I am writing this rebuttal to the statements and claims of “mass misrepresentation” made by Town Council member Barbara Von Villas regarding the opposition to the current Middletown Center plan being pushed on the residents of Middletown.
Additionally to her claims of “leading to misinformation and/or misinterpretation rather than fact. Ms VonVillas gives absolutely no examples of anything being misrepresented but lays that claim. So I ask this – what has been misrepresented? On the other hand I can give say things she has said are misrepresentational.
It is absolutely wrong of her, as a Town Council member who is supposed to be representing ALL Middletown residents that the voiced objections to the project are “noise”. This is disrespectful to all residents of the town who voice their opinions.
Using her format, please consider the following:
- She references the new town library being safely off the main highway (btw, West Main Rd is not a highway). It’s also NOT located in the most densely packed residential area of town and now all of those who can currently walk to the library will have to either drive to get there, take a bus, or walk a much longer distance along East Main Rd. Frees up a sizable space for open space? So destroying a LARGER currently existing open space for SMALLER open space of which a large part of the new proposed space is not even owned by the town and could go away is a good thing?
- Pottsy Field can NOT be-relocated. The land itself is Christopher Pott’s memorial which happens to be on land deeded in perpetuity as open space via the National Park Service. I didn’t know that ‘perpetuity’ or ‘forever’ is not actually that but means a maximum of 50 years and then POOF, it goes away. The ball field he walked on cannot be moved anymore than the Beaches of Normandy or Gettysburg could be moved elsewhere and still be what they are. The scoreboard could be moved, but that is not his memorial, that is just a sign. The ground cannot be picked up and transported elsewhere.
- Providing short term expensive hotel housing for base personnel here temporarily, paid for by the government, does nothing to help our housing crisis. Additionally, very few, if any short term base school students reside in hotels in town. Recent Navy Base presentation stated that military personnel coming here for regular duty will “have a negligible effect on community housing” of which I can provide proof of that statement. In four years of doing regular work for short term students, possibly numbering over 100, every single one of them has resided on base during their school. Zero have been in town hotels.
- Reports have been saying that the student enrollment numbers are projected to go down in future years so at most they MAY help keep numbers from dropping as much but this is misleading to claim enrollment will increase significantly enough to do as she claims.
- Yes, 150 new housing units increases the supply. But only 15 of them being affordable and 135 being overpriced like the majority of housing on the island is NOT beneficial. This is why the Affordable Housing Committee is not onboard with the project and recommends the existing project be scrapped for a better one. Who do you trust – the volunteers trying to find solutions to the housing crisis, or someone aligned with private developers who are in this for the amount of money that will go into their pockets?
- Her item #6 has nothing to do with the Middletown Center project so it’s irrelevant to this rebuttal.
- Same as Item 7 applies here.
- Selling out to a hotel developer to get the funding is not proper or in the interests of the residents. This project has already cost us taxpayers tax increases. How much more is going to happen. Ms. Von Villas is supposed to be representing the residents interests, not the developers.
- This is misleading. I feel I can safely say ALL those who opposed the current proposal are open to a development that will increase the tax base of the town. They are simply not in favor of one the favors the developers over the residents. They are in favor or MORE affordable housing, not less. They are in favor increasing of long term affordable housing, not short term of days or a few weeks for Navy transients and tourists.
In short – there are more reasons to oppose the existing West Main Road project than there are to support it. These include: saving already protected space, saving larger open space on land we own versus smaller unprotected open space of which half is on land not owned by the town, significantly increased actual affordable housing numbers – not 135 non-affordable for far too many who need it desperately, increased affordable housing for island workers who currently cannot afford to live here on the island. Resistance based on emotion? Correct. As a Combat Veteran myself and member of Gold Star family – saving a Veteran Memorial is all about emotion. That should not be disrespected. Resistance based on self-interest? There is no self interest – there is more altruistic interest for the benefit of the entire town while no one opposing this project gainst anything at all for themselves. Resident’s opinions are a distraction? Again – absolutely disrespectful to be coming from an elected representative of the residents. Change is inevitable, and not always good. Progress involves change. Change does not always equate to progress. A recession is change, but not progress. Wars are change, but not progress. This town needs progress to move to a better future. Losing recreational avenues is not progress. Inevitable change does not guarantee a better future.
Christopher Rowe, Middletown
