A tainted reputation that is richly deserved

Here is why people do not trust developers. They come into your town, they knock down your historic buildings or homes, they promise to build a nice modern office building, they start the work, they stop the work and then they don't return telephone calls.

Such is the case on the South Street in Freehold Borough where a pair of developers came to the Planning Board several years ago with a plan to demolish the beautiful Bartleson mansion and replace it with an office building.

Many people in Freehold fought hard to save the pre-Civil War home which, granted, was in need of significant repairs. In the end, the developers won and the borough learned a hard lesson about preserving its history.

The historic Bartleson home was quickly demolished and work began on the new office building. Unfortunately, that work was never finished. For more than a year the steel shell of the promised office building has sat untouched on South Street across from the St. Rose of Lima School.

Freehold Borough officials will only say that they believe a disagreement between the two men who were involved in this deal is the reason why work stalled.

Calls to the person who was the News Transcript's contact during the application's Plan-ning Board hearings have gone unreturned for weeks.

Meanwhile, while the developers have "issues," the borough is saddled with an eyesore.

We are disgusted at the way in which this project has gone bust and residents should also be good and ticked off. The steel frame of that would-be modern office building does serve one important purpose, however. It is a constant reminder to people in all towns that if you think you are right to fight a developer's plan, you should do it.