Residents press council on East High Street redevelopment and Creative Glassboro committee appointment

A resident questioned council on Jan. 28 about an introduced redevelopment ordinance and about a rejected appointment to a borough advisory group.

Linda Gallashaw asked whether the lots included in Ordinance 25-02 were occupied and, if not, what the redevelopment purpose would be. The mayor replied, "It's vacant land," and later told the audience, "We're putting up townhomes and duplexes." The ordinance (25-02) was introduced that evening as an amendment to the redevelopment plan for the East High Street project area.

Gallashaw also said she had been nominated and accepted by members of the Creative Glassboro Advisory Group but received a letter from Mayor Johnny Wallace stating her appointment would not be accepted. She said the committee had worked with her for months and that, historically, nominations had been treated as accepted if the borough did not respond within 30 days.

Mayor Wallace replied that committee appointments and changes must go through the mayor and council and that the council directed the committee to revert to its prior membership after the committee made personnel changes without following the borough's appointment process. He said he had explained the reasons to the committee chair and offered to speak with Gallashaw after the meeting.

Why it matters: The exchange connects a specific planning action'the introduced redevelopment ordinance affecting block and lot numbers in the East High Street area'with resident concerns about municipal appointments and transparency in advisory-group procedures. The Planning Board was authorized to review the redevelopment-plan amendment as part of the consent agenda.

No formal changes to the redevelopment ordinance or to advisory-group rules were adopted at the meeting; the ordinance was introduced and will return for future readings, and the mayor said he would follow up with the committee chair and the resident outside the meeting.