By:Roger Alvarado
Mayor Angelo Corradino made successfully redeveloping the Rustic Mall, reducing property taxes and improving the borough’s "quality of life" his top priorities for 2005 during Saturday’s annual reorganization meeting.
"We have seen a number of new initiatives started in 2004 that we need to see to completion in 2005," Mayor Corradino said. "The first will be naming a ‘redeveloper’ for the Rustic Mall."
The mayor said he hopes to accomplish that by the end of February.
"We are looking forward to working with the present owners to come up with a bona-fide proposal so that together we can work with the EPA to facilitate the redevelopment of this property in an expeditious manner," Mayor Corradino said.
To that end, Mayor Corradino formed a Rustic Mall special committee for redevelopment comprised of himself, Council President Ted Petrock and new Councilman Robert Petrone that will "review and make recommendations" on any plans submitted for the redevelopment of the property.
In addition, the three will sit on a special advisory committee along with Drewby’s owner Robert Gatto, Discount Mattress owner Oscar Gonzalez and Town Centre Hardware owner Richard McCurdy that will also review the redevelopment plans and determine whether or not any of the borough’s current businesses would suffer adverse effects stemming from the mall redevelopment.
Mayor Corradino says the borough has come a long way over the last five years, but that’s not enough.
"We need to help alleviate the burden of property taxes on the residents of this fine borough," Mayor Corradino said.
Though the borough remains the second lowest taxed community in Somerset County according to the mayor, there is still room for improvement.
"We are the second-lowest taxed community in Somerset County, which makes us like Avis," Mayor Corradino said. "We need to try harder to become the lowest."
Mayor Corradino thanked Manville schools Superintendent Dr. Donald Burkhart for working "to keep school taxes at an affordable level without jeopardizing the education of our students."
The borough is at a point where it has shifted from worrying about "survival issues" stemming from the devastation of Hurricane Floyd to focusing more on "quality of life issues," the mayor said.
"We have started a clean-up of Main Street both with public works and the police department, and we will continue to monitor Main Street with a stronger police presence," Mayor Corradino said. "We want our residents to enjoy the trees we have planted on Main Street and relax on the benches that are there, but we will not tolerate anyone loitering or harassing shoppers using our Main Street stores.
He also touted the borough’s plans to enforce ordinances banning unregistered vehicles and neglected properties. The mayor went on to say that the borough will not tolerate commercial vehicles parked in residential areas "infringing on the quality of life of the neighbors."
In order to actively pursue those initiatives the mayor says he will ask council members to hire two additional police officers and code enforcement personnel later this year.
"These initiatives will pay for themselves in the reduction of police overtime and with the annual fees we are collecting from the landlords of multiple family dwellings," Mayor Corradino said.
The borough will also seek to formally resolve its one remaining builder’s remedy suit in 2005, Mayor Corradino said.
The mayor defended his November decision to settle the suit saying that the court appointed master would have recommended that the property could be built on and that had it not settled it could have ended up with an obligation to build as many as 17 townhouse units instead of the 10 ultimately agreed to.
The borough will also look to secure grant money to develop the 12.28 acres of property it purchased from RJN Developers in order to prevent the developer from building 64 townhouse units in Lost Valley for $725,000 ($245,000 came from Somerset County open space grants).
Mayor Corradino recalled some of the challenges the borough has faced and overcome since he became mayor 14 years ago, including redeveloping the abandoned Johns-Manville factory..
"We have accomplished a lot over the years," Mayor Corradino said. "We have redeveloped a piece of brownfield property before it became a buzz-word. From those broken down buildings, we now have a Wal-Mart, a McDonald’s, a movie theatre, and a thriving mall.
"We went from ‘where is Manville?’ to ‘I am going to Manville to shop; to go to the movies; or to go to a fine restaurant,’" Mayor Corradino said.
The mayor praised the efforts of Sen. (Walter) Kavanaugh and assemblymen (Kip) Bateman and (Peter) Biondi, who assisted the borough in securing discretionary aid in the aftermath of Hurricane Floyd and said "we will need their assistance again as we progress towards the end of the clean up in Claremont, and revaluation of the homes that were given tax reductions in Lost Valley while they recovered from Hurricane Floyd."
The mayor said that the revenue lost in the two areas amounted to almost $700,000.
The mayor says he’s confident that the new year will be a good one for the borough.
"I am very proud of where we have come, and where we are going," Mayor Corradino said. "I am looking forward to 2005 with great optimism. I believe this is going to be one of the best years for the borough of Manville, and its residents."
In addition to the mayor’s address, Councilwoman Susan Asher was sworn in to begin her second three-year term on the council and newcomer Robert Petrone was sworn in to his first term.
Mr. Petrock was unanimously re-elected council president.
