22 October 2008

Skillman redevelopment

It shouldn't be particularly surprising that the Skillman Village redevelopment plans become such a hot topic just weeks before election day. It is interesting to see in today's Home News account how the site is understood as an opportunity, but with the disagreement being over how to capitalize on that opportunity:

Dyer said he wants Somerset County to buy the land as open space and transform it into a south county park, noting it would relieve the township of its debt load. To date, the township's total debt is nearly $63 million. About 43 percent, or $27 million, of that debt was incurred as a result of the Skillman Village project, Committeeman Mark Caliguire has said.

Another proposal is to see the former psychiatric treatment facility "transformed with public lawns, plazas and an amphitheater, as well as shops and restaurants." How many of these opportunities do you think they are in the watershed? Should they be of greater interest to the larger community?

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