"Campaign Corner" item from the Democrats
This material was submitted by John Reddan Jr. and Aldo Martinez, Democratic candidates for Township Committee.
Residents have been asking us what will happen once the bypass becomes operational. The township needs to develop a comprehensive economic land use plan that evaluates underutilized commercial properties to encourage private investment and to create jobs in the township. This should include a genuine commitment to a downtown, walkable Main Street as an essential component of our long-term economic strategy.
As the construction of the Hillsborough bypass continues, we must not forget about all the local businesses that are going to be bypassed once the highway project is completed. Vacant storefronts and closed restaurants are a growing part of our landscape. We cannot afford to allow this area to deteriorate into a ghost town.
In order to help develop and implement our plan we would immediately reinstate the Grants and Shared Services and Architectural and Site Design Standards committees. Both of these citizen-driven committees were, at no cost to the township, valuable resources that kept the township moving in the right direction. Both were inexplicably eliminated by the current members of the Township Committee.
The Grants and Shared Services Committee would help to obtain available funds that would be used to develop our plan. Grants are available and we must be on the forefront in terms of applying for them in effective and creative ways.
The Architectural and Site Designs Standards Committee contained volunteer architects, landscape architects, planners and designers and provided developers with an efficient way to review the critical design elements of their plans. This saved valuable time and money and avoided a drawn-out Planning Board hearing process. Ultimately, the Planning Board would have the final say, but this process, now eliminated, was designed to allow well-designed projects that capture the needed functional relationships and the overall look and feel of a genuine downtown to move forward.
We want to provide the leadership to make good things happen. Creating an identity for Hillsborough supported by active promotion and cohesive architectural themes and landscapes is essential is order to attract private investment. A well-designed walkable downtown Main Street would bring new economic growth and expanded business investment and retention. This effort would also complement the significant private investment by Duke Farms, who are actively transforming their property into a world-class cultural and environmental educational center.
Up until now, the economic strategies of the Township Committee have done nothing to instill the needed confidence to support economic growth that will produce jobs.