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Too Many Community Center Questions Left Unanswered
I believe that a township community center is needed, but of what magnitude and at what cost? Is the Ice Palace the best choice for it? Too many questions are left unanswered.
Do we have current estimates of the total costs involved? The purchase costs, the bonding costs, the costs of renovations, the cost of additions to the property? The bonding of $9,900,000 will be quite a burden on our present taxpayers. The original cost for this proposal as announced by Mayor Acropolis was $5,200. How did it get to $9,900,000 without any public discussion or any council discussion?
The original plan called for renovations to the Olympic size swimming pool and an ice hockey rink. The latest plan released shows no swimming pool, but a bus parking lot, two ice hockey rinks, a four story parking garage. Is this what we want for Brick Township? Is it the hope that the ice rinks will attract non-residents to offset the cost of the building the facility that will be paid for by our tax dollars, grants and bonds? Will this not change the character of our town and the community center?
Is this the best place for our community center? Could it be built on property we already own on a smaller scale to meet the town's resident's needs and let the Ice Palace property be sold to a private developer who would pay township taxes?
In today's economic climate in the face of rising taxes and the soaring costs of life's necessities, with the board of education struggling to finda budget to properly educate our children, what are the best priorities?
Finally, should not this massive project, which affects all of us, go out for referendum?
Richard Gross,
Brick
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