by Dorothy Philbin| CNBNews Columnist
Coming up this week are a few things you should know.
1. The price of postage stamps goes up this week. There aren’t too many people who send first-class mail anymore, but it is always a good idea to have a few stamps around, just in case. On January 22, 2023 the stamp price goes up from 60 cents to 63 cents. After that, the cost of stamps will go up each year.
2. Have you noticed that the doors on the blue mailboxes only open down far enough to mail a letter? There is a reason for this. Sadly, this is being done to prevent thieves from stealing mail from the boxes. Although nothing has been announced in Gloucester City yet, some communities are removing the blue mailboxes which are on street corners for the same reason.
3. This Wednesday, January 18, 2023, the Gloucester City Planning/Zoning boards will meet at the Courthouse, 313 Monmouth Street at 7 PM. If you have an opinion or concern, this is your opportunity to tell what is on your mind.
This week’s two big issues are the conversion of 32 Champion Rd. (across from TD Bank) to a halfway house. It is a 3-story building but little is known about how many people will be housed there and where are they going to park.There is a proposal to build 5-story edifice on two empty lots on North Broadway at Mercer Street. The vacant lot was where the July 4, 2002, tragic fire occurred. Three firemen and three children died in that fire. It is proposed that the first story will contain retail space, and the four stories above will be used for apartments. Again, where will people from new apartments park? If you live between the railroad and the river, you need to be there and voice your concern.The meeting will be held at 313 Monmouth St. (the courthouse) at 7 pm.
