Students devising final ideas for revitalization

BY JESSICA SMITH
Staff Writer

JAMESBURG - Residents and business owners shared their hopes and concerns for the future of the town at a recent meeting of the Revitalization Coalition.

The meeting, held at the Grace M. Breckwedel Middle School and attended by close to 150 people, consisted of a presentation by graduate students who are formulating a plan for the revitalization, followed by surveys concerning likes and dislikes.

"I'm so excited, because it was truly a representational group that showed up," said Teddy Ehmann, a coalition member and co-owner of Family Framers, East Railroad Avenue.

As attendees were shown slides of various images that could be incorporated into the revitalization plans, they were asked to rate the images from -10 to +10. Another survey asked for personal information for demographic purposes.

"[The students] did a great job," Ehmann said. "Now they have what they need, and they're off analyzing the results."

The students, from the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University, have been working with the coalition to flesh out a plan for the revitalization as part of their course work. Tim McManus heads the three-student team, and has attended coalition meetings for months to get a feel for some of the goals of the project.

"We thought it was a great success, just by the numbers alone," McManus said.

A few of the areas addressed were additional street lighting, improvements to parks, and events to stimulate the downtown area, Ehmann said. There are currently two committees within the coalition - one for media concerns; the other for health and recreation, he said. Additional committees will be formed in the future to address such areas as the arts, parks and businesses.

Once it becomes known that the borough is making a strong effort to revitalize, Ehmann said, it will become easier to reach out for grant funding and other revenue sources. The grassroots coalition's status as a nonprofit allows for donations to further its projects.

Councilman and coalition member John Longo Jr. said changes are being made in the borough's master plan in order to provide guidelines for the revitalization process. He said gleaning the input of residents and business owners is an integral part of bringing the project to fruition.

"We don't want you to think that this is happening in a vacuum," Longo said. "We need the public. If we don't have the public, this can't get done."

The most pressing areas in need of revitalization are the entrance ways to the town, Ehmann said. For example, the area surrounding the traffic light where Forsgate Drive meets with Gatzmer Avenue and Perrineville Road, and the light on Buckelew Avenue are top priorities.

"It's so important that [it] gets revitalized first," Ehmann said. "We have empty buildings, and that just sends the wrong signal."

The students are planning a final presentation for early May, when they will share their findings and work with the Borough Council, the Land Use Board and the Revitalization Coalition, as well as members of the public.

McManus said they are hoping that borough officials and residents visit the school for the event.

The student group will provide visualizations of the revitalization, one representing several years from now, and another for the more distant future. The presentation will be the last of the students' contribution to the process, as they are slated to graduate May 13.

"It's kind of up to the people of Jamesburg to take the information and run with it," McManus said.