CILU Hosts Forum on Alcatel-Lucent Redevelopment Plan

Citizens for Informed Land Use (CILU) will host Rutgers University professor Dr. Clinton Andrews at its meeting on Monday, December 12.  The meeting is open to all.  

A noted municipal planner, Dr. Andrews will join Holmdel residents and interested citizens in a discussion of the recently introduced Alcatel-Lucent Redevelopment Plan ordinance, according to CILU's Jenni Blumenthal. 

Dr. Andrews will explain what a redevelopment plan aims to do and why it is used, and then moderate an open microphone discussion of the Holmdel plan with attendees.

A summary and complete form of the ordinance can be found at the Township website www.holmdeltownship-nj.com.  

"We're a land use organization, and concerned about land use in Holmdel," said Blumenthal. "We felt that it is our mission to invite people to come and have a word on the subject." Blumenthal pointed out that this educational event does not replace the township's official Dec. 20 public hearing on the plan.

Blumenthal said she planned to telephone members of the Township Committee, as well as other township officials, to personally welcome them to the event. "We want them to be aware, and potentially participate, if they wish to."

In related news, a spokesperson for Alcatel-Lucent said Dec. 8 that the company is not in favor of the township's move to approve the Redevelopment Plan at this time.

"We are not in a contract with a developer, but we are talks with them," said Mary Ward of Alcatel Lucent corporate media relations. The redevelopment plan introduced by the Township Committee on Dec. 1 was based on a plan proposed by Ralph Zucker and Somerset Development, Ward said, and that party is no longer in talks with Alcatel-Lucent.

 "We believe it is inappropriate to make any changes of this type now," she said. 

CILU members have met Dr. Andrews before. In 2008 he facilitated the adaptive re-use Charrette for the Holmdel Bell Labs site, and has a special interest in helping communities find common ground for constructive action. Andrews is a professor in the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University, and was previously director of the Urban Planning program, according to his C.V. His expertise is in the substance and processes of energy and environmental planning and policy, and his books include Humble Analysis: The Practice of Joint fact-Finding, Regulating Regional Power Systems, and Industrial Ecology and Global Change.

The previously announced movie "Renewable Energy" will be shown at a later date.

The meeting is held at 7:30 p.m. at the Holmdel Senior/Community Center, next to Town Hall on Crawfords Corner Road.

For further information, check the CILU web site at www.holmdel-CILU.org.