COI scrapped; Crossroads should follow

Pete Trabucco

Guest Column

I want to thank Mayor Jim Phillips for finally coming to his senses regarding scrapping the ludicrous commercial-office-industrial (COI) rezoning plan here in Old Bridge.

This plan would have affected many areas of our town including Route 18, Ferry Road, the land between routes 9 and 18, as well as areas north of Route 516. It didn’t stop there. COI would have also affected areas along the Route 9 corridor between Jake Brown and Ernston roads.

It was indeed a 1,529-acre fiasco, and I, for one, am glad to see the project shelved. So are many others as well. The vast majority of residents here in Old Bridge fought long and hard to stop this project, and thanks not to us but to charges of corruption did it come to pass that our mayor came to right conclusion. He realized that COI was certainly a hot potato, better left uncooked. It is a good start to slowing down the unbridled expansion of our ever-decreasing and precious land, but it still doesn’t go far enough for me.

Along with this there is another little project called Crossroads, which would allow 700 new homes to be raised in a 500-acre land tract near routes 9 and 18. You might recall this very highly publicized project, where, again, the vast majority of residents tried (to no avail) to have their voices heard at Township Council meetings in a effort to stop

the project.

Well, this redevelopment plan was approved by the Democratic council majority last year, against the wishes of the people. But it is my sad duty to report that, like COI, the Crossroads project has been tainted by less-than-reliable testimony and from the same sources that crippled the COI project. Because of this, it is imperative that the council permanently shelve the Crossroads project.

On a similar note, many thanks go out to the only Democrat on the council who went against his party on both issues, and in doing so, became a true instrument of the people. His name is Kevin Calogera, and he should be commended for taking the heat from his party (which I will lay odds will not support him for re-election this coming spring) by going way beyond party politics to fight against these projects. It is because of his so-called “grandstanding” that COI has been scrapped and it looks like a major fire-sale refund may be in store for the good people of Old Bridge regarding the selling of the mayor and council’s Crossroads project.

I love it when good men and women endeavor to take the less-traveled road and focus like a laser on the people and on the real issues that affect us all.

Pete Trabucco is a resident

of Old Bridge