Bridgewater residents are the center of excellence of its community

The story of the proposed “monstrosity” overdevelopment of the Center of Excellence for me started back sometime around 2014. I was invited by then Mayor Hayes to attend a presentation by the property owner on the site to show me what they envisioned as the future development proposal of the Center of Excellence. After being presented with what I thought was blatant overdevelopment and a concept that included an urban-like apartment complex consisting of hundreds and hundreds of apartments, I turned to the Mayor and asked him, “Do you support this?” His “yes” response was surprising, but I was quick to point out that I would never support building this apartment complex in Bridgewater and had serious reservations at the massiveness of what was proposed.

Time passed, and eventually this matter came before the Council and the Planning Board for site zoning changes in 2016. I clearly saw that Mayor Hayes and the applicant were pushing through the largest redevelopment of Bridgewater since the Mall without encouraging any public feedback or involvement. The Planning Board agenda headers were often listed without much information for anyone to grasp the level of proposed development, and the Planning Board was deciding to recommend this massive rezoning ordinance change without much inquiry or testimony. Councilman Norgalis and I actually attending the Planning Board meetings, and we were amazed at how they were basically rubber stamping it for the Mayor.

What was surprising to me was that all this was happening without hardly any public members in attendance, except one. I noticed one Bridgewater resident, Laura Whalen, who would come to the Council meetings and speak out against the proposed redevelopment. But besides Ms. Whalen, this Council room was practically empty. I realized that Mayor Hayes had strategically planned it that way, with vague agenda listings, in the hopes that this would pass without public knowledge. But that wasn’t acceptable to me.

I initially reached out to Andy Leven, at the time a Bridgewater resident, who often appeared at zoning board and Council meetings to speak out against certain overdevelopment projects. At the time, Mr. Leven was actively involved with Lt. Col. Bob Vaucher’s Foothill Civic Association, and I thought he may be helpful, to use Bob’s words, in “making some noise”. I also reached out to Bob and other community voices.

On November 23, 2015, I created the “Preserve Bridgewater” Facebook group and page to help raise awareness. And on the day of the ordinance passing, February 18, 2016, Lt. Col. Vaucher and Mr. Leven did come to the Council meeting and spoke out against the redevelopment ordinance, and so did Ms. Whalen, as well as a handful of others.

Needless to say, a Facebook group and page criticizing a sitting Mayor and an influential developer didn’t sit well with my local and county Party bosses, and I was threatened to back away. But I believed in my heart that if Bridgewater residents knew about this proposed monstrosity overdevelopment, most would be outraged and we could still save the character of Bridgewater.

Without a doubt, no single project ever threatened the quality of life and the character of what is Bridgewater more than the then-proposed Center of Excellence. And finding a way to stop this project quickly became one of my priorities.

Seeing Laura Whalen at the Council meetings, watching her bravely speak out against the project, and knowing that she shared a common determination to stop this from happening, I approached Ms. Whalen and we had a conversation. I explained to her that I had started a Preserve Bridgewater page on Facebook, and asked her if she would help me manage the page, educate the Bridgewater residents about what was happening, and be the public face of Preserve Bridgewater.

I’m grateful that she accepted. She quickly took on the lead, and although it was lonely and difficult at first, the movement caught on. Preserve Bridgewater grew into a core management circle, with hundreds of active participants. But Laura Whalen was there first. And without her involvement and leadership, I don’t think we’d be here today voting on a proposed settlement and mitigated redevelopment ordinance for this site. It took some time for the movement to grow, as it often does, and Ms. Whalen and I would talk; she was frustrated at how slowly the group was growing at first, but I told her to keep going, people will come once they fully realize the impact this will have. Thankfully, she did. Ms. Whalen kept up the posts and delivering the message, and the group grew.

Later on, Preserve Bridgewater was fortunate to gain another zealous member, Andy Fresco, owner of East Coast Media. Mr. Fresco used his company to print flyers for free, and through his generous contributions, Preserve Bridgewater was able to distribute information to the residents.

During the site plan Planning Board meetings that followed in the fall of 2019, this room was overfilled with so many people that the conference room next door had to be used. Once people realized what Mayor Hayes’ was doing, and the true monstrosity of the project, they came. The Preserve Bridgewater movement grew under Ms. Whalen’s leadership into hundreds of active and concerned citizens who simply cared about their township and their community.

In the end, the story of the Center of Excellence is about a community that came together and fought for the character of their town. It is a story of how people can truly make an impact.

The Preserve Bridgewater movement, started by me and led by Ms. Whalen, dominoed into a powerful force that changed the course of Bridgewater’s history. As a result of the resistance to the Center of Excellence directed by Preserve Bridgewater, the incumbent Mayor and his supportive Councilwoman were challenged in the primary and lost. Two new council members, both Councilman Kirsh and Councilman Ring, are sitting here today because in some part due to the Preserve Bridgewater movement. And, the Mayor too; we were fortunate to get a new mayor, Mayor Matthew Moench, who has been a champion at keeping his promise to fight the then-proposed monstrosity overdevelopment project. I know Mayor Moench took on the task of renegotiating this redevelopment ordinance as an important priority, and we should acknowledge his steadfast determination, keeping his word to the residents, and delivering a successful outcome.

And so today we are here, at this point, voting to approve a new redevelopment ordinance as a result of a settlement with the property owners. It’s been a long journey since 2014, but Ms. Whalen and the Preserve Bridgewater members deserve much of the credit for getting us here.

The take away from this story is that people can have real meaningful impact in their community. Don’t be discouraged by the challenge, the obstacles, or the naysayers in your way. If you believe that the government is leading your community in the wrong path, speak up, start a movement, and although it may be hard at first, don’t give up. Ms. Whalen and the Preserve Bridgewater movement is proof that you can do it too.

Certainly there are others that played some role in getting us here, and deserve our gratitude, such as other politicians, lawyers and staff. And while they all certainly deserve thanks for their service and part as Mayor Moench already highlighted, I want to make sure history does not overlook the hometown heroes who volunteered their time to start and participate in a movement that stopped the overdevelopment monstrosity.

If the Center of Excellence had been built into an overdeveloped town center with 400 apartments in an area surrounded by single-family homes, it wouldn’t be long before the surrounding area, and Bridgewater’s character, would deteriorate into a more dense community. It would have a lasting destructive effect that would forever change the township’s quality of life, the character of our communities, and the reasons why we all love living in Bridgewater.

Thank you Laura Whalen for stepping up, for believing in me, and for leading the Preserve Bridgewater movement. And thank you to the hundreds of Preserve Bridgewater members who talked to your neighbors, distributed flyers, made social media posts, packed Planning Board meetings, and worked to change our elected officials. You did it! Every little action together culminated in the results we have today.

In the end, the Center of Excellence became representative of everything that makes our community excellent: In its center are residents who care deeply about Bridgewater Township and will stand up to protect its quality of life and preserve our Bridgewater. The Bridgewater residents truly are the center of excellence of our community.

====================

Speech delivered by Council Member Filipe Pedroso at the Council Meeting on June 16, 2022.

====================

Council Member Filipe Pedroso has been on the Bridgewater Township Council since 2012. Prior, he served for 10 years on the Bridgewater Township Zoning Board of Adjustments, including its Vice Chairman. Throughout his 20+ years of service, Councilman Pedroso has consistently voted against overdevelopment and has never voted in favor of a single apartment in Bridgewater.