To the editor:
I am a life-long Democrat who has been regularly attending Hopewell Township Committee meetings for the past two years. I will be voting for Republican candidate Ed “Jack” Jackowski on November 6. We need change and balance on the Hopewell Township Committee. I can no longer stand by and watch this township be run by developers who want to line their pockets and care nothing about Hopewell Township’s residents, our environment, the Master Plan and Zoning.
Deputy Mayor Julie Blake is a truly nice person. However, she has shown that she is not a leader who will make tough decisions by standing up to her party. Ms. Blake voted for the building of 2,881 market rate homes without meaningfully exploring alternatives or involving the public. She has steadfastly refused to respond to these concerns. There is not a single response to these concerns in her letters. While she talks about every meeting she has organized, she ignores the result of her votes, a 50 percent increase in the township’s population over the next decade and the future enormous pressure on the schools, traffic and the environment.
Ms. Blake insists that building a development three times the size of Brandon Farms will have no impact on the schools. Do you believe her? Princeton is already beginning to prepare for the huge impact on their schools. Why is she pretending that the Earth is flat?
Ms. Blake also voted for the PILOT program (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) that will give developers a 30-year tax break and will steal $56 million dollars over 30 years from our schools, a generational impact. And, as a result, your taxes will soon go through the roof to make up the difference.
Although residents have begged for traffic and water studies on the impact of 2,881 homes, we have been ignored. Not to mention all the new impervious cover that will lead to flooding during heavy storms.
Our master plan and zoning reflect the carrying capacity of the land. Democrats and Republicans have, for decades, honored those documents to protect our township. Ms. Blake has acted in clear disregard of those efforts.
We can no longer put up with the bad decisions made by Deputy Mayor Blake. We need change now. Ed Jacowski will help to restore balance to the township committee, and he promises to listen carefully to all views and to make the process an open one moving forward.
I ask all Democrats to look beyond party and to vote for Republican candidate Ed Jackowski, the person who will work for you and not for developers!
Cheryl Edwards
Hopewell Township