This morning, a month after Erickson Retirement Communities made it first local presentation about a high-rise development it would like to build in Hillsborough, the Star-Ledger has weighed in.
This morning's article is, well, interesting.
First ERCs projected job number has increased since the meeting and become more specific. At ERC's presentation there were 750 jobs - which did seem a little low for the services they said they were going to offer. This morning it's "800 full time jobs."
As far as the claim that the community "would not bring in schoolchildren" - that is true as far as it goes; no schoolchildren would live in the projects. But the nice lady mentioned in the article who would like to move into the project will sell her house. Most of the houses in Claremont are three or four bedroom so it is not unreasonable to think that a family with children will be the most likely purchasers.
Consider the experience of Hingham, Connecticut with ERC's Linden Ponds development as reported in The Hartford Courant of July 16, 2007:
"...A majority of Linden Ponds residents moved to the community from houses in Hingham, which led to rapid turnover in the neighborhoods. There was already growth in the number of schoolchildren, but Town Administrator Charles Cristello said it has accelerated somewhat since Linden Ponds opened..."
ERC also believes these units are affordable. With a buy-in price of $150,000 to $400,000, monthly fees ranging from $1400 to over $2000 for a single resident, an assets requirement, and monthly income requirements, the affordability argument seems to weaken. Even the full refund of the buy-in money apparently has its caveats. Again referring to the Courant article:"...A resident who runs out of money can use part of the entrance deposit to cover costs. If that is fully depleted, Erickson maintains a "Benevolent Care Fund..."
But what really got my attention was the assertion in the Star-Ledger article by the Erickson representative that the "reaction among the 100 or so [Hillsborough residents] who turned out was mixed." We were apparently not at the same meeting. The reaction I saw was hostile.
Except for those citizens who felt helpless, powerless, and unprotected.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Monday, May 12, 2008
Erickson: The NJ Developments
Erickson Retirement Communities has two developments already up-and-running in New Jersey.
Cedar Crest in Pompton Plains (Morris County) is described as located "up the mountain."
and Seabrook in Tinton Falls (Monmouth County) is described by a Tinton Falls resident as "off by itself near the outskirts of town...Mostly woods around it."
These two developments are similar in size to the one that Erickson is hoping to propose in Hillsborough, but unlike these two the Hillsborough development would have 4-or-5-story buildings as close as a few hundred feet from the nearest homes.
Okay all you real estate moguls, what are the three most important things about a property? Location, location, location.
And the location can be good. Or really, really bad.
Cedar Crest in Pompton Plains (Morris County) is described as located "up the mountain."
and Seabrook in Tinton Falls (Monmouth County) is described by a Tinton Falls resident as "off by itself near the outskirts of town...Mostly woods around it."
These two developments are similar in size to the one that Erickson is hoping to propose in Hillsborough, but unlike these two the Hillsborough development would have 4-or-5-story buildings as close as a few hundred feet from the nearest homes.
Okay all you real estate moguls, what are the three most important things about a property? Location, location, location.
And the location can be good. Or really, really bad.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Claremont - Royce Brook - Erickson: Skirmish #1
Last Wednesday evening representatives of Erickson Retirement Communities welcomed over 100 residents from the Claremont development area of Hillsborough to an informational meeting at Days Inn. Every chair was filled, extra chairs were set up, and even more locals stood around the edges – interspersed with Erickson employees holding microphones and notebooks.
Erickson had invited the Claremont residents to this private get-together through a letter on Royce Brook Golf Club stationary to hear about a “development proposal...currently under consideration” for Royce Brook’s easternmost golf course – the one directly behind the homes on Anne Street.
Erickson’s representative, Scott, opened his corporate power point with slides showing the history of Erickson, how revered Erickson was on Wall Street and in their niche of the market, what a great person Erickson’s founder was, how many other outstanding developments Erickson had...yada, yada, yada.
It was the kind of pitch you hear when you are invited for a free dinner and a free gift if you will just sit through a one-hour presentation with your spouse about our wonderful [fill in the blank: financial services, vacation community, time-share].
Suddenly an audience member interrupted the carefully scripted spiel, firing the first shot across the corporate bow, calling out from the middle of the room, “Don’t sell us, we’re not moving in! Just show us what you want to do!”
There was a moment’s hesitation and then a slide came up of an Erickson property in Massachusetts. A sea of high-rise buildings filled the screen.
An unbelieving hush fell over the room for a split second, a quiet collective gasp, as the residents took in the huge development: “Whoa!”
Then the yelling started, most of it centered on some variation of “You have got to be kidding!” At that point the pretty corporate power point as good as got flushed (maybe down Claremont’s newly approved sewer line) as the hostile SRO crowd confronted Erickson’s reps, yelling out questions, negative comments, and accusations against Erickson, the township, Royce Brook Golf Club, and the local press.
To give Scott credit, he soldiered on and using public-relations-speak he continued to discuss the three 500-unit “neighborhoods” that would be located on the self-contained “campus”, the 2,200 residents, the 750 employees, and numerous commercial businesses – restaurants, medical facilities, beauty salon, convenience store, etc.
He claimed that other townships loved having them there, that they paid lots of taxes...but the crowd was having none of that.
They repeatedly demanded to know why Hillsborough’s representatives and administrator weren’t there [Erickson did have a “meet-and-greet” with the township, but they weren’t at the stage where they were making formal filings], why didn’t Erickson use Royce Brook’s western course near the railroad tracks and the high-tension wires [Because Billy Casper Golf/Royce Brook wanted to sell the east course], why wasn’t the press there [Erickson didn’t answer this one, but rumor has it that the press was deliberately excluded], what about emergency medical services [we have doctors and private ambulance services on call and trained security], what about firefighting at high-rises [we pay so much in taxes that they can get what they need], what about traffic [our developments only have one exit – which would be on Hamilton Road], what about flooding, wastewater, wells, property values, zoning changes, lowering the heights of the buildings, finding property elsewhere – questions yelled so loud and so fast that it became difficult to follow what was happening. There were allegations that Erickson’s timing was designed to take advantage of the upcoming sewer line construction in the Claremont area [They claimed they weren’t even aware of it].
And as the disgusted residents filed out, one looked at the screen and murmured to his neighbor, “Well, say goodbye to watching sunsets.”
Erickson had invited the Claremont residents to this private get-together through a letter on Royce Brook Golf Club stationary to hear about a “development proposal...currently under consideration” for Royce Brook’s easternmost golf course – the one directly behind the homes on Anne Street.
Erickson’s representative, Scott, opened his corporate power point with slides showing the history of Erickson, how revered Erickson was on Wall Street and in their niche of the market, what a great person Erickson’s founder was, how many other outstanding developments Erickson had...yada, yada, yada.
It was the kind of pitch you hear when you are invited for a free dinner and a free gift if you will just sit through a one-hour presentation with your spouse about our wonderful [fill in the blank: financial services, vacation community, time-share].
Suddenly an audience member interrupted the carefully scripted spiel, firing the first shot across the corporate bow, calling out from the middle of the room, “Don’t sell us, we’re not moving in! Just show us what you want to do!”
There was a moment’s hesitation and then a slide came up of an Erickson property in Massachusetts. A sea of high-rise buildings filled the screen.
An unbelieving hush fell over the room for a split second, a quiet collective gasp, as the residents took in the huge development: “Whoa!”
Then the yelling started, most of it centered on some variation of “You have got to be kidding!” At that point the pretty corporate power point as good as got flushed (maybe down Claremont’s newly approved sewer line) as the hostile SRO crowd confronted Erickson’s reps, yelling out questions, negative comments, and accusations against Erickson, the township, Royce Brook Golf Club, and the local press.
To give Scott credit, he soldiered on and using public-relations-speak he continued to discuss the three 500-unit “neighborhoods” that would be located on the self-contained “campus”, the 2,200 residents, the 750 employees, and numerous commercial businesses – restaurants, medical facilities, beauty salon, convenience store, etc.
He claimed that other townships loved having them there, that they paid lots of taxes...but the crowd was having none of that.
They repeatedly demanded to know why Hillsborough’s representatives and administrator weren’t there [Erickson did have a “meet-and-greet” with the township, but they weren’t at the stage where they were making formal filings], why didn’t Erickson use Royce Brook’s western course near the railroad tracks and the high-tension wires [Because Billy Casper Golf/Royce Brook wanted to sell the east course], why wasn’t the press there [Erickson didn’t answer this one, but rumor has it that the press was deliberately excluded], what about emergency medical services [we have doctors and private ambulance services on call and trained security], what about firefighting at high-rises [we pay so much in taxes that they can get what they need], what about traffic [our developments only have one exit – which would be on Hamilton Road], what about flooding, wastewater, wells, property values, zoning changes, lowering the heights of the buildings, finding property elsewhere – questions yelled so loud and so fast that it became difficult to follow what was happening. There were allegations that Erickson’s timing was designed to take advantage of the upcoming sewer line construction in the Claremont area [They claimed they weren’t even aware of it].
And as the disgusted residents filed out, one looked at the screen and murmured to his neighbor, “Well, say goodbye to watching sunsets.”
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
For Goldie
2000-2008
Her brown eyes are closed.
The beat of her tail is stilled.
She was a good girl.
Thanks to her family for letting me share her love.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Marketing Lessons
Marketing to Americans 101
You go to buy a chocolate bar and discover that the price has gone from $1.00 to $2.00. When the price drops to only $1.70 you are thankful.
The price of gasoline creeps up by a dime a week from about $2.50 to $3.00. You are thrilled when it drops back to $2.90.
The president jacks up the number of troops in Iraq. Next he lowers the number of troops by bringing half of the additional troops home. The American people thank him for cutting back the number of our troops in Iraq the way we wanted.
The American people are being scammed in which scenario?
a- Chocolate bar
b- Gasoline
c- Troops
d- All of the above.
##
Marketing 102
Several years ago the amount of coffee in the "one pound" cans quietly dropped a few ounces to anywhere from 11 to 13 ounces. The cans remained the same. The price per can remained the same.
When shoppers caught onto the scam the coffee companies' spokespersons explained that they were responding to the wants of their customers. [Huh?]
The moral? Always look carefully at what is really inside the can even if the can looks the same.
##
Marketing 103
Shoppers are familiar with the changes in wrapping on their favorite foods that occur from time to time. Usually the price goes up with the "New and Improved" packaging even is the contents are identical.
The moral? Always look carefully at what is really inside the package even if the package looks different.
##
In this morning's New York Times Bush is quoted as saying "Fifteen months ago, Americans were worried about the prospect of failure in Iraq."
Who are these Americans? I can't find them.
You go to buy a chocolate bar and discover that the price has gone from $1.00 to $2.00. When the price drops to only $1.70 you are thankful.
The price of gasoline creeps up by a dime a week from about $2.50 to $3.00. You are thrilled when it drops back to $2.90.
The president jacks up the number of troops in Iraq. Next he lowers the number of troops by bringing half of the additional troops home. The American people thank him for cutting back the number of our troops in Iraq the way we wanted.
The American people are being scammed in which scenario?
a- Chocolate bar
b- Gasoline
c- Troops
d- All of the above.
##
Marketing 102
Several years ago the amount of coffee in the "one pound" cans quietly dropped a few ounces to anywhere from 11 to 13 ounces. The cans remained the same. The price per can remained the same.
When shoppers caught onto the scam the coffee companies' spokespersons explained that they were responding to the wants of their customers. [Huh?]
The moral? Always look carefully at what is really inside the can even if the can looks the same.
##
Marketing 103
Shoppers are familiar with the changes in wrapping on their favorite foods that occur from time to time. Usually the price goes up with the "New and Improved" packaging even is the contents are identical.
The moral? Always look carefully at what is really inside the package even if the package looks different.
##
In this morning's New York Times Bush is quoted as saying "Fifteen months ago, Americans were worried about the prospect of failure in Iraq."
Who are these Americans? I can't find them.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
The Presidential "What If"
Writers, particularly fiction writers, are familiar with the “what if” exercise, the practice of taking a familiar event or day-to-day experience, introducing an unexpected twist and then seeing what happens. For example:
What if in January 2009, Inauguration Day arrives and everyone is ready for the swearing in of the next president…and the current president decides he shouldn't leave?
He determines it is in the best interests of the country for him to stay president because we are involved in a controversial war and in a domestic economic crises and he believes he is the only person who knows how to manage everything…and his attorneys and advisors tell him he can.
Now what?
##
One of the rules of the “what if” game is that your answer can’t be “oh, that would never happen.” Besides, is this scenario really beyond the realm of possibility?
##
Despite the date, this is not an April Fool’s Day post. I’m not sure what writer I would pick to take a crack at this “what if”; Stephen King doesn't seem quite right.
What if in January 2009, Inauguration Day arrives and everyone is ready for the swearing in of the next president…and the current president decides he shouldn't leave?
He determines it is in the best interests of the country for him to stay president because we are involved in a controversial war and in a domestic economic crises and he believes he is the only person who knows how to manage everything…and his attorneys and advisors tell him he can.
Now what?
##
One of the rules of the “what if” game is that your answer can’t be “oh, that would never happen.” Besides, is this scenario really beyond the realm of possibility?
##
Despite the date, this is not an April Fool’s Day post. I’m not sure what writer I would pick to take a crack at this “what if”; Stephen King doesn't seem quite right.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
And What About Afghanistan?
There was a lot of commentary this week about it being the fifth anniversary of George Bush invading Iraq and the fact that 4000 American soldiers have died there.
But did anyone notice the small Associated Press item in today's newspapers: "An Army Green Beret from Monmouth County has been killed in Afghanistan..."? When did we arrive in Afghanistan and how many of our soldiers have died there?
##
"War is a contagion." - Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945)
##
"War ... should only be declared by the authority of the people, whose toils and treasures are to support its burdens, instead of the government which is to reap its fruits." - James Madison (1751-1836
But did anyone notice the small Associated Press item in today's newspapers: "An Army Green Beret from Monmouth County has been killed in Afghanistan..."? When did we arrive in Afghanistan and how many of our soldiers have died there?
##
"War is a contagion." - Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945)
##
"War ... should only be declared by the authority of the people, whose toils and treasures are to support its burdens, instead of the government which is to reap its fruits." - James Madison (1751-1836
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