Meet The Candidates Night, Tuesday Oct. 23rd, 7PM

On Tuesday, October 23, 2018, the Lincroft Village Green Association will host a Question and Answer forum for the candidates running for the Middletown Township Committee. All Township residents are welcome to attend. The evening will be moderated by the League of Women Voters

Lincroft Elementary School All Purpose Room

 729 Newman Springs Rd, Lincroft, NJ 07738. 

7:00-9:00 PM (doors open at 6:30 PM) 

Please click here to submit questions to the candidates. Questions can be submitted in advance and will be accepted until Friday, October 19, 2018.

LVGA's Candidates Night Oct. 18th

Letter: Candidates' Ethics And Lack Of Respect Towards Others On Display

To the Editor:

At the Lincroft Village Candidates' Night last night (Oct.21st) I was able to hear candidates for Monmouth County Freeholders board and Middletown Township Committee. It was a great opportunity to get a flavor of their views and personalities.

One important issue discussed was that of having a code of ethics and an ethics board. The need for these became apparent when several ethical lapses by incumbents were mentioned.

I was further disconcerted by an obvious lack of respect toward their fellow candidates and the audience displayed by the Middletown Committee candidates.

They constantly whispered to each other while a speaker was talking. As at Middletown meetings, Mr. Fiore showed his displeasure by eye-rolling and making faces. It was distracting and reminded me of their frequent meeting behavior, including yelling at public speakers, and of grade school, when the teacher would say, "Do you have something to share with the class?"

Their challengers, Patrick Short and George Mardinly are ethical gentlemen who have not displayed such behaviors, but instead listen with empathy and respect to our citizens. I will feel much safer and respected when the challengers replace the incumbents.

Carolyn Schwebel
Leonardo

LVGA Candidates NIght, Tuesday Oct. 21th. 7pm - 9pm

If you would like to submit a question in advance to the candidates you can do so by leaving your question on the online spreadsheet that the LVGA has setup for the evening >>> HERE

IMPORTANT PLANNING BOARD MEETING Wed. OCTOBER 30, 6:30 pm

NJ Superior Court Judge Kapalko has handed down his decision on the Four Ponds/Avaya Appeal and has remanded the application back to the Middletown Planning Board, feeling that the Planning Board did not fully consider testimony by the applicant's Engineer and Planner. You can check the LVGA's  website where the Judge's decision will be posted in the coming days.

A special meeting of the Planning Board will take place at Town Hall on Wednesday, October 30th at 6:30pm. No new testimony will be given. The Board will discuss and consider a new updated resolution and then vote again on the Four Ponds/Avaya development application.

The Lincroft Village Green Association is looking for a strong resident turn out for this meeting! If you live in Lincroft  please attend and bring a friend or neighbor along with you. The final decision on the Avya redevelopment has not been made as of yet. Residents still need to show their opposition to this project.to ensure that it doesn't move forward.

The meeting notice and agenda were posted yesterday on the Township's website:
http://www.middletownnj.org/notices/read/f5fb2572

The Lincroft Village Green Association (LVGA) Hosting ‘Candidates Night’ Tuesday October 22th at Lincroft School.

The candidates for Middletown Township Committee Linda Baum (D), Patricia Olsen (D), Gerry Scharfenberger (R), Kevin Settembrino (R) and Freeholder candidates Tom Arnone (R) and Brian Froelich (D), Larry Luttrell (D) will answer questions presented by the League of Women Voters and compiled by the LVGA and the public.

The public is encouraged to attend and welcome to submit questions for the candidates. Please email your questions for the candidates to info@lincroftvillagegreen.org by October 20th. Additional written questions from the public can be submitted at the door, which will be answered by the candidates as time permits. The evening will be an opportunity to meet the candidates and hear their answers to critical issues affecting Middletown.

Lincroft School is located just west of Phalanx Road on CR520 (Newman Springs Road), about one mile west of GSP Exit 109. Parking is available at Lincroft School and also at Middletown’s Thompson Park athletic fields, just west of Lincroft School.

The Lincroft Village Green Association is a civic association of community volunteers committed to quality of life issues in the village of Lincroft, including traffic calming, safer vehicular and pedestrian circulation, historic preservation and beautification. For more information about the LVGA and this event, please visit their website at www.lincroft.org. The LVGA can also be contacted at 732-769-9881.

THAT BAND Rocking the Park on Saturday, August 24, 4-7pm

Come join us and help

ROCK The PARK as

The Lincroft Village Green Association presents:

THAT BAND

LIVE IN CONCERT!

Saturday, August 24, 4-7pm

at the Lincroft Village Green

The Jersey Shores' Premier Rock and Roll Showband will be Rocking the Park with Classic Rock and Roll, and Original Tunes from their Popular CD "Leonardo"

A $5.00 Donation Benefits

the LVGA

Come meet and greet your neighbors and friends, and enjoy some summertime fun and music! Bring chairs, blankets and a picnic dinner!

For more info on THAT BAND visit

www.thatbandnj.com

DIRECTIONS: The Lincroft Village Green, the park where this event will take place, is located at the corner of Newman Springs Road (CR520) & Phalanx Road, approximately one mile west of Garden State Parkway Exit 109. The Green is directly across from the Lincroft Inn Shopping Center & near the Lincroft BP Station.

PARKING: Parking is available at the Lincroft Elementary School, just west of Phalanx Road. Parking at the lot on Old Phalanx Road, accessed via Phalanx Road, is limited to the handicapped only.

Four Ponds Appeal Will Reach Superior Court Judge February. 8

For those interested, the Independent is reporting today that the appeal of Four Ponds Developer's Avaya housing project, which was opposed by the Lincroft Village Green Association and the citizens group SONIC and subsequently and unamiously turned down last year by Middletown's Planning Board, will be heard in Superior Court next month on February 8th.

According to the Independent:

"The township Planning Board’s denial of the Four Ponds Center Associates’ application to build 342 units at the former Avaya site in Lincroft last year is still being contested by the developer.

In 2011, Four Ponds proposed building 64 low- or moderate-income housing units at the 68-acre site, alongside 278 market-rate units.

As part of an appeal initiated by the developer after plans were unanimously rejected last June, Four Ponds will have a conference with state Superior Court Judge Paul Kapalko on Feb. 8, according to Planning Board Attorney James Gorman.

Kapalko has signed an order allowing two objectors, represented by attorney Ron Gasiorowski, to intervene in that suit, Gorman said.

The Four Ponds application, which was decided over nine Planning Board hearings spanning nearly a year, concluded with hours of testimony delivered by expert witnesses retained by Gasiorowski on behalf of local opposition.

In its official verdict, published last August, the board cited that testimony as the primary factor behind its denial.

The site on the former Avaya property where Four Ponds proposed building is part of Middletown’s affordable housing plan, which would allow 375 units on the site, including up to 75 affordable units....  "

I'm sure that the ruling by the Superior Court in this case, will have a major impact on the Heritage at Middletown development that would bring 245 multi-family units to the track of land surrounding area of Taylor Lane. Two weeks ago, area residents packed the court house to attend the January 16th meeting of the Planning Board to voice their complaints about this planned development, which is also being reported on in this weeks edition of  the Independent.

I expect that the Superior Court judge that hears the Four Ponds case will ultimately rule in their favor  which will pave the way for the housing development continue as originally planned.

SAVE OUR LIBRARY! - Library Board Meeting Wed December 19th, 7pm

The Lincroft Village Green Association has serious concerns about the actions and decisions of both the Middletown Township Committee and the Middletown Township Library Board of Trustees in matters affecting the Middletown library budget.

The 2013 library budget is projected as a deficit of $477,900 due to a decrease in funding, an excessive increase in township chargebacks, and the depletion of library reserves after a $499,947 transfer was made at the request of the township in 2011.

The likely results of this deficit will be:

· Branch closures (Lincroft, Bayshore, and Navesink)
· Cuts to library services and materials
· Decrease in operating hours at the main branch
· Increase in user fees and fines to increase revenue
· Layoffs of staff
· De-municipalization: Middletown's library system could be turned over to the Monmouth County Library system.

The LVGA recognizes that Middletown residents will be adversely affected if these cuts to services occur. The Free Public Library as an institution is a vital and valued public service which contributes in a meaningful way to the quality of life in our community.

If you value your library, we encourage you to attend the next Middletown Library Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday, December 19, 2012 at 7:00pm at the Main Branch, 55 New Monmouth Road. Meeting agenda click here The LVGA believes that a public forum should be held without delay to inform the public about the budget crisis and its impact on our residents and students.

Associated Links:

Library Budget FACTS: Understanding the Numbers
Township Library Charge Back For 2012 Budget Year letter (June 7, 2012)
Letter from concerned library advocate regarding chargebacks
Library Meeting Agenda


Quick Links:

LVGA Website 
Newsletter & 2013 Membership Drive

Here We Go Again: Proposed Mid’twn development already under fire

According to the Independent  there is a planned development of 245 multi-family units being proposed by developer American Properties. This development would be located near Taylor Lane in the northwest section of Middletown and to no ones surprise, the residents in the area are fighting it.

Of all the meetings that take place during the month here in Middletown, the Planning Board meeting is the least likely meeting you'll ever see me at. They are long, boring and tedious affairs that just seem to drone on and on. Often if you attend one of theses meetings for a specific case, quite often the case you came to lend your support or opposition to is pushed off until the next or later meeting.  Therefore, not much useful information ever comes out of these meetings unless there is some kind of controversy brewing or about to brew.

This is going to be an interesting story to keep and eye on. As everyone pretty well knows, Middletown is nearly built out and the days of constructing housing developments of 20 or 30 homes in a given area are gone. With the need to provide affordable housing and a lack of open, buildable land, real estate is at a premium in town, big multi-family unit developments are the only feasible alternative that developers have.

Residents can hire attorneys to fight urban sprawl and win, all you need to do is see what the citizens group SONIC and the Lincroft Village Green Association were able to do in their fight against Four Ponds Center Associates and the 340 housing units that had been proposed for the old AVAYA site on Middletown-Lincroft Road. They won the battle this go around when the Planning Board, earlier this year turned down Four Ponds application but the war isn't over, Four Ponds has gone to court to appeal the denial.

There really is no good solution to any of this but before tens of thousands of dollars are spent trying to fight this new development, it would be nice if the builders could get together with residents and the town to work out some type of plan that would be beneficial to all partys involved before all that money and tax dollars are is wasted  attempting to fight the inevitable

Video: LVGA Meet The Candidates Night

The Lincroft Village Green Association hosted a "Meet The Candidates" night this past Tuesday. The Candidates attending were for the offices of County Freeholder - John Curley, Bill Shea, Kevin Lavan and Serena DiMassa; County Clerk - Clair French and Michael Steinhorn; and Middletown Township Committee - Linda Baum and Steve Massell.

The event was moderated by the League of Woman Voters who selected questions that were submitted by the public.  It was an interesting night, a lot of very good ideas and information were exchanged between the candidates.

For those from Middletown -  I  being one - who came to hear what Linda Baum and Steve Massell had to say about moving our township forward walked away, I'm sure, more impressed with what Ms. Baum had to offer than Steve Massel, just watch the video to see what I mean.

Linda Baum was the more articulate candidate and showed a real command of the issues that she was passionate about, she spoke off the top of her head, without any notes. Massell on the other hand, was wooden and read directly from a "script".

If you want to quickly read a little bit more about what was said between Linda Baum and Steve Massell, Middletown Patch's Christina Johnson posted a nice little summary of what was said between the two.

But of course the best way to judge for yourself how each candidate did was to watch the video, in my opinion Linda Baum was much more impressive than Massell and deserving of residents vote.

Tonight: LVGA Candidates Night In Lincroft

The Lincroft Village Green Association (LVGA) is hosting a Candidates Night on Tuesday, October 23rd, 7:00pm-9:00pm, at Lincroft School. The candidates for Middletown Township Committee, the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders, and the Monmouth County Clerk will answer questions presented by the League of Women Voters and compiled by members of the community. The public is welcome to attend. Questions can be submitted prior to the event date through an online form at www.lincroft.org. Forms will also be provided at the door prior to opening statements for any attendees to submit questions for the candidates. At the discretion of the moderator, questions will be chosen and presented to the candidates as time permits.

Candidates expected to attend this question and answer session are as follows:
• Middletown Township Committee: Linda Baum (D) and Steve Massell (R)
• Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders: John Curley (R), Serena DiMaso (R),
   Kevin Lavan (D), and William Shea (D)
• Monmouth County Clerk: M. Claire French (R) and Michael Steinhorn (D)

Lincroft School is located just west of Phalanx Road on CR520 (Newman Springs Road), about one mile west of GSP Exit 109. Parking is available at Lincroft School and also at Middletown’s Thompson Park athletic fields, just west of Lincroft School.

The Lincroft Village Green Association is a civic association of community volunteers committed to quality of life issues in the village of Lincroft, including traffic calming, safer vehicular and pedestrian circulation, historic preservation and beautification. For more information about the LVGA and this event, or to submit a question for the candidates through our online form, please visit the LVGA website at www.lincroft.org. The LVGA can also be contacted at 732-769-9881.

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The public is welcome to attend this informative evening. You may submit questions at the door or submit questions prior to the event by completing this form

Candidates Night to be hosted by the LVGA on Tuesday, October 23rd at 7pm at Lincroft School.

The Lincroft Village Green Association (LVGA) is hosting a Candidates Night on Tuesday, October 23rd, 7:00pm-9:00pm, at Lincroft School. The candidates for Middletown Township Committee, the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders, and the Monmouth County Clerk will answer questions presented by the League of Women Voters and compiled by members of the community. The public is welcome to attend. Questions can be submitted prior to the event date through an online form at www.lincroft.org. Forms will also be provided at the door prior to opening statements for any attendees to submit questions for the candidates. At the discretion of the moderator, questions will be chosen and presented to the candidates as time permits.

Candidates expected to attend this question and answer session are as follows:
• Middletown Township Committee: Linda Baum (D) and Steve Massell (R)
• Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders: John Curley (R), Serena DiMaso (R),
   Kevin Lavan (D), and William Shea (D)
• Monmouth County Clerk: M. Claire French (R) and Michael Steinhorn (D)

Lincroft School is located just west of Phalanx Road on CR520 (Newman Springs Road), about one mile west of GSP Exit 109. Parking is available at Lincroft School and also at Middletown’s Thompson Park athletic fields, just west of Lincroft School.

The Lincroft Village Green Association is a civic association of community volunteers committed to quality of life issues in the village of Lincroft, including traffic calming, safer vehicular and pedestrian circulation, historic preservation and beautification. For more information about the LVGA and this event, or to submit a question for the candidates through our online form, please visit the LVGA website at www.lincroft.org. The LVGA can also be contacted at 732-769-9881.

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The public is welcome to attend this informative evening. You may submit questions at the door or submit questions prior to the event by completing this form

4 Ponds Developer To Appeal Avaya Ruling

I haven't had the time the past few weeks to get to some of what's been on my mind locally. It's summer time, the kids has been home and there has been a ton of overtime at work this month that needs to be cover, so time devoted to blogging has been trimmed considerably of late.

One of the things that has been on my mind since reading about it last week was a story published in the The Independent "Attnys.: Four Ponds will appeal Planning Board denial" which pertains to the Avaya redevelopment plans.  Four Ponds has until until mid-September to appeal the Middletown Planning Board's denial of it's application and by the looks of it Four Ponds will.

I haven't talked to anyone recently about this but I would think that members of the Lincroft Village Green Association(LVGA) and SONIC (Save Our Neighborhood’s Integrity and Character) are not very happy. These two community groups have raised and spent nearly $70,000 fighting this redevelopment and I wonder how much they have left to fight it.

The LVGA and SONIC have put up a good and courageous fight but ultimately I wonder if it is not a losing battle, eventually something will be built on those grounds and it may or may not be conducive or acceptable to area or it's residents. 

If at all possible, it might be a good idea if the attorney's for each party involved (LVGA & SONIC, Middletown and Four Ponds) sat themselves down in a locked room somewhere and came up with an acceptable plan that all could live with, thus saving themselves and township tax payers any further pain, aggravation or money.  Just a thought



 

5/2/12 Video Of Avaya Planning Board Meeting

Last Wednesday night the Middletown Planning Board dedicated it's entire evening discussing the future of the Avaya property in Lincroft, where a proposed 342 unit housing development is to be built. This development is being opposed by residents in the area, as well as,community groups SONIC and the Lincroft Village Green Association.

The main purpose of this meeting was to give members of the public an opportunity to cross-examine the planners and engineers of the Four Ponds-Avaya redevelopment site.

The Planning Board meeting was well attended and ran over four that night In the video below you'll see SONIC's lawyer, Ron Gasiorowski cross-examination Four Pond's professionals.

Due to the length of the video I haven't been able to watch it in it's entirety. I've only watched the first 40 minutes or so.

So if anyone wishes to fill me in on some of the details of the cross examination or other details what went down at the meeting fell free to leave comments. I'm interested to hear your opinion of the proceedings

LVGA Candidates Night Oct. 27th

The Lincroft Village Green Association is hosting a Candidates Night on Thursday, October 27 from 7-9 pm at Lincroft School. The candidates for Middletown Township Committee and the Board of Chosen Freeholders will answer questions presented by the League of Women Voters and compiled by members of the LVGA. The public is welcome to attend and encouraged to submit questions for the candidates. The evening will be an opportunity to meet the candidates and hear their answers to critical issues affecting Middletown.

Please submit your questions by completing the form here by October 24th. Additional written questions from the public can be submitted at the door. Questions may be selected by the moderator for the candidates to answer at her discretion and if time allows.

The confirmed candidates in attendance for the event are as follows:

Middletown Township Committee Candidates:
Anthony Fiore (R), Carol Fowler (D), James Grenafege (D), Richard Morrill (I), and Stephanie Murray (R)

Board of Chosen Freeholder Candidates:
Thomas Markowski (I), Patrick Noble (S), Gary Rich (R), and William Shea (D)

Lincroft School is located just west of Phalanx Road on CR520 (Newman Springs Road), about one mile west of the Garden State Parkway Exit 109. Parking is available at Lincroft School and also at Middletown's Thompson Park athletic fields, adjacent to Lincroft School.

Grammy-Award Winning Singer To Perform Free Concert on the Lincroft Village Green Oct. 2nd

(Click image to enlarge)

Lincroft- Tom Chapin, the Grammy-award winning singer and songwriter, returns to Lincroft for a free concert on Sunday, October 2 at 1 pm at the Lincroft Village Green, located at the corner of Newman Springs Road (CR520) & Phalanx Road, approximately one mile west of Garden State Parkway Exit 109.

Tom Chapin, whose catchy tunes are infused with family-friendly themes, is enjoyed by children and adults alike. A generation of kids grew-up tapping their toes to “Good Garbage” and other beloved Chapin songs which share messages of respect, tolerance and environmental conservation. The event is a free public service sponsored by the Lincroft Village Green Association (LVGA).

LVGA Director Abe Littenberg comments, “We are thrilled to welcome Tom Chapin back to our community. He first performed on the Lincroft Village Green a few years ago to perform on the green space that the LVGA saved from commercial development. He was an giant hit with families who came from all over to hear their favorite children’s songwriter perform live and to sing along to their favorite songs . This event is offered free to the public in keeping with the LVGA mission to enhance life in our village.”

The general public is welcome. General parking is available at the adjacent Lincroft Elementary school with handicapped parking located at the Lincroft Village Green. Should it rain, the show will go on, but at an alternate location which will be announced on the LVGA website and Facebook page.

The Lincroft Village Green Association is a civic association of community volunteers who, since 1999, have been committed to quality of life issues in the village of Lincroft, including traffic calming, safer vehicular and pedestrian circulation, historic preservation and beautification. For more information on the LVGA and the Tom Chapin concert please visit our website at www.lincroftvillagegreen.org

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.

Interesting Timing Behind Bamm Hollow Resolution

With all the hoopla surrounding the redevelopment of the Avaya industrial site in Lincroft which is calling for 342 housing units to be built, I find a resolution on the docket for approval at tonight's Township Committee meeting in Middletown interesting in it's timing.

Resolution No. 11-169 , which authorizes the settlement agreement between Bamm Hollow builders and the Township, seems to be an attempt by the Township to sugarcoat the history behind the redevelopment of the Bamm Hollow Country Club property, in a way that show outspoken community groups like SONIC and the Lincroft Village Green Association that the Township Committee is really looking out for their best interests and are not really interested in building high density housing in Lincroft.

Unfortunately though we know differently.

Bamm Hollow developers originally wanted to build 200-300 homes on the site when plans were first proposed with no COAH units, I was told. The Township objected to the initial development due to the it's size and wanted the developers to scale it back a bit.

After further discussions took place, the Township approached the Bamm Hollow developers, along with several other land owners, wanted to know if they would be interested in having their properties included in the Township's Master Plan for residential development. Many of them (including Bamm Hollow) agreed to join the Township's planned most of them then had their properties rezoned from commercial properties to residential (Avaya being an example).

From what I had been told, the Bamm Hollow property and the Avaya property where then (on paper) combined to make one large development. It was only after plans were leaked out that the development of the Avaya site would not include Bamm Hollow, that Bamm Hollow decided to revise their plans from 200 or so single units to the 1200 units with COAH housing.

The developers knew at the time that Middletown had failed to meet it's COAH requirements so they decided to seek a "Builder's Remedy" in the courts to have the property zoned to the way that they had originally wanted. The 1200 units were a bluff by the builder and would have never been built with COAH in mind because the site did not meet the conditions to satisfy COAH requirements on its own.

So now that the Bamm Hollow case has been settled in courts (pretty much to the way Bamm Hollow had originally wanted in the first place), the Township is attempting to show residents of Lincroft and the rest of the Township, that they are fighting for their best interests (after spending hundred of thousands of dollars) by fighting Bamm Hollow in the court and winning so that now, the "little" (in caparison ) 342 unit redevelopment of the Avaya property doesn't look so big and bad to those that live in the area.

I'm sure that there will be some discussion about this tonight that will be very interesting and somewhat revealing, it will make for a great show. The meeting starts at 8:00 if you wish to attend.

Middletown Update and Background Proposed Four Ponds Development Plan

At the behest of the Township Committee, Township Administrator Tony Mercantante, posted the following letter the Middletown Township website late yesterday, the letter is an attempt to give some background information behind the history of the rezoning of the Avaya property in Lincroft that is a hot-button issue in town and ready to explode. At least three separate citizens groups are now involved and on record as being opposed to the project.

What this letter doesn't tell residents about is how, much like the infamous "Town Center" project, the Township went to Torsevias (the owners of the property) and pitched this idea to them. The township would never have been able to rezone this property if the owners weren't on board with it. Promises were made and palms were greased in some way to make this happen, now the Township needs to backpedal before it's too late.

Unfortunately it may be too late for that already, money has been spent already on the project by the owners, they would want so type of reimbursement for there troubles i'm sure, which will tie this project up in the courts for years at a cost of millions of dollars to the tax payers of Middletown if it doesn't go through.

And as usual, the Township is blaming Democrats in Trenton for inaction on the issue of COAH. They wont dare point a finger at the Governor for vetoing the COAH bill that was past by the assembly last year. If COAH was on the top of the Governor's priority list, he would be taking the lead on this issue like he has been while bashing teachers and unions.

But don't confuse the issues of COAH and this project, the opposition to this redevelopment is not COAH based as the Township wants you to believe. The opposition is opposed to the project based on quality of life issues and concerns such as infrastructure, traffic and the effects of having many more students enroll in area schools.

Dear Residents:

The Township Committee has asked that I provide a summary of the circumstances surrounding the proposed Four Ponds Development Plan at the former Avaya property, which is part of the Township’s state-mandated Council On Affordable Housing (“COAH”) housing plan.

The Township Committee has many concerns about this proposed project, which is why the Township is currently litigating the COAH’s revised third round rules before the New Jersey Supreme Court. Not only has the Township joined in the League of Municipality’s lawsuit, but the Township also filed its own lawsuit, which was just recently accepted by the Supreme Court. It is unclear, however, when this case will be heard, which could be anywhere from 6 months to a year, or more, from now. In the meantime, the Township is still subject to COAH’s rules, as they existed three years ago.

It is the Township’s belief that we should not be punished by these rules since, we believe there are plenty of affordable housing units, including rental units available throughout the Township. This fact is largely the basis of our legal position. Further, the Township does not have a history of exclusionary zoning that would be in violation of the original Mount Laurel doctrine. Unfortunately, this legal doctrine has evolved into something it was never intended to be, which essentially hands control of much of our zoning over to developers and in some cases the courts.

Making matters worse, the Appellate Court recently invalidated a large portion of the revised third round COAH rules that gave the Township a variety bonus credits for past performance and for allowing the creation of affordable rental housing. Without these extra credits and other mechanisms thrown out by the Court, the Township’s affordable housing obligation could grow significantly higher than it already is. Fortunately, the Township sought and secured a stay from both COAH and the Supreme Court of the Appellate Court’s ruling on this matter. Now, the Supreme Court will decide the ultimate merits of this issue, but the outcome is far from certain, which is why the Township has actively been seeking legislative action that has not been forthcoming. The legislation that has been proposed so far, in most cases would be a giant step backwards, making matters far worse. Fortunately the Governor vetoed the bill that was actually passed by the legislature since it would have increased the Township’s affordable housing obligation possibly two-fold.

As a result, the Township has been forced to zone a number of properties in a way that it would not have otherwise, only to satisfy COAH’s requirements. It is also critical in order to stem what are known as Builder’s Remedy lawsuits, which essentially strip away any local control and allows the courts to order the approval of housing developments. In fact, the Township is currently subject to a challenge by the owners of the Bamm Hollow Country Club. Specifically, since challenging our plans, they have been seeking to construct 1,200 multi-family dwellings that would include at least 240 COAH units upon their 277-acre property. They also have an application pending for 50 homes which the property is currently zoned for, which is also not actively being pursued. That application will not make this litigation go away as they are continuing to seek a development many times that size. We are currently seeking a stay before the Appellate Court in this matter in an effort to try to resolve it through sound planning without facing the prospect of 1,200 more units of housing in Lincroft. The reality of the situation is that if the Avaya property had not been zoned to allow for the development of residential housing two years ago, Bamm Hollow would likely be building 1,200 court-ordered units on its property by now.

These are the unfortunate realities currently faced by the Township until the Legislature or the Courts act appropriately to eliminate these irrational mandates that do nothing but promote poor planning and development while wasting hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars. I would note, however, that the Avaya property is still also zoned to allow for commercial development, so the Township is not impeding that from taking place should market conditions allow for it. Further, the Township has been encouraging businesses to move into the site along with seeking economic development assistance for prospective tenants from the state.

Simply put, due to legislative inaction, the Township was left with no option but to include Avaya property as part of its housing plan three years ago to allow for residential development. The reality is that the alternative would be far worse for Lincroft and the Township as a whole. We would like to encourage all residents, as many of you have in the past, to write and call Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver who should be held accountable along with the entire State Legislature for failing to act on the Governor’s proposed COAH reforms. With those reforms, there is at least a chance that this project may not have advanced to this point.

Sincerely,
Anthony P. Mercantante, P.P. AICP
Township Administrator