Catalanello, Rowe & Dailey Focus on Madison's Historic Downtown

In a joint statement, mayoral candidate Rob Catalanello, Councilman Pat Rowe, and Borough Council candidate Kathy Dailey state that it is critical that the borough maintains a robust economy and a strong infrastructure while also promoting, enhancing, and preserving Madison’s community assets, natural resources, and its rich history and culture.

One area of great concern is Madison’s historic downtown. The Republican candidates would like to place a strong focus on preserving and enhancing it while also protecting the rights of property owners and encouraging the introduction of amenities that residents and businesses expect in the 21st Century.

Councilman Rowe noted that he has spoken with many Madison property owners during the six years he has served on the town’s borough council, and that they “view their homes and businesses as a financial investment; an investment that they expect will grow in value over time. The hardworking business owners and residents in Madison have made significant sacrifices to purchase, restore, and maintain their properties. Their efforts to beautify our Madison streetscapes and neighborhoods benefit all of us in Madison.

With equally careful attention by our borough government, the reward for all of us should be a fair return on our investment—specifically, higher property values. It is important that we also consider this whenever we change our land-use rules because it can cost our seniors dearly, right at the time they are counting on being able to recognize the value of their home.”

Catalanello stated, “As we re-visit Madison’s Master Plan, we must take local commerce trends into consideration and ensure that our Master Plan incorporates a degree of flexibility to attract businesses in industries that will be growing in the coming decade. If we create a framework that recognizes the needs of these industries, Madison will attract employers in these industries and other businesses that support them.” Catalanello noted that demographics have been changing in our area as well. “At the county level and also here in Madison, single-family attached and multifamily housing units are on the rise. Madison’s Master Plan should recognize, address, and respond to the challenges of these changing demographics, especially challenges relating to new residents, aging residents, and millennials.”

“Our historic downtown charms visitors and often inspires them to consider opening a business or moving here,” commented Dailey. “Rob, Pat, and I want to continue to preserve Madison’s history. At the same time, we recognize that new styles and new technologies can benefit all who live and work in Madison. For instance, the deployment of fifth-generation cellular wireless or ‘5G’ can greatly increase data transmission speeds. Deployment of 5G has the potential to create a better environment for our local data-intensive businesses to succeed, and it can even help with the flow of vehicle traffic through the borough.

The utility infrastructure in Madison’s downtown is all underground; but underground facilities just don’t work for 5G, which relies upon very dense aboveground networks of small cells with antennas that are backpack-size or smaller. Madison must review and consider adopting aesthetic standards specifically for 5G facilities within the borough before we are in a position in which the carriers do not have clear rules to ensure their antennas and associated equipment won't detract from a downtown that generations have worked so hard to preserve. At a minimum, we should ensure that equipment placed within Madison’s beautiful historic district is concealed or shrouded in some way.”

As the candidates campaign between now and Election Day, they look forward to meeting residents and talking to them about issues like these, which directly impact all residents. They believe they have the experience and foresight to make the right decisions for the next generation of Madisonians and ask for your support on November 5, 2019.