Once again, leadership in Middletown has put private interests over public well-being. City management actively solicited high density development on the Lincoln School site that they knew would violate critical city ordinances. The development is 2.5 times the allowed density of dwellings, and violates the requirement that new developments meet current traffic safety standards.
Those ordinances, those laws, were enacted specifically to protect public health, safety, and welfare. Now we know that a sign slightly larger than allowed is a code violation, but laws that affect safety can be violated at will for the right people.
Adding insult to injury, the infrastructure for this private, high-end development will be paid for by city residents through tax abatements. The median household income is $50,000 and 40% of single parent families live in poverty. Rather than subsidizing safe housing for these children, our taxes will be spent to build luxury condos for the wealthy, while decreasing tax revenues for schools.
Members of City Council took an oath to uphold federal, state, and local laws. Their primary responsibility is the health, safety, and welfare of residents. Only Jennifer Carter honored her word. Only she has a moral compass. The rest have moral weathervanes.
- Jennifer Chen, Middletown