Eminent Domain: Can small town America survive?
Can small town America survive? What is responsible development? William J. Ward, author of the New Jersey Eminent Domain Law Blog, will be a guest speaker following the movie screening of Two Square Miles at 2 p.m. on Sunday, October 22, 2006, at the Baronet Theatre in Asbury Park.
Two Square Miles is a documentary about Hudson, New York, a small town on the Hudson River, and its citizens' fight to preserve the town's architectural heritage and character in the face of a proposed multinational coal-fired cement plant.:
The questions that exist about the future of Hudson are similar to the concerns of citizens in towns and cities across America. How is the global economy affecting our communities? Can a traditional small town main street with mom and pop stores still be viable with the 21st Century competition of big-box stores and consolidation? Can goals of environmental conservation and economic development co-exist?
How can citizens and activists concerned about the direction of their communities be involved in the democratic process, and can idealistic goals drive real political change? And, in the wake of divisive political campaigns, can new and productive political alliances that serve the common good be forged?
Barbara Ettinger, the director of the film, along with Councilman Jim Keady of Asbury Park, Barbara and Patricia Lesinski of Citizens for Wesley Lake, and Jamie Nieradka of Ocean Grove will be joining the discussion about eminent domain, housing density, preservation, environmental issues, and the need for responsible development.
The event is free and open to the public at the Baronet Theatre, 205 4th Avenue, Asbury Park, New Jersey. (732-807-3317) Download the flyer "Movie Screening & Community Discussion for Responsible Development in Our Shore Communities."