To the Residents of Sayreville,
We are writing to alert you to a critical matter concerning the transparency of our local government and the preservation of Sayreville’s history. For a while, the Mayor and Borough Council have shut residents and community stakeholders out of key decisions. Despite explicit assurances that the Sayreville Historical Society would be deeply involved in the planning and preservation process for our historic local building, we have been completely ignored—with the exception of a single, solitary meeting.
This lack of transparency is reaching a boiling point. The community overwhelmingly stepped forward and voted to save this building specifically because of its historical significance. Now, behind closed doors, municipal leadership has bypassed the community's wishes. On July 20th, modifications are being proposed that will completely alter the building's historic look from our understanding, including arbitrary and inappropriate design changes such as adding a clock tower to the front corner.
Because the Mayor and Council failed to act on the Sayreville Historical Society’s urgent recommendation to officially declare the building a historic landmark, we are now facing severe financial consequences. Landmark status would have opened the doors to vital preservation grants and external funding. Instead, because of their inaction and refusal to collaborate, the entire financial burden of these unwanted modifications is falling directly onto the shoulders of Sayreville taxpayers.
How to Take Action:
Attend the Public Hearing: The Borough of Sayreville Council Meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 20th at 7:00 P.M. at Borough Hall.
Demand Transparency: Use the public comment portion of the meeting to voice your opposition to these aesthetic modifications and demand that the historical integrity of our town be respected.
Join the Meeting Online: If you cannot attend in person, you can access the livestream directly through YouTube.
We must hold our elected officials accountable. Please join us on July 20th to stand up for our history, our pockets, and our town.
About: The Sayreville Historical Society was founded in 1974 with the mission of preserving, researching, and making accessible to the public the history of Sayreville, NJ and the surrounding region. Membership is open to all. With membership comes the opportunity to serve on a number of committees that help the society continue to operate successfully and continue to grow as it has continually done for almost forty years. The Sayreville Historical Society prides itself on its ability to educate, inform, and entertain the public both through our museum, a brick schoolhouse built in 1885 that houses over five thousand artifacts, and community outreach, which includes the production and sale of books, DVDs, and pamphlets, conducting and making available to the public oral histories with Sayreville residents, genealogical research, and actively moderating both a YouTube and Facebook page.
The Society meets on the second Thursday of each month, September through June at 7:00 pm, at the Sayreville Senior Center. Each meeting is highlighted by a guest speaker, and concludes with light refreshments and baked goods.
Visit: In 1984, Sayreville New School No.1 became the permanent home of the Sayreville Historical Museum. The museum is located at 425 Main Street, near the corner of Pulaski Avenue and is open the first and third Sunday from 1:30 to 4:00 PM. Docents are also available upon request to conduct group tours. If you are interested in visiting the museum on a day other than Sunday, please contact us by phone or email, and we would be happy to accommodate your group.
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