Y should be a healthy walk

Daniel Pace, of Pennington
    Kudos to the Hopewell Valley YMCA for allowing the use of its building on Main Street in Pennington as a teen center (reported on Page 1 of the Sept. 23, 2010, edition of this paper).
   Unfortunately, there was another recent article in the Hopewell Valley News regarding the possible change in location of the future home of the Y to the former 84 Lumber site on Route 31 in Hopewell Township.
   That a socially responsible organization like the Y would consider constructing a full-service facility for its members that could safely be reached only by car is mind-bogglingly different in principle and practice than the teen center.
   Many residents of the Hopewell Valley have seen the sign at the corner of Route 31 and Franklin Avenue in Pennington saying “Future Home of the HV YMCA.”
   This location is within walking distance, or a short bicycle ride, for:
   • Approximately 2,500 students of Timberlane Middle School, Central High School and Pennington Prep School.
   • Approximately 3,000 residents of Pennington and Hopewell Township.
   • 100 homes in the adjacent Pennington Point senior community.
   The governing bodies of the Valley have all endorsed the philosophy of “Sustainable New Jersey,” and residents, too, I think, are very supportive.
   The Pennington location is accessible by thousands of people living, working or studying less than a mile from the “sustainable” Franklin Avenue site (plus the NJ Transit “Pennington” bus also ends its route within walking distance).
   The Y’s board of directors should open a dialogue with the community, similar to last year’s Community Needs Survey, and discuss why the proposed YMCA building is being considered for the former 84 Lumber site — where accessibility is by car only — instead of the Pennington site, which is no more than a healthy walk away for so many people.