutgers team and residents, a presentation by the Rutgers team to the public on December 12, 2002 , and finally, a final report on their work and findings.

ü      From January through May of 2002 a team of NJIT graduate architecture students researched the potential for reuse of the F. Berg hat factory complex and other underdeveloped properties in the Valley.

ü      Valley Neighborhood Preservation Program – A five-year plan of housing and commercial improvement, park and street beautification was developed in 2000 for the state funded Neighborhood Preservation Program (NPP)

ü      The Orange Urban Enterprise Zone drafted target area goals to be adopted by the UEZ in 2003

ü      The HUD Consolidated Plan submitted by the City of Orange to the federal government in collaboration with the County of Essex

ü      The 1990 and 2000 Census.

ü      Orange Model City community Forum on Public Safety, October, 2001

ü      A Faculty and Graduate student team from Seton Hall University conducted an extensive community cultural needs assessment involving over 500 participants and researched successful community based arts program nationwide from June to October, 2003.

ü      Community meetings held in the Valley to finalize the plan, held on:  October 23, 2003 , November 12, 2003 , December 4, 2003 and December 11, 2003.

HANDS Inc.
December, 2003

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