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South Orange Alliance for Redevelopment
Citizen
Username: Soar
Post Number: 17
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, February 3, 2005 - 10:55 pm: | 
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The talk of adding Valley Street to the CBD, Central Business District for redevelopment purposes was announced today in the News Record, although the BOT has been openly discussing this option for some time now.
This latest development worries us in that since our Village adopted the NJ Redevelopment Act over ten years ago , we have yet to see a new structure materialize in the present CBD. Beifus is still a vacant lot and the present trustees have stated that they have no faith in Mr. Beifus as a developer. SOPAC has yet to materialize and the myriad concerns and issues surrounding it are old news. Suffice to say that recent disclosures that the theater will not accomodate theatrical produutions, that there is still no business plan, that there is no fundrasing for an operating budget because there is no clear picture of what SOPAC will be as of yet AND the fact that there are serious concerns being raised by a member of the CBAC as to budgetary shortfalls does not bode well for SOPAC. New Market has yet to come up with an acceptable developer's agreement for their project which means we still own the Shoprite property and no work can be done. This is hardly a rosy picture of redevelopment.
There is no master plan for redevelopment in South Orange. Hence the piecemeal approach to a complicated situation. Adding Valley Street at this time, with the present redevelopment light years behind an acceptable schedule, does not seem the best couse of action.
Before we pay a team of consultants to look into Valley Street, our monies might be better spent in having consultants create a master plan for the redevelopmentof the Village that could include Valley Street but that would also address the concerns about the present plans as well as traffic flow, parking, river project, etc.
We are not opposed to further redevelopment in South Orange. There are buildings on Valley Street that are an eyesore and we would love to see a professional (emphasis on professional)developer remedy that situation. It would be nice to see the present work completed on South Orange Avenue and a master plan created before we take on another project.
Of course, the bigger question is who would handle this new redevelopment project? If left in the hands of the present redevelopment committee, we would have to say NO to the idea. Since what you see is what you get, the answer is obvious.
But if, as Bill Calabrese alluded to in the News Record article, a Downtown Redevelopment Corporation with a professional at the helm would be in charge, that paints a much more acceptable and optimistic picture.
Rememeber, by the end of March, the DRMC(Downtown Redevelopment and Management Corporation) will be presenting their final recommendations to the BOT. Stay invovled and insure that we get redevelopment out of the hands of government officials and employees and into the hands of experienced and knowledgable professionals. |
PARROT HEAD
Citizen
Username: Island_jack
Post Number: 26
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, February 3, 2005 - 11:38 pm: |
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S.O.A.R.
I agree 100%. Instead of starting new "Redevelopement" projects, this town should focus on the projects at hand.
First of all, the diesel-filled hole in the ground behind Bunny's, better known as the South Orange Performing Arts Center. Why do we need the SOPAC when the NJPAC is just a 15 minute train ride away.
Next, the Beifus rubble pile (that used to be a great place to play wiffle-ball by the way) Something has to be done with that.
How about the Shoprite,or Village Market, or as I like to call it, the oldest "Coming Soon" sign in South Orange? What's going on with that?
Not to mention that strip of store fronts on Vose Ave. the town purchased. (like we really need that)
And (Iknow it's not town property (anymore)) but what about MIDAS'S TOWN HALL DELI and MUFFLER SERVICE? I dont know if I should go into Washington Mutual Bank for a Sloppy Joe or walk to Midas to deposit a check.
Like I said SOAR, I agree with focusing on current projects instead of getting WAY ahead of ourselves. |
noracoombs
Citizen
Username: Noracoombs
Post Number: 58
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Friday, February 4, 2005 - 11:52 am: |
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Don't forget about Irvington Ave. Yes, streetlamps were finally installed, but what happened to all the other improvements that were supposed to be happening? This is a project that has been on the table for what? Three years? |
mrosner
Citizen
Username: Mrosner
Post Number: 1680
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Friday, February 4, 2005 - 11:57 am: |
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nora: As has been said many times, Irvington Ave was being paid for with grant money and the village had to wait for those funds before starting the project. |
pan
Citizen
Username: Pan
Post Number: 92
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Friday, February 4, 2005 - 1:14 pm: |
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Right on SOAR.
Experience has shown us that the Village can only show costly gigantic blunders in their management of the downtown redevelopment. What? They now need more space to spread more blunders? Com'on. A little sanity please. |
cmontyburns
Citizen
Username: Cmontyburns
Post Number: 668
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Friday, February 4, 2005 - 5:04 pm: |
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Specifics. Talk specifics. "Serious concerns." Outline them. Give us numbers, people to call, dates.
Otherwise this ends up feeling like a political discussion. |
mary032
Citizen
Username: Mary032
Post Number: 121
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, February 5, 2005 - 1:29 pm: |
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cmontyburns, you are right. redevelopment should not be a political discussion. however the micromanagement of the BoT, their control freakiness, and the centralized power in the hands of the very few, have politicized every issue in the Village, All you have to do is visit the Village's website to see how much out of touch with reality the messages are by trying to present that all is well and on target in the Village thanks to the superior job that the BoT is doing.
you want specifics? Here they are.
http://www.southorangevillage.com/cgi-bin/show.cgi?tpc=3133&post=288391#POST2883 91 |
Two Sense
Citizen
Username: Twosense
Post Number: 25
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, February 6, 2005 - 3:28 pm: |
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Bill Calabrese now is endorsing a downtown REDEVELOPMENT corporation (2/03/05 News Record), while simultaneously attempting to pre-empt future recommendations of the DMC committee. He wants the DMC to look at redevelopment "with parameters, have them talk with developers, let them interview developers and see the proposals." He wants the DMC to "do most of the legwork so they can feel they have some ownership of progress," and make recommendations to the Trustees. While this reflects a long-overdue positive shift in attitude towards community involvement in downtown redevelopment, it unfortunately reflects a thinly-veiled attempt to maintain much of the status quo -- casting a future DMC merely as a review group of developers and proposals served up by the village administrator. A DMC should not be created to make participants feel they have some ownership of the progress. It should be created to improve and more effectively manage the process -- from end to end.
The Village has hired planning consultants to "study" the proposed Valley Street redevelopment zone because a single, large developer has made a massive proposal to redevelop Valley Street -- from First Street to the Maplewood. Remarkably, there's no up-to-date master plan within which to view this mega-project in any meaningful context; there's been no redevelopment requirements put forth for public comment; and, there's been no evidence of a public RFP process to seek out the very best competitive alternatives. It's fair to say that this town has been there, done that. Bill, doesn't this strike you as deja vu -- all over again? |
mary032
Citizen
Username: Mary032
Post Number: 122
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Monday, February 7, 2005 - 11:48 am: |
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It's interesting that Calabrese, who has been holding the reins of redevelopment for two years - since the recommendations of the Task Force, who has opposed a DRMC and has delayed a DMC, is now endorsing a DRMC. Now, just 3 months before the election when 2 of his cohorts, Theroux and Steglitz are going to be challenged! Very interesting.
What a comedy! |
South Orange Alliance for Redevelopment
Citizen
Username: Soar
Post Number: 18
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, February 10, 2005 - 4:48 pm: |
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Two-sense and Mary032...would love to speak directly with you. I am the President of SOAR, the SOuth Orange Alliance for Redevelopment and we are on the same page. |
Soda
Supporter
Username: Soda
Post Number: 2546
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 10, 2005 - 5:02 pm: |
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The Oracle contends that Steglitz will not seek another term.
-s.
BTW, Mary32, Two Sense, et al: Soda won't drink S.O.A.R.'s Kool-Ade; should you? |
doublea
Supporter
Username: Doublea
Post Number: 874
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 10, 2005 - 5:45 pm: |
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SOAR - You might want to move your new thread about SOPAC so that it doesn't get lost. I was listening to the Planning Board meeting Monday evening when Janine Bauer said the soil from the SOPAC site exceeded DEA limits, but this was in regard to Sayed. I was wondering what impact this woud have at the SOPAC site.
What was said at the Planning Board meeting was that the soil exceeded the limits for certain insecticides, as I recall. Sayed would either have to get a waiver from DEP, or cap the fill.
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doublea
Supporter
Username: Doublea
Post Number: 875
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 10, 2005 - 5:59 pm: |
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By the way, South Orange is very lucky to have Janine Bauer on the Planning Board and Enviromental Committee. I don't know Janine personally, but she's exceptional and I hope she runs for BOT someday. |
Two Sense
Citizen
Username: Twosense
Post Number: 26
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Friday, February 11, 2005 - 5:31 pm: |
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SOAR, if you're eager to recruit disciples, you should refrain from spamming S.O. e-mail accounts -- illegal under the Federal Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003 (CAN-SPAM Act) -- with unverified and exxagerated comments. Your intentions are noteworthy and noble, but your approach is off-putting, which may be why only 12% of MOL Survey responders (a seemingly pro-SOAR group) had a positive view of you -- albeit 2%-6% more than incumbents Theroux, Steglitz, Taylor, and Calabrese. Keep pushing forward, but try a bit more conciliatory shtik. |
Sitoyan
Citizen
Username: Sitoyan
Post Number: 34
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Friday, February 11, 2005 - 6:25 pm: |
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I agree with Two Sense. SOAR I know you mean well, but your attacking persons rather than issues doesn't help your image. It is obvious that you have a vendetta against Calabrese, Gross, Matthews, Steglitz and Theroux. Your style is tackling issues without offering some realistic alternatives. That makes you look like cry-babies. Not a nice image if you want to expand your base. |
mary032
Citizen
Username: Mary032
Post Number: 123
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Friday, February 11, 2005 - 6:31 pm: |
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two sense, where can I find the MOL survey results that you are referring to? I responded to that survey but didn't see the results anywhere. |
MHD
Citizen
Username: Mayhewdrive
Post Number: 1873
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, February 11, 2005 - 9:31 pm: |
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Mary,
http://www.southorangevillage.com/cgi-bin/show.cgi?tpc=10210&post=321651#POST321 651 |
South Orange Alliance for Redevelopment
Citizen
Username: Soar
Post Number: 24
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, February 13, 2005 - 9:47 pm: |
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SOAR's e-mail always contains the phrase that if you do not wish to be part of our redevelopment updates, simply alert us to that fact and your name will be deleted. We have removed less than ten people from our list and the remainder of our e-mail recipients(over 600) welcome our reports. Our last update resulted in inumerable thank you's for keeping people informed.
We do not have a personal vendetta against any politician in this town. We offer fair commentary and criticism when we see it. After years of following redevelopment, we have come to the conclusion that our present redevelopment committee...consisting of Bill Calbrese, Ed Matthews and John Gross are not qualified, professionally or via experience , to handle the job of redevelopment. Period. Nothing personal at all about it. The condidtion of the Village speaks for itself. We believe that redevelopment needs to be in the hands of experienced professionals. Not too radical of an approach, right?
Any organization or person that takes it upon themselves to investigate a situation and then reveal what they believe to be grave concerns and mistakes will always be open to attack. SOAR understood this from the start, as have many individuals in this Village who have voiced their concerns, only to be attacked for their interest and involvement. It's part of the process.
We do take your comments seriously though because our goal is to move redevelopment forward by pointing out what we believe to be the problems and offering suggestions to improve the process. If we can do it in a better fashion, we will. |
Shelley Stile
Citizen
Username: Sstile
Post Number: 41
Registered: 12-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, February 13, 2005 - 10:06 pm: |
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Hey! I looked at the MOL Survey and guess what? There is no mention of SOAR at all. My name is mentioned as a public figure in SO alongside the members of the BOT. Damn, I didn't know I was considered a public figure!
Anyhow, i got more neutral responses than negative and about half as many postive. I just want people to know that SOAR does not equal me. We have expanded our board and their roles have become much more involved. All decisions regarding SOAR are set by the board of directors of SOAR not me. Given the expansion of SOAR, our biard members are all stepping up to the plate and many of my duties have been picked up by other active members. I welcome this and appreciate it.
I do take the comments on the MOL survey seriously and will endeavor to make myself more palatable in the public eye , given the fact that I have just discoverd I am a public figure up there with the BOT members!!! |
mary032
Citizen
Username: Mary032
Post Number: 124
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, February 13, 2005 - 10:10 pm: |
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Thanx MHD
Mary |
Two Sense
Citizen
Username: Twosense
Post Number: 28
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Friday, February 18, 2005 - 5:56 pm: |
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SOAR/Stile, it looks like one of you is trying to have an out-of-body experience. It's just a bit disingenuous to suggest that "SOAR does not equal Stile," and that you've not cast yourself as a public figure -- subject to the same scrutiny that all public figures invite. |
Sitoyan
Citizen
Username: Sitoyan
Post Number: 39
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Friday, February 18, 2005 - 8:34 pm: |
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Shelley Stile, how many of your "board members" and "active members" does it take to fabricate all the misinformation you spread on this board under the user name "South Orange Alliance for Redevelopment"?
SOAR=Shelley Stile
Shelley Stile=SOAR
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