A Town Center For Marlboro? Is This Manalapan's "Shared Services" At Work?

Da Truthtellers were in shock after reading this. It seems da mayor and town leaders in Marlboro are considering something so heinous and barbaric their rationale and motives must be seriously questioned.

Marlboro is considering building -- get this -- a TOWN CENTER!!!!!!

Maybe this is another of da Queen Mayor's "Shared Services" plans, like getting Marlboro to allow some Manalapan residents to use the Marlboro pool for a price obviously beneficial to Marlboro's taxpayers, or continuing to sue da Mosked Man over $10,500 while spending well over $100,000 to do it.

Apparently they haven't discussed da matter with Manalapan's Queen Mayor, her Gang of Three, or henchmen on their hand-picked "Anti"-Village Committee.

For da last 7 years Manalapan too has debated this, going from "great idea" in 2001 to "John Lynch may not like this" in 2004 to "If we build it we'll hurt da chances for a MegaMegaMegaMall on Route 33 in Lynch-linked Monroe" in 2005.

DaTruthsquad read with great interest a story in da Asbury Park Press, a real area newspaper that took both a serious and non-objective look at Marlboro's idea.

What was said was simply hard to believe - of course that is - by Manalapan standards.

"Residents and members of local committees have said might be good for the township's future," was one of da quotes of da story!!!

Wow! Doing something for da township's future? "Residents...said it might be good?" Who would have thought that??

Here are some more of those quotes you should read with interest.

"A common thread in the meetings, led by township planners Heyer, Gruel and Associates, has been talk of a possible town center that could distinguish Marlboro's identity."

"A town center would be different than big-box retail," Hornik said. "I think it's more of a quaint, village-type of development which would have retail on the bottom, possibly apartments and condos on top, and it would be a mixed use that would offer a lot to the town. "The area doesn't need another strip mall," Hornik said."

And, apparently for da benefit of Manalapan residents who indeed will be clogging Manalapan roads to head there, they're nice enough to consider placing it close to Manalapan's border.

"He said the township then could identify a piece of property for such a center — suggestions at past meetings have included the Tennent Road corridor and the township's "historic" section at Route 79 and School Road — and designate a master redeveloper."

It's actually remarkable to watch an actual real local government in action.

DaTruth is, that same type of vision was already offered to Manalapan by a developer who owns da land adjacent to Route 33 and Millhurst Road. Instead of a "Town Center," Manalapan instead is getting 3,000 homes on postage-stamp-sized lots and no actual retail infrastructure for those 3,000 homes, probably 6,000 cars and probably 8-10,000 new residents who will have to drive to Freehold, Monroe, or Marlboro to do their shopping or dining.

Many Manalapan residents want it, and anyone who will be riding traffic-laden roads leading out of Manalapan want it, and considering how much tax dollars are being handed to towns like Freehold and Marlboro already and not being spent to hold down taxes in Manalapan want it.

Unfortunately, there's about 7 people who don't want it, and it's their will that makes da decisions in Manalapan.

DaTruth is, Manalapan has no sustainable infrastructure where ratables are concerned. Manalapan is at da bottom of da Monmouth County barrel where it comes to da percentage of ratables to offset da overwhelming tax burden suffered by da peasants in da Kingdom. Those in charge of that planning have done nothing to alleviate this burden, except raise local taxes. You can blame da school tax burden, and you can blame higher fuel costs, and you can blame cuts in state aid from Trenton, although that figure was 1 half of 1 percent of Manalapan's budget. However, da real blame goes to those whofor whatever reason are stalling an already-planning board approved Village project, and even if they don' t want it, have no real plan for how to address Manalapan's lack of ratables for an ever-growing population and already crowded-and-getting worse local roads.

Of course, when you see da map below you'll see where da Village is intended to go and what it was intended to look like. What you'll also see, AND THOSE WHO OPPOSE DA VILLAGE DON'T WANT YOU TO SEE THIS -- is all of da open space taken by house developers to build 3,000 homes in that area!!!

Instead, Manalapan spends money on studies being done by CME on a traffic study which we all hope was not done when nearby Woodward Road was closed for what seemed like decade-long road repairs. And, Manalapan residents still go out-of-town to do their shopping or enjoy their entertainment.

Whether or not it is a Village now due to all da years of stalling, Manalapan's residents need more than just a strip mall there because that will NOT serve da needs "for all da people." It's also about time those who receive both pay & health benefits think more "for all da people" and less "for all their cronies."

DaTruth is, Marlboro's mayor and town council deserve praise from their residents for their insight and for putting da overall needs of da town residents first. Marlboro is a very large but very nice town that does seem to lack a "hometown" feel at times. A "Village" or "Town Center" concept could go a very long way to alleviate that. Kudos for da Marlboro heirarchy for doing da right thing for their people.

DaTruth is, this plan would be a great achievement for Marlboro, just as it's helped other towns. Maybe da Queen Mayor could get Manalapan a "shared service agreement" where Manalapan residents could get discounts for shopping there? After all, with no real "Village-style" place to shop in Manalapan, a lot of folks may be heading to Marlboro's proposed "Village."

That would be a great benefit for both towns -- Manalapan residents would get a discount for shopping in Marlboro -- and Marlboro gets Manalapan tax $$$$$ to benefit Marlboro's residents. Who knows, maybe Marlboro residents might even see their tax burden DECREASE - now that's a concept!

And that's daTruth.