Kathy Dailey and Mark Chiarolanza, Republican candidates for Madison Borough Council, recognize that one of the key roles of local government is to shape the future for the municipality. As they have been meeting with Madison voters, they have reiterated their intention of “Focusing on Madison’s Future.”
As they meet with residents and business owners throughout Madison, Dailey and Chiarolanza note that there is a universal concern with the pace and scale of land development all over town. “People constantly comment to us that there has been too much land development in our region, and that it is happening too fast, affecting our infrastructure and quality of life” stated Dailey. Mr. Chiarolanza emphasized that Madison residents are sensitive about development at the moment. “Voters have told us that they are worried about the eventual fate of the movie theater property on Lincoln Avenue, and they have been surprised by the scale of construction at Rose Hall and Madison Place,” said Mr. Chiarolanza.
One of the local issues the two candidates have been following is the Borough Council’s discussion of the need to commission a new Master Plan for Madison. Dailey said, “Unquestionably, it is time for the Planning Board to adopt a new Master Plan. This is routine work for the Borough, mandated by New Jersey state law. Madison’s last Master Plan was adopted in 1992. Our Borough has seen many changes over the last quarter of a century. Our Master Plan should represent the current realities of the Borough, and it should prepare Madison for the future.”
When asked about their vision for the future of Madison, the candidates stated that they want to maintain a robust economy and a strong infrastructure within the Borough, while also promoting, enhancing and preserving Madison’s community assets, natural resources, and Madison’s rich history and culture. To accomplish this, we need to understand where the economy is going and work to stay ahead of the curve rather than just reacting after-the-fact. "The development we have needs to settle in. We need to evaluate the impact on our town before proceeding with a pace of development which could over burden our local resources. The wise approach is a slow, but sure progress for Madison.", said Chiarolanza.
The candidates further noted that the business mix in Morris County has experienced change over the last few decades and will continue to shift. Dailey stated, “Madison’s Master Plan must take employment trends into consideration and ensure that Madison has the flexibility to attract businesses in industries that will be growing in the coming decade. According to the NJ Department of Labor, they are health care, social assistance, and wholesale trade. The recent Urbanomics Downtown study also concluded that the only retail sector that is experiencing growth is ‘food consumed outside the home.’ 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.” The candidates would like to see a diversified economy within Madison, with continued diversity of businesses and employers.
The candidates also note that demographics have been changing in Morris County. Dailey continued, “Household sizes in our area have been shrinking, with more of Morris County residents now living in 1 or 2 person households. Over the last 40 years, the housing mix has slowly been changing in Morris County, and overall, there has been a decrease in single family detached residential structures and duplexes. Meanwhile, at the county level as well as here in Madison, single family attached and multi-family 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.
Throughout this campaign, both candidates have also offered many suggestions to improve traffic safety and congestion in Madison. “A new Master Plan offers an opportunity for the borough to revisit the integration of land use and transportation for the 21st century, with a goal of improving public safety – for pedestrians, drivers, bicyclists, and everyone who uses our roads and sidewalks - and also improving the overall transport experience. Much of my work and the work of other members of the Madison Complete Streets Committee is centered around workable reconstruction of our transportation routes being mindful of all modes of transportation traveling in town”, said Chiarolanza. According to the US Census Bureau, between 2010 and 2015, New Jersey saw a decrease in the percentage of workers driving to work, whether alone or as part of a carpool – these days, more of us are working from home or taking public transport to work.
