With great interest, I have been following the plans to construct a town center in Middletown. I am surprised to hear there has been some controversy around the development of an attractive town center that will provide $4 million in property tax revenue, endless amenities, hundreds of permanent jobs and a central place where the community can gather.
In the town I represent, Washington Township in Mercer County, our town center has been the saving grace for taxpayers. We are still in the construction phase of a mix of homes and retail stores, but have already reaped enough additional revenue to ensure a flat municipal tax rate.
In addition, we have created a focal point for our community, which is one of the fastest growing towns in New Jersey. Our town center ensures that no matter how much construction takes place over the next few decades, Washington Township will be able to offer its own downtown and sense of community.
Whether to build or not build a town center really comes back to what residents want for their town. You can think small and simply hope and pray that a stretch of valuable real estate in the center of Middletown remains wooded for years to come. Or you can advocate for the construction of an attractive downtown that will be a source of pride for the entire community, and generate millions of dollars for the municipal coffers.
In my opinion, municipalities across New Jersey are all heading into bankruptcy. The price of all municipal services is skyrocketing, and taxpayers are continually socked with higher taxes and fees. There has to be a breaking point.
A good mayor and council must aggressively seek opportunities to advocate smart growth, offsetting the high cost of municipal services with well-conceived projects that serve the needs of the populace, while nurturing a sense of community.
The town square proposal in Middletown, similar to the town center being constructed in my hometown, is the right remedy for municipalities today. I am especially pleased to see the Middletown project includes a residential component that is designed for families without children. This is an enormous factor for keeping property taxes affordable.
School enrollment is one of largest drains on taxpayer resources. If we did not construct our town center, and opted to sell the land to the developer who wanted to build 800 homes, each property tax bill here would be hundreds of dollars higher.
We did the math and it is simply unbelievable. The homes that were planned for the site, offering four bedrooms and two bathrooms, were ideal for families with children. Imagine that each of the 800 households had an average of two children. This would mean that Washington Township would have to come up with the resources to educate 1,600 students. At a per-pupil cost of, say, $10,000 per child, this community would have had to raise an additional $16 million a year. What a disaster.
Instead, we opted to do the same thing that is being proposed for a town square in Middletown. We have designed dwellings that are not conducive for families. Our single-family homes have tiny yards, and we have emphasized the construction of townhouses and row homes, which typically do not attract growing families.
I am pleased with what we have been able to accomplish in Washington Township. I genuinely hope that Middletown, as well as communities throughout New Jersey, will follow our lead and will soon be able to also reap the benefits that we are currently enjoying.
Town centers, in my opinion, are truly the solution to keep communities affordable, strong and together.
David Fried is the mayor of Washington Township, Mercer County