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October 24, 2007
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Englishtown residents asked for input on town's future
National design team to hold public meetings between Oct. 22-24
BY MARK ROSMAN Staff Writer

ENGLISHTOWN -- Residents are being asked to come out and give their thoughts about the future of the municipality to a Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT) that will visit the borough between Oct. 22-24.

According to information provided by Donna Drewes, community planner, Municipal Land Use Center at The College of New Jersey, Englishtown was selected by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Center for Communities by Design as one of seven communities nationwide to receive a technical assistance grant under the SDAT program in 2007.

Borough Councilwomen Jayne Carr and Lori Cooke in partnership with the Municipal Land Use Center at The College of New Jersey submitted the successful application. Upon receiving the grant, Englishtown formed the SDAT Steering Committee to coordinate the event.

The AIA Sustainable Design Assessment Team community assistance program will be conducting its official visit to Englishtown on Oct. 22-24.

Officials are asking all residents, businesses, agencies, schools and regional organizations to participate in the three-day community planning and visioning event.

They will be asked their thoughts on:

  • What should the future hold for Englishtown?

  • What is needed to create a community that has a vibrant local economy; values and uses its natural and historic assets wisely; and meets the needs of residents and businesses now and in the future?

  • Can they be part of the solution? The program will begin with a community wide town hall public input meeting on Oct. 22 from 7-8:30 p.m. at Borough Hall, 15 Main St.

    At this meeting participants will be able to share their ideas on where the community should or could be heading.

    The week's events will finish up with the SDAT final presentation of its findings and recommendations on Oct. 24 from 7:30-9:30 p.m. at Borough Hall. Members of the public are invited to come and listen to that presentation at which the future of the town will be the primary topic.

    Residents and business owners may also attend any of the three daytime public input sessions to share their ideas with the Sustainable Design Assessment Team members. These are open sessions and participants may drop in when their schedule permits. All meetings are scheduled at the Village Inn on the corner of Main and Water streets: Oct. 22, 2:15- 4:30 p.m. at the Village Inn; Oct. 23, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30-4:30 p.m. at the Village Inn.

    Topics that are open for discussion include:

  • Main Street and downtown Englishtown: downtown revitalization and community design.

  • Transportation and land use: traffic, parking, pedestrian safety, design and streetscapes.

  • Linking the town's resources: recreational assets, historic heritage, arts, parks and lakes.

  • Economic development: creating a vibrant business community, identifying the market niche for Englishtown.

    Drewes said the object of the program is to have community involvement and give residents and business owners a chance to share their ideas with experts from throughout the United States.

    "People will bring their ideas to the experts and we will springboard off of the ideas that are presented by businesses, residents and representatives of area organizations. The team will create a new vision for Englishtown that incorporates the themes of sustainability, providing jobs, providing housing and protecting the environment," Drewes said.