SOMERVILLE, NJ – Mayor Dennis Sullivan needs to completely divert daily push-by way of Major Street targeted visitors to Veterans Memorial Generate and designate the alternate roadway as Route 28/Business.
Shifting the bulk of website traffic from downtown Somerville to Veterans Memorial Generate, which parallels Key Street and the NJ TRANSIT Raritan Valley tracks, would enable the borough to greater command things to do prepared in the downtown cafe and procuring district that bring in event-oriented visitors and their enterprise to Somerset County’s downtown.
These occasions involve that the road be totally free of vehicular traffic.
Simply because Principal Road is a specified stretch of Route 28, a condition highway, the New Jersey Office of Transportation have to approve any designs to shut down the roadway. There is precedent for individuals requests, with the NJDOT shifting visitors to Veterans Memorial Travel for the yearly Memorial Day Weekend Tour of Somerville bicycle races spring and tumble avenue fairs, the Central Jersey Jazz Festival in September, the St. Patrick’s Working day Parade in March and other firemen’s parades.
Even so, the borough was denied authorization to shut down Route 28 on pick out weekend times and evenings this summer months the Downtown Somerville Alliance was hoping to build a Principal Road dining plaza for places to eat to offer outside seating and increase earnings in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sullivan announced the initiative at the Jan. 1 Borough Reorganization meeting.
“As a new initiative, we need to begin a dialogue with the Division of Transportation to designate Veteran’s Memorial Push as Point out Freeway 28 Small business,” Sullivan explained in his prepared remarks.
“This will enable us to reclaim Principal Avenue as a purely neighborhood highway less than our sole jurisdiction. That way we will no more time have to beg Trenton’s authorization to shut Principal Avenue for events that provide strength and commerce to town. This motion will enhance the endeavours of the Downtown Somerville Alliance and our service provider community to foster action and prosperity to commercial qualities whose success is so critical to Somerville’s tax base,” Sullivan extra
“The Borough Council and I will enlist the assistance of several companions in this endeavor, and I will retain you educated on techniques you can aid us obtain our objective,” the mayor said.
Sullivan also outlined a number of ongoing initiatives acquainted to inhabitants – attempts to acquire taxes, or payments in lieu of taxes, on a extended list of houses designated as non-earnings or that are county-owned closure of the point out Motor Car Commission place of work on Roosevelt Location that has spawned challenges in the bordering residential community and drained borough assets and construction of a photo voltaic farm on the website of the borough’s former landfill together Route 206.
This is the textual content of Sullivan’s remarks:
“Dear Somerville Local community,
“Welcome to the to start with, and with any luck , previous, virtual reorganization meeting of the Somerville Borough Council. When we fulfilled on the Higher School stage a transient 12 months in the past, who could have predicted the stormy path our ship of state would have to navigate in 2020? Still that perilous journey has introduced us to this working day to replicate on the earlier and ponder the upcoming.
“A funny issue took place as I organized these remarks. I found myself at a reduction for text, and if you know me, that doesn’t come about incredibly often.
“Immediately after a couple fruitless tries at my computer system keyboard, I seemed for a adjust of landscapes to hopefully present some inspiration. I went to Borough Hall and sat in the vicinity of the gallery of previous Mayor’s portraits on the next floor, and I questioned what they might say to us as we start out 2021.
“Just after all, these previous leaders guided Somerville through Entire world Wars, the Great Melancholy, and the horrible flu epidemic of 1918. These difficulties tested the strength of our high-quality local community, and as is

the case now, Somerville tackles adversity with a collective spirit we can all be happy of.
“From its beginnings as a Borough under Mayor Charles Kenyon back in 1909 to now, Somerville Powerful is real.
“We all don’t forget the darkest days of the spring period deserted streets, vacant grocery shelves, darkened suppliers and faculties, roped-off playgrounds. Still we banded jointly to struggle back again to regain some normalcy in our lives.
“Small children discovered, folks shopped, families worshipped, and critical expert services continued. With the prospect of popular vaccinations on the horizon, Somerville commences the new calendar year in a cautiously optimistic temper.
“Chance carries on to be the cornerstone of our two square miles. I met lots of new property owners this past calendar year who chose Somerville for its educational institutions, its downtown, and its neighborhoods. Personal sector investors are bullish on Somerville, as you can see by the quite a few new initiatives under design or a short while ago concluded.
“Small business homeowners want to be a component of our accomplishment, way too, with new storefronts opening irrespective of

unsure economic instances. The Borough Council and I identify and enjoy the self-confidence proven in the long term of Somerville, and we pledge our ongoing initiatives to safeguard and nurture the hopes and dreams so lots of people today deliver into city.
“As the calendar turns and we enter 2021, the Borough Council sets targets and priorities for the upcoming year. I problem this year’s Council to proceed the confirmed report of fiscal duty revealed by past Councils in crafting a municipal funds that balances the will need for high quality providers with taxpayers’ ability to fork out.
“Generating new profits is the crucial to secure taxes, and we need to continue on to take a look at imaginative approaches to lessen the tax load on household assets house owners.
“Somerset County owns property in Somerville that would create practically $3,000,000 in taxes have been it in non-public palms. Absolutely some of our county tax bucks could be returned to us for necessary infrastructure improvements.
“Also, property owned by Somerset Health care Center would pay out just about $5,000,000 in taxes but for its non-income position. Genuine income like that could speed up the setting up of our significantly-desired

Crisis Solutions Intricate. Let us start out conversations with these crucial entities correct away.
“Also, we have to continue doing work with the State of New Jersey on issues of mutual fascination. We must bolster our partnership with the Division of Environmental Defense for funding and complex support as we renovate the now-fallow landfill into a state-of-the-artwork photo voltaic farm. Clean up vitality and serious profits will move into the Borough as this enjoyable job moves from strategy to reality.
“We must carry on to stress the Motor Automobile Commission to lastly close their facility on Roosevelt Place the neighbors have been a lot more than patient, and too quite a few Borough assets have been expended waiting around for the DMV to act responsibly.
“We will have to continue to lobby New Jersey Transit to develop a person-seat-ride possibilities into Manhattan, and we will function closely with our point out and federal legislators to secure the funding needed to make that transpire.
“And ultimately, as a new initiative, we ought to start off a dialogue with the Office of Transportation to designate Veteran’s Memorial Generate as Point out Freeway 28 Business enterprise. This will allow for us to reclaim Main Street as a purely area road below our sole jurisdiction. That way we will no for a longer time have to beg Trenton’s authorization to shut Major Street for functions that bring vitality and commerce to city.
“This motion will complement the efforts of the Downtown Somerville Alliance and our merchant group to foster exercise and prosperity to commercial homes whose accomplishment is so crucial to Somerville’s tax foundation. The Borough Council and I will enlist the assist of several partners in this

endeavor, and I will hold you informed on methods you can enable us achieve our target. 2021 will be a fast paced 12 months in town, and I look forward to performing with the Borough Council as collectively we chart Somerville’s upcoming training course.
“As we shut the e book on 2020 and appear confidently into the long run, I would ask just about every of you to remember the several lives touched by the COVID virus, specifically the seven households right in this article in Somerville that have dropped a loved a single. Terms simply cannot specific the sorrow shared by our fellow People all through the land, but I present this poem created by Henry Stevenson Washburn in 1861, just as the American Civil War was starting, to bring residence the grief we collectively share as a country and as a local community.
‘The Vacant Chair”
We shall fulfill but we shall skip him.
There will be just one vacant chair.

We shall linger to caress him

Even though we breathe our ev’ning prayer.

Though 1 calendar year in the past we collected,

Pleasure was in his gentle blue eye.

Now the golden wire is severed,

And our hopes in ruin lie.

We shall satisfy but we shall pass up him.

There will be one particular vacant chair.

We shall linger to caress him

Whilst we breathe our ev’ning prayer.
“Around time, the discomfort and perception of decline brought by the Civil War would diminish as American culture healed in the spirit of reconciliation and renewed national determination to its founding rules. So too will Somerville return to the lively local community we all cherish.
“As we go further than our present difficulties, may perhaps the new 12 months bring peace and happiness to you and to all you keep pricey, and may perhaps God bless Somerville as we proceed to treatment for one a further. Thank you.”