We may continue to haggle over the cost of the Bancroft acquisition; appraisals, assessments, zoning, use, worth. But at the end of the day, each of us has to personally judge its value not only to our families but also to the community overall.
A year ago, you may have asked Haddonfield for its opinion of how we might make our incredibly wonderful town a better place to live and some of the answers probably would have been: expand the size of the HMHS campus; create more open space, playgrounds, sports fields, parking; provide for affordable housing; attract more ratables.
This week we have the opportunity to acquire all this and the possibility of expanding beyond this in the future. If you fashion a particular use for a portion of the Bancroft property, you’ll have the opportunity to advocate your cause once we actually own it. If we don’t move forward now, the wish list is essentially unachievable.
You may argue that the purchase is unwarranted; I contend it as a critical protection of my investment-with benefits. Undoubtedly, Haddonfield Schools are one of the factors making it an exceptional place to raise a family but the schools are simply a reflection of the essence of this place — a community built on service to others, volunteerism, hard work and knowledge.
Let’s do what Haddonfield does best-let’s work together for our future benefit and for the benefit of those who have yet to come.
I’m a very certain YES!
Sharon Parker
