Say No to Irresponsible Development

Gee, what a difference a meeting makes when you don't have a bunch of Council members giving off bad karma!

Last night, I had the occasion to attend the first hour of the Planning Board Workshop Meeting in Franklin. The Planning Board met in the conference room; the Planning Board subcommittee made of Township Council members did not attend.

Gee, here's a concept: Many of the Franklin residents addressed the PB with their concerns about the Bennetts Lane project and other issues within the township. They weren't limited to two minutes, and spoke for as long as necessary to get their ideas across to the PB. I asked that the PB listen to their residents with regard to the threat of traffic and high density building on the environment.

I didn’t stay for the remainder of the meeting, but I wanted to share the following from one of the Franklin Township residents, Doris Bennett, of FRAID:

“…I attended the Planning Board work session last night where the final changes to the Master Plan (other than the Housing Element) were discussed.  There was a public portion and several people, including me, commented.  I obtained memos outlining the proposed changes Wednesday afternoon so my comments referred to those.

Regarding the description of the proposed Bennetts/Veronica project in the Land Use Element, where it is acknowledged that wetlands traverse the property, I pointed out that Category 1 streams do also and the language should reflect that.

Regarding the portion of the site to be zoned commercial, the description indicated this section should not extend more than 1300 feet west of Route 27 (this is essentially where the easternmost stream traverses lot 13).  I pointed out that the wetlands begin on the lot fronting on Bennetts Lane approximately 800 feet from Route 27.  There is no LOI delineating these wetlands, and more than half of the lot is currently zoned R-40.  If this lot is zoned commercial, 700 feet of frontage on Bennetts Lane would be in a commercial zone and subject to commercial traffic.

I challenged the statement that the portion of the property currently zoned M-2 and R-40 is suitable for affordable housing production pursuant to the Fair Share Plan, as the R-40 land is either in Planning Area 3 (which they rightly exclude) or is severely restricted by wetlands and Category 1 streams so as to not be usable.

The Appendix to the Land Use Element identifies a new zone, AH-2, specifically created for this project.  It differs from the other Affordable Housing zone, AH-1, in that it includes the non-residential portion of the project.  It starts with a gross residential density of 11 units per acre, which I questioned, because I thought they had reduced it to 8, and, after taking into account the original LOI and the PA-3 land, winds up with a net density of 15 units per acre.  I pointed out it still doesn't acknowledge the revised LOI of 2/6/06, which recognized the wetlands of exceptional resource value, or the C-1 streams.  I questioned whether the bulk standards for this new zone had been determined yet.

After other public comment and much discussion on other issues, they finally came to the Land Use Element and Bennetts/Veronica.  Dave Roberts of Schoor DePalma was present to offer guidance.  There was some attempt to be responsive to the residents' concerns.  No one wanted a gas station on the corner of Bennetts and Route 27.  Because they are creating a new zone, they can specify the standards they want it to satisfy.  Gas stations can be prohibited.  Based on my comment about the commercial intrusion onto Bennetts Lane, they will recommend restricting access to the commercial portion to Route 27 and Veronica.  They also may recommend larger buffers from the commercial development to the residential areas.  This all sounded very positive.  However, the council passes zoning ordinances, not the Planning Board.  The Planning Board can recommend whatever it wants, but this council has already shown a proclivity for ignoring the advice from the Planning Board.

The outcome will come down to the perception and acceptance by COAH and the courts of the environmental limitations we know exist on the property.  Despite the Planning Board and council’s continued refusal to recognize the C-1 streams and other impediments to building, not only on the residential portion, but the commercial as well, Jack Morris should be severely limited in what he can build on this property, if he chooses to build at all.

It is a particular annoyance to me that when other parcels are discussed, as they were last evening, traffic can be an issue, wetlands can be an issue, incompatibility with the neighboring zoning can be an issue.  But then when the discussion turns to Bennetts/Veronica, these issues are never seen to be a real problem.  High density development can go on no matter how it doesn't fit or desecrates the area.  Hopefully, as the process moves forward, the facts with prevail over the politics.

Meanwhile, we must continue to be vigilant.  The final hearing and vote on the Master Plan will occur on March 22.  Please plan to attend.  We should have final language to review at least a week before that meeting.

Many thanks to those who attended last night and spoke out.  We need to continue to look for publicity to keep the issue in front of the residents in Franklin and North Brunswick.  Those of you who listen to Jack Ellery in the morning on WCTC, call in and tell him what you think.  Ask him how he's going to like working across the street from a Home Depot.  What does he think about destroying water quality with overbuilding?  How does he like the traffic on Route 27?

Those who cry “we need affordable housing” should remember we need clean air and water first.   But remember, FRAID does not oppose affordable housing; it's the density of development, residential or commercial, that is so objectionable.”

Posted by Karen Ramsden-Zahler at 02:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Karen Ramsden-Zahler at 12:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Karen Ramsden-Zahler at 09:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Council is appointing some alternates to the Planning Board and giving one of their own the dubious pleasure of serving on the Sewer Committee. Some FT residents are looking for a recall of certain members of the Council, so it ought to be interesting.

Posted by Karen Ramsden-Zahler at 09:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I had to wait a day or so to cool off after attending the FT meeting on Feb. 8 to write about this one. I have never seen such a group of disrespectful people.

Timeline Feb 6: When I attended my Township Council meeting in NB , I asked my Township Council to look into the  Bennetts Lane situation. They agreed to come to the Franklin meeting Feb. 8. Also, Mayor Levine was greeted by the Council and asked to come to say a few words. He had just come from his radio show and missed my speech. He also expressed concern over the Bennetts Lane situation. I thought the meeting was respectful and productive. Mayor Levine was an honored guest and I was a concerned citizen. Move up to Feb. 8 at the Franklin Township Meeting. Never in my life did I expect to see the Council in such a highly defensive mode; this is what I found:

• No less than six policemen were stationed at the meeting - what were they expecting, anyway? Whadda 'FRAID of, Franklin? 
• The majority of the Council did not want to have more than 30 minutes of public commentary on the Bennetts Lane proposal. Mayor Levine spoke for a few minutes with some interruptions from the Council about letting people have their say, but the rest of them overrode and motioned for the 30 min/2 min rule.
• Ah, sure, the Council limited speakers, including the NB Councilman who was chosen to represent the group, to two minutes. No special treatment for anyone, even guests. At least, that's what they SAID. However they let Mr. Republican-basher speak for at least four minutes before the crowd finally said "Enough!" and "Time!"
• After public comment, more Mayor-bashing when Levine was trying to express himself. Finally he was exasperated enough to state that he personally wouldn't be in any political contributor's debt. That got the Council on a roll. They couldn't believe their ears! Again, Mayor Levine did not point fingers and said this was his personal policy. 
• Councilman Sumter assumed wrongly that Mayor Levine was the driving force behind the NB Council attending the meeting and berated the Mayor for inviting NB. NB was attending because their citizens wrote, emailed and called about the Bennetts Lane situation. Mr. Sumter basically said that he didn't give a damn about NB or any other township. Must be nice to live in your own little country called Rickeydom, Mr. Sumter!
• Feedback from the NB Council showed they were really annoyed about way they were treated and the way the FT Council disrespects their Mayor. The Franklin Township Council has hit new lows in public decorum and deserves to be called out on the carpet by their constituents.

Points made during the meeting by residents:

• Affordable housing is needed, however, not in such a densely-built area.
• Traffic is bad now and will be worse if this development is built.
• The numbers just don't add up!
• No one wants a Home Depot and more retail at this site.
• The Council's behavior has been atrocious.
• Franklin: used to be land of farms, now land of developers.

I want to know if Edgewood has filed their plans yet? I bet they were at the door of the Municipal Center Feb. 9 at 8:30am. Keep me posted!

Posted by Karen Ramsden-Zahler at 02:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

Dear Mr. Sumter:

You owe your Mayor an apology; when you chastised Mayor Levine for asking the North Brunswick Township Council to come to tonight’s meeting, you were totally off base.

I attended the North Brunswick Township Council meeting on Monday, Feb. 6, and spoke for twenty minutes at the podium to the Council about the Bennetts Lane/Route 27 development. There the Council agreed to attend tonight’s meeting to present North Brunswick’s concerns about this development and the impact on the traffic, environment and quality of life for residents in both Franklin and North Brunswick. Mayor Levine had absolutely nothing to do with my Township Council attending tonight’s meeting. If you have any doubts, I am sure I can obtain the videotape of the meeting.

Posted by Karen Ramsden-Zahler at 10:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Outrageous! Can you imagine trying to silence the people who want to express their opinions about the Bennetts Lane project in a public meeting, especially one where the Council expects to cast its final vote on the project? 

agenda 

Is this how the constituents of the Franklin Township Council should be treated? President George Washington said "If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter."

The FT Council must be really tired of hearing that this project is a bad idea. I've sat through four Franklin meetings myself and had yet to hear a positive word spoken about this project in Public Comment. The ones who don't think this is a bad idea are the ones who should be working harder to find a solution. 

Posted by Karen Ramsden-Zahler at 08:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I attended the NB Township Council meeting to ask them to attend the Franklin Township meeting on Feb. 8. It is my hope that the presence of the majority of the NB Council would say something to the Council of Franklin. However, it seems that the members of the Franklin Council have already made up their minds about the project.

This opinion was formed based upon the agenda published on the Franklin Township website that the FT Council is only allowing a 30 min. public comment, with speakers limited to 2 mins. I guess the Council hasn't had enough conflict at these meetings and really wants to start a riot..... At the Feb. 1 Planning Board meeting, Mr. Roberts tried that ploy and he was shot down. Or maybe the Council wants to hit their pillows at 11 pm Wednesday night. Knowing what we all know, they must need the sleep as I don't see how they are sleeping well at night. Or maybe they are naive enough to think that we've all given up and we'll be staying home. I think that the Franklin Township Council has another thing coming.

As for the North Brunswick Council, last night was the first time that the Bennetts Lane project was discussed publicly at a Council meeting. What were they waiting for, anyway? Carlo Socio told me after the meeting that this was the first he's hearing about the issue! Omigawd - pleazzzze!

Mayor Womack said that he has been talking to Mayor Levine about the issue, however, given Mayor Levine's position on the Bennetts project vs. the rest of the Council, I don't see how this could have been constructive. I was asked by Mayor Womack as to whether I could provide insight into how the problem could be resolved. I would have thought that the talks with Mayor Levine would have given some insight to that already.

Mayor Levine from Franklin did come and speak also. Discussed was the possibility of NB trading COAH credits with Franklin as NB has a surplus; however, Franklin isn't designated to trade their credits to other towns. Our own COAH expert, Rhonda Lyles, was trying to get her head around the figures. If our own expert can’t figure it out, then I think we’re doomed in trying this approach.  I had suggested that we could oppose this plan based upon the environmental issues and traffic, but this is a weak case. I think that if someone can figure out how Franklin can get rid of these credits, they would be designated a saint in the eyes of everyone involved. Anyone – is there anyone who understands this stuff?

Like I've said before, this project has been treated like a big, fat secret, and the residents of Brunswick Knolls and the other neighborhoods lining the Route 27 corridor are going to suffer due to the inaction of the people who represent our interests, as well as those Franklin residents who live in the Bennetts Lane/Veronica Avenue area. If NB knew about this for two months, then why didn’t the NB Council fight more aggressively in the first place? Anyone want to take a guess?  

Posted by Karen Ramsden-Zahler at 02:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Bennetts Lane issue has been treated like a national secret until SaveNewJersey.org started to publicize the development plan. They knew what was going on, so how come no one on the North Brunswick Township Council thought to tell its citizenry that Franklin was moving on a large scale development right in Brunswick Knolls' backyard?

How come it took efforts by two regular citizens who had the know-with-all and time to put up a website and distribute fliers about this development to everyone they could in order to get the word out? How come the NBT Council didn't start to react to the situation until people called and emailed them? Mmmmmmmmmmmm.......

Did they really think we wouldn't have cared about what happens across the street from our homes? That they are reacting to the situation, rather than confronting it? I know that Mayor Wommack has said he has been in contact with FT Mayor Brian Levine in Franklin and that Mac has attended Planning Board meetings. The problem is Mayor Levine is the only opposing voice on the Franklin Township Council on the development plan. 

Where is the rest of the NB Township Council on the issue? I emailed the Council two weeks ago and received a reply from Mr. Andrews; his response was the Council is redoing the Master Plan and we'll do a traffic study! Is this a proactive stance? Only Cathy Nicola offered any encouragement on our efforts. Bob Davis responded back to my husband's open letter on the Blog criticizing the efforts of the Council, and we also heard from Rhonda Lyles. Both said that they've been working on this problem for months!

Posted by Karen Ramsden-Zahler at 01:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Brian Levine, as Ordinary Citizen, stated that after the Feb. 11 Planning Board meeting: "Every citizen who came before the council and the Planning Board was against the project...It seems we're saying to the residents of Franklin that Franklin is for sale to the highest bidder. I'm failing to see how this is good." (Home News Tribune 2/3/06)

I think that Brian has hit it right on the head. Ordinary citizens, the ones who cast the vote for their Township Council members, are not being represented. "Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder." (George Washington)

In the Home News' Housing Plan Back on Track, reporter Deborah Lynn Blumberg wrote about the Planning Board meeting as being the PB's "last say on the township's fair-share affordable housing plan". Sorry to dispute that fact, but that last say came the night of Jan. 25 when the PB Subcommittee pushed through the Council's plan. I think that the reporter was on target for rest of the article, especially when describing Stuart Lieberman's questioning of the consultant Schoor, DePalma's background. Good show! Should be even better on Feb. 8!

Posted by Karen Ramsden-Zahler at 01:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Karen Ramsden-Zahler at 11:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

New Planing Board members appointed by the Township Council tilted the Planning Board to the Dark Side last night. Only two members with conscience and integrity voted NO to the proposal.

• Traffic is hell on Route 27 already, and there is no DOT plan to improve it to the degree that it would require should this development be built. However, if the builder's plan is approved, then a traffic study can be ordered. Sounds backwards, doesn't it?
• There is no good east-west route through NB and will just cause more problems on the adjacent roadways.
• There is a letter on letterhead from the NJ DEP that discusses the status of the wetlands and red-shouldered hawk, and because it doesn't say "C-1" in the body of the letter the PB won't consider it; if the DEP comes across with this official designation (not expected before the Feb 8 meeting), the plan could be altered, although the builder will probably fight it.
• Lots and lots of FT residents don't want this housing and big box store(s). Plenty of NB residents said same.
• Offered into testimony by yours truly was a map detailing the home improvement stores in a ten-mile radius to this new location (11, count 'em Planning Bd - 11!). Paper was examined by all PB members and then set aside and ignored.
• No one likes the builder and the way he operates.
• There was no feasibility study done in FT on whether anyone wanted or needs these stores; however the PB did state that there is a considerable lack of large stores in the township....And this is a bad thing...uh...why?
• The numbers quoted by the town's consultant for school children seemed really low. Dr. Orsini pointed out how unrealistic they were.
• Cost of transferring RCAs to other townships vs. building a new school and educating the kids for ten years was discussed. Numbers showed it was better to transfer the credits.
• Other building areas were discussed, then shot down by PB.
• This plan wasn't much different than the one rejected by the previous Planning Board in December. Well, gee, like a fine wine, it must have gotten better as it aged!

Based upon the results of the Sub-Comittee meeting held last week, this was the expected result. Some PB members felt they had no choice but to vote yes. Sure does look like pay to play, doesn't it folks? PB and FT Council members are so deep in JM's pocket they're sucking lint. Ah, well - See you on Feb. 8 @ 7pm for the Township Council Meeting. Should be packed!

And also thanks Mayor Mac Wommack from North Brunswick for showing up and giving input.

Posted by Karen Ramsden-Zahler at 09:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

During my conversation with the Mayor, he did explain that the township attorney had advised against signing the petition as it would be detrimental to any legal action against Franklin Township in the future. I'm no legal expert, so I don't understand this concept, so if someone out there could explain it, I'd appreciate it. Why would a previous objection before something happens, effect a suit in the future when the item objected to comes to fruition?

Further, I expressed concern to Mayor Womack that there has been no public display of objection from the Mayor or Council at the public meetings in Franklin. He went on to say that he has had several meetings with Mayor Levine in private to discuss the matter. Finally, after pressured, the Mayor said he would be at the Franklin Planning Board meeting this evening and said he would attempt to speak publicly on behalf of the residents of North Brunswick. Karen is off at that meeting as I'm typing right now and I'm sure she'll post a report of the outcome tonight or early tomorrow.

Finally, in response to Councilman Davis, it is unfortunate that he saw the Open Letter as negative. His posted comments were not edited. I am only putting in print what everyone I speak to is feeling. He should take a look at the comments his constituents are making on the petition. I would think the Council and the Mayor would appreciate this forum that is being used to express ideas and opinion as well as report and inform. It is to their benefit to be aware of how the residents of the town are feeling.

Posted by David Zahler at 07:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I can't do it all! I'm only one person, so SaveNewJersey.org is looking for volunteers to distribute fliers to their neighbors and businesses that are interested in helping to stop the development on Bennetts Lane. We especially need help near Route 27 neighborhoods. Please contact us at info@savenewjersey.org for volunteering or further information.

Posted by Karen Ramsden-Zahler at 05:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Dear Mayor and Council Members,

On Friday January 27th you were all emailed, through the North Brunswick Online web site, that a petition was put online to protest the nature of the development of the property bordered by Bennett's Lane, Veronica Avenue and RT. 27 in Franklin Township.

I find it absolutely amazing that none of you have signed the petition in support of our cause and only three of you have contacted us. None have expressed why you are reluctant to support us.

This project  is entirely situated in Franklin Township and provides no benefit to North Brunswick, save for a marginally shorter trip to a hardware store. This behavior can only lead to one conclusion; the Democrats on both sides of the North Brunswick/Franklin border are answering to a higher authority. Now I'm not about to point fingers, but it's the Democrats in Franklin that are pushing for the project and the Democrats in North Brunswick are sitting idly by while our quality of life in NB is destroyed by this project.

I am asking you, our elected officials, to represent our interests, and not those of the regional democratic party. We cast the votes, not them.

Respectfully
David S. Zahler

Posted by David Zahler at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (1)