| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Guest
|
 Posted: Mon, Jun 16 2008, 2:35 pm EDT Post subject: Re: COAH this is what we are up against (Trenton Time Editorial Rips Cranbury) |
 |
|
Are there any constitutional scholars here?
Trenton politics is the worst in the nation and it drives business away from New Jersey.
A few years ago, some townships in Essex County such as Millburn and Livingston made a resolution to join Morris County. I am wondering if it allows municipalities from one state to join another state. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Stop the Whining
Guest
|
| Posted: Tue, Jun 17 2008, 3:46 pm EDT Post subject: Re: COAH this is what we are up against (Trenton Time Editorial Rips Cranbury) |
|
|
| Guest wrote: |
Trenton politics is the worst in the nation and it drives business away from New Jersey.
|
Is it really that bad? #50 out of 50 States? How do you rank States?
I feel blessed to live in this town, and I count my blessing every day. Our children in this town grow up in a very sanitized environment. Very homogeneous by my standards. Is this an advantage? Are we depriving them of living amongst poverty?
12.5% of children in NJ live below the poverty line. That is well over a quarter million kids. I don't know.....I don't think I have too much to complain about. We're alive and well, and have food on the table.
Without diversity, which to some extend means individuals with "lower" income in this town, we're missing out. It's quite a balance act to maintain the character of Cranbury, but also to provide enough housing that is deemed "affordable". I don't really know what that actually means anymore....."affordable".....is it "affordable" to us when we pay $ 1 million for 4 acres on 130 to build more housing? Maybe it would have been better to integrate "affordable" housing into developments as they were built. But it is too late for that solution. Why couldn't we build affordable housing near Updike when that development went up?
Many good people who know a lot more than most of us are working to get this issue resolved, and I am confident that it eventually will be. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
edk
Joined: Sat, Jun 14 2008, 3:23 pm EDT
Posts: 5
|
| Posted: Tue, Jun 17 2008, 4:52 pm EDT Post subject: Re: COAH this is what we are up against (Trenton Time Editorial Rips Cranbury) |
|
|
| Stop the Whining wrote: |
Many good people who know a lot more than most of us are working to get this issue resolved, and I am confident that it eventually will be. |
It is that kind of indifference and lack of self-motivation that will ensure Trenton bad policies are forced onto Cranbury. I wouldn’t be so confident that the 5 part-time members of the TC dont need your help, they are more then capable professionals, ...BUT they are also limited in one important way that you (and I) are not, because they have to do everything via the official political channels.
I know for a fact, they can use additional help from us citizens. You should not underestimate the power you have as a citizen to voice your personal story.
How these potential changes will affect your own life. As a mom raising 5 kids in Cranbury and the dad has to commute to NY to afford the roof over your heads in NJ, does he see his kids each day or is his commute so long and late that he's a weekend dad? How does that affect your own life when Trenton tells you to raise your taxes, pay for a bigger school system, build your own treatment plants, etc. Dad will have to work two jobs or move out of NJ. Is 20% ratio fair mix in Cranbury? I think its more then fair when you compare other munis around NJ that don’t even come that close to addressing low income housing like we do here in Cranbury.
There's an easy way for you to get educated about COAH and how it will personally affect your own life. Read this board and use Google. Share your point of view with the Press, the forum here, and anyone else in NJ that needs to know how unfair this burden is for Cranbury and you personally – i.e. NJ Politicians. The Cranbury Citizens voice is a major factor in our future existence or demise. Its not about ending Affordable Housing here- we all support COAH’s end game in Cranbury, its about CRANBURY's FAIR SHARE OF IT. They are asking Cranbury to build 1 COAH home for every one of our households. And that means more infrastructure build out, sprawl, and higher taxes for you personally.
Last edited by edk on Tue, Jun 17 2008, 5:17 pm EDT; edited 1 time in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
edk
Joined: Sat, Jun 14 2008, 3:23 pm EDT
Posts: 5
|
| Posted: Tue, Jun 17 2008, 5:00 pm EDT Post subject: Re: COAH this is what we are up against (Trenton Time Editorial Rips Cranbury) |
|
|
I ment to say 1 COAH home for each Cranbury household, that's aprox 1000 COAH .vs. 1100 Cranbury Residence in the very near future - we have aprox 200 already built/planned here in Cranbury BTW.
Last edited by edk on Tue, Jun 17 2008, 5:15 pm EDT; edited 1 time in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Guest
|
| Posted: Tue, Jun 17 2008, 5:35 pm EDT Post subject: Re: COAH this is what we are up against (Trenton Time Editorial Rips Cranbury) |
|
|
Just to add my two cents. There was a time, long ago in the 20's and prior when Hightstown had a thriving economy and was a town that people wanted to live in. Then it took a turn and now the schools are horrible. Bridgeport, CT was a thriving city that many robber barrons and celebrities (PT Barnum) built mansions.
I am saying this not to keep affordable housing out, because a certain amount should be built. However, at a rate of 1 to 1 or even 30-50% a town like Cranbury will go the likes of those other places. It will be a has been because there is no way that our schools or tax structure could support this growth and maintain the level of education and services we receive today. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
edk
Joined: Sat, Jun 14 2008, 3:23 pm EDT
Posts: 5
|
| Posted: Tue, Jun 17 2008, 5:57 pm EDT Post subject: Re: COAH this is what we are up against (Trenton Time Editorial Rips Cranbury) |
|
|
| Guest wrote: | Just to add my two cents. There was a time, long ago in the 20's and prior when Hightstown had a thriving economy and was a town that people wanted to live in. Then it took a turn and now the schools are horrible. Bridgeport, CT was a thriving city that many robber barrons and celebrities (PT Barnum) built mansions.
I am saying this not to keep affordable housing out, because a certain amount should be built. However, at a rate of 1 to 1 or even 30-50% a town like Cranbury will go the likes of those other places. It will be a has been because there is no way that our schools or tax structure could support this growth and maintain the level of education and services we receive today. |
Good points about what our Cranbury community can even sustain. We had 311 years of slow growth here in Cranbury, it was on purpose, and was the MAIN reason we invested so much of our planning to attract warehouses on the other side of RT130. Our past majors all used the same playbook to keep this side of Cranbury growing slowly but predictably. They even planned Affordable House by mixing in throughout our township in a synergistic manor.
Now COAH is forcing Cranbury to through away 311 years of smart planning and the strategy that kept life good here will forever change if Trenton doesn’t correct this retroactive inaccurate formula.
To me personally COAH is telling Cranbury that we are using this "fictitious employment formula" to overestimate the workers retroactive in your town and your current citizens will have to pony up the cost to build COAH homes. Its akin to the FEDS taxing your 401K saving this year without warning and all your retirement planning goes up in smoke.
THIS IS NOT JUST A CRANBURY PROBLEM, or Clinton Township, or the other 26munis that are fighting the unfair practices of COAH 3rd round. If Trenton government lets this happen to our small towns they set a precedence to force retroactive unfair change to all here in NJ. This is just plain unfair for NJ in general. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Guest
|
| Posted: Tue, Jun 17 2008, 6:22 pm EDT Post subject: Re: COAH this is what we are up against (Trenton Time Editorial Rips Cranbury) |
|
|
I agree. Here is what I see.
Trenton and the other RCAs now will get the 2.5% builder fee, but Cranbury cannot charge the developers. The chance of Trenton giving Cranbury or any other similar town funding for the housing is tiny. All we need to see is our state aid for the town or school. So our taxes will be rising dramatically over the next 5-10 years if we stay in COAH.
The politicians like it because the more people they can get out from the cities the more voters they feel they will have in the small towns. One because this group will be thankful and two because the people already support the politicians so they will have a power expansion.
The politicians have no fear of retribution because the state is heavily left leaning so they know they have enough base to push changes through and not fear a back lash. It is why Corzine can have a 52% approval rating when he's done more damage than Gov. Florio.
If we had a Rep. Governor and a Dem assembly and senate or a Rep. majority in the assembly or senate and Dem governor then we'd have seen a compromise on these bills. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
