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bobk
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 4178
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 31, 2003 - 6:42 am: |     |
Last night's TC meeting was reasonably interesting. The TC voted down the intial $1.5million bond for the police station with David Huemer, who previously seemed in favor of the bond, voting with The Mayor and Mr. Ryan to kill the ordinance.
There was also a lot of bickering about spending $10,750 for planning work as respects two possible sites suggested by the citizen committee on SA (Betty White Studio and Maplewood Tire). I don't know how this one turned out as I clicked over to the Knicks game and the Knicks were on a 14-2 run against Miami. 
The Boyden Avenue Two (the two nice ladies who were arrested on Monday) and friends, inclduing our own AJC,spoke about the bus problem on Boyden Avenue and there was some discussion about putting a weight limit on the street, although this may not be possible.
One way or another by Thursday there will be a new TC and any bets on who will be elected Mayor? |
Chris Dickson
Citizen
Username: Ironman
Post Number: 948
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 31, 2003 - 5:30 pm: | |
Deb Lyons delivered a very eliquent "Thank You" to Vic and Jerry too ... It was very nice and well deserved. There was also the appointment of a new Lieutenant to the Maplewood Fire Department (I apologize that I cannot recall his name) ...
Then we all went to the Gate and drank beer ... |
r2boy
Real Name
Username: R2boy
Post Number: 127
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 7, 2004 - 7:49 am: | |
At last night's TC mtg it was mentioned that the most favored site for the new police station was on the west side of Springfield Ave between the park and the old Apter bldg. What happens to the already established merchants that are now there in these three bldgs? Are they relocated or just shoved out the door?Some have been there for over 30 years...I thought the idea was to bring business to the avenue but now they want to get rid of atleast 8 that are located on this site..The hearing on Jan 20th will include another presentation by the architect...Does the Task Comm which was formed to pick a suitable site ever shop on the ave? I wonder... |
ajc
Citizen
Username: Ajc
Post Number: 2284
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 7, 2004 - 6:34 pm: | |
"Does the Task Commission which was formed to pick a suitable site ever shop on the Avenue? I wonder..."
R2boy, in a strange and round about way, I do find this is something interesting to wonder about.
Even more interesting is, now that hiring a professional planner appears to be on the town’s radar screen, wouldn't it make more sense to “first” see how he/she feels about getting rid of the eight or so businesses located at this site on the Avenue? Listen, what do I know? The regulars on this Board know my choice still remains the branch library site.
However, last year I made it known here on MOL that I had a developer willing to pay 2.5 million for the library, or swap them even up for the Verizon building on Burnett. This same developer has since purchased one of Verizon’s buildings in East Orange, and has been accepted as the high bidder on the property on Burnett as well. I might add that he’s also bidding on a half dozen more of the 18 other properties Verizon is selling.
The point I’d like to make is this. A professional needs to look at the town as a whole. There are a lot of developers out here looking for real-estate deals with much deeper pockets than Maplewood has. They have the money, the vision, and in most cases are looking for commercial property just like what we have here in town. This is all they do all day, everyday, in towns all over the state.
Therefore, rather than continuing to have the township committee, and all these well intentioned volunteer’s guessing where to build the new police headquarters, I feel it would be best, as our new Mayor has repeatedly stated, to just hire a professional planner and get on with it.
I haven't totaled up all the money that last year’s township committee has spent on presentations prepared by the architects, but I suspect at this point it’s becoming substantial. It certainly would be enough to pay a professional planner a few months salary, and as Fred has said, it’s the best investment our town can make...
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r2boy
Real Name
Username: R2boy
Post Number: 128
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, January 8, 2004 - 6:27 am: | |
I agree Art, that a professional planner would be in the town's best interest. I would hate to see these merchants be forced out. It seems like this is a "rush" job to build the new police headquarters.While I disagree about the library site, I felt the Verizon bldg was a better choice. After spending all this money for architect drawings etc. what has been accomplished? not much.... |
ajc
Citizen
Username: Ajc
Post Number: 2290
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, January 8, 2004 - 9:12 am: | |
Well, if nothing else, they now know a few places where the residents don't want the police headquarters.
It's a sad commentary. The town made a collective decision, weighed it against a number of other possibilities, hired a architectural firm to confirm the location, and then buckled under the pressure of 100 or so people opposed to it.
Everyone knows by now that we need a new police headquarters, and that it needs to be built somewhere in town. However, wherever they decide to build it, someone will come along to fight it.
We elect leaders to run the town and make decisions. Some decisions will be good and some not so good. Hey, look at what just happened at the WTC Memorial site after reviewing over 5,000 different plans. Some people still want them to start all over again...
Enough already. I hope this new TC hires the professional planner, stands their ground, and gets on with it.
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ajc
Citizen
Username: Ajc
Post Number: 2446
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Monday, February 16, 2004 - 1:14 pm: | |
TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT!
Main Library, 7:30pm... |
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