There has been a mass of misrepresentation related to Middletown’s West Main Road project. Most of it is built on emotional or personal bias leading to misinformation and/or misinterpretation rather than fact.
As a result, productive action related to increasing housing within the project (as well as in other areas of the Town) has been delayed by noise while the benefits to the Town of Middletown and its residents are being derailed by opinion and personal interest.
Consider the following:
- The Town has acquired an existing structure for a new Library which is safely off the main highways and which requires much lower financing – not to mention sooner rather than later – and frees up a sizable piece of the West Side property for open space.
- With the approval of the family, Potsy Field will be re-located and re-dedicated to continue to honor our local military veteran.
- The proposed hotel – which has been a lightning rod for opposition – will provide additional temporary housing for military and associated personnel who will be returning to the area due to Naval expansion – encouraging their families to settle in Middletown and bring increased prosperity.
- In addition, the resulting increased school enrollment has the potential to bring additional financial support and expanded educational opportunity for all Middletown students.
- Residential housing will be increased due to the planned combination residential/commercial structures – similar to the Clock Tower development off West Main Road in Portsmouth.
- Meanwhile, Middletown continues to benefit from the development of affordable workforce housing by private developers. Last week, for example, there was an opening ceremony for Rosebrook Commons, which will provide 144 housing units, built above commercial spaces – similar to those proposed for the West Side property. Similarly, West House – on Forest Ave.- has added multiple housing units.
- Unfortunately, the prospect for affordable housing at Oliphant and Berkeley Peckham Schools – which could have been achieved within the Town’s ability to pay – was not approved. Where was the outcry of support for those proposals?
- Housing development requires funding. Even with state support, the costs associated with developing the West Main Road property for housing would be prohibitive without substantial tax increases.
- On the other hand, the currently planned development of the West Side property will increase Middletown’s tax base, providing financial support to the town and minimizing future tax increases – conditions that should make future housing development by the Town more feasible.
That, in itself, should be more than sufficient reason to support the existing West Main Road project.
No one likes change – but change is inevitable. Resistance based on emotion or self-interest is a distraction.
It’s time to think of the Town as evolving rather than static and work together to provide for the current needs of our residents while we move into the future.
Barbara A. VonVillas, Middletown Town Councilor
