“My goal was simply to create a community at the beginning,” said Lindbergh. “Something that would be a part of our towns for the writers that I knew, and a way to meet new writers.”

In an open letter to the community, the Pollock Properties Group said homeowners in the Hilton area should be able to capitalize on their investments just as much as those in any other part of town.

At the last Town Hall, Village leaders explained that the levy has remained the same for decades and projected costs for improvements to the Village’s parks far exceed what the Village can afford to do with the current tax levy.

Advocates on both sides are gathering signatures, with organizations such as the Rahway River Watershed Association, SOMA Action, SOMA Justice, the Maplewood Environmental Advisory Committee, and the South Orange Environmental Commission opposing artificial turf.

The Village held a ceremonial ground breaking in June, and it will be able start actual construction after the NJ Department of Community Affairs gives final approval of the plans.

In signing the bill, Murphy handed the first pen to MMS student Cate Schoenborn who was struck by a car on Prospect Street last fall. “I do this with Cate and the many families like hers front of mind, determined to make sure no child ever again faces the same kind of pain or danger.”