Plainfield senior citizens will get a first look at their new Senior Center at 11 AM this morning, when Mayor Robinson-Briggs is scheduled to host a ceremony there.
It's a good thing that the Seniors are finally getting their new center, and I certainly hope they enjoy it.
It's a bad thing that it is not what they were promised (size) or need (parking).
It's also a bad thing that it is not 'free' as Assemblyman Green is constantly touting. The city is now a glorified renter in the new building with a 13% share of the operating costs -- in perpetuity. Some 'free'!
This is in contrast to the original plan for the Senior Center, where the City would have owned the building outright and used rents from commercial/professional tenants to pay off the bonds, eventually turning the Center into a load-free asset for the City.
So much for the Assemblyman's 'positive' contribution. (Well, it is maybe, but to the UCIA, and not to the City.)
Jerry also said at a Seniors' meeting back when the project was being discussed that the Dornoch building would be 'just like Cranford Crossing', the condo project which is mere steps from that town's train station, includes a sizable parking deck, and is in an attractive shopping district.
Assemblyman, I know Cranford Crossing. I've been to Cranford Crossing. I've seen the Cranford Crossing shopping district. Assemblyman, this is NO Cranford Crossing.
And this is without taking into account the questionable transfer of the property to the UCIA for $1. (Since this was a 'development' project and not a REDEVELOPMENTproject, word is the property should have been offered to the HIGHEST BIDDER. Certainly it would have fetched more than a measly dollar, no?)
The builder, the politically well-connected Fishman family's Dornoch organization, which can't get it up in Rahway (see ongoing troubles with their Savoy project here), is delivering the goods for Plainfield Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs. Could it be because there is no mayoral race in Rahway this year?
Despite the fact that with upwards of twenty redevelopment plans on the books and seemingly countless projects being proposed, the fact remains that after three and a half years, Mayor Sharon can boast of only this one project's completion.
But have no fear, somehow I feel a political mailer coming on -- with a smiling Mayor Sharon, in front of the new building, perhaps hugging a worker -- telling us how lucky we are to be Living In The Promised Land Through Unity In The Community.
-- Dan Damon
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3 comments:
Oh Dan, get it right for goodness sakes. Sharon's slogan is "by" unity, not "through."
Plainfield is for sale. Starting price: $140,000.00. Well, the Mayor's campaign account is actually earnest money for the deal. Plainfield, wakeup.
Dan,
The city worker who videotapes and photographs campaign events was out yesterday doing this. Since it was not a campaign event, none of those photos should appear on her campaign literature, since that would be an illegal use of our tax money.
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