Fleetwood's Cruel Borough Council

Our attorney John Muir and myself (Lisa of Fleetwood Pizza), attended the monthly borough council meeting this month. The following is what went on.
For about 1 hour the council sat repeating that they thought the Redevelopment Authority was working with us all this time. "It's been over a year since anyone has contacted us or our attorney." They say the builder of the old Tannery site is still planning to build his strip mall. The when is completely up in the air!
It was however interesting that council member Joseph W. Kuzmann who originally recused himself from the vote on this project due to the fact that he owns the other building which could have been considered as well to create this walkway. He spent half the time we were there discussing the same thing over and over...The burned out building that is across the street from us, was supposed to be offered to us in a fixed state. Now, there really isn't any commercial space available on Main Street. Therefore relocating us in a means not inconveniencing us too much seems out of the question now. Yet they still insist on the need for this strip mall to have it’s own personal walkway in the middle of the block, just because they can, even if it hurts innocent families and what they built their lives on. It’s arbitrary to take away a business that works and replace it with a dead plot of space to walk on.

Parking should be focus of Redevelopment Plan
Just thought you might like to know what all we have here in Fleetwood. before redevelopment.You can get your hair done, nails done, go tanning, rent a movie, buy a new washer and dryer, seek insurance, an attorney,and stained glass new & repairs. If you are hungry, there is a diverse amount of restaurants to eat at and two nice bars. We have a butcher and a barber, (I probably missed a few things) all right on Main Street in Fleetwood.
With all these businesses and one little Main Street block to park on if your stopping there, why wasn't parking the main ingredient in the redevelopment plan? It seems to me that adding more small businesses that will require their own parking will not even help this issue, but rather instead create a whole new set of problems. Everyone who live around Fleetwood can see the strip mall near Blandon isn't doing so well. Kudos' to Lords & Ladies. It looks beautiful and seems to being doing well. I just can't figure what else we really need in small businesses other then parking for the one's that are already here. They deserve extra parking way more then a "slap in the face"-– like putting direct competition in right behind them that will have plenty of parking for their shops!
Oh, by the way, the new "walkway"they plan to put in is more of a conflict then a benefit to the community. Since they're taking five feet off the whole length of the old Tannery plot to widen Foundry Alley and make it two lanes to access the strip mall easily. Then they want people to WALK across Main Street to get to the "walkway"to cross over Foundry Alley's two lanes to get to the New Strip Mall, and back again. Hello!!!! I can't be the only person that sees the absolute absurdness of this all.
If Fleetwood Borough Council refuses to hear any number of people's opposing voices, even if it's the whole community, then we'll find someone who will make them listen This plan to redevelop this area –– while I'm sure was all well intended –– as it sits now, will hurt this town more then help it. It's not just my husband's pizza shop that is awry in this plan, we are for some reason being targeted unfairly, thrown into the mix for good measure.
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Who will REALLY benefit the most from our pizza shop being gone, perhaps for starters the councilman who owns the property on the other side of Pearl Alley. His property value goes up and three of his doors in that building open right into Pearl Alley, so they'll have a little park as a front yard instead of an alley and a pizza shop. Hmmmm. The community really needs to speak out and demand to be heard. If not, the only people who really stand to gain anything from this are the people we plan not to vote for again! You can't mess with someone's livelihood and not expect a fight. But at least come up with something that would make sense to everyone and make it a worthy fight. Thank you for listening to me, now yell out loud to the borough, tell them what you think!
PLEASE COME TO THE MEETING!!!! MONDAY FEBRUARY 11 AT 7:30