Middletown town center would ease urban-suburban sprawl Middletown residents read with both personal and community interest Mayor Gerald Scharfenberger's announcement of the soon-to-be-created economic development task force. The mayor cited Middletown's need to create active commercial and industrial properties, expand the tax base, generate new revenues, create new jobs and provide recreation. Among Middletown's nearly 70,000 population there are many who are looking carefully at the road ahead. Many in Middletown are wary of a call for development. We embrace our historic villages, those early settlements that are our story and our treasure. Yet we have seen careless, uncontrolled growth impact such quaint little neighborhoods. Looking to another way for the immediate and long-term prosperity of our hometown, we already have the solution. It will give Middletown millions in annual tax revenues, millions in Route 35 improvements in addition to some New Jersey State grants, 3,000 part-time and full-time jobs, loft-style apartments, entertainment, recreation, trails for walking, jogging, cycling, a nature center and a maritime museum, parks, restaurants, sidewalk cafes and shops. Fifty acres will be green open space. Every particle of the development will be completed in just one place, as opposed to having a myriad of construction choices on random plots scattered throughout the township. The benefits of the proposed town square meet the targets of Middletown's economic development plan, while the town square also earns the State of New Jersey's accolade for "Smart Growth" development. The land has been owned by the developer through four generations. Not a single person or business had to be displaced - no eminent domain! That's good for the community. An even greater number in Middletown now see this as the blueprint for our prosperity. There is a powerful recognition of the need for town squares across our country. Municipalities want town squares because they're good for their communities. It is the "intelligent growth" pattern that Middletown residents have the smarts to see. There are hundreds of town squares already built and being built throughout the United States. Seventy-five percent of the funds from town squares are dedicated to the public school system. It is an "ideal gift" for any community caught in the crunch of careless urban-suburban sprawl. Middletown, New Jersey - or any municipality seeking clean tax ratables - cannot afford to lose such a beneficial opportunity. Bernice Roberts Middletown