Community involvement vital in Lucent forums

The redevelopment of the Lucent property is a complex and important matter facing Holmdel. As elected members of the Township Committee, we represent the entire community and its future. We favor a redevelopment plan that benefits the community in the best way possible while limiting negative impacts.

In a recent letter to the editor (Independent, Aug. 27) and a recorded phone message, Holmdel Republican campaign manager Tom Scarano and the Republican candidates for Township Committee have wrongly claimed that we want to save the Lucent building to the detriment of the community.

While saving the building is not the only option for redevelopment of the property, there is a compelling reason for reusing the existing structure (aside from its historical and architectural significance). Under the proposed state Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) rules, Holmdel would have little or no additional affordable housing obligation if the existing building remains and is reused.

By contrast, if the building is demolished and new buildings are built on the property, COAH rules would require that 300-400 new units of affordable housing be built on site and/or elsewhere in town. We think that people do not want more high-density, sprawl development anywhere in town and particularly not on the Lucent tract.

We believe that residents do want a redevelopment plan that reestablishes the tax ratable that the Lucent property once was, is environmentally friendly, and does not have a deleterious impact on traffic.

Tax relief for residents — at its peak, the Lucent property generated more than $4 million per year in tax revenue, which kept taxes significantly lower for all residents. Today, it generates less than $1 million. The redevelopment plan must be financially a net positive for the township's residents.

Environment/open space and farmland preservation — all environmental regulations protecting the Ramanessin Brook and its tributaries, which flow through the Lucent property, should be respected to safeguard our drinking water. Redevelopment should be confined to the oval ring road that surrounds the existing building rather than "sprawling" over the entire property. Open space and farmland should be permanently preserved on the tract so that the bucolic nature of the area — consistent with nearby parkland and farms — is guaranteed in perpetuity.

Traffic — traffic generation should not require the widening of area roads. The existing two-lane rural road network surrounding the property should be retained. There should not be any new traffic lights needed and area residents should not experience traffic delays.

Community involvement in the planning process is vital to a favorable redevelopment of the Lucent property. That's why we have called for and support public forums for the presentation of the Lucent Citizens Advisory Committee's report and for the development firm, currently under contract to purchase the property, to present its proposal and get feedback from the community. We encourage residents to participate at the forums so that as a community we can decide Holmdel's future.
Janet Berk
Holmdel Township
Committeewoman
Larry Fink
Holmdel Township
Committeeman