Public Comment - Government Center Proposal 6-29-06

There was very little surprise that the 35-40 residents who asked to speak during public comment of the Nazareth Borough Council Workshop meeting on Thursday, June, 29, 2006, chose to speak against the New Government Center Proposal.

Summary of the comments regarding the New Government Center Proposal:

• Maintenance of remaining Green Space in Nazareth.
• Questioned why Council was going against Council of Governments (COG) who support historic preservation and places, noting that both 30 Belvidere and Chambers are 50+ years old and eligible to be historic district buildings.
• Once open space is developed and buildings are changed they can't go back to what they once where.
• Sad that Councilman Davis is leaving the community and us with the burden of the debt service of this facility.
• Questioned what happened to the plans from 1999. Council answered that the plans were sent back to public property committee and did not resurface.
• Public was presented with one option, will council put a motion on table to support other options? Answer appeared to be yes. It will need to be made at the July 10 meeting.
• What are the plans once Mr. Davis leaves? Answer: seat will be open and Council must fill it in 30 days.
• Questions concerning the maintenance of the 30 Belvidere property - on a tour it was reviewed and could not have been maintained properly for the last twenty years. Windows need to be replaced, but it is not condemnable, it needs to be fixed.
• How could someone get a list of everything that needs to be fixed in 30 Belvidere to get the job done up to all requirements state and federal? Answer attend Public Property meeting, held 3rd Monday of each month, next one is July 17, 10:00 a.m. at Keller Engineering.
• You seem to spend money without thought. Income doesn't keep pace with expenses and now we have this. As a resident, you don't work hard to watch money go to something like this.
• Regarding the previous comment Councilman Kopach stated, "We're here for the people, not our egoes."
• This issue is not only about taxes, which are a big part, but you're changing the landscape of the community forever, you'll never see it again once you do. The Nazareth Citizens Action Committee was formed to inform people who don't come to the meetings. We're going to keep brining people and telling them what is happening.
• If you put the police station here, in a park that is frequented by children, how will the police respond? Will there be a zone around it where they can only go a certain speed? Councilman Samus noted this was a weak argument. Mayor Keller noted that 95% of an officer's shift is supposed to be on the road not at the station and it shouldn't be an issue.
• Question was if police are only in the building 5% of the time why do you need 12,000 square feet?
• Agree that something needs to be done, but think about doing it right - open space, support business district, stick to the budget.
• Respect the job of Council, and wouldn't want it myself. Having said that I'm a contractor with over 18 years experience and not once I have walked into a home and seen the laundry machines in the living room. Let's face it the police deal with the dirty laundry, put it somewhere else, not in a park that is in the middle of a neighborhood.
• Agree with everything everyone has said and I want to say that renovations do work and you don't need to spend the money you are talking about.
• Six years ago I was in favor of building, now I'm not so sure because no one has given a justification for it. That said, Green Space is not an argument. Green space is destroyed everyday here. We give variances for everything and you don't see people protesting. In response Councilman Herbst stated that public property belongs to everyone.
• People don't have the voice and responsibility when it is private. This is unique. With more land being developed the remaining green space becomes more appreciated. Would this be a site if Chamber wasn't here? No, and in the future going to look here again if you build now, because then you'll have a Chamber, police, and municipal officers.
• When renovate a home you have a set of rules, public building even more rules. Its not cheap. Costs are very high. No matter where you build it, its going to cost.
• Based on the PA State Constitution you have a right to protect Green Space.
• If Borough wasn't so lenient with variances we'd have more Green Space and if the tenant was anyone other than Council we wouldn't have an issue - you'd issue the variance and it'd be done.
• The issue of borough leaving downtown district is important to businesses. THere is a lot that needs to be done. This hall is going to look like a small cottage if the addition goes up. If I lived here I'd be upset with a major change to my neighborhood. It doesn't fit with this part of town. While many people might think I'm here to save myself money, I'm not. I'm here supporting the 450 families who live in my properties all over town. I won't pay this tax, I'll raise their rent to cover the increase. It gets passed down to them, just like it will be passed down to every other person living in the borough whether they own or rent.
• Council has done a good job. The road program has been wonderful. But this is bad. Why try again to build this building when it didn't go through five years ago. It isn't right. Administration takes more thinking than space. You've done good. Don't make this mistake.