Public invited to help plan for future of Spotswood
Series of meetings on goals, vision to begin Feb. 4
BY VINCENT TODARO Staff Writer

Spotswood officials are creating a vision for the town's future, and want residents to become part of the planning process.

Mayor Thomas Barlow announced that the borough will conduct a series of community meetings to discuss and take input on the town's eventual Community Vision Plan, which will serve as a guide for future development.

"A Community Vision Plan is central to the borough's goals and the long-term health of the community," Mayor Thomas Barlow said in a press release. "This community input-driven plan allows Spotswood to craft a vision for the future [that] is consistent with Smart Growth principals. I fully support the intention and success of this plan."

The plan will be funded by a grant awarded to Spotswood by the state Department of Community Affairs. Its development coincides with borough officials' revisions to Spotswood's master plan.

Officials said the community has many important land use decisions to make in the coming years, and needs to develop a common vision before making such rulings.

Council President Curtis Stollen said the town should adhere to a specific plan when it comes to construction, particularly along Main Street, something he said was missing in the past.

"We went from one plan to another without any continuity," Stollen said. "I saw Main Street change in ways we did not want."

Stollen referred to at least one commercial property as evidence of where things went awry in the planning process, making note of narrow sidewalks and other unwelcome features. The retail center, he said, "could have been a lot more."

Officials have discussed revising the master plan for years, and Stollen said he is pleased that the town was able to get the grant to help with that process. The funding allows for the community-wide survey, which will "make this everyone's vision," he said.

The borough will have a vision and a goal for many years into the future, he said, "rather than haphazardly doing approvals at the Planning or Zoning Board." Once a consensus is developed, it will be written into law, giving future elected and appointed officials a clearer and more finite idea of how the borough should be developed.

The first community meeting to begin the planning process will take place at 7 p.m. Feb. 4 at Borough Hall, Summerhill Road.

Officials hope the discussion will provide the foundation for the process of planning the new vision.

"... The citizens of Spotswood are highly encouraged to attend and become an active voice in the future planning of the borough," according to the press release.