LOOK AROUND

The next time you are driving around Red Bank, take time to look at what has been developed or re-developed in our town. If you start over by the hospital there are a number of buildings that have been renovated and or restored. Buildings and storage garages have been changed to office and retail stores, yet most would not realize these changes have occurred as the general look of the area has not changed only improved.

For those of you not living here 10 years ago the face of Broad Street has had a dramatic change. There was a mishmash of 50’s and 60’s aluminum fronts and old fading facades with some twenty store front being vacant. The street has evolved to a fashion plate of re-developed buildings, store fronts and upscale apartments which are yielding ten times the tax ratable from ten to twelve years ago. Our taxes are high as in all towns but not as severe as they would be without the new ratables.

Unfortunately there are over 14 stores empty again on Broad Street. This is due to the high rents and lack of shopping traffic all directly related to the lack of a parking. Once again a parking garage on White Street could have solved that problem Used as a political football the garage not being built will come back to bite us in the butt as we could enter our old cycle of a declining downtown. Without new ratable the burden will once again fall on us already living and working here.

On Monmouth Street the new building replacing an empty lot across form Teak is absolutely beautiful as well as the restoration of the Boynton building on the corner. The Hovnanian building is breath taking with outdoor fountains and a building line that matches the river skyline. Ground is finally broken for the office building on West Front and White Street. It is replacing the Chrysler and used car lot that occupied that space for 85 years. A better choice for the town…don’t you think.

That is where it ends as the condos on Monmouth are still being appealed and will collapse soon as time, legal expenses and the real estate market dictate. We can look forward to years of two old houses and a gas station falling apart or an ugly office building built to code sometime in the future. The Metrovision project on Bridge is being appealed by the same political group so the empty lot and old buildings around me will sit looking ugly for a number of years without yielding any taxes to the town. Clearly these appeals are political and have no concern for the betterment of our town. It is time for all citizens and business owners in town start asking why?

In small towns it doesn’t matter what party wins an election it should be the best qualified persons elected.