Manville Democratic Club Position on the Condemnation of the former Rustic Mall Property

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Christopher Basista at contact@manvilledemocrats.org

Manville -- Residents of Manville are frustrated at the lack of progress redeveloping the Rustic Mall, and we share that frustration. But the Manville Democratic Club does not support condemnation of the Rustic Mall property.

Last week's Land Use Board voted to recommend this property as a Condemnation Redevelopment Area, and Borough Council moved to pull the related resolution from this week's agenda following comments from the public and representative property owners. We advocate Council being well-educated on issues prior to voting, and hope they use this time to adequately review documents and testimony.

While we do not believe condemnation is the best way forward for Manville, we do need action. We have heard year after year that Council has a plan, but that plan has never materialized. During the public meeting, one of the property owners shared that they have submitted plans, the most recent being a few months ago in early 2021. Why are these plans being rejected by our leadership? How would any of these plans need to be modified in order to move forward? And yet in Council meetings we are told there are no updates regarding this redevelopment.

The owners of Rustic Mall are not going to allow their property to be taken without a prolonged legal battle, and that is something Manville cannot afford. We saw owners attend the Land Use Board and Council meetings in person, speaking up to defend their rights and to tell us they want to develop in partnership with Manville. Manville needs leaders who are willing to build partnerships, negotiate agreements and make decisions based on research and work.

It's unlikely we will be delivered a perfect plan, but with even a mediocre level of effort we can collaborate to create an actionable plan that is good for Manville. Erin and Roberta bring to the table an extensive amount of project management, negotiation and relationship building experience from their professional roles. They are willing to work to earn the trust and respect of the owners and find a suitable plan that benefits both Manville and the property owners. They support negotiation not condemnation.

If you are interested in learning more, please email us at contact@manvilledemocrats.org.