Government
By DREW PECKER
December 17, 2022
Dear Editor, I’m a third generation Westfielder, and work as a consultant in finance. I’m writing this letter because I believe Westfield has a great opportunity to become a better town through the One Westfield Place PILOT, and am surprised to see some of my fellow residents opposing it. I know ...
Dear Editor: It is amazing that Westfield struggles with positive change today as much as it did 62 years ago when the Town Council met to take a vote on a controversial zoning change that would significantly alter the town. The Council was set to extend the business district some 600 feet west ...
Before the Phillipsburg town council decided to raise $60,000 a year using parking meters the people of Phillipsburg living or working on South Main Street had found a solution. The working residents parked at the meters at night and the South Main employees and customers parked at the meters ...
Everyone should be aware that Fair Share Housing Center (FSHC), a nonprofit advocacy group that represents the interest of affordable housing seekers, is trying to punish Glen Rock for denying approval of a monstrous development with four new buildings at the CVS property site. They want to impose ...
I am concerned by the Piscataway town council’s recent decision to spend $9 million on building their own radio system. They are using the entirety of the American Rescue Plan Funds ($7.2 million) provided by the federal government, as well as an additional $1.6 million in taxpayer money. This $9 ...
12/01/2022 In response to seeing the latest renderings.. I can't believe my eyes! This is way larger than what was proposed years ago. How did it get this big? The people of Montclair, downtown especially ...
"LACKAWANNA REDEVELOPMENT PLAN….MONTCLAIR COUNCIL BLINDLY LED TO GIVE-AWAY THE PUBLIC STORE," says former Planning Bd. Member Martin Schwartz. "TOO TALL, TOO MUCH APARTMENT DENSITY AND BULK. NO FINANCIAL INFORMATION PROVIDED. COUNCIL UNLAWFULLY RUSHING A VOTING APPROVAL," ...
Ever since “One Westfield Place” (the sales office run by the Streetworks Development team) was announced, the Mayor made a point to publicly invite all residents to visit them downtown. However, securing an appointment online was impossible. I tried three times and never heard back. Finally, ...
Mayor Brindle, Town Council and BOE- As a taxpaying resident, I would like to request that the Edison turf field vote be made null and void. A majority of taxpayers were not represented in that vote. How could they be? The only council members/Ward reps, as far as I could see, that actually ...
Editor's Note: This letter was unpublished Friday, Nov. 4, at the request of the writer and replaced with this article.
On November 9th an article by Matt Kadosh was published with the headline: “Democrats Retain Grip on Union County Commissioner Board.” The article contains a series of issues raised by opponents of the Commissioners. Mr. Kadosh includes that the Commissioners are facing the “spector” of an ...
As long-time residents of Westfield, we know there are many reasons why our town is consistently ranked among the “best places in New Jersey” to live and raise a family. We enjoy the quality of life that Westfield offers with its classic suburban town atmosphere. And a large part of that enjoyment ...
The Westfield Town Council and Streetworks have proposed a redevelopment plan termed One Westfield Place that encompasses both the 7 acres currently owned by the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC: the former Lord and Taylor (L&T) building and its parking lots on both sides of North Ave and Clark St) as ...
For anyone supportive of the Edison Project, seeing communications from the Mayor, or following the town's webpage about the project, there's a distinct message being pushed — that PILOT payments coming from Westfield Crossing will pay for the majority of the Edison Project. The mayor has ...
We need our Phillipsburg leaders to not break faith with our community in favor of expediency for one developer. Our Town Council broke faith by voting “Yes” on Ordinance 2022-30, which allows a warehouse on Howard Street, thus circumventing the pending lawsuit against Ordinance 2021-14 (which ...
Mayor Brindle, Members of the Westfield NJ Town Council and Board of Education Members, I read the Mayor’s Update dated Nov. 4. I have also heard the moving speeches from our student athletes. I get it; we need more athletic fields. After years of neglecting the school grounds which we have used ...
Dear Editor: Regarding “Paterson Receives $500K For Iconic Great Falls Chasm Bridge, National Park Service and County of Passaic will provide funding for the construction of a new footbridge" (October 30, 2022): Congratulations and thanks to the National Park Service for stepping up for this ...
Why Stormwater Runoff at GAF Remains a Problem The new GAF stormwater runoff management design presented to Township Council on November 2nd will be beneficial because it will comply with new NJDEP green infrastructure rules. However, since outdated rainfall data through 1999 will be in the ...
Over the past five years, I have taken a pragmatic approach to being your Mayor, focusing on solving problems, easing your tax burden, and moving our town forward. I am proud of my administration’s fiscal stewardship, delivering the lowest average tax rate in the Town’s history while maintaining ...
In February 2018, only a month into her term, Mayor Brindle canceled the Town’s proposed Tamaques Park field improvement plan, a proposal that would have renovated and added additional field space with lights to Tamaques Park. At the time, Mayor Brindle said she only needed a year to propose a new ...
I read the printed quasi analysis by Jeffrey Waters and following is a response: I don't know your level of participation with partisan politics in our town, but it seems you are mischaracterizing a lot here under the premise you are an expert. We need a local government divorced from party ...
My name is Jeff Waters. I am a 27-year resident of Millburn Township and from 2008-2014 served on the Millburn Township Board of Education. I was Chair of the Finance Committee from 2008-2011 and President of the Board of Education from 2013-2014. As many of my friends can tell you, I am a ...
Although I’m a lifelong Democrat and haven’t missed an election since I’ve been able to vote, I really haven’t felt much need to dig into local politics. In general that’s because I’ve felt that my perspective on most Westfield issues was shared by my representatives. That changed when I saw the ...
Artificial turf field proponents often question why residents who are advocating for the creation of high quality natural grass athletic fields, designed and maintained for sports activities, have not suggested ripping up Kehler Field, Houlihan/Sid Fey and turf fields in surrounding ...
As we head towards decision-making on a project that’s roughly one-third the size of the town’s tax levy, to turf and light 250,000 square feet at a middle school – the best decision makers would take a step back and ask their peers “what am I missing?” to avoid an echo chamber and group ...
Here’s a lesson plan for the educators comprising our Board of Education should they decide to partner with the Town Administration on the Edison Fields Project. Lesson #1 It’s OK to talk out of both sides of one’s mouth in order to achieve one’s goals. Westfield advertises itself as being a ...
Dear Editor, After viewing the town council meeting on Oct. 12, and liaising with several members of the town council, it has been made very clear that the majority of town administration are satisfied by CME’s report, as-is, without any adjustment. In my first letter, I pointed out the high ...
It’s been nearly 16 months since the Edison Field Project was first proposed to the Town Council. Back then, meetings were virtual, and COVID vaccines were still rolling out. Much has changed since then, but many elements of the project have not. The project still plans to install 50% ...
New Jersey state law permits municipalities to impose open space taxes provided they are authorized by voters through a majority vote in a ballot referendum. On August 16, 2022, our Glen Rock Council passed a resolution to place the following referendum on the November 8, 2022, election ...
In 2006, my wife Maria and I were looking for the right town to raise our newborn son and future family. We considered Westfield out of many towns in New Jersey for its small-town feel, vibrant downtown, and reputation for an excellent school system. Overall, we decided Westfield was the best place ...