Letters to the Editor, Jan. 3

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, Jan. 3

By:
Project is asset to borough, taxpayers
To the editor:
   The following is a response to an open letter from James Firestone, which appeared in the Dec. 31, 2002 edition of The Packet:
   Three years ago, the Borough Council, the Township Committee and the Library Trustees came to an agreement to rebuild the public library at its original location — in the main business and geographical center of the community. In exchange, the borough agreed that there would be adequate access and parking.
   One way suggested to achieve this commitment was to build a parking structure large enough not only to absorb the additional library demand but to provide more badly needed spaces for other downtown activities.
   Council members and other citizens immediately challenged such talk of a "garage":
   1. Don’t make it look like those cheap, ugly, stand-alone garages we’re seeing built in Trenton and New Brunswick. Keep it within the scale, tradition and quality we associate with downtown Princeton.
   2. And, even more important, it should be an asset to the borough and not subsidized by its taxpayers.
   Careful study, along with lots of public involvement, has produced a plan that does this. It is consistent with the zoning for the area. It works financially. It adds a beautiful new park and plaza to enhance the library, new landscaped internal walkways, a convenient downtown food market and affordable housing. It does this at a "Guaranteed Maximum Price" and on a fast-track time schedule.
   The state’s Redevelopment Act deliberately gives municipalities the power to allow for a private developer to manage the construction of such a project and pay the borough land rent and other special assessments that carry the financial burden that can’t be met from reasonably priced parking fees. The project — not taxes — pays the debt and carries the financial burden.
   Jim Firestone and his Concerned Citizens group have submitted various alternatives, suggesting that the Borough Council reach some kind of compromise. To date, however, the shelves, decks or half-garages they have proposed are "plain vanilla" stand-alone cheap Trenton-style garages. And they end up as a liability, not an asset, to the borough taxpayers.
   Mr. Firestone’s latest proposal to us, using his estimates, produced a $250,000 annual deficit to be made up from taxes. By the more realistic estimates by the borough’s engineers and consultants, Mr. Firestone’s plans would cost taxpayers over $400,000 a year. None of them include the amenities that will add to the attractiveness of this corner of the community, help downtown businesses or meet the commitment we made for adequate access for library patrons.
   Copies of the complete plan, the financial analyses and the final agreement negotiated with the developer are on file for public inspection at Borough Hall and at the public library. The Borough Council is expected to take a final vote on Jan. 21.
   I believe that when we started this effort three years ago, we wanted to do what’s best for the Princeton community and for the future health of its wonderful downtown. The goals are right today. I and many others who have worked so hard on this plan are confident we are achieving them with the Spring Street redevelopment project that has emerged.
Marvin R. Reed
Mayor
Borough of Princeton
Monument Drive
Princeton
Compromise solution can still work for all
To the editor:
   
Your Dec. 31 editorial may have given the public the wrong impression about the motivation of Concerned Citizens of Princeton. We are not "resolved to fight the borough’s plan every step of the way." Nor does the Borough Council "appear to us resolved to dig in its heels and see the project through in the year ahead."
   There is still room to find common ground for both of us in the proposed plan for the central business district. There’s room for the trustees of Princeton University to help, too. We need The Packet’s help and influence to get that message to the public, borough officials and Princeton University, that a compromise solution could work for all of us. It’s far better than going to court, where one side or the other wins or loses and in the end there’s only bitterness.
   The Concerned Citizens group is flexible. Borough Council showed individually some of its own flexibility when Wendy Benchley came up with an idea to phase in the project slowly, to cut down the garage by two levels and apartment house "A" by one. Work on the short-term metered parking lot by the Princeton Record Exchange would be held in abeyance for three to five years to see if it were important to preserve that surface parking or not.
   I can’t speak for all concerned citizens but Ms. Benchley’s idea of doing this over time and making sure the new configuration works made a lot of sense to me. Sure, we citizens don’t get ours and the merchants’ solution of a shelf or expansive two-level parking deck. But compromise in this matter limits the mom-and-pop businesses who are now being severely hurt for one last year, and it keeps the type of structure user-friendly and Princeton-scale for citizens.
   The easiest way to go back and see how this works conceptually is this: If you don’t have the big apartment house, you save on building 110 parking spaces, which is more than one level of the garage. If you don’t disturb the metered parking lot (the heart of the block) with a five- to six-story apartment building, you can take off the rest of the second level of the garage. That gives you a three-and-one-half-story, Chambers Street-style structure that’s user-friendly. It could be built on the same footprint as Princeton Future and the borough currently approve of, leaving the plaza in place, and the footing diagrams for the apartment house and garage the same. No one’s work is wasted. You can still even develop wonderful walkways throughout, which everyone would love. And, if we need a grocery store, consider this: putting it in the base of apartment building "A" where one-stop shopping like the shopping center is so popular. Even the library will be used more that way.
   What’s wrong with Ms. Benchley’s plan? The developer doesn’t see as much profit in it and says he won’t build it. So why can’t the borough compromise with their citizens and get somebody else who can? If Bob Powell really has this town’s interest at heart, rather than HKT’s, it wouldn’t be all or nothing. He’d build it.
   We’d rather not keep walking our petition to have to show the will of the people. But until the Borough Council responds, registered voters opposed to the $13.5 million bond can sign a petition for referendum at Borough Hall on Jan. 4 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Jan. 6 from 3-8 p.m.; and Jan. 8 from 3-6 p.m.
Tina Clement
Vandeventer Avenue
Princeton
Spirit of giving should last all year
To the editor:
   The spirit of giving should live and thrive in all of us throughout the year, not simply be limited to a hectic couple of weeks. Make a difference in 2003 and give more than just material goods. Give gifts of actions, time and talent, of hope, inspiration and charity to those whose needs are great throughout the year.
   The opportunities to give back to our community are plentiful. The Junior League is just one of many organizations that have volunteer programs that enable women with diverse sets of skills to make a positive impact in the community — an opportunity to give of themselves.
   After the hustle and bustle of the holidays, consider getting involved. Reap the satisfying rewards of knowing you’ve made a difference in the lives of many of your neighbors — seniors, children, families at risk. It’s a gift that will come back to you tenfold. It’s a resolution worth keeping.
Anne Reilly
Admissions Coordinator
Junior League of Greater Princeton
Rosewood Court
West Windsor
The gift of sight is a phone call away
To the editor:
   As one of 239 volunteer ophthalmologists here in New Jersey, I am compelled to tell you about the greatest gift you can give a loved one — the gift of sight. One call to the EyeCare America Seniors EyeCare Program could mean the difference between sight and blindness for you or someone you know.
   The program is designed for seniors, age 65 and over, who have not seen an ophthalmologist in three or more years. A simple phone call to the toll-free help-line at (800) 222-EYES can match patients with a volunteer ophthalmologist in their area. The program provides a comprehensive medical eye examination and up to one year of treatment for any condition diagnosed during the initial visit at no expense to the patient.
   As program volunteers, we have agreed to waive Medicare or other insurance co-payments and unmet deductibles, resulting in no out-of-pocket expense to the patient. Seniors without insurance receive care at no charge. The program is co-sponsored by EyeCare America, a public service foundation of The American Academy of Ophthalmology and the Knights Templar Eye Foundation Inc.
   Here in New Jersey, 13,285 people have called the program’s help-line and 8,756 patients were referred to a volunteer in their area.
   I urge you to take advantage of this valuable program — and give the gift of sight this holiday season.
Cynthia Matossian, M.D.
Parkway Avenue
West Trenton
Hospital appreciates generous donation
To the editor:
   On behalf of the emergency department at St. Francis Medical Center, we would like to thank the Princeton Public Library and Johnson Park Elementary School for their generous donation of children’s books to our emergency department.
   Frequently, our emergency department is the destination for indigent children and families whose health requires immediate attention. Books are a wonderful source of comfort and distraction for many of these children and families. A number of the books are in Spanish, which are of particular help to our Latino communities.
   We would like to extend our appreciation to the fourth-graders at Johnson Park Elementary School who sorted the books and to the families of Johnson Park who coordinated and donated the books. They have made a real contribution to Trenton’s children and families. Once again, many thanks for your generosity.
Judith M. Persichilli
President and CEO
Joy Brooks, RN
Emergency Room Nurse
St. Francis Medical Center
Hamilton Avenue
Trenton