Owner/occupants of Mulberry Street are faced with misinformation, contradiction, and broken dreams. One thing at least remains constant in their lives and that is the Assunpink Creek.
As flooding events occurred the recurring phrase owner/occupants did hear was the Creek is being studied. While City planners and a host of other government and private parties were being paid top dollar to study. Services that were said would be done, like periodic dredging and Creek de-snagging were never seen done by residents.
For owner/occupants it was as if an iron curtain had fell and no further action or statements came from the powers to be. Yet if one was to compare owner/occupant tax payment records as compared to local business payment records. One will find that owner/occupants consistently were on time and rarely behind whereas local business can not make that claim. This has bred resentment, distrust, and uncertainties in the very officials that they owner/occupants helped get elected into office to protect their concerns.
The ray of hope that turned into yet another disaster was the day when the Mayor and Federal officials gathered owner/occupants upon the banks of Assunpink Creek. A banner outstretched read “Project Impact Building A Disaster Resistant Community”. The Mayor’s address was moving in which he proclaim no resident shall be displaced by this program. What the Mayor didn’t know was that FEMA’s initial mitigation study would propose to do just the opposite, dislocate the entire center of Mulberry Street.
Owner/occupants of this flood torn and battle weary community got the word via newspaper some weeks later that the entire midsection of their community was to be bought out and homes demolished. Those who were initially affected by this mitigation were heartsick that a Creek not even a major River will soon take away there memories, friends, and community that they have grown to love and cherish. Many of these owner/occupants are elderly people retired living upon a fixed income.
With no further statements from the City or government these loyal tax payers felt betrayed. Many a night have they shed a silent tears over the fact there last means of survival their home would soon be gone. Still another event later this year would reinforce the City’s position. Many of owner/occupants wondered why that no flood control project such as a flood containment barrier could be built?
Yet these same owners watched business expand and development expanding upstream without regard of their plight over the years. Yet with the vast resources of both State and City governments, the millions poured into the “study” the best they could up with is homes demolished and a park?
After rebuilding homes and lives flood and flood with the hope that soon something would be done to the “Creek” to protect owner’s property and homes. This mitigation was a fatal deep scare that will never go away. A creek not even a major river defeated the very country that constructed the Panama Canal, a truth that is hard to believe.
September 16, 1999 Hurricane Floyd hit New Jersey after cutting a path of destruction from South Carolina on up the entire eastern seaboard. Not only was Mulberry Street under water but much of state suffered major flooding issues. Even the traditionally dry downtown area was affected that brought trains to a stand still.
Suddenly owner/occupants learned that now the City plan for re-development included the entire row of Mulberry Street that borders the Assunpink Creek. And that a Program called the “Voluntary Acquisition Program” was in effect whereby with the help of Federal, State, and City funds the acquisition of properties could be done.
As Floyd’s floodwaters receded the City hurried assessor’s out to Mulberry Street while in post flood conditions to re-appraise properties to issue initial buyout offers. For owner/occupants this was the first signal that indeed the “Creek” would not be touched but homes shall be demolished.
I can not begin to put into words the betrayal and the waste of taxpayer money after years of flooding issues to be told the creek wins you lose! To further add insult to injury the initial buyout offers began to arrive on Mulberry Street. An 82-year-woman read with a shell shock look that the City wanted to compensate her for her years of enduring floods in the amount of $33,500.00 for her life.
Living upon a fixed income and all ready searching for housing she found houses that she wanted started in the low $70,000.00 range with her heart breaking she said I don’t know what to do. Never being in a rental position, she is now being forced by this mitigation to lose the last shred of dignity she could have, moving into a rental position rather than an ownership role.
Because of issues such as this one Mulberry Street Association was formed with the help of the East Trenton Community Council as well as Habitat for Humanity. Mulberry Street Association intends upon acquiring legal representation for all owner/occupants and to form a collective bargaining group.
This action must be taken since it is now clear that government does not intend to address the issue here which is the “creek”, but intends to solve the problem by turning homes that have been here since the early 1900’s into a park.
Mulberry Street Association also intends that a reasonable timeframe be established by the City for owner/occupants to acquire adequate housing and time to remove their belongings before City takes imminent domain over properties. And if possible Mulberry Street Association intends on trying to seek further aid in relocation benefits for owner/occupants.
This is Mulberry Street Association quest we are owner/occupants who are fed up with being treated like second rate citizens. We are tired of dealing with an ineffective bureaucracy filled with bureaucrats who treat us like we are asking for too much. Bureaucrats whom often forget we are the victims here we are the ones who have already faced loss after loss, while they promise and promise something will be done to control flooding. Their solution remove the victims as cheaply as possible.
City probes owner/occupants under guise of follow-up of initial buy-out offer. Mr. McCarthy claims his conversation with City’s Mrs. Valentine led him to believe that all owner/occupants have settled. Leaving Mr. McCarthy to believe that he is the only hold out in City plans of re-development. As Mrs. Valentine phrased it, the City is getting ready to purchase and has settled with most owners. Owner/occupants from 43-21 Mulberry have not as yet receive an initial buy-out offer. Mr. McCarthy also expresses concern over City tactics where once again imminent domain and or condemnation could occur. As yet another flood season is looming.
