To the editor:
It must be election time again. One can tell because our political friends come down with some form of dementia. Have you noticed how they all conveniently forget?
Let’s review. Krame. Both parties worked on the settlement agreement. Some of the people are now placing full responsibility on the Republicans. They know that the Planning Board make-up for the decisive vote was five Democrats, three Republicans and one independent, and that the five Democrats all voted "Yes."
Republican Ed Wysocki, chairman of the Planning Board, allowed Mr. Savo, Krame’s attorney, in effect to run the meeting.
Our Planning Board attorney, Mr. Sutphen, never objected to Savo’s takeover. His job was to help our Planning Board understand the legal aspects of this proposal. Where was he?
Mayor Tricarico had been encouraging the members of the board to vote in favor of this project. He himself stepped forward nine out of nine times to vote "Yes" to Krame.
Doesn’t that make a rather strong case for the fact that he is really in favor of this monster mall? Yet he cried, "We have no choice; it’s a done deal," over and over.
Bull! We had plenty of choices. We have a strong environmental law to support our review. We had the right to subpoena.
Yes, Chris Jensen, planning boards do have that right when deciding on a proposal. We had the right to put the settlement through our entire review process. Settlement agreement does not mean a dictated agreement.
The Planning Board had choices but was not advised by their own attorney that they had those rights. Our Planning Board, despite promises made to them, was not allowed to plan.
And another thing, Chris: you know as well as I that the traffic consultants agreed that we were talking about 17,000 to 21,000 additional car trips per day – not merely 5,000.
Furthermore, we are not the only town to lose our COAH certification. Check the COAH office; there are others.
I think it’s time Mt. Laurel was reviewed. It’s becoming a developer’s dream and a town’s nightmare.
I am continually amazed that, even with the meetings taped and aired, some participants still refuse to see the part they play.
Concerned Citizens for a Better Hillsborough places a high priority on our civic concerns. Our attorney tells us that our little town has been railroaded.
The town has been advised badly, at great expense, and held from proper review of a project with major implications for the community. We need more concerned citizens to join us in saying "No more!"
The chance to remain silent, to do nothing, is past. Margaret Mead said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
Annette Sammer
Partridge Road
Somerville
