Route 33 lessons learned

The short but much discussed life of the Route 33 redevelopment project in Howell has come to an end for the time being.

It started as a legal notice in a daily newspaper several months ago, informing residents and business owners on the highway between Freehold Township and Wall that they were in an area targeted for commercial development.

That was followed by the release of a $35,000 redevelopment study prepared by the municipality’s planner.

While no formal public hearings on the Route 33 redevelopment proposal were ever held, the idea was a hot topic of conversation at Township Council meetings.

It all came to a head when Deputy Mayor Cynthia Scho-maker suggested that the redevelopment proposal be shelved until the Planning Board completes its review of Howell’s master plan, and the council adopts the master plan.

Public hearings on the master plan are scheduled for Sept. 20, 27 and 30 at 7 p.m. at the municipal building.

There are a couple of things residents can take away from the Route 33 redevelopment issue — both good and bad.

For starters, Howell has a public official who tried to keep a campaign promise. When Joseph DiBella ran for council he stated that commercial development on Route 33 would be a priority. It was not a secret. He tried to follow through on that platform and whether residents agree or disagree with DiBella, he was clear about where he stood in believing that was one way to expand Howell’s tax base. DiBella is running for mayor in November.

On the negative side, the talk of redevelopment worried many Route 33 property owners who believed their land would be taken by the township as part of the process. If the council gets back on the redevelopment path, it will have to work to assure those residents that there will not be a massive land grab.

The council must also square a position that appears to be at odds with the state. Council members said they did not want to be in the real estate business as they redeveloped Route 33.

However, New Jersey’s re-development handbook clearly states that the redevelopment authority (which would be the council) most certainly would be in the real estate business.

On a more cynical tone, the decision to table the Route 33 redevelopment proposal re-moves what could have been a thorny issue for Schomaker and DiBella in the upcoming campaign for mayor and council.

The Howell Planning Board and council should address the master plan for the entire community and then come back with a specific development plan for the Route 33 corridor.