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A REAL Economic Development Plan For Barnegat:
As Barnegat's ONLY Bed & Breakfast closes, we hear the good news that we are going to be re-zoned for more Bed & Breakfasts!
Now our town's only B&B didn't close because they had too many customers, and we needed MORE B&B's. They did a great job and it was a pleasure to have guests and clients stay there. This B&B was a true asset to our town. What they DID need was support. Support from the people, and support from our town.
A basic tangible plan for our downtown is missing. All we get is public-relations spin year after year, and we see no results. So in response, this is our basic 3-part plan for our downtown. It is the minimum of what should be done:
1) INFRASTRUCTURE:
Crumbling streets and sidewalks do not make a vibrant downtown. The excuse we hear every year is "we are getting grants for a streetscape", yet NOTHING is ever done! Our town must be held accountable, and we MUST see progress. Sidewalks and streets like the ones pictured on this website must be fixed. They are not only safety hazards, but how can you promote foot traffic with infrastructure that looks like this?
Money has been set aside, and is available for some of these improvements. Streets that have this money allocated to be re-paved are not re-paved!! Where did this money go? We don't have to wait for grants. Grants are used as an excuse for not providing us what our TAXES should go towards.
In addition, grants can be used to supplement MORE improvements, but we must stop using grants as an excuse for NO PROGRESS.
No excuses. Start now. A little improvement every year will make it better. Or, find someone else who can facilitate these improvements.
2)EVENTS:
We need activities in the downtown area every single week between the start of summer to fall. Instead of the Township Committee and Chamber of Commerce working together to kill events like Heritage Day, they should instead support them. Events like Pirate's Day should not only be run by the Chamber of Commerce, if they are being supported by taxpayer's dollars. Citizens, businesses and organizations like the Chamber of Commerce should be working together to run Pirate's Day so it cannot be used as a political accomplishment (we will give a detailed plan for how Pirate's Day should be run in an up-coming article). Bottom line is activity. The Chamber does a great job, but they shouldn't be the only group in town permitted to do something downtown. We need a non-partisan voluntary Events Planner. Each organization should have a weekend that they sponsor an activity in downtown Barnegat. This would benefit each organization with recognition and benefit the downtown businesses with foot traffic and also benefit the people with something different to do every weekend. This CAN be done, if we have leadership that unites people. We started this with Heritage Day, and it's time to demand more events -- not less. That's not progress.
3) TAX BREAKS:
People who invest in our downtown should be encouraged with a reduction in property tax. This would bring businesses to our area while some of the properties that have been run down for years can be brought back to life. Individuals who are restoring Barnegat landmarks in the historic district (either business or residential) should not have their taxes raised...they should be lowered. This would promote the preservation of these historic sites. No excuses. The town should do the right thing and give money back to the people who help make our town better. Other towns with historic areas do it, why not Barnegat?
That's it...a simple and direct 3-point plan. Some may say it's too simple. But it would work. It would be REAL progress and not the same old spin we hear year after year. You would actually SEE the progress, and we would all be part of it -- and benefit from it.
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