To the editor:
After attending the special meeting at the Hightstown Firehouse on Monday June 27, I’m convinced that common sense has left town for good.
A new concept plan was introduced by the architecture firm Studio Hillier. The new plan was introduced because the old plan presented by the architecture firm Looney Ricks Kiss is no longer being used. (Wonder what happened to them?)
The new plan includes an underground parking garage. Yes, that’s right an underground parking garage in a known flood zone. The municipal complex that was introduced a few years ago was shot down because it was in a flood zone, but a 234-space underground parking garage is OK.
Remarkably the very people that circulated the petition to stop the building of a municipal complex because it was in a flood zone think that an underground parking garage in the same location is a good idea. Now this is just a concept idea, however, concept ideas tend to become actual plans when nobody is looking.
The borough council is blinded by what’s going on because it wants to be able to tell voters, “See look what we’ve done, didn’t we tell you we would do something.” The council believes in the concept “any port in a storm,” the basic belief that any solution to a difficult situation is better than none.
For those that don’t think that this is ridiculous, then they deserve the council we have. It wasn’t but a few months ago that these folks were praising Looney Ricks Kiss on a wonderful concept plan and now they’re praising Studio Hillier and have all but forgotten about Looney Ricks Kiss. With friends like that . . . .
Doug Mair
Hightstown
