As earlier reported, the Lakewood Township Committee will be holding a public forum to discuss issues and solutions that pertain to growth and development of Lakewood’s downtown business district.
The public forum will be taking place Monday, August 20, 2012, at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium, Lakewood Municipal Building, 231 Third Street.
Topics will include business-oriented quality of life issues, such as parking policies, banners and signage enforcement, and the appearance and cleanliness of storefronts, among other areas of concern for downtown business owners and shoppers.
Steve Reinman, deputy municipal manager and director of the Office of Economic Development for Lakewood, says, “If you are a shopper, business owner, or landlord in the downtown and have an opinion, then you should be heard because we will be developing and implementing policy changes that will make the downtown better and will create a more pleasant experience for everyone.
“We have heard the collective call for more parking and have built numerous new lots to accommodate the shoppers and other visitors to downtown. The next step is to make sure policies and practices are put in place to see that the investment pays off for all of Lakewood – business owners and customers, taxpayers and visitors. Lakewood’s downtown is a great asset, and the township committee is taking steps to ensure that we maximize its value.”
Committee members are requesting that interested parties submit any topics that should be addressed no later than August 10, 2012, by contacting Susie or Cindy in the Manager’s Office at (732) 364-2500 Ext. 5200.
Anyone wishing to make public comments at the meeting must pre-register by emailing [email protected] or call 732-364-2500 Ext. 5200 no later than August 10, 2012. Each speaker will be allowed up to four minutes at the microphone.
Simple….raze it and start over.
If you enforce the laws you already have, you will have no need for new ones.
Finally….. ONE person should be the point of contact to work on it. that ONE person should give regular public hearings
And what will be done …. nothing!!! The planning Board will variance what ever a builder wants and we will have a mess just like the rest of this town.
parking meters to help pay for future projects in l;akewood. If your store or resturant is good, people will pay to park there so they can eat or shop.
I don’t go there anymore. I don’t have to. I have all my shopping needs elsewhere.
# 6 is spot on!
why all the negativity? grow up and give credit to the township for trying to improve. By its very structure the downtown, which for the most part was built 75 years ago, is a hodgepodge of old buildings and above them apartments. The stores are small, packed close together and can’t compete with the newer shopping plazas in space, parking, and appearance.
This situation is all over the United States with the decline of small town Main Streets due to the newer shopping centers and malls.
I think it should be pedestrians only, with parking all around stores in the middle.
Please stop wasting our tax money. I never go downtown because the new strip malls have everything I need so why whould I go downtown?! No amount of governmental spending is going to change that.