Message from Mayor Josh Losardo – October 9, 2026

Scotch Plains is always focused on the future — thinking about what we want our community to look like not just next year, but 10 or 20 years from now.

That’s really what our Township Master Plan is all about.

Every municipality in New Jersey has a Master Plan that helps guide decisions about land use, development and the future needs of the community. State law requires municipalities to update these plans every 10 years, and Scotch Plains is now working toward adopting our updated plan by the December deadline.

I want to emphasize one important point: The Master Plan itself does not rezone properties or make immediate changes to our neighborhoods. Rather, it provides a roadmap to help guide future decisions.

And the most important voices in creating that roadmap are yours.

The Planning Board asked residents to participate in a community survey and also heard directly from the public at its September 14 meeting. The responses told us a lot about what residents value and what they would like us to improve.

One number especially stood out to me: 79% of respondents said they are satisfied or extremely satisfied with the quality of life in Scotch Plains.

That’s something we should all be proud of. At the same time, residents made it clear that they want us to keep improving our town while protecting the suburban, family-oriented character that makes Scotch Plains such a special place to live.

Two issues in particular rose to the top: our downtown and flooding.

Residents told us they want a stronger downtown, with more restaurants and retail, better places for people to gather and improvements to our streetscape — while maintaining the character and architecture that make downtown Scotch Plains unique.

We’ve already been working toward those goals. The Township and our designated redeveloper, Woodmont Properties, publicly presented the proposed downtown redevelopment project in May. The proposal includes 10,000 square feet of new retail and restaurant space and a large public plaza along Park Avenue that would complement the Alan Augustine Village Green and provide another gathering place for our community.

You can learn more about the downtown plans here: Scotch Plains Downtown Redevelopment

Flooding was another major concern raised by residents, and understandably so.

While flooding is a regional problem that extends well beyond our borders, there are things we can do here in Scotch Plains to help address it. We already have several efforts underway, including an NJIT study monitoring water levels at four flood-prone locations, an inventory of our stormwater infrastructure, a new rain garden initiative for residents and an increased DPW focus on keeping waterways and storm basins clear of debris.

We’re also continuing to advocate for a larger, permanent solution through our membership in the Green Brook Flood Control Commission. That includes supporting federal efforts to bring the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers into the process to study and help develop long-term flood-control solutions.

The feedback we received through the Master Plan process gives us a clearer picture of what residents want for the future of Scotch Plains. Just as importantly, it shows that many of those priorities are already being addressed.

There is plenty of work ahead, and we will continue keeping you informed about our downtown, our flood-mitigation efforts and the other issues that matter to our community.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to participate. Your input is helping us plan for a Scotch Plains that continues to be a wonderful place to call home for generations to come.

For more information about the Master Plan and the next steps in the process, please visit: Scotch Plains Township Master Plan Hub