Grant funds for Pennsauken Fire Department

According to an announcement made today by NJ Senator, Robert Menendez:

…four New Jersey fire departments will be receiving funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grants. The senators reiterated the need to improve the operations and safety capabilities of New Jersey first responders’ to subsequently enhance public safety across the state.“Firefighters are some of our state’s bravest individuals – they selflessly risk their own lives to save others without hesitation,” said Menendez. “This additional stream of funding for fire departments helps ensure public safety, and I am glad that these departments will be able to enhance their procedures and preparedness.”

“Firefighters are often the first to respond to an emergency,” said Sen. Lautenberg. “They put their lives on the line to keep us safe and deserve our support. Grants like these go a long way toward ensuring the fire departments across New Jersey have the necessary resources to enhance their response capabilities and protect our communities.”

The Assistance to Firefighters Grants will be dispersed among four municipalities in New Jersey—Port Murray, Pennsauken, Landisville, Paterson — to improve their operations and safety efforts and for vehicle acquisition. The Pennsauken Fire Department will receive the largest share, receiving $675,000.

Pennsauken Mart lawsuit settled

An issue regarding the redevelopment of the Pennsauken Mart site has been settled. Progress on the redevelopment project, known as Renaissance Walk was in jeopardy. Here are the details according to the Courier-Post:

The Camden County Improvement Authority approved an out-of-court settlement Tuesday with two home builders who claimed their proposals to develop the former Pennsauken Mart site were treated improperly.

Plaintiffs K. Hovnanian Enterprises Inc., and D’Anastasio Corp. of Pennsauken, will have “certain negotiation rights” on land left over after the authority’s chosen developer completes its project.

Scarborough Properties will continue developing a large apartment complex on the site, according to a resolution passed by the board.

Additional details were not released Tuesday because all parties had not signed the agreement, authority counsel said.

Neither John D’Anastasio, nor his lawyer, Jeffrey Baron of Voorhees, was available Tuesday for comment.

The 35-acre site is at the intersection of routes 73, 90 and 130.

The settlement does not call for a cash payment to either party.

The suit had the potential to stop or delay work on the mart site, which has been a financial and public relations train wreck since 2000.

The board also approved spending $85,000 for unanticipated environmental issues at the site, including ground water and soil contaminated with tetrachloroethene, widely used for dry cleaning of fabrics and for metal degreasing.

The former mart — now called Renaissance Walk — appears to be back on track

The settlement was announced at a meeting of the Authority.

What I find curious in the Courier’s article is the following:

Director Terrence M. Carr said he did “not want to vote” on two of the related resolutions and abstained on a third.

Carr would not comment on why.

Overall, Carr abstained on six of eight votes Tuesday. Three dealt with the Pennsauken Mart. Carr is a Pennsauken resident and a township employee.

What’s up with that? While Carr is not compelled to explain, I think he has a moral obligation to his neighbors in Pennsauken to explain his actions.

Pennsauken redevelopment: like waiting for Godot

Pennsauken has much in common with older suburbs throughout the state and nation. For one, it’s fully developed yet desperate for redevelopment and new construction. The last few years have been peppered with plans that have not delivered on the redevelopment promises held up by officials.

At least not yet. Will they ever?

• Petty’s Island and the waterfront: last word was that the project would be scaled back (2007), no word since.
• Pennsauken Mart: the land is being cleared but the proposed ice rink is out; or is it?
• Rt 130 Corridor: has anyone heard of this? It was news in 2006. Any progress?

Do I seem a little disheartened? You bet and I think most Pennsauken residents feel likewise.

To be fair, let me sing praises for the single visible exception: the boathouse on the Cooper River!

In a recent post, I opened up the question of the dilemma facing “first ring” suburbs like Pennsauken. We have precious little open land available, so we have to pick and carefully choose to redevelop choice parcels if we hope to revitalize the town by drawing people back from the newer “exurbs” to the east.

Future posts will weave various threads together: the declining prospects of “first ring” suburbs, the de-suburbanization trend and the various redevelopment projects that could decide the fate of Pennsauken for many years to come.

Whatever happened to Pettys Island redevelopment project?

I think it’s strange that NOTHING has appeared in the mainstream press about the redevelopment project for Petty’s Island and the Pennsauken waterfront. The last buzz was the row over the eaglet that died when a wildlife consultant was contracted to study the impact redevelopment might have on Petty’s Island, but that was ages ago.

Recall that the project was embroiled in politics with pro-development folks extolling the project and conservationists who were opposed. A check of the Pennsauken Tomorrow website that supports the project, has the last news item dated March, 2007. A check of several websites opposing the project were similarly outdated.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer (March, 2007):

Pennsauken has reversed course and decided to back a plan for Petty’s Island that would entail far less development than was originally planned, township officials said last night.

The revised plan for this teardrop-shaped island on the Delaware River eliminates construction of a proposed golf course, and leaves 72 percent of the island undeveloped.

“Tonight’s plan is entirely different,” Mayor Rick Taylor told a group of reporters prior to disclosing the plan to close to 100 residents in the Central Elementary School auditorium. “It calls for a footprint of only 28 percent development.”

That, he said, is 12 percentage points less than the current, controversial footprint proposed by developer Cherokee Pennsauken L.L.C. for the island’s 392 acres.

But he said the details of the new proposal, dubbed the Conservation Development plan, were still to be worked out…

I’ll be checking with Pennsauken officials for details and the status of the revised plan. Stay tuned!

Pennsauken filmed for upcoming documentary

In yesterday’s post, I opened up the topic of “first-ring” suburbs. Today, I thought I’d mention that independent filmmaker, Andrea Torrice has been working on a film entitled: The New Metropolis, on precisely that subject. Torrice filmed in Pennsauken for this upcoming work, produced with funds from the Ford Foundation.

A prior film was on the subject of global warming way before the issue had broad currency. That film: Rising Waters: Global Warming and the Fate of the Pacific Islands was released in 2000. Another was: Forsaken Cries, The Story of Rwanda (1997) documenting the genocide in that country.

Torrice grew up in New Jersey and has over a decade of experience as a producer of educational and public television documentaries. She’s covered a broad of topics from health and the environment, to social and cultural themes. Torrice’s work has been featured in several well known public television series and in festivals around the world.

It’s clear that Torrice has a knack for being ahead of the curve in shedding critical light on important issues. Is she on to something with”first-ring” suburbs?