Letter To The Editor: Concerns Over Broad Street West Development

SUMMIT, NJ — The following letter to the editor was submitted by former Summit council members Millie Cooper and Albert Dill.

We write this letter as two former members of Summit’s Common Council who are more than a little concerned about the proposed project for “Broad Street West”. It is imperative that everyone in our city understand that the agreement our Council is preparing to sign (very soon) will include THREE PROPERTIES, not just the grossly oversized building you have seen depicted lately. This binding agreement will engage Toll Brothers/L&M to develop:

1. The parking lot between the YMCA and the Library
2. The parking lot behind the Post office and
3. The fire station property and the lot next to it that services St. Teresa’s Memorial Hall and
the Vito Gallo Senior Building

A basic, and primary, tenet of the city’s Master Plan is to “keep Summit looking like Summit”.
The Master Plan and the Redevelopment Plan were carefully constructed by many people who
served on those committees over long periods of time. It is Council’s responsibility as stewards
of these important documents to adhere to the laws and intentions provided by the plans as
they are stated.

Years ago, when we served, our Council was charged with building a new City Hall. We initially
proposed constructing a new building on the Village Green, as it would have been much less
expensive than rebuilding on its current location. Well, the residents of Summit spoke up and
spoke up loudly! Our community made it very clear that the Village Green was a horrible
location and they asked us to reconsider, and reconsider we did. We paused, we listened to the
community and we pivoted. Thank goodness we still have our glorious Green.

We hope you will all speak up too and tell Council that this plan is just too much for Summit.
We need our parking lot between the YMCA and the Library to remain as it is. We don’t want a
building there of any kind. We also don’t want a building that is twice the size of what is
currently allowable on the Firehouse/Parking lot property.

We are very hopeful this Council will pause, and listen, and do the right thing. Let’s keep
Summit, Summit!

Millie Cooper and Al Dill