Question for Council Candidates Part 3

23-Oct
Bogota Blog NJ
-There are at least four large parcels of land that are undeveloped
   - The Dewey School site
   - Fuda Tile Site
   - The At&t building at Elm Ave & W.Ft.Lee Rd
   - The old car dealership  on W.Ft. Lee Rd near the Bridge
  What would be the best way to use them, and how would  you encourage development of those sites.

Jorge Nunez
My understanding is that these properties are currently in contract or have been recently sold to private interests. The current administration is considering various options to remove any obstacle to the development of these properties in a manner that will increase the ratable value of these assets.

Anne- Marie Mitchell
   I believe the best way to develop the Dewey School site would be either a combination of condos and/or senior citizen housing; the Fuda Title site could be looked into restoring an old train car and making it a history museum of the railroad and of our town; the old building at the corner of Elm Avenue and W. Fort Lee Road could be developed into a parking garage, approx. 2-3 stories for either parking during the day, and/or using it as an overnight parking facility with a parking permit; and on top of the garage adding a park and seeing the view of either Hackensack and/or Manhattan on top; and the Sifford Pontiac parcel could be either a Wal-Mart, bus depot, etc.  I believe a Redevelopment Committee should be implemented with input from all the businesses in the area to get their input.

Tina Trotta
The Dewey School Site:  
This site requires greater flexibility in seeking a developer however we do need to be aware of COAHA. 
I strongly believe the greatest challenges for Bogota in developing any site is the lack of leadership and 
the ability to work together on the greater goals needed for the town.  This site is a very desirable in terms 
of public transportation.  I would be concerned however with how to route individual vehicular traffic -- this should 
strongly be taken into consideration when discussing with any potential developer.   This could perhaps serve as a 
mixed use building area - store fronts or commercial on street level - housing above.  

Fuda Tile site:  
This site is more limited due to its size.  I would first make sure this site 
is environmentally sound since it has previously been on an active list for contamination.  This area 
could work in conjunction with the Sifford land site.  Depending on what can go on the Sifford site it 
may lend itself an easy choice for this area.  

AT&T building:
It is CRUCIAL to bring in municipal tax revenue into Bogota so the same number of home owners do not 
have to continue to foot the bill for every increase.  Here I would say a commercial office building setting could work. 
If you can bring more people into the area during business hours this could also contribute to the local economy. 
More people close to Main street shops and restaurants could boost the local economy which in turn can prevent 
the empty store fronts and revitalize are very quaint Main Street which should be the centerpiece of our small town.
Bogota’s location is an asset for any small to medium size company requiring office space.  

Old Car Dealership or Sifford site:
Here you could go with many more options due to the size of the plot as well as the traffic.  Due to the new bridge 
whatever is put here will not impact traffic in Bogota in any great way.  I would reach out to Commercial developers in the NYC area. 
Bogota is a HIGHLY desirable location in terms of its location.  The close proximity to NYC as well as Rt. 80, Rt.4, Rt. 17, GSP, as well as Newark
for its ports as well as Newark Liberty Airport lends itself to be very desirable.  I would NOT want to see this location used for any company
that is a manufacturing company due to possible noise or pollution reasons.  Bogota needs to keep its small town old feel - this makes this town 
desirable in terms of real estate values.  

Bogota Blog NJ
- Why are you a member of your party, and is there something that the opposite does that you can agree with.

Anne- Marie Mitchell
As a Republican, I believe in a smaller and less restrictive government. I believe that people should strive for themselves to better their lives not to count on the government to solve their problems. Less taxation, I believe our money should remain ours and not the government. I became a Republican when Pat Schuber became Mayor in Bogota. I became involved in his campaign for Assemblyman and the rest is history.  I happen to like many of our neighbors here in town who are Democrats and are good people. They have the same concerns and interests that we Republicans have. We all have to work together during these trying times.
Tina Trotta
I guess the main reason I am a member of the Republican party is I strongly believe in a persons ability to achieve whatever they set their minds to do. 
I do not think BIG government is the answer.  I am a small business owner and feel the Republican way is far more small business friendly.  Small businesses 
contribute to the majority of jobs in the U.S. we must help them to survive and I believe the Republicans do have a better plan for that. BIG government 
to me can be intrusive in our lives and I strongly believe that we should mold our youth at home with good conservative values.  If you start with a good
foundation anything is possible. 

On the other hand if I were to say what I could agree with in the Democratic Party is the desire to help those less fortunate with some of their 
social programs.  The US is too rich a nation (maybe not so much now but this is temporary) in terms of opportunity and education to not allow
ALL persons who have a desire to better themselves the initial help to do so. 

Jorge Nunez
My values are better aligned with the Democratic Party because it is the party that articulates  the responsibility of inclusion, where everyone has a seat at the table and acts to make sure that seniors, children, workers, the poor, and the middle class have access to the safety nets that sometimes are necessary, and the equal opportunity to pursue and earn the American Dream.
No one person or party has all the answers to our challenges. We must find ways to work together toward common interests and goals. When everything is said and done, we all pretty much want the same things, we just have different ideas on how we get there.