STOP VILLAGE 35 BEFORE IT'S APPROVED.
THE PROPOSAL LACKS VISION. MIDDLETOWN DESERVES BETTER.
ALTERNATE PLANS ARE BEING INVESTIGATED
WHILE THE NRDC APPLICATION IS
BEING HEARD.
Attend the next Planning Board meeting
September 13th. 6:30pm Town Hall.
STAY INVOLVED.
YOUR PARTICIPATION IS NEEDED.
The July 12th Planning Board meeting left us all in a state of bewilderment and asking what's the point of a General Development Plan. Who benefits if a document crafted by Township Legal to protect Middletown is merely a suggestion? Read the Wrap-up.
NRDC is making a case as to why they should be allowed to ignore the General Development Plan (GDP) resolution that was put into place to protect the site from being built with big box stores.
NEW NRDC PLANS, IF APPROVED,
HAVE POTENTIAL FOR 2 BIG BOX STORES.
Credit: Caption above, and Table 1, below, are from the Village 35 Planners June 30, 2017 review.
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VILLAGE 35 PUBLIC NOTICE
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NRDC's newest plan: Wegmans, a dine-in Movie Theater, stand alone fast-food dining in the parking lot (A - E), and a block of retail space (2-5), 20 stores proposed OR ANOTHER BIG BOX STORE, that have no takers, translation: Dead Mall in the making. MORE OUT-OF-TOWN TRAFFIC CUTTING THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, LATE NIGHT ACTIVITY... WHAT ABOUT OUR QUALITY OF LIFE?
We will let you know beforehand if the meeting is cancelled.
Most of you are aware, the majority of Planning Board meetings for the Village 35 application have been cancelled.
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Residents for Responsible Development.
We believe responsible development is key to the long term health of Middletown and its citizens Quality of Life. Village 35, as proposed, lacks respect for the natural environment, historical character of the community and the residents well-being, which is why we are opposed. |
An Open Letter to Middletown Officials
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Minding Middletown, Stop Village 35, is a citizen action group formed to protect the quality of life in Middletown. The group is comprised solely of volunteers - residents and neighbors - who care deeply about the long-term health of Middletown, its neighborhoods, and its families.
We believe that the proposal known as Village 35 lacks vision. It brings business-as-usual redundant retail, more of the same fast-food restaurants, and a cinema bordering Kings Highway East neighborhoods, along with affordable housing high-rises segregated from densely packed townhouses, no usable open space, and traffic patterns that benefit the developers, not the community. We know development is inevitable. But the last expansive green space on Route 35 should not be squandered on the likes of Village 35 applications. We believe responsible development is paramount to a sustainable future for our quality of life in Middletown. Village 35, as proposed, is not it, which is why we are opposed. Our Wants From Middletown Township. • A development that complies with the imposed Planned Development Zone Requirements: no variances or waivers. • Per the Middletown Township 2009 Master Plan Re-examination report, the stated goal for this site should be adhered to. Goals include: public spaces for active and passive recreation. In the current Village 35 application, there are none, only drainage basins and wetlands; these are non-usable areas whose land mass is applied to "open space" percentage. • Traffic patterns, lighting and noise should consider the needs of and be "appropriate" for the surrounding neighborhoods that have been built adjacent to this property over the years. • Middletown’s historic areas and scenic roadways should be preserved in keeping with the character of the community. Kings Highway East is designated a scenic roadway in the Township’s Master Plan and should stay that way. |
Our Vision.
A sustainable retail/residential complex that incorporates usable open space while providing unique retail and residential opportunities for the public is desired. -- A development based on the principles of “placemaking,” where residents live, work, shop, and meet, and families play, all within a few minutes’ walk of their homes, in order to create a less drive-dependent existence. A “Place” where a community center provides a gathering hub as well as a "commons" transportation depot with transit links. -- A landscaped neighborhood with environmentally-responsible features and where LEED-certified building is adhered to. -- A community where retail serves as an amenity for the "neighborhood," and office space provides an environment that fosters SMEs and small business incubation alike. -- A multi-generational community with diverse and affordable housing: single-family homes, townhouses, multi-family apartments, live/work studios, and apartments for seniors to "age in place.” Ultimately, we’d like to see Village 35 as a “Place” that celebrates and incorporates all that we love about Middletown --its history, its scenic beauty, and its farming heritage. Our goal is to leave a legacy that we can be proud of for future generations. 
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A proposal named Village 35 is currently being reviewed by the Middletown Planning Board. It’s 118 acres, a Retail and Residential application that is larger than the Monmouth Mall, with just RT 35 and local neighborhood roads to support it.
The plan, which we oppose, represents irresponsible overdevelopment that will have a direct negative impact on the Quality of Life throughout Middletown and surrounding areas. Key issues are centered on the last expansive tract of "green space" on Rt 35, dense traffic, unsustainable retail, minimal buffers and inappropriate use of the site & its surrounding historic scenic roadways. Consequences of Village 35 are far reaching and irreversible. Realistically we all know that something will eventually be developed here. The Village 35 proposal is not it. 
1/2 mile frontage. Rt 35, Kings Hwy East to Kanes lane. Click to enlarge.
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LARGER THAN THE MONMOUTH MALL. 1/2 MILE FRONTAGE ON RT 35.
WATCH THE VIDEO
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To fully understand the complex and far-reaching consequences of the Village 35 application, watch the video.
See why we, the residents, need to donate money, volunteer time, whatever, to stop the proposal. |
Our Concerns are based in a harsh reality: Village 35 compromises our Quality of Life. We've retained a land use lawyer, traffic engineer, and drainage expert to challenge the application. It is time for the Middletown community to step up, to get the word out, and shoulder the expenses of defense.
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GET INVOLVED
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WAKE UP, MIDDLETOWN!
Many residents are unaware of the Village 35 proposal. It's important the Developers & Planning Board know we are not going to sit idle and let the destruction of our community pass without a fight. SPREAD THE WORD: know the issues, get social, share fact sheets to inform your neighbors, find info about buying lawn signs. SPEAK OUT: find the contacts needed to write letters, call, and email. Let's get attention & make a lot of loud noise. |
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NEWS & EVENTSIMPORTANT DATES. PLEASE ATTEND
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TAKE ACTIONSIGN THE PETITION.
• It's important that the Middletown Planning Board and the Town Committee know our position on Village 35. We, the taxpayers, are opposed. |
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Our new magnet is in! 1 for $5, or 3 for $10. Email us.
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