Englishtown given ideas for a brighter future
Team's assessment includes suggestions to help sustain town
BY MARK ROSMAN Staff Writer
There is a renewed sense of optimism about the future of Englishtown these days.

PHOTOS BY JEFF GRANIT staff A team of architects that visited Englishtown told municipal officials, residents and business owners they should take advantage of the borough's resources, including Lake Weamaconk (above) and Sanford Recreation Park (below left), to promote the town.

That seemed to be the consensus of attendees who heard the final report presented by the members of an American Institute of Architects Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT) who visited the borough in late October. The team's final report was presented during a two-hour meeting at Borough Hall on the evening of Oct. 24.

The SDAT's visit to and assessment of Englishtown was paid for with a grant the municipality received from the Municipal Land Use Center at The College of New Jersey, Ewing, according to borough Councilwoman Jayne Carr.

Among the key findings of the SDAT, were that Englishtown has significant natural resources, honest and direct residents, a capable municipal staff and a physical and historical past that can make it an attractive destination.

A team of architects that visited Englishtown has suggested that eliminating sign clutter on businesses would be a positive change for the borough.

SDAT member Carmine Fischetti said Englishtown's three key elements are Lake Weamaconk, the Village Inn and Sanford Recreation Park. He suggested that any plan that may be implemented to improve the borough should revolve around those three resources.

The team members suggested that residents, municipal officials and business owners should think about extending what is thought of the borough's traditional downtown area between Tennent Avenue and Water Street. An expanded downtown would stretch from the lake to beyond the old Main Street School which is now the headquarters of the Manalapan Englishtown Regional School District.

Fischetti acknowledged that the No. 1 complaint that was expressed by participants during the SDAT's planning sessions was pedestrian safety. The possibility of adding crosswalks at corners or even at mid-block in the downtown area was suggested. Parking, or a lack thereof, was another concern. The SDAT suggested there are facilities such as churches that might be willing to trade existing parking spaces in exchange for some maintenance that could be performed by the borough.

Fischetti was emphatic in saying that removing vinyl siding from buildings around town and revealing the original structure would be an asset in recapturing Englishtown's history. Putting lights on the streets and in business windows would brighten up an otherwise dark Main Street, he said, noting that the dark streetscape was the first thing team members noticed during an evening walk around town.

Many suggestions were contained in the SDAT's final report, including securing oral histories from longtime residents; taking advantage of natural resources such as stream corridors and the community forest; the development of a trail that would link Englishtown to Monmouth Battlefield State Park in Manalapan; traffic-calming measures; hiring a planner; and initiating a pedestrian safety campaign.

One glaring weakness that was uncovered during the assessment was Englishtown's lack of an NJ Transit bus stop. The SDAT professionals said that leaves people who do not have their own transportation with few or no options to reach other communities for necessary services or employment. Immediate action was suggested to petition NJ Transit to create a bus stop in the borough and to thereby improve residents' mobility.

It was suggested to residentsofficials and business owners that they create an environment of success for businesses. A dialogue between the municipal government and business owners should be a part of that effort, the SDAT said, in addition to considering items such as signs (business signs and sign clutter in doors and windows, and on facades), lighting, parking and whether the town should seek out certain types of businesses.

One team member said her walk through the community revealed two existing types of what were referred to as clusters: pet care businesses and home improvement businesses.

Dennis Andrejko, the SDAT leader, summed up the immediate steps Englishtown residents, officials and business owners can take: get NJ Transit to place a bus stop in town; develop a historic preservation ordinance; establish an "Englishtown vision"; establish an economic development merchant committee; and "get the house ready for company," meaning cleaning up and making the town inviting to visitors.

Carr said she believes the SDAT's visit and presentation went well. She noted that the state has said resources will go to places such as Englishtown that have an established downtown. While recent years have seen some people in state government call for the consolidation of small municipalities into large sur rounding communi ties, Carr said the hope among borough residents, officials and business owners is to keep Englishtown viable in and of itself.

"There are two things I hope to accomplish through this," Carr said. "The first is to create a working plan for our future sustainability (defined by the SDAT as the enduring prosperity of all living things) and the second is to tie the borough's resources together."

Englishtown, which is 0.57 square miles in size, is completely surrounded by Manalapan. The borough traces its roots back to pre-Revolutionary War times and originally developed as a commercial center for local farms. Recent years have seen the construction of some new housing in the borough, which has a population of just under 1,800 people.