One of the most tiresome charges hurled about during political campaigns is accusing a politician of a flip-flop.
Those making the charge hope to paint their target as being uncommitted to principles or changing solely to appease public demands.
But it’s not necessarily a bad thing, and the stunning reversal of plans for a parking lot at Memorial Park on Colorado Avenue last week is a good example of why “appeasing” the public isn’t always a bad thing.
Manville Borough had begun installing a second parking area at the park as a response to real safety concern: anxious kids running across the street to get to the park’s pools might get hit by passing vehicles.
The plan would use millings from a resurfacing project on Roosevelt Avenue, so there wasn’t a cost for materials, and we’d bet, very little for labor.
It was all in all, an excellent idea, but for one problem: residents of the street didn’t want it.
So they went to last week’s council meeting to object to the lot’s construction, and were undoubtedly stunned when Public Works Department Director Phil Petrone said the lot would be removed.
That easily and that quickly.
The borough is still working on ways to make the parking situation safer, and we applaud borough officials for taking the initiative usually, such matters don’t get addressed until after someone has been injured.
But for a while at least, a practical solution was being undertaken in a very efficient and cost-effective manner.
Nonetheless, the lot is gone, grass will be replanted and the park will host more impromptu soccer and softball games in the years to come.
All because residents spoke up at a council meeting and the borough “flip-flopped.”
We hope members of the Borough Council and Mr. Petrone will stand tall proclaim they flip-flopped in the interests of a neighborhood.
Just don’t flip-flop on not building the lot …
