Boro now a town center

Milltown eligible for more grants to fund downtown improvement projects

By Sandi carpello
Staff Writer

Milltown eligible for more grants to fund downtown improvement projects

By Sandi carpello

Staff Writer

MILLTOWN — State officials recently gave the borough "town center" status, putting it at the top of a list for receiving funding for downtown improvement projects.

The borough was notified Sept. 18 of its designation by the state Department of Community Affairs State Planning Commission.

Officials had been seeking town center status since 1998, when the borough’s Revitalization Committee first applied in an effort to help the borough obtain additional funds for the improvements in the downtown area.

"As we all know, the big problem is money," said Revitalization Committee Chairwoman Anne Perlin. "We are now on the inside track to more funding and assistance from the state."

The town center designation, as defined by the State Planning Commission, is designed to accommodate centralized growth rather than sprawl development. Centers consume less land, deplete fewer natural resources, and are more efficient in the delivery of public services, according to the state.

Although the title alone does not guarantee the borough any additional funding, it will put Milltown on a "first priority" list for receiving grants, said Mayor Gloria Bradford.

She said the status would allot the borough privileges such as the ability to bypass some of the state’s preliminary investigations during a lengthy grant application process. In addition, it will move them to the front lines in receiving expert assistance from the state.

The criterion for the town center designation establishes certain basic thresholds of land area, population, employment and density.

According to the State Development and Redevelopment Plan, town centers must have a population of between 1,000 and 10,000 people, a land area of less than 2 square miles, be served by an arterial highway or public transit, contain neighborhoods with a variety of residential housing types, and provide most of the commercial, industrial, office, cultural, and governmental functions needed by residents on a daily basis.

The centers must meet the criteria until the year 2020.

The five-year-old Revitalization Committee has previously secured funding for projects including the repaving of the library parking lot, pedestrian safety devices, and the proposed redevelopment of Ford Avenue.

Among the downtown improvement projects committee members now hope to secure funding for are the establishment of age-restricted housing on selected sites, and increasing the amount of pedestrian and bicycle paths in the downtown area.

"We had a good year, and we hope it keeps up," Bradford said, referring in part to the borough’s receipt of more than $1.3 million in grants and loans for the Mill Pond Park Project.

The mayor said receiving the town center status is a mark of distinction for the borough. "The title is not easily given by the state," she said.