Franklin Mint Developer Asks to Revise Proposed Plan

After three public hearings, hours of public comment and four and half years of debate, the developer for the former Franklin Mint property has asked that the Council hold off on a zoning ordinance vote until they can revise the current development proposal and address some of the issues that have been brought to his and the council’s attention.

The developer, Mark Dambly, of Pennrose Properties and a resident of Middletown Township for 22 year, said at the end of the third public hearing Thursday night that many good comments have come out of the public hearings.

"We learned a lot through this process," he said. "It is worth spending additional time and effort to try and do what’s right and will ultimately benefit the entire township as well as ourselves."

Dambly said he would like to close the public hearing, take another look at the proposed plan and then come back to the council with a revised plan that addresses some of the public and the council’s concerns.

"What we come back with may not please everybody and satisfy everybody. But I think you can expect us to come back taking into account the constructive criticism and comments that both council has made and that the public has made…and present to you a plan that we think will be better than the one that is currently before you," Dambly said to the council.

The council unanimously decided to close the public hearing and will wait to hear from the developer. It is expected that no vote will take place on the current proposed plan that is before the council.

Middletown Township Council Chairman Scott Galloway along with Councilmember Mark Kirchgasser and Council Vice Chairwoman Lorraine Bradshaw each said in their own words that the proposed development intrigued them and they were interested in the "mixed use" idea for the property however if they were asked to vote on the proposed plan "today" they each said they would vote no.

Galloway, Kirchgasser and Bradshaw each said changes need to be made to the proposed plan and they are willing to hang in there and continue the process because their decision will largely impact the township, whatever that decision is.

About 100 people turned out for this third public hearing on a proposed development at the former Franklin Mint property that would bring 1,253 homes, 798,00 square feet of retail space, a 225 room hotel, 235,200 square feet of office space and 70 acres of open space and parks and 2,851 potential jobs along with another 4,785 jobs related to the construction of the project.

Those numbers are based on a presentation given by the developer of the project at the first public hearing in January.

It was a far smaller turnout at this meeting compared to the

However, the crowd was still divided on the issue.

Clifford Woodbury, a Middletown resident who also works as an engineer, said he is not opposed to development but he is opposed to this development. His family has lived in the same house in the township for 95 years when his grandparents bought the property, he said, and "we’re still here, because he like it here."

Woodbury said the development needs to be a balance of open space, retail and business space that fits in with the residential character of the community. The township has had success in preservation and he asked why it should change.

He also gave an example that within his own work environment he is conducting more and more meetings through the Internet, speaking with people around the world from his computer. He questioned what is the future of the "office" and said there is a lot of vacant office space available and the township does not need to take on even more.

When the Granite Run Mall was built in the 70s the developers probably never imagined what the Internet would do for shopping, Woodbury said, and said the mall has become an "embarrassment."

"Are we better off now with the mall than if we had left it as a quarry," he asked. "There’s a significant risk in this proposed development. If it’s not built, no one will say it’s an embarrassment."

Donna Wroblewski, a Middletown resident since 1994, sat on the other side of the fence however and was in favor of the proposed development.

She said the campaign against the developers was a "smear campaign" and was using fear tactics to scare residents away from the idea.

Wroblewski received groans and boos from the crowd several times while speaking but received some applause too.

"This developer has been criticized for being out for the money…last time I checked we were a capitalistic country," she said. "Yes, he wants to make money, it’s not a capital sin. Why is a developer who gains wealth, viewed as greedy, when other professionals like doctors or engineers are not?"

She said she liked the proposed walking trails that are included in the plan and said the developer could help relieve the traffic "nightmare" that exists in the township and the developer would pay for it. The town center would also bring permanent jobs, she said.

Wroblewski said she would welcome new residential construction that would be open to all generations not just the over 55 age group since, she said, the local hospital is often overcrowded due to older patients coming in from assisted living facilities like Riddle Village.

She said without the fear factor she believes this development would be an asset to the community and would love to have a "town" in Middletown.

"If I had the time and money, I’d make up signs too but they’d say 'Save Middletown from decay, put the town in Middletown,'" Wroblewski said.

Wroblewski and Woodbury were just two of the residents who spoke at the hearing. There were at least 30 other people who commented, on each side of the debate.

Most residents opposed to the development were concerned with the density of the proposal and how it would ware on the school district as well as the traffic concerns in the township.

Those in favor of the development wanted to see a town center in the township, wanted more jobs and liked the idea of creating a "walkable" community.

Residents on both sides of the issue each agreed that it’s time for the township council to make a decision. Many residents said, the more than four-year process needs to come to an end and a decision needs to be made. That however is not in the foreseeable future.