Village Center status real plus for Allentown

Allentown finally got its wish last week to be designated a Village Center on the state master plan.

The designation is significant because it boosts the historic borough into a special category with state agencies.

Other towns which have been designated centers have gotten extra assistance from the state.

The designation helped Red Bank, a regional center, become the popular hub it is.

It also helped Long Branch, also a regional center, speed up the permit process for its ocean-front redevelopment plan.

John Fabiano, president of the Allentown-Upper Freehold Historical Society, is optimistic that the designation will prevent overdevelopment at the borough’s borders.

While that might be overly optimistic, the new designation will give the borough greater priority in receiving state funding and permitting approvals.

When it comes to infrastructure approvals, that will mean a lot. A new bridge in Red Bank, for example, received a number of enhancements, making it more pedestrian friendly, because of the borough’s center designation.

The new designation will make it easier for the borough to receive grant funds for a pedestrian/bike trail though Heritage Park and for other transportation improvements.

It will also help with economic development plans, such as improving downtown parking and including the borough in the American Revolution National Heritage Area.

Allentown’s neighbors should be proud of their village center neighbor.

Improvements to Allentown will benefit not only the borough, but the surrounding area as well.

It took a long time to achieve the designation. Now borough officials can start taking advantage of it. Congratulations.