The history of the Aberdeen-Matawan train station redevelopment impasse, as described in today's Independent, is a tale of a fatal difference of opinion between two municipalities over which developer to use. The tussle prompted one of the developers to sue, and that locked things up royally at the proposed Transit Village for years and years.
No doubt there are reasons why the Borough found its own developer instead of sticking with the Township's, but the end result is that an utter lack of cooperation between municipalities has left us in a worse place than if we'd moved forward through compromise long ago.
Amazingly, at this point in the game, the parties seem to have determined that the only way to get anything done is for each municipality to develop its own part of the station and to forgo compromise and cooperation. That piecemeal approach should make the place look just swell, don't you think? A veritable hodgepodge of designs could ensue. And it teaches our youth so much about getting along.
If you thought pointless yet wasteful tugs of war were fought only inside the Beltway, you were mistaken.
The incumbents have continued to move forward on the proposed Aberdeen Transit Village in partnership with a convicted felon, who tried to bribe an IRS agent. This "Village" is a poorly conceived project that could bring as many as 10,000 additional cars into our town on a daily basis and would utterly devastate the quality of life for many of our neighbors. We are committed to scrapping that plan and we will work as partners with the mayor and council of Matawan to create a joint plan that will revitalize the area and benefit the people of both communities.
ReplyDeleteI thought the gist of the Independent article was that working together was out the window, that the Borough and Township were going their separate ways, and that the joint Transit Village project is in the dustpan. Presumably each municipality will do what it sees fit. Our towns were not even mentioned in a recent APP article about planned transit villages. The idea that you need to fight its construction is rather surprising and even funny. It has been 12 years. It's just not happening.
ReplyDeleteAnd why would Aberdeen Republicans, who aren't in office, "work" with Matawan's Council to do anything? I don't see that you have standing. Plus I don't see that the Borough has any magic answers in managing things. Just look at their downtown and tell me you think they're innovative. C'mon.