Letters to the editor

Know the facts on historic manor

To the editor:
   
I would like to make some clarifications and comments in regard to the two articles about our property ("Minding their Manor" and "Master Plan focuses on growth") which appeared in the Jan. 25 Messenger-Press.
   The property has been referred to as the "anchor" of the greenbelt and a historic vista crucial to the Allentown Historic District, a designation the family neither sought nor was informed of directly. I certainly agree that it is a beautiful old home with a wonderful history, but I feel that too many legends are being taken as absolute truths.
   While it is correct that Native American artifacts have been found all along the Indian Run, we border on only a small part of the stream and the relics are not called out as having been found on one particular property. Likewise, Revolutionary War bayonets were found by the Vahlsings, but that does not limit the possibilities of their location to only our property; the Vahlsing property encompassed a much greater part of Washington Township than the tract upon which the house now sits.
   As for a house being built in the early 1700’s and occupied by the British, there is simply no evidence that the house which we live in today is that same house. The New Jersey Historic Preservation Office has dated the house as circa 1796.
   I find it incredibly ironic that one of the rallying cries behind quashing change is that it lies on "The Crossroads of the American Revolution", because, as John Adams said "Property must be secured, or liberty cannot exist." Property, both physical and intellectual, was at the core of the Revolution. To be a patriot was to risk all that you held dear — property, status, friends, and in some cases, family in order to stand up for your principles. You would have to face the people who opposed you and listen to their ideas. There was no hiding behind Web sites, lawn signs, or exclusive email lists – it meant looking your neighbor in the eye and having the courage and conviction to explain your stance.
   A community that truly cherishes its history works together by engaging in open and honest dialogue, not just with the people who agree, but also with the ones who don’t. Instead of just making negative comments at large town meetings, it would be far more productive to come up with positive solutions and to discuss them directly with the decision makers involved. People may reasonably disagree, but that should not keep the dialogue from happening.
   Without conversation , there is no education, no change, no improvement, and certainly, no freedom. To quote Thucydides, "The secret of happiness is freedom. And the secret of freedom is courage."
   
Christiana Wittenborn

Washington

Mayor’s plan isn’t funny

To the editor:
   Surely Mayor Dave Fried was joking when he recently stated he is supporting condemnation of lands on the south side of Route 33 in Town Center. Actions to condemn these parcels would not only lead to protracted litigation, but would likely lead to the bankruptcy of our town, already over-burdened by property tax.
   Let us analyze why the mayor can’t be serious about such an insane decision. Lands on the south side of Route 33 likely would appraise for between $50 and $100 million. Washington Township residents are already paying for the debt accrued by the high school and the middle school, not to mention the mayor’s desire to purchase a new municipal complex and the need for a new elementary school.
   Mayor Fried is now proposing to hand over tens of millions of dollars to developers, for lands that cannot be developed currently. Washington residents should know that the previous Planning Board tied the approvals of those parcels to the construction of the Route 33 southerly bypass. None of these parcels have immediate development potential until the state Department of Transportation moves forward with the southerly bypass.
   Town Center has little retail and commercial viability without Main Street. Main Street cannot exist without the southerly bypass. Main Street has the potential to be a world-class shopping, office and entertainment district capable of adding millions of dollars to our ratable base. Our leadership would know this if they had a vision for our town.
   Mayor Fried needs to start solving some of our town’s problems instead of creating new ones. What the mayor is planning on doing isn’t funny.
   
Douglas Tindall,

Robbinsville

New board member a good friend to all

To the editor:
   
A few weeks ago there was a letter to the editor that was generally critical of the new appointments to the Upper Freehold Planning Board. Though she was not mentioned by name, I felt compelled to voice my support of one new member, Jennifer Coffey, who is no "hack" and certainly nobody’s "pawn." Quite the opposite, Ms. Coffey is an intelligent, proactive organizer and a consummate professional with years of experience forging consensus on difficult municipal policy issues with government officials, engineers, planners and developers. I have known her to be a tough-minded and fair decision maker at all times.
   Though, I admit that I am somewhat biased on the subject. More than a fellow environmentalist, Ms. Coffey has been a dear friend to my wife and I for more than 10 years. In fact, before moving around the corner to Upper Freehold, she was also our neighbor for a couple years on Breza Road. When the Rockefeller Group had its warehouse application pending on this street, Ms. Coffey walked the proposed development site every time a citizen of Upper Freehold or Allentown expressed a concern to her, reporting any findings to the Planning Board. She has been on Upper Freehold’s Environmental Advisory Committee for nearly two years, serving as chair for most of this past year. Each issue that Ms. Coffey addresses, she brings this same sense of shared responsibility for our future quality of life, which I find so admirable.
   As a friend, she is always supportive and quick to laugh. She enjoys sharing her home with family and friends, often spoiling visitors with her home cooking. She treats coworkers with the same warmth and regard and I see her approaching her new role in Upper Freehold with the same spirit. She will go to great lengths to protect her community because, like her home, she wants all area residents to enjoy the rural charm, which is becoming increasingly rare. If there is anyone that I know who will listen to residents, address their concerns and work to protect the character of our communities it is Jennifer Coffey.
   
Daniel DiLollo,

Allentown