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Residents press for transparency as Garwood negotiates paperboard redevelopment agreement
Summary
Council said redeveloper agreement negotiations for the paperboard site are ongoing and attorneys are working to protect the borough; residents at public comment pressed for more public access to review processes and raised concerns about pilot provisions and affordable housing counts.
Mayor Blumenstock told the council that attorneys for the borough and the prospective redeveloper continue to negotiate the redeveloper agreement for the paperboard site, and councilors said they want protections against further construction delays. "We are, of course, looking to make sure the borough is protected from any more delays in construction, and looking to set a clear timeline," the mayor said. The mayor added the finalized agreement is expected to come before council in the near future.
During public comment, Bruce Patterson asked why members of the public are not allowed to sit on a development review committee and raised concerns about a pilot program tied to the Paperboard project, saying earlier presentations left residents "not aware" of pilot terms. The mayor replied that no redevelopment committee is in place now and that many of Patterson's questions had been previously addressed; she invited further questions at future meetings. Patterson also asserted the borough is "oversubscribed by 6 affordable housing units," a claim the council did not resolve at the meeting.
