Edison gets $525K to improve Amboy Ave. area BY CHRIS GAETANO Staff Writer EDISON - The township has received about a half-million dollars in state aid, which will be devoted toward improvements to the Amboy Avenue area. The grant, which comes from the state Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Neighborhood Preservation Program, will come in the form of one payment of $125,000 and four annual payments of $100,000 after that. "We're very grateful to the Department of Community Affairs for awarding us this grant," said Edison Mayor Jun Choi. "This will allow us to address the concerns of the neighborhood and improve the quality of life of residents in the area." According to township spokesman Jerry Barca, the Amboy Avenue area, which has residences, businesses, a library and a middle school, has been underutilized as a thoroughfare, and the funds can help Edison fully make use of its potential. As it currently stands, the housing stock is between 30 to 75 years old and the street sometimes floods during heavy rain or melting snow. The Neighborhood Preservation Program directly serves targeted neighborhoods throughout the state and provides money to revitalize areas in decline. An overall comprehensive cooperative approach that includes all sectors of the community and promotes unified effort has proved to be a successful strategy. The grant is specifically for neighborhoods deemed to be "threatened but viable," according to the DCA's Web site. This is defined as neighborhoods that are beginning to show signs of decline but can still be rehabilitated. One of the criteria for evaluating whether a municipality should receive the funds is whether the neighborhood in question can be "turned around" within one to five years, with the resources available at the time, including the grant. A committee of people who live and work in the area will control the funds, deciding what needs to be done and where. Meanwhile, the grant also allows for the hiring of a full-time staffer whose sole job will be to coordinate and oversee improvement efforts. Barca said that, since the township had only recently learned that it had received the grant, officials have not yet decided on likely candidates for this position. "The thing that's unique with this … is that committee is what's really going to be the driving force for how it gets used, because it's really the committee of people who live and work there who make the decision there versus having a plan come out of Trenton or a plan come out of 100 Municipal Boulevard [the location of Edison's town hall] saying that's how you have to have it," said Barca. According to the DCA, there is a great deal of flexibility in how the funds can be used, as long as activities are all within the context of improving and restoring the neighborhood. The money can be used in a variety of ways, such as helping set up different types of refinancing, improving public spaces such as parks, property acquisition or disposition, site clearance or demolition, neighborhood organizational aid, or limited infrastructure and public facility improvements. The funds can also be used to help fund improvements to local businesses that might not be able to afford renovations themselves. It was also said that the possibility of additional public parking along the area would be examined. In a statement sent by the Democratic state legislators in the 18th District, which includes Edison, it was said that three banks, Wachovia, Provident Bank and Sovereign Bank, have also agreed to provide supplemental funding for the project. Former Edison Councilman Peter Barnes III, who entered the Legislature after the death of his father, was pleased about the grant. In the statement, he said that he wants to encourage a traditional Main Street along Amboy Avenue. "As a councilman in Edison, I supported the township's earlier steps to encourage the development of a traditional Main Street along Amboy Avenue by improving sidewalks and street lighting and implementing new zoning laws," said Barnes. "I think this grant will be an important next step in that process."