Action Together: Meet Some of the Democratic Candidates

ActionTogetherNJ - Monmouth County

Organizer of Meet Some of the Democratic Candidates

We are Action Together Monmouth County and are a county group within Action Together NJ & Network

We fight for civil liberties, social justice, and environmental protection. We advocate for equality and human rights for all people. We protect those who face discrimination, disenfranchisement, and persecution. We fight for legislation that helps the working class, and supports equal pay and a living wage for all workers. We support and collaborate with existing advocacy groups who share our beliefs. We will fight to elect progressive leaders who share our values. And we will fight against elected officials who don’t.

Hope you can join us to meet some of the democratic candidates.

Introduction by Congressman Frank Pallone

Monmouth County Freeholders:

-- Dr. Margie Donlon and Mayor Brian Wilton, Esq.

NJ State Senate:

--LD 11: Vin Gopal

--LD 12: David Lande, Esq.

--LD 13: Sean Byrnes, Esq.

--LD 30: Amy Sara Cores, Esq.

NJ State Assembly:

--LD12: Gene Davis

--LD13: Mariel DiDato and Tom Giaimo, Esq.

--LD30: Eliot Colon

Register for the April 29 event at https://meetmonmouthcandidates.eventbrite.com/.

October 17, 2016 Middletown Township Committee Meeting

Not much of significance happened at last weeks meeting of the Middletown Township Committee.

The entire meeting lasted just 50 minutes with a vast majority of the time used to issue various proclamations for Middletown Day Supporters, 9-11 Memorial Service Organizers, Farmers Market Organizers and to American Legion Post 338 for their donation to restore the Dough Boy Statue. It was also proclaimed that 11-26-16 is to be Track Friday.

Members of the public spoke about the upcoming Lincroft Candidates Night Q&A on 10/18. Another person presented information regarding the irrigation of the Lincroft Village Park.



As always, you can download a copy of the Meeting Agenda that contains the discussion items and the proposed resolutions and ordinances that were voted on or presented during the meeting. A box around an item is a link, bringing you further into the document to that resolution or ordinance. At the end of the resolution there will be a link bringing you back to the agenda. Attached to this agenda is also the monthly bill list, so that everyone can see how the Township is spending our tax dollars.

4/23/15 Public Info Session on GSP Interchange 109

Middletown Public Information:

The New Jersey Turnpike Authority will host a Public Information Center in Middletown to present information about proposed improvements to Garden State Parkway Interchange 109. The event will be held from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 23rd, in the Middletown Library Community Room, 55 New Monmouth Road, Middletown.

Crime Scene Middletown: Two Juveniles Arrested for Recent Lincroft BP Station Robbery

Written by Middletown Township Police Department
Monday, 9 January 2012 -Arrests do not indicate convictions


On January 6, 2012 Detective Daniel Sullivan arrested a 17 year old male juvenile from Colts Neck, NJ, and a 17 year old male juvenile from Holmdel, NJ after they attempted to rob the BP Gas Station located on Newman Springs Road in Lincroft, NJ. Police say the pair were wearing ski masks and were armed with a hammer and a BB handgun when they attempted to rob the station at approximately 8:00pm Friday night.

Police say the suspects fled the station without getting any money after the attendant locked himself in the office and refused to let them in. The pair was observed running from the area and getting into a white van. The description of the van was given to surrounding police agencies and was located by Brookdale Community College Police Officers Craig Iacouzzi and Gabriel Campan a short while later.

The suspects were taken into custody without incident and were each charged with Robbery, Possession of a Firearm for an Unlawful Purpose, Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, Unlawful Possession of a Handgun, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon and Conspiracy. They were being held at the Middlesex County Juvenile Detention Facility.

Anthony Carbonari, age 52, from Joyce Place in Hazlet, NJ, arrested on January 7, 2012 by Corporal Richard Fusella for Shoplifting from the Sears Store. He was released pending a court date.

Stephen Acquaviva, age 35, from Bonnie Drive in Middletown, NJ, arrested on January 6, 2012 by Patrolman Ryan Riffert on a Contempt of Court warrant issued by the Keyport Municipal Court. He was released on his own recognizance pending a court date.

Susan Doyle, age 21, from Van Brunt Place in Middletown, NJ, arrested on January 6, 2012 by Patrolman Andrew Micalizzi on a Contempt of Court warrant issued by the Freehold Municipal Court. She was released after posting $164.00 bail.

Robert Layne, age 34, from South Clayton Street in Wilmington, DE, arrested on January 8, 2012 by Patrolman Frank Mazza for Theft and on a Contempt of Court warrant issued by the Evesham Township Municipal Court. He was released on his own recognizance pending a court date.

Valerie Pasternostro, age 46, from Holmdel Road in Holmdel, NJ, arrested on January 8, 2012 by Patrolman Stephen Greenwood for Criminal Mischief. She was released pending a court date.

Thomas Moses, age 51, from Highway 36 in Middletown, NJ, arrested on January 6, 2012 by Patrolman Keith Hirschbein on Contempt of Court warrants issued by the Middletown Municipal Court. He was released on his own recognizance pending a court date.

Jenna Swenson, age 23, from Abby Road in Red Bank, NJ, arrested on January 7, 2012 by Corporal Thomas Meckier for Theft of a Prescription Blank. She was released pending a court date.

On January 8, 2012 Patrolman James Beirne arrested a 17 year old female juvenile from Middletown, NJ, for Simple Assault, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon and Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose. She was released pending a court date.

Louis Dicapua, age 43, from Swartzel Drive in Middletown, NJ, arrested on January 8, 2012 by Patrolman Lawrence Seymour on a warrant issued by the Hazlet Township Municipal Court. He was being held by the Hazlet Township Police Department on $2,500.00 bail.

Joseph Hughes, age 19, from Wilson Avenue in Middletown, NJ, arrested on January 8, 2012 by Patrolman Jason Caruso for Theft by Unlawful Taking. He was released pending a court date.

Jon Siegert, age 24, from Abby Road in Middletown, NJ, arrested on January 7, 2012 by Patrolman Ryan Riffert for Receiving Stolen Property and Attempted Escape. He was being held at the Monmouth County Correctional Facility in Freehold, NJ, on $20,000.00 bail with no 10% option set by Judge Richard Thompson.

Rashon Martin, age 23, from Brainard Avenue in Port Monmouth, NJ, arrested on January 9, 2012 by Jason Caruso on Contempt of Court warrant issued by the Glassboro Municipal Court. He was released on his own recognizance pending a court date.

Jayson Gross, age 41, from Powell Avenue in Atlantic Highlands, NJ, arrested on January 9, 2012 by Patrolman James Beirne on a Contempt of Court warrant issued by the Middletown Municipal Court. He was held on $230.00 bail.

James Hickey, age 65, from Carlsbad Court in Holmdel, NJ, arrested on January 8, 2012 by Patrolman Michael Reuter for Driving While Intoxicated and Reckless Driving. He was released pending a court date.

Daniel Rosales, age 19, from Brasch Boulevard in Middletown, NJ, arrested on January 8, 2012 by Corporal Keith Macdonald on Contempt of Court warrants issued by the Middletown and Red Bank Municipal Court. He was released after posting $1,250.00 bail.

Christopher Copp, age 26, from Adam Place in Hazlet, NJ, arrested on January 8, 2012 by Patrolman John Soltysik for three counts of Burglary to Vehicles, Theft of a Prescription Legend Drug, Possession of Burglar Tools, Receiving Stolen Property and Possession of a Hypodermic Syringe. He was being held on $20,000.00 bail with no 10% option set by Judge Richard Thompson.

On January 8, 2012 Patrolman Nicholas Fenezia arrested a 17 year old male juvenile form Leonardo, NJ, for Unlawful Possession of Hydrocodone, Possession of under 50 Grams of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was released pending a court date.

Another daytime robbery in Lincroft!!! Beware! -- White Oak Ridge Road

Evidently there was yet another daytime burglary in the Lincroft/Oak Hill section of Middletown yesterday. I was forwarded the email below from someone who received it earlier today.

Unless an arrest is made in this case, you wont read about this burglary in any news report or Police Blotter as it is the policy of the Middletown Police department not to announce any information unless the perpetrators of the crime are first apprehended.

Let this be a warning to all residents that even though, when you leave your house witht he doors locked, do not leave money or possible other valuables laying around in plain sight (not that this was the case in this instance). It only take a few minutes for someone to ransack and rummage through a home, you don't want to make it any easier for the theft than you have to.

Remain vigilant and keep an eye out for suspicious vehicles or individuals in your neighborhood and don't hessitate to call the police, friends or neighbors if you have questions or concerns about anything that looks out of place in the area.


Date: Oct 31, 2011 8:30:32 PM
Subject: Another Robbery


Hello Friends - I am sorry you have to keep receiving these emails, but I wanted to let you know OUR house was robbed today. They had a very small window of opportunity, from about 12:30 until 1:15. When I pulled up our driveway I noticed our front door was wide open. So the first thing that went thru my head was "those darn cleaning ladies!" I have been using them for years, they come once a month, and I was home when they arrived today at 10:30. They also let themselves out around 12:30 thru the garage and close it by pressing a button (no codes or anything).

So when I saw the front door I immediately thought our indoor cats may have gotten out so I ran thru the front door and was calling for them - - went upstairs and that's when i noticed all the contents of my "unmentionables " drawers were dumped on the floor. I have another set of drawers in my closet but that appears to have not been touched. I immediately called the police and they told me to get out asap .

THANKFULLY, due to all of the other incidents we have been hearing about (The Totilos, Hubbard Ave., ) we have been taking precautions and most of our valuables are in a safe, and I only keep about $40 in cash upstairs - which they found. They took ALL of my costume jewelry and unfortuately a few sentimental diamond pieces that I frequently wear, I just wasnt wearing them today, unfortunately. Other than that, it looks like they didn't even make it into the girls' bedrooms (computers/cameras/ipods all in full view) and nothing else was touched in the house. They gained entry by kicking in our door that is in the back of the garage - it was bolted/locked but the whole thing came off the wall. The detective was able to lift a big footprint off of it. From there the robber(s) let himself in thru our mudroom door which is always unlocked.

I am telling you all these details because hopefully you can make some adjustments in your lifestyles which can prevent anything like this from happening to you. I actually had the name of our alarm co. on my "to do " list today because one of our zones has been a little funky. THe police also mentioned that they think these guys are related to the Totilo incident and have "quite a few leads". Let's hope they get them soon, and I am thanking God we are all safe.

Before Moving Forward With Avaya Redevelopment, New Traffic Study Needed

Once again on tonight’s agenda for the Middletown Planning Board is a continuation of the public hearing concerning the controversial Four Ponds (Avaya) Redevelopment plan. Tonight’s meeting will be the 5th such hearing on the redevelopment plan that, if allowed to move forward, will approve the building of 342 high density housing units (270 townhouses and 72 apartments) in Lincroft.

Since the first Planning Board hearing on this issue took place back on May 4th , these meeting have been extremely well attended and have filled the Middletown Court Room (where the meetings are held) with area residents expressing their disapproval of this planned high density, residential redevelopment of the former Avaya industrial site. The main concern of these residents isn’t so much about the number of homes being built as it is about the traffic and safety concerns that need to be properly addressed on the local roads as a result of these homes being built.

The roads over in the Lincroft area are already congested and often impassable during the rush hour or when Brookdale Community College is in session; the intersection that comprises Newman Springs Rd/520, Middletown Lincroft Rd and Swimming River Rd is a nightmare and getting into and out of the shopping centers that surround this intersection is nearly impossible at times. West Front St won’t be easy to navigate around either once residential cars from the redevelopment start to pour out of the back entrance of the site and onto the road.

Safety concerns for area residents are valid especially when you factor in "cut-through" streets like Turnberry, Whispering Pines, Jumping Brook, Hillside; cars looking to avoid the congestion of the main roads will no doubt filter through the side streets looking for short-cuts around the traffic. Pedestrians and other vehicles parked on these residential streets will be placed at a higher risk for harm which does not exist now.

That’s why when at the last Planning Board meeting held on August 3rd, Traffic Engineer John Rea presented to the board the results of a traffic study that was completed during March last year, residents were right to question its’ validity.

According to the Brookdale College 2010 academic calendar spring break was held during this time and campus activities were limited, so a representative study wasn’t possible. Rea went on to state that there was a follow up traffic study completed during the week of May 16th 2011 to show that traffic didn't change much.

Coincidentally however, the Brookdale Community College spring semester ended the week before and Christian Bother’s Academy had a shortened academic week and held graduation during this time period. So again, the validity of this follow up traffic study was in question.

Based on this information, I would think that another, more representative study should be completed by a third party before further discussions on the redevelopment of the Avaya site proceeds.

A new study needs to be completed that includes the areas from the intersections of 520/Half Mile Rd, 520/Middletown Lincroft Rd and future developments west of Garden State Parkway. Surrounding areas and planned developments (Bamm Hollow) need to be included and thought out to show the real impact on the community. The study should be done at the peak of traffic season, possible during the 2nd week of October, when the fall session is in full swing at Brookdale for example, to ensure that a true representative sample of traffic conditions are taken. In addition another study should be done during a weekend when residents are home and out shopping to show what the difference in traffic conditions would be. These studies should be done to provide data for a worse-case scenario and provide plans to mitigate traffic increases during peak times.

Before moving forward with this redevelopment of the Avaya site, the Planning Board needs to make sure that a true, accurate and representative traffic study is performed that will take into consideration the concerns of Lincroft and other area residents. This new study should be done by a firm mutually agreed to by Four Ponds Developers, Middletown and the residents that are fighting the planned redevelopment of Avaya, with the costs of the new traffic study being split between the three.

Possible suitor for Avaya? Monmouth Girls Academy Said To Be Interested

There has been talk recently that there maybe a commercial buyer interested in purchasing the controversial AVAYA site and redeveloping the property into something other than a high density housing project which would consist of 342 units.

In order to deflect residents anger away from the proposed housing project at AVAYA, members of the Township Committee have been floating rumors and innuendo to Lincroft citizens groups like SONIC and the Lincroft Village Green Association about a potential commercial buyer of the property, but they have been mum on details and wont elaborate.

Earlier today I was forwarded an email that I thought would be of interest to some in Lincroft. The email (posted below minus contact information, I can forward if interested) details a plan that would have the Monmouth Girls Academy purchasing the property and turning it into an all girls school similar to that of Christian Brothers Academy, which is also located in Lincroft:

Hi all,

You may have heard the facts by now but here is a summary for the proposed school:

• Yes - they ARE serious about this!! The feasibility study is being funded by local parents who seem quite determined to make this happen.
• The school would be accredited by the Middle States Association and Colleges.
• The school will be somewhere in Lincroft - they have already checked out the Avaya property.
• Tuition would be comparable to CBA - currently $13,000. Academics and curriculum would be comparable to CBA.
• Like CBA - the school would NOT be a part of the Diocese of Trenton.
• Target enrollment would be 500-600 girls.
• Target freshman class - Sept 2013 a bit aggressive but they are hopeful:)!
• They currently have a Steering Committee in place with various local Educators and professionals.
• They also have a Founders Committee in place to raise funds if the study has a positive outcome.
• Meitler Consultants hopes to complete the study by October 2011.
• This is the first Phase in the process.

How can you help? Go to the website www.monmouthgirlsacademy.org and register so they can get an idea of just how many parents are truly interested in the school.

Also - please forward to anyone you think would be interested. I did not use any group e-mail lists so as to not abuse the system.

On the surface, I don't think this is a viable plan. There is just too much involved to make this happen and at a cost that would easily exceed millions of dollars. First off the building is very large and sits on partial wetlands building an active campus for students would seem almost impossible at that site. But stranger things have happened.

We'll just have to see how it plays out.

Alleged Sexual Assault At Middletown's Target Never Happened

Early last week, I was a recipient of an email from several individuals which claimed that on Monday or Tuesday night at approximately 7 pm, a woman entered her vehicle after shopping at the Middletown Target store and was greeted by an individual who was hiding in the backseat. The email went on to state that the the returning shopper was held at knife point and then sexually assaulted. It conclude by warning recipients to remain ever vigilant and to keep their doors locked.

One person that forwarded me this email stated that they weren't sure if it were true or not, but thought it peculiar that if it was, why hadn't the Middletown Police department made the information public or seen a report of it in the local newspapers? On Thursday of last week, I decided to forward the email myself to Detective Lieutenant Stephen Dollinger, Detective Bureau Commander to see if I could get an answer.

Detective Dollinger was prompt in his response, the response though gave me the impression that he wasn't aware of any such incident taking place. He stated that he would need to conduct a few interviews before determining whether or not this alleged assault took place and that if I called him in the afternoon of the following day (Friday), he would have an answer for me.

On Friday afternoon, before I had a chance to call the Detective , I received the following email from him which was sent to those on his media contact list:

"Good afternoon, I have been receiving requests for information about an alleged incident at the Target store that supposedly took place on February 1st. We are currently conducting an investigation into the matter. I will make sure I release something as soon as we determine whether or not the incident took place. Until then please refrain from calling the police desk."

After receiving this email, I replied back my appreciation and my intent to wait for an official announcement that would put to rest rumors that were being sent through cyberspace. Unfortunately, that follow up email was never sent out.

Yesterday, I received a new round of emails from people asking if I was aware of or knew anything about what had happened at Target.

This time however, the email that was being forwaded was slightly different and seemed a bit more authoritarian. The originator of the email left her electronic signature/contact information of her place of employment and stated that the woman attacked was her sister's sister-in-law.

I responded to those that sent me the email by stating that I thought the email was bogus and the incident never happened. I stated that I would try and contact Detective Dollinger again for a response to see if he could shed some more light the situation, but suggested that if a response from the detective was not forth coming they should call the police desk and inquire themselves. And that is exactly what some of them did.

After calling the police station for themselves, a few people were told by the officer that answered the phone that NO SUCH INCIDENT accured in the parking lot of Target and any story of this incident is false.

This information should, I hope, bring some relief to those that have been concerned about it and other alleged unreported incidents that have been reported and end all of those emails that have been floating around cyberspace.

That being said, I can empathize with those that forward these emails. For more than a year now, I have been hearing stories from people about burglaries, robberies and break-ins that haven't been listed in local newspapers (it was for this reason that I asked to be on Detective Dollinger's contact list for press releases).

As the effects of the lingering recession and bad economy continue residents are desperate to hold onto and protect what they have left. Rumors of crime are leading many to question the effectiveness of Middletown's Police to protect their neighborhoods and properties from damage or theft.

Residents want and expect to be kept informed by those, that job it is to watch over them, of things that could impact their life. If a home in Lincroft or North Middletown is broken into, residents want to know about it when it happens so that they can take precautions against further break-ins, not weeks or months later when an arrested my have been made after further robberies or burglaries.

I don't think this is too much to ask for, an informed citizentry is a happy citizentry. Give people the piece of mind of knowing that they can keep themselves and their property safe by impowering them with information needed to form neighborhood watchgroups or other types of groups within their communities, to help pick-up the slack where the police can't patrol effectively or efficiently.

Crime Scene Middletown: POLICE ASK FOR ASSISTANCE WITH ARMED ROBBERY AT BP GAS STATION

PREPARED BY DETECTIVE LIEUTENANT STEPHEN DOLLINGER

On January 15, 2011 at approximately 4:00am police responded to the BP Gas station located at the intersection of Newman Springs Road and Swimming River Road in reference to an armed robbery.

Upon arrival Patrolman Thomas Russo was advised by the gas station attendant that a tall, skinny, male wearing dark colored clothing and dark tinted swim goggles approached the attendant while he was inside the workers booth. The subject displayed a silver and black handgun and ordered the attendant to give him the money.

The actor then fled the area on foot towards Swimming River Road.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Laurence Schachtel at the Middletown Township Police Detective Bureau at (732) 615-2062 or the main police desk at (732) 615-2100.

Meet the Candidates In Lincroft Tonight

Come out and hear ALL the candidates! Be an informed voter.

CANDIDATES NIGHT tonight,Thursday, October 28, at 7:30pm at Lincroft School. Questions asked of Middletown Township Committee candidates Sean Byrnes, Mary Mahoney, Gerry Scharfenberger, and Kevin Settembrino.

Email questions to :
info@lincroftvillagegreen.org or submit them at the event.

Moderated by the League of Women Voters.

Byrnes States In Video That Avaya COAH Plan Can Not Move Forward Until All Pending Legal Action Is Settled

During Middletown's recent Township Committee Meeting which took place on Oct 17, 2010, resident Jeffrey Blumengold was concerned about what was going on with the Avaya property in Lincroft. The property was included as part of the Township's COAH (affordable housing) development plans.

He wanted to know if anything could be done to stop the development of the sight if the builder was ready to start building the planned housing development that is slated for the property.

Towards the end of the video, Sean Byrnes can be heard saying that the Township could not allow any of the currently proposed COAH projects in town to move forward until all of the current court challenges are settled

What Is Happening With The Bond For The Middletown Turf Fields?

On tonight's agenda for the Middeltown Township Committee Workshop meeting there will be a discussion about capital improvement projects and existing bonds and what to do about them. It will be interesting to see what they decide to do with the bonds the town is sitting on, namely the bond that was issued to fund the artificial turf projects for Croydon Hall and Trezza Field.

If we can all remember back to this past January when residents of Lincroft teamed up with members of the Pop Warner Chargers football organization when they found out that the long promised field restoration for Trezza Field (the home of the Chargers) was not going to happen, instead the funds for the turf project at Trezza Field was going to be diverted to West Front Street Park,caused so much trouble for Gerry Scharfenberger and Pam Brightbill earlier this year that they decided to cancel the turf projects all together in April.

The sudden decision to cancel the turf projects left everyone stunned at the time and questioning what was going to happen with the $2.6 million bond that was issued to fund the projects. The bond's language as written was very specific, the funds couldn't be used for anything else other than field restoration.

The following audio clip contains comments made by Middletown Attorney Brian Nelson, Middletown Township Town Administrator Tony Mercantante and mayor Gerry Scharfenberger during Workshop meetings on February 1st and March 1st,and seems to confirm that. The audio documents what the three men had been saying about the bonded money that was to be used for the construction of turf fields prior to the sudden announcement that the field project was going to be cancelled and the bonded funds returned.




Fast forward now to the last Township Committee meeting held on July 19th.

Lincroft resident and founding member of the citizens group SONIC (which opposed the turf project at West Front Street Park), Mary Mahoney, addressed the Township Committee about the unused Turf Bond that was to be used for artificial turf fields at Trezza Field, West Front Street Park and Croydon Hall. She wanted to know what was happening with the bonded money,

was there any plans to use it for anything else, how much of it had been spent and why wasn't it retired as of yet to save the township interest payments on it.

She seemed to have taken the the Township Committee and those that make the decisions on such things by surprise. Listen to it below:



About 1:10 into her comments CFO Nick Trasente is heard saying that the bond funds could be used for other facilities, used to pay down debt or retired, which is contrary to earlier remarks made by Township Attorney Brian Nelson and Scharfenberger, who had stated at earlier meetings and can be heard above in the 1st audio clip, that the bond had to be retired if not used for turf fields and couldn't be used for anything else.

So, what are Gerry and the boys planning on doing with the funds from this bond? It seems that they are trying to figure out a way to apply it to the budget in order to decrease 14% tax rate increase in this years municipal budget that has not been adopted yet.

If this is a concern to anyone then you should attend tonights meeting at Town Hall, it starts at 8pm. Get there early for a good seat.

Middletown Township Republican Challenger Tony Avallone Says "It is time for a change"

I have been a resident of Lincroft for over 25 years, and it is true I am a political newcomer, but I have decided to run in the June 8th, 2010 Republican Primary for Middletown Town Council, because I feel it is time for a political makeover in Middletown.

I am running on the Republican Line. However, I am independent of the traditional party politics, and not ‘same old, same old’. It is time for a change in Middletown, it is time to return to a people’s agenda, and not the ‘party’s agenda’.

Recent elections have seen candidates promise ‘Tax Payers First’, ‘True Transparency in Government’ or ‘Fiscal Responsibility’. But as a tax payer and resident of Middletown what do we really receive after the election: a municipal tax rate that keeps climbing (while our neighbors in Fair Haven have actually seen a consistent decrease the past three years); Town Council members who push their own agenda, and try to sneak in a sports complex, into a community without prior notification; a municipal budget that has a $5 million deficit; and council leadership that thinks the recession started in January 2010!

It is time for a change, time to remind our elected representatives that we are elected for the People – by the People! It is the People’s agenda that counts, not the Party’s agenda.

This is why I am running. I need and appreciate your support on June 8th, 2010.


Sincerely,

Tony Avallone
Lincroft, NJ

In Light Of The Mayor's Decision to Cancel The Lincroft Sports Complex Lets Revist SONIC's Letter

Now that the Mayor has declared the West Front Street and Croydon Hall sports complexes null and void due to the alleged economic condition, I thought it might be relevant to re post the letter that SONIC wrote to him and the Township Committee back in early February.

After sending Gerry Scharfenberger their letter, SONIC later went on to meet with the Mayor on Saturday February 12th to discuss the issues that were outlined in the letter during his weekly office hours.

The reasons SONIC opposed this development were reasonably stated with valid concerns.

What stands out most to me are the 2 paragraphs highlighted regarding SONIC'S questioning the timing of this expenditure during these current bad economic times. As well as their suggested solutions which the Mayor had promised to follow through with but never did.

It finally took the Governor's convenient cut in aid (even though for many months the Mayor and others insisted that the cost of the new fields would not effect the current budget process), to get the Mayor to recognize what SONIC had been saying all along.

Expansion of Useage of the Field at West Front Street in Lincroft
February 11, 2010

Dear Mayor Scharfenberger,

I am writing this letter on behalf of a recently formed group of residents from the Lincroft Community who choose to be known as “Save Our Neighborhood’s Integrity & Character” or “SONIC” for short. This group is principally comprised of residents in and around the West Front Street soccer fields, however we are receiving support from residents and various groups in Middletown and Holmdel as a result of your announced expansion plans. It is our sincere pledge to work with you and the entire Middletown Township Committee with regard to the stated Mission of the Township, which as per Township’s own letterhead is to “Save a Life, Save a Neighborhood, Save Taxes.”

SONIC has no objection to improving these grass fields making them safer for soccer and other sports but we do not support the amenities to the sports complex. We strongly object to the plans for 70 foot tall lights, an expanded parking lot, chain link fence, public address system, snack bar and storage facilities. This represents an entirely different type and concentration of activity; permanently changing the character and integrity of the neighborhood. These changes or what was characterized as improvements are the main reasons why we feel so betrayed by you, our elected officials, in not fully disclosing your intent and the extent of this development.

The following is a list of the key elements that SONIC believes make the West Front Street site not suitable or appropriate for the intended expansion:

A Serious Traffic Hazard:
The intersection of West Front Street and Crawfords Corner/Everett Road, a county road, already is a heavily utilized traffic area. It serves as a main route into Red Bank, to various elementary and pre-schools, Brookdale Community College, CBA, as well as a route from Holmdel and elsewhere into the Town itself. Increased activity, such as Pop Warner football , will serve to increase traffic in an unbearable way, leading to a major safety hazard for those who reside and worship in the area and for the children living in and around West Front Street Park. Even with the expanded parking lot in the proposal, with the inevitable tournaments or back to back games there will be insufficient parking available. Where would the cars go but spill onto West Front St, Everett Road and side streets? Required or not, we request a traffic study be done by the county.

Drainage:
There will be drainage issues that accompany the current plan to install a drainage pipe through the easement between 109 and 111 University Dr. Natural springs and poor drainage already exist in this location.

Lighting and Sound System:
There is little to no natural buffer for the homes on Tuller Ct, Everett Road and University Drive to protect from the tall lights and P/A system. The homeowners on University Drive are very concerned with the removal of trees which may be necessary for installation of an artificial turf football field, sidelines, and additional buildings. This would further reduce an already insufficient buffer and affect our quality of life.

On Table 19 of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, of the 12 properties considered for a synthetic turf field, West Front Street Park ranked low in topography, available parking, drainage and size. Thompson Middle School and Nut Swamp School ranked considerably better in all criteria. West Front Streets overall ranking was the lowest of all available fields in the area with the exception of Nut Swamp Park.

In addition to the above issues as to why this site is inappropriate, we question the timing of this expenditure. With a projected budget deficit of $5.0MM for our Township this year, when residents are losing their jobs and others are struggling to get by on reduced incomes and reeling from increased property taxes, building a “multi-sport” complex appears extravagant. Not having a CFO and a Finance Committee in place to review all the options is, in our view causing unwise financial decisions to be made. Awarding a nearly $200,000 contract to CMX engineering before plans were appropriately vetted with those directly affected seems equally irresponsible.

Common sense and public duty requires you to act responsibly by pursuing solutions that leverage existing assets for the betterment of the entire community. One solution would be to apply a portion of the $2.5MM in funds the Township received from the bonds issued in 2006 for capital expenditures for Parks and Recreation in order to reduce the deficit and reserve a portion to improve the parking and grass condition of the existing Trezza Field. We already have two artificial turf fields in town and these are not just expensive to build but also costly to maintain. Would it not be better to resume discussion with the Board of Education to seek a Shared Use Agreement for the use of these fields? In reviewing the public correspondence between the BOE and MTC from June through September regarding the Proposed Shared Services/Land Use Agreement, we believe the BOE did their part to work this out. To claim that the BOE “lawyered up” as the reason for the failed negotiations is just not acceptable. Moreover, the President of the BOE has personally agreed to readdress this issue and the members of SONIC urge you to do so.

Accordingly, SONIC respectfully requests that prior to the February 16th Middletown Township Committee meeting a few of our members meet with you in your office to have an open and honest exchange of ideas, preferably this coming Saturday, since you will be available as a result of last week’s snowstorm. It is our hope and desire to resolve this issue for the benefit of the community as a whole and restore our trust in our elected officials.

Cordially,

On behalf of the below representatives of SONIC, et al

Sarah Hammond, Mary Mahoney, Jeffrey Blumengold, Stanley Gelfman, Trish Thomson, Jodi Molasani, Marianne Musella, and Peter Simpson

It's too bad that in the end arrogance and bad planning on the part of Mayor Scharfenberger and others is what really doomed the sports complexes. If the Mayor and others would have stuck to the orginal plan to improve Trezza Field, the home of the Pop Warner Chargers, instead of insisting that the Chargers except West Front Street Park as their new home, both Trezza Field and Croydon Hall would be having new turf fields installed as we speak and opposition to the turf projects would have been muted.

Instead the Mayor, like a 3rd grader took his fields and went home, blaming the Governor along the way instead of looking into the mirror that would have shown the egg on his face.

Sign Of The Times: Dump Scharfy

Have you seen these signs? They're popping up all over town. This one is located at the intersection of Newman Springs Rd and Swimming River Rd in Lincroft.

As of right now, no one is taking responsibility for them ( I know for a fact it's not the Dems) ,but word has it that they are being put out by a group of disgruntled members of the Middletown GOP who are fete up with Gerry Scharfenberger and the current Republican members of the Township Committee over the handling (or lack there of) of the Lincroft turf complex issue and other concerns.

So upset in fact, that Scharfenberger will not be running unopposed during the Republican primary in June. Word has it that Tony Avalone, the Director of the Lincroft Village Green Association has decided to challenge Scharfenberger for the party nomination.

Lincroft Sports Complex Is Dead; Plans For Artificial Turf Fields For Croydon Hall and Lincroft Are Dropped.

At last night's Middletown Neighborhood Meeting at the Middletown Senior Center at Croydon Hall a very interesting turn of events was announced by Gerry Scharfenberger, the plans for the installation of artificial turf fields in Lincroft and at Croydon Hall are being dropped.

There will be no sports complex built or field upgrades at West Front Street Park that met so much opposition from the residents group SONIC (Save Our Neighborhood's Integrity and Character) and the Pop Warner Lincroft Chargers organization, and no upgrade for the field at Croydon Hall which is used by the Middletown Eagles Pop Warner team.

According to the Asbury Park Press article posted online late last night, Scharfenberger use the current economic conditions affecting the Township as the reason for why the turf field projects were being dropped. Scharfenberger is quoted as saying:

"…In a difficult budget year in which the township's state aid has been cut by $1.3 million, 14 retiring employees will receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in parting costs, and snow removal expenses were at least $500,000 above normal, it makes no sense to also take on a fields project…I see no way to go forward with this… In terms of what had to go, this became something of a no-brainer."

The article went on to state that Township Administrator Tony Mercantante said the $2.4 million bond that was originally issued for the project in 2006 will be returned to the lender.

So why the sudden change, why did the Scharfenberger and Mercantante drop the plans for the turf installations? You can't tell me it was because of the sudden realization that the Township is facing a budget deficit of over $5 million and this was a prudent decision on the part of the Township Committee. The Township has known for weeks that it would not be receiving the same level of state aid as in years past and Scharfenberger, Mercantante and crew said that the $2.4 million that was bonded for the turf projects was already in the bank, waiting to be used and would have absolutely no effect on the current budget process.

I feel that the real reason why they decided to cancel plans for the turf fields was the embarrassment that they felt when confronted at last week's March 15th Township Committee meeting by members of the Chargers organization and SONIC when they present a plan to the Township that clearly showed that a multi-sport field could indeed be placed at Trezza Field, the home of the Chargers for over 40 years as originally called for in bond ordinance, with no impact to wetlands that the Township based its decision on as a reason for not going ahead with the field upgrade.

If Tony Mercantante accepted the Chargers' plan, he would have had to admit that the advice from the town's engineers and other professionals was wrong. He would have had to essentially throw them under the bus, which would have lead to questions of competence and may have raised doubts about other projects around town that residents question.

I know that this announcement will upset some people, particularly the Middletown Soccer League and the Pop Warner Eagles; Middletown Soccer aligned themselves with the Township in pushing for the field upgrades at West Front Street and the Eagles who became the victims of the collateral damage inflicted on members of the Township Committee by SONIC and the Chargers in the fight against the sports complex at West Front Street.

It was never in dispute, the playing field of the Pop Warner Eagles at Croydon Hall was going to be upgraded as a multi-sports playing field as part of the Township's turf project but Parks and Recreations Director Greg Silva made it clear during at meeting with the Chargers, that if they succeeded in their efforts to derail the West Front Street field upgrade then the upgrade at Croydon Hall would also be canceled as a result. So I guess he wasn't lying.

While this is a clear victory for SONIC and those who questioned whether or not it was prudent for the Township to move forward with this turf project because of current economic conditions, the victory for the Chargers is somewhat less and not much of a victory at all.

With the bad blood and hurt feeling inflicted on the Township Committee by the Chargers, Trezza Field may never get the field upgrades that are so badly needed for the continued and future success of their program.

The Independent has a related story that should also be read.

What Did Tony Fiore Have To Say About Trezza Field?

Middletown Deputy Mayor Tony Fiore, was not able to attend the March 15,2010 Township Meeting but was able to participate via phone call from Orlando Florida while attending work related business.

His comments were made after the business portion of the meeting was finished, during the Committee comments portion of the meeting just before the floor was opened up to the public.

He agreed with much of what Committeeman Sean Byrnes had to say about COAH and the rezoning of the Avaya property in Lincroft then went on to address the concerns over Trezza Field.

At approximately 2:35 into the audio Fiore starts to address Resolution 10-121 (Resolution 10-121 was going to authorize CMX Engineering to finish design plans for the West Front Street sports complex and develop specs so that the project could go out for bid) and the reason why the Committee pulled if from of the agenda and did not vote on it.

At approximately 5:05 into the audio Fiore talks about how, if differences with the BOE can't be worked out and if there was a possibility that some improvements could be done at Trezza Field then it could be done from the "...design from "OUR" engineers or the perspective of "OUR" professionals come through, we may have to go down that road..."

With that type of thinking in mind prior to Alan Vrable's presentation and the many other people that spoke in opposition to the project, one would diffinately get the idea that no matter what plans or ideas residents came up with, Fiore and crew were not, could not or will not throw their professionals under the bus by stopping the work that would be going on at West Front Street.

But the question remains, what will the Township do about Trezza Field? Will they or wont they take the Chargers/Sonic design plan for Trezza Field seriously enough to stop sports complex from going forward at West Front Street and be redirected where it was orginally intended to be, at Trezza Field?

We should hear something soon.

Comments Made By Sean Byrnes During The March 15th Township Committee Meeting: The Budget, COAH And Trezza Field

When it came time for Committee comments after the business part of the March 15th Middletown Township Committee Meeting, Committeeman Sean Byrnes had a lot to say.

Sean Byrnes address his support of the efforts that Governor Christie was making towards potentially solving the State's budget crisis and how he hoped that Middletown would be able to address it's own budget problems. Byrnes went on the discuss the potential changes to the COAH laws and hoped that once COAH was redefined Middeltown would be able to zone back recent rezoned properties around town to their prior pre- COAH zoning, most noticably the Avaya property in Lincroft.

Byrnes then went on to address the issue of turf fields in town and his potential support to relook at the fesiblity of expanding Trezza Field, the current home of the Pop Warner Chargers, instead of supporting the planned sports complex at West Front Street that has been loudly opposed by the Chargers and the citizens group SONIC.

As you can imaging, Byrnes gained a rousing and vocal show of support for his comments by the members of the Chargers and SONIC that were in attendance.

His comments about Trezza Field start about 4 minutes into the audio clip below for those that are interested in hearing what Sean Byrnes had to say.

Audio: Vrable Solves Middletown's Problem During Township Committee Meeting

By now everyone that is interested in or effected by the proposed sports complex in Lincroft that the township wants to build is familiar with the events that transpired during the Middletown Township Committee meeting on March 15, 2010.

You know that the meeting was loud, raucous and at times on the verge of being out of control if you were lucky enough to be there. If not, I have a series of audio clips from the night that I will be sharing over the next couple of day that will let everyone know exactly what they missed.

The audio clip that I have posted is of Lincroft resident Alan Vrable, who was speaking on the behalf of both the River Plaza/ Lincroft Chargers Pop Warner Football team and SONIC (Save Our Neighborhood's Integrity & Character).

Vrable presented a detailed, engineered plan to the Township Committee that show beyond a reasonable doubt that Trezza Field ( the home of the Chargers) could in fact be resurfaced and expanded into a multi-purpose sports facility with little impact on the wetlands, that Township engineers have given as a reason why Trezza Field could not be upgraded in favor of West Front Street Park.





This is the first of 6 audio clips that I will be posting between now and the weekend from Monday nights meeting.

The other clips include comments from Sean Byrnes, Tony Fiore and Jim Cody questioning Pam Brightbill, which isn't to be missed. It was classic!!

APP Monday Night Follow-Up: Middletown Examining Residents' Plan For Ballfields

I was happy to see that Kevin Penton and the Asbury Park Press wrote a follow-up article that appeared in print today about the events that transpired during Monday night's Middeltown Township Committee meeting.

Today's article gave a better depiction of the events that went down Monday night then the first article that was published yesterday.

In this article Penton has quotes from Township Administrator Tony Mercantante, who many feel is the real person behind the West Front Street field proposal.

In the article Mercantante is quoted as saying "If it fits, it fits, but that is yet to be determined.", which was in reference to the multipurpose field, two baseball fields and 221 parking spaces depicted on the plan which was presented by Alan Vrable on behalf of the River Plaza/Lincroft Chargers Pop Warner Football team that plays it games at Trezza Field, to the Township Committee.

Vrable told Mercantante and the Township Committee that the plan for Trezza Field was based on the 2007 T&M Engineering wetlands study, the same study that the township used to determine that Trezza field was not a viable location for the field upgrade and which made the Township decide to build the sports complex at West Front Street instead.

The article also went on to state:

"Middletown's analysis of the residents' plan will include a cost estimate for earth disturbance so parking spaces can be added to Trezza Field, Mercantante said. The residents' plan eliminates a playground and a basketball court that are currently at the site, he said." ...

And concludes with words from Mayor Scharfenberger about how the Committee would take a serious look at the plan and determine if the plan was a viable alternative or not.

On the surface you may want to take what Mercantante and Scharfenberger had to say at face value and give the the benefit of the doubt, but after thinking about the quotes I was left to think that this just may be lip service.

Mercantante didn't seem convinced that the plan would work and seemed to question the fact that the plan as presented by Alan Vrable eliminated a playground and a basketball court in favor of parking.

Would eliminating a playground and a basketball court be considered a viable alturnative by Mayor Scharfenberger? I don't know.

Also I would like to point out that in both of Kevin Penton's articles on the meeting he quoted Deputy Mayor Tony Fiore who was not there but was on the phone from Orlando Florida attending a work related continuing education class, about how the closing down of CMX Engineering was just a little speed bump in the road and that it wouldn't hold up the process of deciding about the installation of the fields.

But what stood out to me during Fiore's comments wasn't what he had to say about CMX but what he said about the field installations in general, which was that the Committee would listen to "OUR" engineers and "OUR" professionals when determining what would be the best location for the installation of turf fields.

With this all being considered, I wonder if Mercantante, Scharfenberger and Fiore meant what they said, because if they do except the plans that were presented on the behalf of the Chargers than they would be admitting that their engineering firm gave them bad advice or is incompetant and they would be throwing them under the proverbial bus if they don't proceed with the exsisting plan for building the sports complex at West Front Street.