Think Keyport is developing too fast? Both mayoral candidates agree with you

KEYPORT - It’s a common refrain from the residents of Keyport, and both candidates for mayor have heard it loud and clear.

“If you walk through town everybody says the same thing: I don’t want to see all this building here,” Republican candidate Rose Araneo said.

“I know there are a lot of concerns about the density,” Democratic candidate Victoria Pacheco said. “Nobody wants to see a high-rise, multi-unit apartments. I don’t want to see that either.”

There’s an engaged citizenry in this 1.4-square-mile waterfront borough, and major development proposals often are eyed as an affront to its small-town charm. That certainly seemed to be the case last year, when vocal opposition arose to a developer’s plan to build a three-wing, 85-foot-high, 185-unit residential housing complex and parking deck at the Pedersen Marina location along West Front Street.

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Both candidates to succeed Democratic Mayor Collette Kennedy pledge to cast a cautious eye on redevelopment projects, citing the Pedersen Marina proposal — which remains under review for potential changes by the developer — as Exhibit A of what not to do in Keyport.

“There has to be a balance between developers wanting to come in and put high-rises on the waterfront because the view is pretty, and what we need or what we want,” Pacheco said. “It’s tricky, but it’s important that we do this right or 10 or 20 years from now we’ll say, ‘That wasn’t a good idea.’”

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Local business owners, of course, would welcome an influx of new residents with open arms.

“I’m always for progress; you can’t keep a small community without having some progress, but you have to have progress with limitations,” Araneo said. “To be taken over by large projects and to see those impact the aesthetics of what contributes to the charm of our community, I don’t want to see that. To me, that’s not in keeping with what this beautiful town is.”

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Both Araneo and Pacheco currently sit on the borough council. Pacheco, who has served on the council since 2017, works as a labor representative at JNESO, a health care union representing nurses and techs in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Araneo, who grew up in Keyport and was elected to the council last year, is an executive with 3rd Party Logistics Group, which manages inventory for beauty brands.

“I want to see some development, but not as much as was previously done,” Araneo said. “I’d like to see some developers who come in here say, ‘We propose this project’ but give back to the community a little bit.”

For example, she pointed to recent construction project on Walnut Street that left the road “torn open for a long time” and when it was finished, the street was saddled with two different surfaces.

“They ended up paving up to the end of their project but no farther, so now you have a street that is half asphalt, half concrete,” Araneo said.

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Pacheco said her view of the density problem includes flooding that routinely plagues the borough. Both candidates expressed concern that more development could worsen the flooding.

“These are all spokes to the same wheel,” Pacheco said. “The infrastructure is sagging. Everything is antiquated. Stormwater drainage is a priority for me. There are some very old pipes that need to be fixed.”

The Nov. 8 election also includes four candidates for two seats on Keyport’s council: Republicans Cathleen Reilly and Melissa Vecchio and Democrats Delia Sosa McDermott and Danielle Mastropiero. McDermott is an incumbent. Democrats hold a 4-3 edge on the current council.

Jerry Carino is community columnist for the Asbury Park Press, focusing on the Jersey Shore’s interesting people, inspiring stories and pressing issues. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Keyport NJ development dominates mayor's race