At tonight’s regular Commission meeting we had some residents that had received a notice to come to our meeting because it was about the TOD (Transit-Oriented Development) being explored for the Speedline parking lots. I need to reiterate what we are doing.

First, the notices were not distributed by the Borough. I received some calls about them today from people who thought they were for an official meeting on the TOD. People were upset we weren’t given fair notice. The flyers were handed out by some concerned citizens. Tonight was a regular Commission meeting; it was not about the TOD.

Second, we are continuing a roughly 5 year old process that began with a study called the “Heart of Collingswood” study and continued with a number of other studies. Those studies have been available at the Library for a couple of years now in a special TOD area. The first resident meeting we held, about 18 months ago, was noticed by certified mail to all residents within 200 feet of the Speedline station. We held that meeting first to assure the closest residents that the process would keep them apprised and would take a long time.

Third, we know there are major issues to be addressed by any development: parking, traffic, water and sewer infrastructure, density and a host of other issues. We hope that our track record at the Parkview, the Zane School, the Lumberyard and the other redevelopment projects in town clearly show we will only move forward if – and it is a big if - the development would be consistent with the character of our town.

Finally, this is a process that will be measured in years. Through the website, the Town Crier, meetings and other media, we will keep you informed and listen to your comments and concerns. We know this will not be a unanimous process, but we believe we must pursue investigation of this concept to grow and improve our town. To provide property tax relief, we will need new ratables to share the tax burden. To keep our main street vibrant, we need to create a critical mass of people to support the “everyday” businesses laike butcher shops and visitors to frequent our boutiques and restaurants. We are taking first steps investigating development in a way that keeps the character of our town while ensuring we can deal with the economic realities of tomorrow.

We welcome your comments and concerns. But don’t worry, construction does not start tomorrow.