A city-funded study of the 17-acre Muhlenberg site has been completed and a public meeting on the findings will be held at 7 p.m. on
The City Council approved hiring Heyer, Gruel & Associates of Red Bank last October to make the study at a cost not to exceed $48,000. The firm held public meetings on March 27, April 24 and April 29 to gather comments from the community. After the Aug. 13 public meeting, final steps will include a presentation to the City Council, which may refer the matter to the Planning Board. The board may then make a recommendation back to the governing body for rezoning.
The city-backed study was sought after a real estate expert hired by JFK Health System testified in March 2012 that the best use for the former hospital site was a 600-unit luxury apartment complex. The concept met with an intense outcry from residents who objected to its size and from those who want only a medical use at the site. In December 2013, some members of the clergy came out in favor of the JFK proposal and said they had the backing of many residents.
The Planning Board gave JFK Health System preliminary site plan approval for the SED relocation in May. Final site plan review is on the agenda for Thursday's Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. in City Hall Library.
Please note: The Complete Streets item on the agenda has been adjourned to the Aug. 21 meeting.
--Bernice
6 years to the date of the closure of Muhlenberg. To the people who died since the closure - RIP.
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