School construction hard for resident
To the editor:
My letter is in response to a letter posted in the Oct. 5 edition of The Messenger-Press titled "Build new middle school now."
I do not wish to berate the writer of the original letter, but I think I speak for many when I wish to condole how those on the other side of the fence feel about building the new middle school immediately. For my 18 years of life I have resided in Allentown. It is an amazing little town brimming with history, fine people, and delightful traditions. As we move ahead into the 21st century I am sincerely frightened that the construction building up around little Allentown will hurt its unmatched charm. I am even more alarmed at the prospect of a large school being built on Ellisdale Road, terribly close to my private residence.
Citizens must understand how hard such construction is for Ellisdale Road inhabitants to stomach. For years we knew nothing but beautiful cornfields, bright green and lushness in the spring and young saplings developing in the nursery. Yet when rumors were whispered that the fields and nursery land would be destroyed in order to put up developments, we felt threatened. I can recall my parents and our neighbors attending multiple meetings to fight against these developments. The battle was lost and two developments sprung up around us as quick as could be.
Now when I look out my window I see nothing, but houses blocking my view of the serene nature and sunrise/ sunset. Furthermore, I no more wish to see these developments than schools. We of Ellisdale Road are weary of losing the fight and are now asking to be heard. I am most grateful for the delay tactics that have been taken and sincerely hope that those in charge of making the final decision on where to place the school will consider those of us on Ellisdale. It is not about who has the most initiative to get the process of building the school forward, but who has the most morals and values to consider how devastating this construction will be to the inhabitants of Ellisdale Road.
Morgan Nebbia
Allentown
Stop bickering, start cooperating
To the editor:
I cringed when I read the posturing that I found in Oct. 5 letter from the Allentown mayor and council ("Borough Council responds to critics"). I understand and appreciate the need to respond to items that they feel are inaccurate, just as I am doing here. Unfortunately they missed the mark on a number of their "corrections." Even more disconcerting than their inaccuracy was that the tone of their letter was not simply corrective it was rather recklessly accusatory.
As I was a member of the school board during the land search and the referendum I would like to point out a few inaccuracies in the mayor’s and council’s rebuttal.
During the middle school land search when we were first trying to identify properties that had the necessary acreage for potential consideration Councilwoman Margaret Armenante was in fact present at a meeting with myself, school board member Jeanette Bressi, then-Upper Freehold Mayor John Mele and several others in the office of a landowner. I specifically remember this because she called to inform us that she was running a few minutes late and we of course held up the start of the meeting for her. I don’t understand why this would be denied by the council.
The council’s letter also infers that the school board is not forth coming with details of the nearly 18-month land search. I find this to be pure political posturing. As public officials you should be fully aware the school board would not be at liberty, even now, to disclose the details of the land search, including conversations with owners or specific issues with properties that have been considered as this could result in detrimental injury to the value of those properties.
The council’s math is incorrect in the statement regarding the Smart Growth meetings. January, 2005, was exactly one month after the December, 2004, referendum not 14 months as you state. There was absolutely no delay from the school board in getting Smart Growth involved in the process as you infer.
In regards to the Smart Growth follow up letter to the Jan. 14 meeting, I appreciate your highlighting that it was indeed addressed to the Upper Freehold Township Mayor’s Office. Smart Growth determined that many of those items were in fact township responsibilities. If you are truly seeking an answer, I suggest you should direct that question to the Township Committee and request a copy of its official response.
In an agricultural community, the fact that anyone would be surprised that there may be residual pesticides on farmland is almost laughable and insults the intelligence of the reader. If you remember, a Department of Environmental Protection representative commented at the June 28, 2006, public meeting that the surprise would have been if none were found.
You claim to have not intended to "fuel the fire of misstatements, but to state the truth," but you certainly have fueled the fire, and in doing so you have left many to question your motives. Keep to the facts, and you will better serve the public.
You closed with the comment, "In the public arena, it’s all about integrity, trust, and credibility." I agree with that sentiment, as that is the most noble goal a public servant should strive for and one that the public should demand from those that it elects.
Please think about this quote from Ernest Boyer, President of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 1979-85: "Our most consequential human problems will be resolved not through competition, but collaboration …"
Arguing over the past is an incredibly frustrating exercise for everyone as we each expend precious energy to defend ourselves. In the end it doesn’t help us with the issues of the current day, and it doesn’t help our kids who desperately need more space. Please put this rancor aside and try to work together to solve the remaining obstacles.
Robert Cheff
Allentown
Mr. Cheff is a member of the Upper Freehold Regional Board of Education.
Hamlets do not equal smart growth
To the editor:
I beg to differ with the Planning Board and Township Committee proposal to start developing hamlets in Upper Freehold. They are stating that this is the way to preserve our way of life and the natural rural setting; that it will keep more open space in Upper Freehold.
That might be the case, but at what cost? I have read that we already have more preserved farmland than any other region in New Jersey. Do not get me wrong, I am in favor of farmland conservation, but I feel that we can not make that our end-all strategy.
We must first ask ourselves why did we move here, and what attracts others here? I moved here because there is open space, not only when I drive around, but ample land between homes in any given development. It is not overpopulated and there is no traffic to speak of. This is how we want to keep it.
By building hamlets we will destroy all of that. We will be concentrating homes together so we can squeeze more homes in any given area. This takes away from the open feeling where it counts the most, at home. The Planning Board and Township Committee are always talking of controlling growth, but this is in direct violation of that theme. More homes will mean more people and more kids, placing stress on an already overtaxed school district, more cars, more pollution, and traffic. Property value will not increase because the homes that will be built on these condensed lots will be of far lesser value than the homes built on 6 to 10 acre plots.
The solution is to go to the larger acre plots. This decreases the number of people moving in. There will be fewer children for the schools, fewer cars, less pollution, and less traffic. No one can tell me that a home built on 6 to 10 acres will be an eyesore as you drive by. These homes will also increase the property value of our region. As far as keeping open space, I feel 6 to 10 acre plots help maintain an open feeling throughout our community and at home.
So if given the choice between larger tracts of open farmland, leading to an increased number of lower value homes, more people, more children for the schools, more traffic and pollution, versus decreased larger tracts of open farmland, with higher value home plots, fewer people moving in, not as many children for the schools, less traffic, and pollution, I would take the latter. To me this is the concept of smart growth.
We need to speak up now before the Planning Board and Township Committee make these proposed hamlets a reality. By then it will be too late, and our rural community will be forever ruined by the same people we voted for to protect us from such a fate.
Arun Singh
Cream Ridge

