BY SETH MANDEL
Staff Writer
MILLTOWN — A councilman and the mayor sparred briefly at Monday’s Borough Council meeting over an agreement regarding the Ford Avenue redevelopment plans.
Councilman Gerard Cappella said that when the Ford Avenue Redevelopment Agency, on which both he and Mayor Gloria Bradford sit, was created, both parties agreed to leave the redevelopment out of the town’s political arena.
“It was a policy decision between the parties to keep it out so it would move and progress to where it is today,” Cappella said.
Cappella, a Democrat, believes the agreement was violated just prior to the Nov. 2 election, when Bradford, who is a Republican, wrote a letter to residents referring to the Democrats’ position on Ford Avenue based on their responses to a related question at the recent candidates’ forum.
In the letter, Bradford discussed her views on Ford Avenue, stated that Republican council candidates John Dunay and Chris Grotkopf support the current plans, and took issue with statements made at a forum by Democratic candidates Bill Deinzer and Eric Steeber regarding their interest in more open space and soccer fields on the Ford Avenue site. She then says she is “not convinced the Democrats are truly behind this redevelopment we so desperately need.”
“The way that letter reads,” Cappella said, “is that Councilman Deinzer — when he was asked a direct question — said that he wanted a couple soccer fields, and Eric Steeber wanted open space. That wasn’t the position of our candidates.”
He explained that the Democratic candidates for council were simply stating what they would like the redevelopment plan to include aside from what is already planned. He said that Steeber felt that the density allowed for by the current plan was too high, and that he wanted to see more open space, but not all open space.
“I’m a believer in truth, and if that letter was worded any differently, there wouldn’t have been a care in the world, but that letter was worded the way it was worded. I believe she owes the candidates an apology, and the residents, for trying to misrepresent their actual statements at the debate,” Cappella said.
Bradford said the parties agreed not to impede the progress of the redevelopment, and that has not been violated.
“All we said was, neither party wanted to hurt the Ford Avenue project, and I don’t think we did. No one took anything away from Ford Avenue,” Bradford said.
She said that the comments of the Democratic candidates were on the public record, and the content of her letter was truthful. She said she never has, and never will, deceitfully represent the views of the members of the opposing political party.
“I run on my record, and my record is honesty and cooperation,” Bradford said.
Cappella said that he is aware of the significance of the Ford Avenue redevelopment, and that even if borough officials do not raise the subject at public meetings, residents will.
“That we understand. We know that’s going to happen, we know people are going to have questions, people are going to have concerns. We understand them, but we wanted to allow the agency to do their work and approach it from that end without interference from the council,” he said.
Bradford said she does not believe anyone interfered with the project, and that she wouldn’t do anything toendanger the redevelopment.
“We honored that agreement. We supported Ford Avenue development the same way that they supported it,” Bradford said. “My heart and soul is in Ford Avenue. I was instrumental in getting the thing started and I believe in it, and I just hope that this little outburst doesn’t hurt it.”
She added that both Democrats and Republicans in town have called to support her since the meeting, and that there is no political rift between the parties.
“It is one man’s comments, and in no way reflects the opinion of the Republican or Democrat party. As long as I am the mayor, the Republicans and Democrats can work together. I’m sure that the Ford Avenue redevelopment will go on, and so will the work that goes on between the council and the mayor,” Bradford said.
Bradford called Cappella’s comments “personal,” and said that such things have no place at public meetings.
“No one should be attacked personally. I was attacked personally. We should be above that. Attack issues, don’t attack people,” she said.
Cappella agreed that the Borough Council has worked well together, not only on the Ford Avenue redevelopment, but on all the issues that the municipality has faced over the years.
“Everybody wants to achieve the common goal of redevelopment. The council has worked hard together, it just becomes very difficult to decipher things as you go through and up to an election,” Cappella said. He added however that candidates should never be misrepresented, nor their words distorted.
“Enough is enough already,” he said.