H.I.T.S.: HEARD IN THE STREET. . .
(Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft in The Graduate, 1967)"Plastics." The one-word advice to Ben Braddock [Dustin Hoffman] by the lustful Mrs. Robinson's husband remains the best-remembered line of this classic 1960s film.
If there were a one word summary of the Planning Board's advice to the public at last night's meeting to begin the discussion and review of the Master Plan, it would have to be "density."
We know who lost their virginity in The Graduate. It's not certain who will lose theirs in developing Plainfield's new Master Plan.
Just as President Bush has staked his and his party's reputations, as well as the lives of Americans and Iraqis, on the war in Iraq, the administration of Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs is staking all on a call for 'transit villages' in the West End.
Last night's discussion meeting, which drew 40-some attendees [about a third coming over from the schools construction forum], is just the opening move in what is going to be a long process. Getting to a new Master Plan is only part of it. And executing the plan is another matter, as chairperson Ken Robertson pointed out last night with regard to the 1998 plan, now deemed in need of review and updating.
The density would involve changing the zoning for portions of the West End to allow such possible developments as high rise buildings and condo complexes. Will increasing allowable density drive property values in the West End up? Would increased values provide opportunities for windfall profits to speculators? Maybe you want to read those Friday real estate pages a little more closely...
SCHOOLS CONSTRUCTION-- ...And speaking of the schools construction forum, the New Dems club is to be congratulated for pulling off an excellent forum. Again, 40-some attendees gathered in the sanctuary of the Unitarian Society to hear from Joan Ponessa, a lawyer with the Education Law Center who has been charged by the courts with monitoring the state's Abbott district construction activities.
Why didn't the state provide us with that presentation five years ago? What headaches we might have avoided!
As she pointed out, the decision to proceed on a 'first come, first served' basis had fateful consequences for the SCC and the whole construction process.
Since the politically agile and connected were ready to pounce, they got there first [think Newark and Union City, for example], got the goods, and got away -- before the SCC's collapse into scandal.
What was Plainfield doing? Not to worry, we were spending precious time in a boondoggle by out-of-state consultants foisted on the district by the state -- and who left some of their local 'advisors' unpaid. The report is doing what reports do -- gathering dust on some shelf.
The one attempt to emulate the big dogs -- the Middle School at Muhlenberg proposal -- turned out to be so much smoke in the wind -- full of sound and fury, signifying nothing?
Her comments about Plainfield's preschools were alarming -- a goodly number are in spaces less than 2/3 the size the court recommends, many with no natural light [you know, like windows to the outdoors] and many with no direct access to toilets [meaning, as she pointed out, that aides spend most of their time taking 3- and 4-year olds to the bathroom]. Dickens would be proud!
But while Ponessa's analysis was sharp, even painful, Plainfield is not altogether out in the cold. Emerson is going into construction. The High School, a new middle school, and Woodland and Cook are all in the state's planning. Now all we need is some money. And, of course, thing look rosy on that front... right? By the way, Councillor Storch was the only Council rep present -- and he made both meetings.
UNION-BUSTING BY GREEN et al-- The strange tale of the union-busting trio of Green / Moriarty / Sweeney continues to unfold. Yesterday, Gov. Corzine told the unions to "Never mind" the trio's proposal. Today's Gloucester County Times reports the trio is pushing back, calling on Corzine to demand the unions reopen contract negotiations now. Where will all this go? Plainfield is abuzz with speculation about why Assemblyman Green has hitched his wagon to this particular star... What's in it for him? All will become clear...
MISSING $$$ AT CITY HALL-- Seems the investigation proceeds. Is desultory a word? The grapevine has it that the locks have been changed. And that the $3,000 or so in cash -- which was part of the $40,000 that went missing -- is only part of the picture of missing money in the Tax Collector's office. Seems that it may have been going on for some undetermined length of time. Add to this the rumor that the employee was/is a 'special friend' of a politically well-connected person and we have the beginnings of an HBO series... Who is going to be the casting director? Meanwhile, still unknown is whether the Prosecutor's Office will get involved. That was NOT a question in Middlesex County, where a similar offender in Highland Park is going to the slammer for same...
PARKING: PROGRESS AND WOES-- If you've driven by the City Hall parking lot, you will have noticed the transformation. In spite of skipping the rules and regulations to jumpstart the project, things look pretty good. The mayor is to be congratulated -- McWilliams, that is, whose project this was. It will be a while before we see what projects the current administration will be coming up with...
Maybe one of them can be fixing the parking situation at Police Headquarters. Seems the Internal Affairs group has to spend as much time nannying the cops' parking lot as they do investigating rulebreakers among the cops. I am told that drug dealers feel free to walk through the lot to see the [civilian] cars of cops and make mental notes about who's on duty in laying out their day's dealing plans...
Am I the only one who thinks the driveup bank / bail bond joint at East 4th and Roosevelt would make a fine solution to the cops' parking problems?
PLAINFIELD HOMEPAGE-- The update is there is no update. Seems no one in the administration thinks it worthwhile to fix the world's window on Plainfield. Check out the still-whacked-out homepage for yourself. And note that PCTV-74 is touted as having a "new season." Since when did public-access cable TV have seasons?...
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-- Dan Damon
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