Dear EHOA,

Our City Council proposed a Home Depot for an area contiguous to Route 4 some time ago. Certain “leaders” mobbed the City Council hearings and claimed that they would produce alternative office-building developers and make far better use of the land. Through this intimidation, the Home Depot project was killed. Since then, predictably, nothing further has been heard about the alleged office developers. The property lies dormant. I also recall the many years of litigation and exasperating delays attendant to the development of the Shop Rite shopping area, a project that everyone can now see was the start of a wonderful renaissance for our downtown area. Now, again a concerted effort has arisen to fight change, no matter how much good it can bring to our City.

Our City Council has produced a plan to redevelop 60 acres of property South or Route 4. The property’s assessed value of $36 million will increase to more than ten times that amount. The proposal calls for the clean up of serious environmentally damaged property. It will provide thousands of new jobs, better access to Route 4 and brand new apartments, townhouses, offices and retail space in an otherwise blighted area.

Our City Council recognizes that the City’s homeowners cannot afford to continue bearing the insanely huge tax increases of the past decade. I applaud the Council’s hard work and determined effort to turn a blighted area into a beautiful, environmentally sound community that can contribute to Englewood’s long term growth while protecting the rights of the current businesses to the fair compensation which the law, and the US Constitution guarantees. This is a long-term project and there will be ample time to address all the legitimate concerns that such a project will raise. Let us use our energies constructively, to improve the project, and not merely to fight change with exaggerated claims that have no basis in reality.

Sincerely,

Harry J. Reidler

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