There is an article on page one of today’s Press, (Dec.11) that should remind everyone how close Mullica came to having unrestricted apartments being built in our small community, which would have burdened our schools and the taxpayers who would have had to pay for it. Entitled “EHT hotel can become apartments” the article tells how in 2006 the owner was allowed to convert his hotel into 213 age-restricted condominiums but now, due to the economy and a new law allowing conversion of planned age-restricted developments to unrestricted housing, 213 apartments will be built, including 160 two bedroom units and 53 one-bedroom units.
It was about this time in 2006 that we had a mayor who had taken it upon herself to spend taxpayer dollars to research and develop plans to re-zone some 350 acres of Elwood to assist Steve Waszen to sell his 20-acre property for a 140 “age-restricted” housing development. What a disaster this would have been for our town had it been approved.
The lesson here is that our committee is comprised of five citizens, not just a mayor who can decide to shape our community as he or she sees fit. With a new committee coming into office in January, the expectation is that each and every committee member will be diligent in supporting the needs and desires of the people of Mullica first and not succumb to outside interests, who too often see Mullica as an easy target to make money off of at our expense and against our interests.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Mullica's Planned Housing Fiasco
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9 comments:
This is the SAME result that the Green Guys warned me about when they came to my door a few years ago. Their opponents said the Green Guys were just trying to scare me. Seems like the Green Guys were a lot smarter than those opponents gave them credit for.
If you look at the comments on the Press site, you will see similar skepticism that the residents of Mullica had when Mayor Chasey was pushing the Waszen development, such as who would live on a highway in a commercial zone, who would pay $2,000 a month to live there and the likelihood that the project would become all Section 8 housing.
Let's hope that our new committee shows a degree of healthy skepticism and asks the right questions before committing to anything for Mullica, such as the project to purchase Waszen's 20-acres for some $500,000 for a new town hall now being promoted by our current mayor, who has excluded the full committee from paticipating in any meaningful way.
If Chasey had her way, the development WOULD have happened or we would have had a trash transfer station. If the public hadn't stepped in, it would have all been a done deal.
This is the problem you have when our committee members allow politics to interfere with what is good for the community. I recall then Republican Freeholder Chairman Joe Silipena telling the local Republican club members not to stop the dump because "it was a done deal". It was Silepena who had plans to move some of his scrap metal operation there to avoid property taxes and have a cheap way to ship his scrap. The fact that our local Republican elected officials are to this day trying to help Waszen recoup his investment should send up red flags to the community that something is not right.
I'm sure this will all be brought out if Chasey ever decides to run for office again.
I hope the KMG guys will go full force against her next time.
Chasey's campaign literature was so full of the stupidest lies that were ever presented to the public. I actually think she lost votes because because of the ridulous things she claimed.
The letter sent to the school teachers insulted their intelligence and their outrage worked against Chasey.
Chasey being voted out was the best thing that ever happened to this town.
Regarding the 945am post your bringing up discussions about the township buying the Waszen tract for $500,000 was interesting. Thats a lot of money for a property with the history of pollution it has. Did the committee include the realtor who violated DEP rules and who was a partner in the other schemes for that property? I hope not but she probably created this committee with herself as spokesperson.
Glad they're both gone !!!
I think that Cathy Chasey will want to run again since she ran in this last election even though there was so much anger towards her . She will be watching the new committee and waiting to see how they do . Forman wont run again and she will probably try to establish ties with the new group since her businesses have a lot of connections to the township. She was able to manipulate Kennedy and she was a political parasite with Chasey and not only infected her but took the lifeblood out of her host political career. Niether one will be going away even though they no longer hold office.
With property taxes being what they are today, no one is going to win an election by posing next to Mullica's Lil' Red Truck anymore.
RE 11:55 am
If Forman has any ties with the committee,it will be legal and out in the open. I'm sure there will be no back room deals going on.
St. Amour, Graebener, and Gabris all know how she operates. Polk is far from stupid and will see right through her. As for Kennedy,he probably will always fall for Forman's lies and try to create trouble whenever he can. He is the other victim of the parasite.
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