Sides should come together in Milltown

If there is one thing that people on both sides of the Ford Avenue redevelopment debate seem to agree on, it’s that community input and involvement is a crucial element to the success of a project as important as this one.

Where they differ, however, is how much involvement has been welcomed into this effort. The fact is that in the nearly four years that Milltown officials have been working to pave the way for a redevelopment of the old Michelin Tire Co. site, the process has been played out in the public eye, with numerous opportunities for the public to speak.

Meetings held monthly by the Ford Avenue Redevelopment Agency have been open to the public, as have the Borough Council and Planing Board meetings where major decisions were made with regard to the project. Residents have had numerous chances over the years to tell officials their feelings about the site’s future and what has been proposed. These same officials — agency members such as Mayor Gloria Bradford, Gerard Cappella and Anthony Zarillo, for example — are also residents of this small town, easily accessible to hear comments and answer questions.

Of course, how much they have incorporated public feedback is another matter altogether, and many residents clearly feel their concerns have been pushed aside during the decision-making process. Judging by the number of people who last week attended a meeting organized by a citizens’ group and an environmental watchdog organization, there are many residents who want to have a say on the future of Ford Avenue. They should get it.

It is apparent that there are two visions for Ford Avenue. You have those who say the age-restricted community and retail uses, as proposed in the adopted plan, represent an economically feasible way of ridding the town of blighted buildings and adding new tax revenue without bringing in more schoolchildren. And then you have those who believe the plan should include less housing, that so many new residents will further clog borough streets with traffic. They would like to see more open space and possibly more commercial or light industrial uses.

It’s time to bring these two groups together in a forum where each can explain their feelings and explore avenues toward a possible compromise. Both sides seem open to discussion at the moment. Let’s hope they follow through on that idea.