Can Q A 080309 Final

CAN (Community Acting Now) Roselle Community Center Monday, August 3, 2009 Below is a brief summary of the questions and answers we were able to capture during the question and answer portion of this meeting: 1. Does the 60 acres include the present shopping center? Yes 2. Having served on the Board of Education, was there a feasibility study done to determine this project’s impact on the school system? In trying to think of alternatives, is it possible to scale down the 1900 units? Is it possible to use some of the property for a recreational center? An immediate answer to all concerns was not possible; however, the developers are willing to sit down and discuss the scientific equation that was used to determine the number of anticipated students. Also, there is a willingness to sit and discuss options. 3. Is there an option for present homebuyers to purchase at a discount? No, the new properties will be rental; however, it is a good idea to look into help- ing people if they want to move from home ownership to renting. 4. My property abuts the Golf Course and presently there is a fence that is in disrepair. Is there anything that can be done regarding this? The developer made a suggestion to look into the situation although the property is not currently in his hands. The developer indicated that that particular area will be landscaped. Additionally, the Borough of Roselle engineer was present and he took the exact address to look into this further. 5. What is the advantage to renting as opposed to purchasing? The decision to develop rental property as opposed to purchase is primarily based on the economy. There are many homes for sale in the community already. As present property owners in Roselle, the developers are interested in building The community and staying invested. 6. Who is your target population? Working class commuters are the targeted population. The developers believe that if quality properties are developed, commuters will respond. CAN: 8/3/09 Meet & Greet – Questions & Answers 1

7. Will you target seniors? What is the rental range? What is the composite? Yes, the development will be Senior friendly. The target rent will be between $1,000.00; $1,500.00; and $1,800.00. The composite will be Studio 5%; 1 Bedroom 45%; 2 Bedrooms 45%; and 3 Bedrooms 5%. 8. Currently, Roselle is home owner oriented. Are you aware of the following things? That this project will change the make up of the town? That it violates the the entire zoning code and will require several variances? That it is crucial that the developers work closely with the Borough Council to insure that all concerns are addressed. It is further suggested that the Council needs to meet and organize under a Roselle Development Agency. Developers acknowledged the fact that Roselle is home owner oriented and reiterated that newcomers would be in a mixed income category and attracted to a highly maintained property venue. Acknowledged as well that all areas of this project need to be examined carefully by all stakeholders. Additionally, it was stated that the developers expected the Borough of Roselle officials to do diligence to insure that any compliance issues are brought forward and they would work together to address. 9. What is the time table? Right now, there is no timetable. 10. As a Golf Course Club Member, I am very aware of its 100 year history During WWI, the golf course was used to land airplanes. As a member, I voted against the sale and have the following questions concerning the extended project including the Roselle Shopping Center. The occupancy at the Roselle Shopping has a terrible track record for occupancy, what are your plans in order to improve it and address its record? The developer disagreed with the idea that the Roselle Shopping Center has had a spotty occupancy record over the course of their many years of involvement. Further mention was made of their efforts in working with the businesses to retain occupancy, however, the businesses themselves had the ultimate responsibility to become efficient. Some of the businesses have suffered through a variety of management transitions which fall outside of the responsibility/direction of the developer. 11. Properties in both Garwood and Cranford are having a difficult time being sold. Has this fact been taken under consideration? Yes, it has. Rental fees will be well below the asking price of the aforementioned properties which are overpriced. CAN: 8/3/09 Meet & Greet – Questions & Answers 2

12. All of the stats given thus far are questionable; someone needs to challenge the stats especially the ones involving taxes. The developer offered to share all stats as well as the manner in which all data has been attained. Offered also to compare/contrast all findings with those attained by Borough affiliated experts. 13. What is the next step? There will be more discussion with the Borough’s Planning Board and people should feel free to reach out to them. Meanwhile, the discussions will continue as we are quire a way from finalization of the plans. 14. What materials will be used to construct the buildings? Will the dwellings be safe in terms of fire prevention or rescue? Yes, the developers will work within the legal and compliance requirements set forth by the law, ordinances, etc. 15. What materials will be used to construct the buildings? Will the construction Meet all codes? Again, the materials and construction will be compliant with the requirements of the Borough of Roselle and the Law. 16. Are measures being taken to make sure the requirements for infrastructure, Sanitation, energy and the electrical requirements, Green development is taken into consideration? The developers will adhere to any building, zoning and legal requirements and will take it these items into consideration. 17. As a property owner who owns double lots and remember the Smithwoods Project, I am concerned about flooding and developmental impact on the water table. Will there be electrical problems? Have you looked into solar panels? Are you concerned about brown outs? All of this is part of the developmental plan. A part of the plan will include reducing the amount of water leaving the site. Will definitely meet with all concerned to address infrastructure and address all aspects mentioned above, etc. 18. Do you locations where we can visit to see your work? Do you plan sustain- able green development? Do you have developments over the last 10 years? There are modern buildings with elevators in Verona. The development will be Energy Star complaint; many materials will be green. Developments over the last 10 years are business properties in NY. 19. What criteria will you use to qualify people for the development? Credit check and background check are two of the criteria that will be used. CAN: 8/3/09 Meet & Greet – Questions & Answers 3

20. Thank you to Diane and BT. Can we continue to have these meetings especially if it comes to a referendum in case of an impasse? Yes, we will continue to hold community meetings. Remember the distinction with CAN is that although we believe in being a positive influence or catalyst towards a solution, we are prepared to take on challenging issues. This particular issue, falls under quality of life and is just one aspect of CAN. We are trying to be proactive and lay the foundation and open and maintain the lines of communication. . Thank you to all of the experts and community who came out. This is how we get things done and with a mutual interest in prosperity. We as a community have a responsibility to take more accountability for going to get information that will affect us, making the time to understand the information and to actually digest what is transpiring and how we may be affected by it. In other words, we have to pay attention and add value to the discussion and decision making process. Remember we must ACT NOW, DO GOOD, and BE THE DIFFERENCE! 21. Would the developers and experts be willing to come back and participate in future meetings as invited and/or as more information unfolds? Yes, the developers are very interested in interacting with the community, they have long term vested interests in the success of Roselle and would welcome an opportunity to come back. CAN: 8/3/09 Meet & Greet – Questions & Answers 4

Thank you to the members of the community who attended and who persevered through their busy day and brought their passion and energy to this session. The questions raised were great and we really appreciate the interaction! We did not list the names because we want everyone to be comfortable asking questions and you already know who you are. Thank you to the subject matter experts who attended the meeting. They did not have any advance notice or idea of the format or intention of the meeting (other than the topics). However, they came fully prepared to field any questions, engage in the dialogue and committed to continue the discussion. We appreciate your diligence. We list their names below if we received a business card or you signed in. The intent of this is not to promote but to acknowledge the participation and input and as a matter of reference for future meetings. Andrew Hipolit, Maser Consulting John Fernandez, Ehrlich Companies Josh M. Mann, Porzio, Bronberg & Newman, Law Firm Keith B. Cahill, PE, Bohler Engineering Angela D. Devanney, Principal, Keywood Strategies Anthony Esposito, Roselle Board of Education Jamel C. Holley, Councilman at Large Christine Dansereau, 5th Ward Councilwoman Note: There were additional comments, statements and discussion which is not presented or included in this document as they were not presented a question format. The intent of this document is to simply document questions and answers to enable others to be aware of the answers. If there are any significant discrepancies found in this document or you have any feedback, please email us at info@communityactingnow.com. Thank you to everyone, we appreciate your participation and look and hope to see you at future events. Feel free to participate at the level of your interest, depending on the topic. In the meantime, remember to: ACT NOW – DO GOOD – BE THE DIFFERENCE!! Diane Mathis CAN: Community Acting Now http://www.communityactingnow.com CAN: 8/3/09 Meet & Greet – Questions & Answers 5

Can Q A 080309 Final

by Diane Mathis on Aug 09, 2009

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Can Q A 080309 Final — Document Transcript