Vacancies should be ‘red flag’ to developers

The proponents of the Middletown "town center" claim those that call it a "mall" are out of touch with reality. This comes from an industry that chops down every tree on a property, then names the crowded housing it builds there "The Woods." This phenomenon can be seen across the road from the Holmdel Towne Center.

Three large stores are vacant there. One has been vacant for years. A large store in the same strip mall as the Route 36 Foodtown in Middletown has been vacant for more than a year.

Back on Route 35, the former A&P is vacant. The old ShopRite is vacant. There are many vacancies in the Pathmark strip. The former Bradlees is vacant.

Hubris and greed convince developers they can successfully rent out new properties when all these other nearby properties stand vacant. Clearly more development is not needed.

That same hubris and greed allow private parties to think they have the right to self-appoint a town center. This project is not a town center, and calling it one won’t make it one. The best interests of the people of Middletown are not a priority of the developers, although some of their supporters naively believe so.

A sensible society would not allow the destruction of an irreplaceable resource when similar properties sit vacant literally across the street.

Eminent domain is used to compel private property owners to sell to government. Why isn’t Middletown aggressively pursuing this option? Our elected representatives are supposed to act in the best interest of the public. Private developers don’t do this. This project will not benefit Middletown. Given the current state of vacancies, it may not even benefit the developers. It can and should be stopped.

Allison G. Kassig

Middletown