Progress In Spite of the Pandemic
By Albert B. Kelly
The world has turned upside down over the last over the last
couple of months with Covid-19 global pandemic. Life as we know has changed and
while we’re starting to slowly inch our way back to some semblance of community
life, the chances are good that life won’t be the same as it was before the
pandemic. Despite these changes are the impacts they are having on our
households and families, we are pushing ahead in various ways as a community to
maintain some progress.
As wet and as slow going as things have been, construction
has started on the long-awaited Wawa convenience store. I say slow-going
because between the pandemic and the spring rains, work at the site has been
start and stop. Hopefully as restrictions ease and we can string together some
dry days, progress will be steady on both the retail store and the gas pumps.
Memorial Day starts summer and a lot of attention is now
focused on several long-awaited road projects in Bridgeton. One section that’s
been on the drawing board includes Lake Street, N. Lawrence Street, and
Franklin Drive. Step one of that project involves installation of new water
lines and mains throughout the area. Once the subterranean work is finished,
the focus will shift to completing the milling and paving of those streets.
Other projects that have been on the drawing board for some
time that is now in the brick and mortar stage include the paving of Spruce
Street and South Pine Street. Those roads have long needed attention and the
hope was to completely finish the construction of the various River Grove
housing units in the area before starting any road work. That has largely
happened and the vast majority of the 68 new housing units should be well along
as the road work shifts into high gear.
Another area that we’re excited about includes South Laurel
Street in the downtown. While the red brick sidewalks had their attractiveness back
in the day, the maintenance got harder and harder each year and that type of
infrastructure loses its luster. In its place will be an aggregate sidewalk
that has a longer shelf life. The other factor is the trees. It is often
difficult to find the right balance between trees that will provide shade and
lend attractiveness while not having a root system and size that will destroy
the sidewalk or the other underground infrastructure. As we remake the
streetscape, we hope to find that balance.
A little further up on North Laurel Street, lots that have
been vacant for the better part of two decades due to various fires will once
again host a building which will be the home of CompleteCare when finished.
This will be transformative for that block of North Laurel Street and will provide
a worthy headquarters for an organization that has worked incredibly hard with
a number of partners over the course of this pandemic to make sure that testing
was available, reliable, and timely for Cumberland County.
On the lighter side, we’re looking forward to opening the
new dog park in Bridgeton City Park. We have many dog owners in Bridgeton and
while it has been a difficult transition into spring for many people seeking to
get outside and exercise under stay-at-home orders, we anticipate a slight
loosening of restrictions that will allow residents to get out while also
helping their dogs to stretch out in a safe environment.
This is not exhaustive list of what we’ll be focusing on in
the weeks and months ahead- there will be other areas of focus- but it does
represent progress in spite of the pandemic. If there is one thing I would ask
residents to do, it is to make sure and respond to the census. I say that
because whether it involves the roadwork outlined above, affordable housing, capping
a landfill, or installing new sidewalks a fair amount of what we get to do these
projects is based on the census.
If you have not responded yet, you can do so online by
visiting www.2020CENSUS.GOV , or over
the phone by calling 844-330-2020. Residents who do not have their unique
12-digit number, received on a Census invitation mailed to their home, can
still complete the census online at www.2020CENSUS.GOV.
There’s $45 billion in federal funding that’s distributed based on the census
and we want our share, we need our share, to keep making progress.