Council approves NPP Strategic Implementation Plan
Page 4 • Wednesday, March 11, 2020 • The Hammonton Gazette
TOWN, from Page 3
will be created as this space is ac-
tivated and brought to life with
year-round events and activities.
Acting classes for low and moder-
ate income residents, especially
youth, will be expanded once this
project is completed. In addition,
this project arrests decline by re-
moving substandard structures
and enhances the overall safety
and well-being of the NPP Dis-
trict.”
DiDonato also commented on
the architect that is most likely to
be used for the project.
“They’re probably hiring
[Robert] Lolio, because he re-
cently purchased and renovated
buildings in the NPP district and
he’s located his architect firm
[Lolio Architect] there. They’re
going to try to create jobs, and ba-
sically they’re going to beautify
those two buildings—the theater
and the building next to it,” Di-
Donato said.
According to the Strategic Im-
plementation Plan, the NPP dis-
trict is defined as being
“concentrated in the historic
Downtown Hammonton area and
encompasses the MainStreet
Hammonton Program Area and
Downtown Art & Entertainment
District. The primary road that
runs directly through the District
is State Highway Route 54
(known locally as Bellevue Av-
enue and 12th Street). Other
streets that border the NPP Dis-
trict include Grand Street, Or-
chard Street and Peach Street.
The District extends just beyond
Third Street and Central Avenue
as well.”
Bill Tomasello, of Pine Road,
appeared during the first public
portion of the meeting with ques-
tions. He had previously ap-
proached town clerk Frank Zuber
for a copy of the Strategic Imple-
mentation Plan, which was not
available at the time. However,
Zuber did inform Tomasello dur-
ing the meeting that he had just
acquired a copy.
“Will there be a presentation on
it, or are we simply acting on it?
Since the plan’s not available to
taxpayers, I haven’t gotten to re-
view it, and it doesn’t sound like
anybody else would have had any
input into it. How are we going to
act on it tonight without required
community input?” Tomasello
asked.
Zuber noted that Tomasello
was, in fact, currently in the public
comment portion.
“That’s tonight ... no presenta-
tion, but since it’s on the agenda,
it’s an agenda you are free to
speak on,” Zuber said.
Tomasello replied that he was
provided with the grant applica-
tion, but not with a copy of the
plan. He asked other members of
council if they had seen the plan,
and they replied in the affirmative.
“This program has been in place
since the application for the grant.
Public input through MainStreet
and the Chamber and any other
body that is a recipient of these
grant dollars have already created
this plan and had input on it. It’s a
$125,000 grant; the town is not
putting any other additional funds
into that. They applied for the
grant and were approved for the
grant based on the plans that they
submitted,” Councilman Thomas
Gribbin said.
DiDonato explained further.
“A grant is like a living, breath-
ing thing, right? So you may start
with whatever that report says,
and it may be adjusted in time ...
MainStreet has their own commit-
tee, their own board of directors.
The Chamber of Commerce has
their own board of directors. It
wasn’t done in a vacuum; there
was other community input,” Di-
Donato said.
Zuber also said that the plan as
it currently stands is a draft and
that there may be changes in the
future.
“All they want now is a draft.
That’s what we’re approving
See MEETING, Page 14
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