Commentary

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West Side Lofts Construction is Amazing
By Daniel Murphy 
The West Side Lofts project is now in full swing and being in business and living in the middle of a construction site you might think would be an issue. It is not really; if anything, it is a major learning experience.
I view the entire site from my upstairs apartment and am in awe of the amount of engineering, construction and attention to detail that Eric Wood Mont and Chris Cole are putting into this project.

Construction of the West Side Lofts project.
Construction of the West Side Lofts project.

 
The parking garage went up in a matter of weeks in huge concrete sections. A number of months followed with the laying of pipes for electric and sewer lines for the 41 apartments, brew pub and retail spaces. Tons of concrete have gone into exterior foundations for support and tons more for flooring with dozens of men working from early morning to dusk.
Eight-story high cranes are now lifting prefab steel walls into place. The only other structure that is equal in design and construction is the Two River Theater built eight years ago.
Steel beams will be lifted into place soon; their location marked by the squares in the concrete flooring which, I believe, will support the four-story complex along with the brew pub.
In a matter of months the task of finishing the inside of the apartments, retail and brew pub will begin. The apartments will be elegant with rooftop clubrooms. The retail space will be designated to the arts and antiques and Triumph Brew Pub will add to the restaurants in the district.
Having lived on the west side of town, now known as the Arts & Antique District, for most of my life and being in business here 44 years, I have seen the transition of both the Downtown District and the A & A District.
We are about to embark on a major transformation in the A & A District as the building of the West Side Lofts is completed. In the district we will have 12 restaurants, two theaters, antique dealers and numerous art-related retail stores. The A & A District will be come a major destination for people from Manhattan, Staten Island, North Jersey and, of course, Monmouth and Ocean counties.
Red Bank will now have two distinct districts to make Red Bank a destination of choice. We also have a parking plan on the table that we have been working on with the town, local businesses and the Red Bank RiverCenter.
 
Daniel Murphy is the owner of Danny’s Grill & Wine Bar, 11 Bridge Ave., Red Bank. 
 
Take Action Now for Land’s Sake
 By Michele S. Byers
It’s been a strong year for sales tax collections, a sign that New Jersey’s economy is beginning to recover.
The state collected 3.8 percent more in fiscal year 2013 than in the previous year. The first quarter of the new fiscal year was even better, with sales tax revenues up a robust 11 percent. And revenues from holiday spending are still rolling in.
Why the excitement? The New Jersey Legislature is proposing historic legislation to fund open space and farmland preservation for the next 30 years by dedicating a small portion of the state’s sales tax revenues.
On Dec. 5, state Senator Bob Smith introduced a bill that would dedicate up to $200 million a year toward Green Acres, farmland preservation, historic preservation and Blue Acres buyouts of flood-prone properties.
Senator Smith’s bill is similar to two others passed by the Senate earlier this year, but the new bill addresses concerns about what might happen if sales tax revenues go down in the future. The bill would dedicate $200 million or 2.4 percent of sales tax revenues per year – whichever is lower.
With the new safeguards, the bill is a win-win proposal – in the nick of time.
New Jersey, our nation’s most densely populated state, has officially run out of land preservation funding. Funds from the 2009 Green Acres ballot question have been spent or allocated. No new state land preservation projects are moving forward.
The next 30 years are critical. It’s projected that by mid-century, the state will become the first in the nation to reach “full build-out,” when every acre of land is developed or preserved.
Being without conservation funding is an unusual state of affairs for New Jersey, given the huge success and popularity of land preservation programs. Since 1961, New Jersey voters have passed all 13 Green Acres ballot questions. And funding for land preservation has always enjoyed bipartisan support.
But these days that support is tinged with caution. After the economic recession and Super Storm Sandy, we have become averse to new taxes and increased borrowing.
That’s the beauty of Senator Smith’s proposal. Sales tax revenues are currently growing, and, if growth trends continue as projected, funding for land preservation would not reduce funding for other programs. The current sales tax rate, 7 cents per dollar, would not increase.
Recent polling has shown that voters would rather dedicate existing sales tax revenues than create new taxes.
In a poll earlier this year, 71 percent of voters said they would support dedicating 2.5 percent of existing sales tax revenues to conservation – with no increase to the sales tax. Far less support was found for new taxes and bonding.
Senator Smith’s plan to fund land preservation through sales taxes would require voter approval through a ballot question next November. But before the question can go to voters, it must get through the Legislature.
“The senate has shown extraordinary leadership on this issue,” said Tom Gilbert, chairman of the New Jersey Keep It Green coalition. “We are counting on the assembly to act, so that New Jersey’s bipartisan legacy of preservation continues.”
Please contact your state senator and assembly representatives and urge them to pass Senator Smith’s bill, SCR165, and let the voters decide on sustainable funding for land preservation!
To find your district’s legislators, go to the state legislature’s website at www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/legsearch.asp.
And to learn more about preserving land and natural resources in New Jersey, visit the New Jersey Conservation Foundation website at www.njconservation.org or contact me at info@njconservation.org.
 
Michele S. Byers is the executive director of the New Jersey Conservation Foundation.
 
 
Two River Moment
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This year, Broad Street in Red Bank is decorated with green wreaths with bright red bows on lampposts and white-light decked trees. In 1955, the holiday décor was strings of lights crowned by bright stars.