Azzolina’s dominance of master plan meeting shameful

I attended the Middletown master plan meeting Jan. 15 at the Thompson Middle School. I feel it was shameful the way Assemblyman Joseph Azzolina Sr. packed the audience and dominated the meeting with his lengthy speech and the speeches of his employees. The meeting was meant to address the proposed changes to Middletown’s master plan, not a forum for Assemblyman Azzolina to aggressively push for his "town center."

While I am neither for nor against the town center, I do know the traffic implications of a project of this magnitude will have an enormous effect on an already overburdened Route 35 and the surrounding neighborhoods. I ask the Middletown Planning Board to please weigh all the pros and cons of the town center and don’t be bullied by Assemblyman Azzolina and his staff at Mountain Hill Inc.

Although this wasn’t discussed much at the meeting, I do feel the Planning Board has done a wonderful job, and I agree with your proposed changes to Middletown’s master plan.

Thank you for all your help.

Walter L. Horan

Lincroft section

Middletown