Cell tower application already drawing fire
Variance sought to erect tower on church property
BY KENNY WALTER Staff Writer
TINTON FALLS — For the first time since 2007, the borough Zoning Board of Adjustment will hear an application for a proposed cell phone tower, an application that already has garnered a swell of opposition.
The testimony for the use variance that would allow the tower kicked off at the July 15 Zoning Board meeting in the first of what will likely be several hearings.
The T-Mobile Northeast application is slated for development at the Church of Christ property at 312 Hance Ave.
The first expert witness was Daniel Collins, Pinnacle Telecom Group, Cedar Knolls, who testified that the proposed tower would meet all federal and state standards for emissions.
“The standard itself is very conservative; it allows only a very low amount of radio energy,” he said. “We are even more conservative than the FCC [Federal Communications Commission] recommends.
“Our numbers are exceedingly conservative. We plug in all forms of conservative figures in order to get the absolute worst possible case.”
Collins explained that the FCC subjects all cell phone towers to reviews.
“The FCC requires that an assessment of compliance be made for new antenna sites and for existing antenna sites where modifications or additions are made,” he said. “The FCC at any time can request proof of compliance and the carrier must produce them.”
Collins also said that the radio frequency levels attributed to cell phone towers are less than various kitchen appliances, including the refrigerator.
Collins also said that while the cell phone tower is going to be erected for TMobile, other area carriers could lease antennas on the tower.
“You could put all five carriers that are licensed to operate in this market, and it still would not cause the [radiation level] you would find in your kitchen,” he said.
Collins made a hypothetical guess that there could be as many as 42 antennas on the proposed tower.
He also said that because the system is constantly monitored, the tower emission levels would remain constant over time.
“This is an electrical system and device like any other,” he said. “If you put a light bulb in your house, over the course of time it deteriorates and eventually stops working.
“It never gets higher at any time,” he said. “They won’t increase or decrease; they will pretty much stay the same.
“As the system ages, it is monitored 24 hours a day; so if they sense something, they replace the part that is causing it to operate at lower efficiency.”
The room was filled with residents opposing the tower, who will likely testify against the proposal at a later meeting.
Resident Allison DeVito wrote in an email about her opposition to the cell tower.
“The church actually houses a preschool and there is a pre-school at the synagogue next to it,” she wrote. “In addition, the property is in a residential neighborhood and is a block from the Swimming River School.”
Opposition to the tower spilled over into the July 20 Borough Council meeting when Councilwoman NancyAnn Fama came armed with a petition.
“I would encourage anybody to get involved with this issue,” she said. “Cell phone towers are needed and important, but surely they do not need to be placed in residential areas and at schools near children.
“This is how democracy works; if you don’t like something, you need to have your voice heard.”
Also expected to testify on the behalf of T-Mobile are a site engineer, a radio frequency engineer and a professional planner.
A 2007 application by the Board of Education to build a cell tower at Mahala F. Atchison School drew widespread opposition and was never built.
The next Zoning Board meeting is scheduled for Aug. 5, but there is no indication at present whether the T-Mobile application will be on the agenda.
Contact Kenny Walter at
kwalter@gmnews.com.
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Saturday, September 25, 2010
Officials react to gaming industry report
Officials react to gaming industry report
Report recommends four options for future of Monmouth Park
BY KENNY WALTER Staff Writer
Opinion was divided last week among Oceanport officials about the impact of a state commission report on the future of Monmouth Park racetrack.
The Hanson Report recommends adding harness racing at Monmouth Park racetrack in Oceanport. The Hanson Report recommends adding harness racing at Monmouth Park racetrack in Oceanport. The Hanson Report, released July 21 by Gov. Chris Christie at dual press conferences, included a series of options and recommendations for the future of the state’s gaming industry at Monmouth Park, the Meadowlands and Atlantic City casinos.
The 29-page report, prepared by a special advisory commission led by Jon Hanson, former chairman of the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority, which owns and operates Monmouth Park and the Meadowlands, listed four options for racing in New Jersey: eliminating harness racing at the Meadowlands; add harness racing to Monmouth Park; lease the Meadowlands to the standardbred horsemen; or privatize both Monmouth Park and the Meadowlands.
A new racing schedule has boosted attendance at Monmouth Park. A new racing schedule has boosted attendance at Monmouth Park. Oceanport Councilman Gerald Briscione said none of the four options are good options.
“I think they are all bad,” he said. “I think all of them create a situation that is going to make Monmouth [Park] a lesser facility, a lesser operation.
“This is a decision made by Trenton in which we have no [input] and no control over,” he added. “I think it’s a slap in the face to the local racing officials in Monmouth Park.”
However, Councilman Joseph Irace sees the report’s impact on Oceanport as positive, and singled out parts of the report that paint Monmouth Park as a historic landmark.
“The part I really like is that it specifically mentions the historic landmark status in the eyes of the public,” he said. “When I read the report, I was very optimistic with the way Monmouth Park comes out.”
The report notes that a 50-day summer meet with a $1 million-a-day purse was initiated this season at Monmouth Park.
“The commission believes that this new arrangement will result in higher-quality horses and major stables being attracted, with the result of higher attendance.”
The report calls the plan “one of the most significant experiments in thoroughbred racing” and one that “should lead to a better future for thoroughbred racing in this state.”
However, the commission notes that the changes at Monmouth “will not be enough to save New Jersey’s racing industry.”
Recommendations for the racing industry include: elimination of the current statutory required number of race days; that off-track wagering (OTW) legislation be amended to make locating facilities easier while still respecting the local planning process; and more flexibility for the racing commission to control the number of racing days.
Contrary to proponents of adding gaming at racetracks, creating “racinos,” the report states: “The idea has a number of drawbacks: 1. Such a move would likely require amending the state Constitution. 2. The move would take several years to accomplish, and time is already of essence for the racing industry. 3. The existence of casinos, racinos and slot machines in Delaware, Pennsylvania and New York further exacer- bates the problem.”
Among the report’s assumptions on which the findings are based is the claim that “the Meadowlands no longer resonates as a viable entertainment option … except on major race days.” But “Monmouth Park has established itself as a viable summertime family entertainment option that appeals to a broader segment of the public than just big bettors.”
State Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-12th District) concurred.
“No question about it, [Monmouth Park] is an enormous value for the citizens of Oceanport, and I think the citizens truly do appreciate having that park in their backyard, especially this year. If you’ve been there on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, there’s really a lot of electricity.
“There’s a lot of energy at that place. You see exactly what it’s supposed to be: a beautiful Shore destination where you can watch the horses run and have a good family day out,” said Beck, who was a member of the Governor’s Commission on the Horse Racing Industry under former Gov. Jon Corzine.
Irace noted that Monmouth Park has taken steps to expand as a venue in recent years, including hosting the Jersey Shore Jazz and Blues Festival and Vans Warped Tour.
“I think the state and the people running the racetrack recognize that there need to be things other than horse racing to attract people,” he said.
“It [Vans Warped Tour] was something that shows that venue can be used yearround for things other than horse racing,” he added. “There is no reason why they can’t run more concerts there or maybe different restaurants or different sports bar attractions at some point to generate more people there.
“It is a building that remains dark eight months a year, so why can’t we bring in more things?”
Irace also said privatizing the track would not necessarily be a bad move.
“Monmouth Park pays us 25 percent of our tax base, so we have to make sure that’s protected in any type of deal,” he said.
Briscione said he has doubts about market would be economically viable.
He went on to criticize the state for not allowing slot machines at the Meadowlands, which he said would help fund purses at Monmouth Park.
“Everyone thought that source of funding could come from two places: it could come from continued casino subsidies, because they haven’t let New Jersey tracks operate racinos, because of the fear that would somehow hurt Atlantic City; or allowing a casino in the Meadowlands,” he said. “They categorically said no casino in the Meadowlands.
“A racino there would provide a permanent purse-funding solution,” he said. “It would keep North Jersey residents from going to Yonkers and Aqueduct and racinos in Pennsylvania.”
Irace also said that he was in favor of a racino at both Monmouth Park and the Meadowlands, but his biggest concern is ensuring that Monmouth Park would stay open.
Irace prefers the option of the state allowing Monmouth Park to operate as is, and he said he is concerned about adding harness racing, because there is already harness racing at Freehold Raceway.
Briscione also was concerned by the cost of adding harness racing; according to the report, a front paddock would have to be added at Monmouth Park for an estimated cost of $8 million to $12 million. Other costs would include additional winterization and lighting.
Briscione was critical of the report’s focus on revitalizing the gaming industry in Atlantic City.
“You would think the emphasis would be on developing a synergy between the two industries to create jobs and maintain open space,” he said. “Unfortunately, it seems that the state wants to promote the casino interest at the expense of the horse racing industry.”
Beck was also critical of the state’s refusal to allow slot machines at racetracks.
“At the moment, as the governor acknowledged, these are just recommendations; he hasn’t made any decisions yet, so it’s preliminary,” she said.
“I think the glaring omission in the report is that there is no discussion of convenience gaming [slots and table games.]
“I think there’s a certain irony because today, Harrah’s at Chester Downs, Pennsylvania, is cutting the ribbon on their table games while they are standing here in New Jersey opposing table games.”
She said revenues from slots and table games could be used to fund improvements to Atlantic City and the horse racing industry.
“The recommendations obviously need to be reviewed and vetted. I think the horse racing industry has acknowledged that it needs to change its business model, and Monmouth Park has embraced significant change this year and it has been wildly successful.
Beck contends that Monmouth Park’s new purse structure, the largest in North America, has revived interest in horse racing.
“We have seen over $200 million bet in 2010 compared to $94 million bet last year, so the interest in horse racing, when it’s quality racing, exists, and it can be a successful business,” she said.
Monmouth Park spokesman John Heims said attendance is also up 12.5 percent this season.
Beck said that privatizing the track is something that has been discussed.
“I think you’re going to see an effort to seek private investment in the track, particularly in light of the fact that we had such a successful season this year,” she said.
“There’s nothing wrong with seeking private investment; it’s something we’ve suggested before.”
According to Beck, horse racing is a $4 billion industry in New Jersey that provides the garden state with 13,000 jobs and 200,000 acres of open space through horse farms.
Beck said that initial reactions claiming that Monmouth Park could be closed were inaccurate.
“The governor made no reference to that at all. He said just the opposite, that he would like to see the horse racing industry survive, but obviously we need to revisit the business model, and I couldn’t agree with him more.”
Irace said the borough considers Monmouth Park as vital because it provides jobs to several industries and provides open space for the borough.
He acknowledged that he was concerned about the impact of the Hanson Report prior to its release.
“I was worried because you never know when you go into these things,” he said. “I think it was as good as we could have hoped for.”
According to the report, the next steps will include creating a master plan for the horse racing industry and new legislation regulating the industry.
Oceanport Mayor Michael Mahon confirmed that borough officials would meet this week to discuss the report as part of Oceanport’s newly formed Monmouth Park Task Force.
Staff Writer Andrew Davison contributed to this story.
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Report recommends four options for future of Monmouth Park
BY KENNY WALTER Staff Writer
Opinion was divided last week among Oceanport officials about the impact of a state commission report on the future of Monmouth Park racetrack.
The Hanson Report recommends adding harness racing at Monmouth Park racetrack in Oceanport. The Hanson Report recommends adding harness racing at Monmouth Park racetrack in Oceanport. The Hanson Report, released July 21 by Gov. Chris Christie at dual press conferences, included a series of options and recommendations for the future of the state’s gaming industry at Monmouth Park, the Meadowlands and Atlantic City casinos.
The 29-page report, prepared by a special advisory commission led by Jon Hanson, former chairman of the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority, which owns and operates Monmouth Park and the Meadowlands, listed four options for racing in New Jersey: eliminating harness racing at the Meadowlands; add harness racing to Monmouth Park; lease the Meadowlands to the standardbred horsemen; or privatize both Monmouth Park and the Meadowlands.
A new racing schedule has boosted attendance at Monmouth Park. A new racing schedule has boosted attendance at Monmouth Park. Oceanport Councilman Gerald Briscione said none of the four options are good options.
“I think they are all bad,” he said. “I think all of them create a situation that is going to make Monmouth [Park] a lesser facility, a lesser operation.
“This is a decision made by Trenton in which we have no [input] and no control over,” he added. “I think it’s a slap in the face to the local racing officials in Monmouth Park.”
However, Councilman Joseph Irace sees the report’s impact on Oceanport as positive, and singled out parts of the report that paint Monmouth Park as a historic landmark.
“The part I really like is that it specifically mentions the historic landmark status in the eyes of the public,” he said. “When I read the report, I was very optimistic with the way Monmouth Park comes out.”
The report notes that a 50-day summer meet with a $1 million-a-day purse was initiated this season at Monmouth Park.
“The commission believes that this new arrangement will result in higher-quality horses and major stables being attracted, with the result of higher attendance.”
The report calls the plan “one of the most significant experiments in thoroughbred racing” and one that “should lead to a better future for thoroughbred racing in this state.”
However, the commission notes that the changes at Monmouth “will not be enough to save New Jersey’s racing industry.”
Recommendations for the racing industry include: elimination of the current statutory required number of race days; that off-track wagering (OTW) legislation be amended to make locating facilities easier while still respecting the local planning process; and more flexibility for the racing commission to control the number of racing days.
Contrary to proponents of adding gaming at racetracks, creating “racinos,” the report states: “The idea has a number of drawbacks: 1. Such a move would likely require amending the state Constitution. 2. The move would take several years to accomplish, and time is already of essence for the racing industry. 3. The existence of casinos, racinos and slot machines in Delaware, Pennsylvania and New York further exacer- bates the problem.”
Among the report’s assumptions on which the findings are based is the claim that “the Meadowlands no longer resonates as a viable entertainment option … except on major race days.” But “Monmouth Park has established itself as a viable summertime family entertainment option that appeals to a broader segment of the public than just big bettors.”
State Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-12th District) concurred.
“No question about it, [Monmouth Park] is an enormous value for the citizens of Oceanport, and I think the citizens truly do appreciate having that park in their backyard, especially this year. If you’ve been there on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, there’s really a lot of electricity.
“There’s a lot of energy at that place. You see exactly what it’s supposed to be: a beautiful Shore destination where you can watch the horses run and have a good family day out,” said Beck, who was a member of the Governor’s Commission on the Horse Racing Industry under former Gov. Jon Corzine.
Irace noted that Monmouth Park has taken steps to expand as a venue in recent years, including hosting the Jersey Shore Jazz and Blues Festival and Vans Warped Tour.
“I think the state and the people running the racetrack recognize that there need to be things other than horse racing to attract people,” he said.
“It [Vans Warped Tour] was something that shows that venue can be used yearround for things other than horse racing,” he added. “There is no reason why they can’t run more concerts there or maybe different restaurants or different sports bar attractions at some point to generate more people there.
“It is a building that remains dark eight months a year, so why can’t we bring in more things?”
Irace also said privatizing the track would not necessarily be a bad move.
“Monmouth Park pays us 25 percent of our tax base, so we have to make sure that’s protected in any type of deal,” he said.
Briscione said he has doubts about market would be economically viable.
He went on to criticize the state for not allowing slot machines at the Meadowlands, which he said would help fund purses at Monmouth Park.
“Everyone thought that source of funding could come from two places: it could come from continued casino subsidies, because they haven’t let New Jersey tracks operate racinos, because of the fear that would somehow hurt Atlantic City; or allowing a casino in the Meadowlands,” he said. “They categorically said no casino in the Meadowlands.
“A racino there would provide a permanent purse-funding solution,” he said. “It would keep North Jersey residents from going to Yonkers and Aqueduct and racinos in Pennsylvania.”
Irace also said that he was in favor of a racino at both Monmouth Park and the Meadowlands, but his biggest concern is ensuring that Monmouth Park would stay open.
Irace prefers the option of the state allowing Monmouth Park to operate as is, and he said he is concerned about adding harness racing, because there is already harness racing at Freehold Raceway.
Briscione also was concerned by the cost of adding harness racing; according to the report, a front paddock would have to be added at Monmouth Park for an estimated cost of $8 million to $12 million. Other costs would include additional winterization and lighting.
Briscione was critical of the report’s focus on revitalizing the gaming industry in Atlantic City.
“You would think the emphasis would be on developing a synergy between the two industries to create jobs and maintain open space,” he said. “Unfortunately, it seems that the state wants to promote the casino interest at the expense of the horse racing industry.”
Beck was also critical of the state’s refusal to allow slot machines at racetracks.
“At the moment, as the governor acknowledged, these are just recommendations; he hasn’t made any decisions yet, so it’s preliminary,” she said.
“I think the glaring omission in the report is that there is no discussion of convenience gaming [slots and table games.]
“I think there’s a certain irony because today, Harrah’s at Chester Downs, Pennsylvania, is cutting the ribbon on their table games while they are standing here in New Jersey opposing table games.”
She said revenues from slots and table games could be used to fund improvements to Atlantic City and the horse racing industry.
“The recommendations obviously need to be reviewed and vetted. I think the horse racing industry has acknowledged that it needs to change its business model, and Monmouth Park has embraced significant change this year and it has been wildly successful.
Beck contends that Monmouth Park’s new purse structure, the largest in North America, has revived interest in horse racing.
“We have seen over $200 million bet in 2010 compared to $94 million bet last year, so the interest in horse racing, when it’s quality racing, exists, and it can be a successful business,” she said.
Monmouth Park spokesman John Heims said attendance is also up 12.5 percent this season.
Beck said that privatizing the track is something that has been discussed.
“I think you’re going to see an effort to seek private investment in the track, particularly in light of the fact that we had such a successful season this year,” she said.
“There’s nothing wrong with seeking private investment; it’s something we’ve suggested before.”
According to Beck, horse racing is a $4 billion industry in New Jersey that provides the garden state with 13,000 jobs and 200,000 acres of open space through horse farms.
Beck said that initial reactions claiming that Monmouth Park could be closed were inaccurate.
“The governor made no reference to that at all. He said just the opposite, that he would like to see the horse racing industry survive, but obviously we need to revisit the business model, and I couldn’t agree with him more.”
Irace said the borough considers Monmouth Park as vital because it provides jobs to several industries and provides open space for the borough.
He acknowledged that he was concerned about the impact of the Hanson Report prior to its release.
“I was worried because you never know when you go into these things,” he said. “I think it was as good as we could have hoped for.”
According to the report, the next steps will include creating a master plan for the horse racing industry and new legislation regulating the industry.
Oceanport Mayor Michael Mahon confirmed that borough officials would meet this week to discuss the report as part of Oceanport’s newly formed Monmouth Park Task Force.
Staff Writer Andrew Davison contributed to this story.
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Coastal Monmouth Plan outlines blueprint for region's future
Coastal Monmouth Plan outlines blueprint for region’s future
Plan topics: Transit, housing, economy and environment
BY KENNY WALTER Staff Writer
The Monmouth County Planning Board’s Coastal Monmouth Plan looks to create a year-round focus for the coastal region.
“The vision is to revitalize communities and focus on year-round activity for the Shore,” said Marcia Shiffman, of Maser Consulting, who delivered a presentation on the plan at a special meeting of the county Planning Board in Freehold on July 19. The objective is to look at and promote “the unique cultural resources of the region,” she said.
“Really the goal was to look beyond seasonal businesses and look to attract quality businesses that can operate beyond the summer season,” she added.
While a vote was scheduled on the agenda, the Planning Board tabled the vote until the August meeting because not all members felt they were able to properly review the document, which is an element of the Monmouth County Growth Management Guide.
After a brief presentation and a public hearing, the board decided to hold off on the vote on the plan that will affect 30 of the county’s 53 municipalities.
According to Shiffman, the plan would impact 40 percent of the county population and 25 percent of its land area. The municipalities within the scope of the plan include Eatontown, Little Silver, Long Branch, Monmouth Beach, Ocean, Oceanport, Red Bank, Rumson, Sea Bright and West Long Branch.
The plan has a list of objectives, including to preserve and enhance the character and quality of life for coastal Monmouth; to identify and assess future land use; to identify development and revitalization opportunities; to identify and address strategies to aid preservation of land; to identify transportation strategies; and to identify and assess public infrastructure.
Shiffman said the four major topics within the plan are transportation, housing, the economy and the environment.
She also explained the goal of the plan.
“The goal of the plan was to create a strategy for the region while being aware of unique characteristics of the region,” she said. “These visions are really what the plan is focused on.”
The county website also discusses the project.
“Each municipality has its own distinct community character,” the site states. “Many are long-established ‘Shore’ towns, historically associated with summer tourism, which are now being developed and redeveloped to accommodate thousands of new, permanent residents. Other communities, which are more inland, are also engaged in redevelopment and revitalization.
“The challenge for these communities and for the state: create a plan for development and renewal of all municipalities, both affluent and less affluent, to meet market demands while directing growth in a sustainable manner that considers environmental resources and community character.”
Shiffman said it would be important that after the plan is adopted, the regions create their own subcommittees.
“One of the important implementation strategies is to create the coastal Monmouth region subcommittees,” she said. “This will help address the issues identified in the plan.
“The plan tries to provide model ordinances, model outlines, model regulations that can be used in the future.”
Planning Board member Vincent Domidion criticized the plan for not addressing the fact that some of the smaller municipalities do not wish to have a lot of development.
“A very large number of these towns really want to stay exactly as they are,” he said. “They don’t want to be revitalized into anything.
“It is hard to imagine an Interlaken being turned into anything other than what it is,” he added.
Domidion said that the large-scale developments provide entertainment for the smaller residential communities.
“The reason this is problematic to me is we do have communities like Long Branch and Asbury Park that are legitimate centers, but you can’t have 30 towns as all centers,” he said. “Most of these towns provide the market that these centers are going to market to.
“Ultimately the municipalities are going to decide through their zoning. We can’t do everything everywhere, especially with these little towns that are already fully developed.”
The plan makes suggestions to enhance arts around the county, including fostering community arts development, increasing arts education opportunities, and creating local arts councils.
Shiffman said the plan also includes environmental suggestions for coastal communities.
“There are recommendations in the plan on how to improve water quality and the sedimentation of lakes and rivers,” she said.
The local impacted and impaired waterways listed include Franklin Lake in West Long Branch, the Shrewsbury River, and Whale Pond Brook in Ocean Township.
The plan also labels 11 municipalities as being deficient in open space, including Red Bank, Rumson and Sea Bright.
The plan identifies flood-prone areas and stresses the importance of beach replenishment after storms.
It also stresses the importance of public transportation such as bus, train and ferry services, as well as pedestrian and bike routes within coastal communities.
Shiffman explained what will happen, moving forward.
“Our next steps are to approve the plan, to distribute a newsletter, to finalize the plan and publish the plan,” she said.
The next Planning Board meeting is scheduled for Aug. 16. The Coastal Monmouth Plan can be viewed at http://co.monmouth. nj.us/page.aspx?Id=3163.
Contact Kenny Walter at
kwalter@gmnews.com.
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Plan topics: Transit, housing, economy and environment
BY KENNY WALTER Staff Writer
The Monmouth County Planning Board’s Coastal Monmouth Plan looks to create a year-round focus for the coastal region.
“The vision is to revitalize communities and focus on year-round activity for the Shore,” said Marcia Shiffman, of Maser Consulting, who delivered a presentation on the plan at a special meeting of the county Planning Board in Freehold on July 19. The objective is to look at and promote “the unique cultural resources of the region,” she said.
“Really the goal was to look beyond seasonal businesses and look to attract quality businesses that can operate beyond the summer season,” she added.
While a vote was scheduled on the agenda, the Planning Board tabled the vote until the August meeting because not all members felt they were able to properly review the document, which is an element of the Monmouth County Growth Management Guide.
After a brief presentation and a public hearing, the board decided to hold off on the vote on the plan that will affect 30 of the county’s 53 municipalities.
According to Shiffman, the plan would impact 40 percent of the county population and 25 percent of its land area. The municipalities within the scope of the plan include Eatontown, Little Silver, Long Branch, Monmouth Beach, Ocean, Oceanport, Red Bank, Rumson, Sea Bright and West Long Branch.
The plan has a list of objectives, including to preserve and enhance the character and quality of life for coastal Monmouth; to identify and assess future land use; to identify development and revitalization opportunities; to identify and address strategies to aid preservation of land; to identify transportation strategies; and to identify and assess public infrastructure.
Shiffman said the four major topics within the plan are transportation, housing, the economy and the environment.
She also explained the goal of the plan.
“The goal of the plan was to create a strategy for the region while being aware of unique characteristics of the region,” she said. “These visions are really what the plan is focused on.”
The county website also discusses the project.
“Each municipality has its own distinct community character,” the site states. “Many are long-established ‘Shore’ towns, historically associated with summer tourism, which are now being developed and redeveloped to accommodate thousands of new, permanent residents. Other communities, which are more inland, are also engaged in redevelopment and revitalization.
“The challenge for these communities and for the state: create a plan for development and renewal of all municipalities, both affluent and less affluent, to meet market demands while directing growth in a sustainable manner that considers environmental resources and community character.”
Shiffman said it would be important that after the plan is adopted, the regions create their own subcommittees.
“One of the important implementation strategies is to create the coastal Monmouth region subcommittees,” she said. “This will help address the issues identified in the plan.
“The plan tries to provide model ordinances, model outlines, model regulations that can be used in the future.”
Planning Board member Vincent Domidion criticized the plan for not addressing the fact that some of the smaller municipalities do not wish to have a lot of development.
“A very large number of these towns really want to stay exactly as they are,” he said. “They don’t want to be revitalized into anything.
“It is hard to imagine an Interlaken being turned into anything other than what it is,” he added.
Domidion said that the large-scale developments provide entertainment for the smaller residential communities.
“The reason this is problematic to me is we do have communities like Long Branch and Asbury Park that are legitimate centers, but you can’t have 30 towns as all centers,” he said. “Most of these towns provide the market that these centers are going to market to.
“Ultimately the municipalities are going to decide through their zoning. We can’t do everything everywhere, especially with these little towns that are already fully developed.”
The plan makes suggestions to enhance arts around the county, including fostering community arts development, increasing arts education opportunities, and creating local arts councils.
Shiffman said the plan also includes environmental suggestions for coastal communities.
“There are recommendations in the plan on how to improve water quality and the sedimentation of lakes and rivers,” she said.
The local impacted and impaired waterways listed include Franklin Lake in West Long Branch, the Shrewsbury River, and Whale Pond Brook in Ocean Township.
The plan also labels 11 municipalities as being deficient in open space, including Red Bank, Rumson and Sea Bright.
The plan identifies flood-prone areas and stresses the importance of beach replenishment after storms.
It also stresses the importance of public transportation such as bus, train and ferry services, as well as pedestrian and bike routes within coastal communities.
Shiffman explained what will happen, moving forward.
“Our next steps are to approve the plan, to distribute a newsletter, to finalize the plan and publish the plan,” she said.
The next Planning Board meeting is scheduled for Aug. 16. The Coastal Monmouth Plan can be viewed at http://co.monmouth. nj.us/page.aspx?Id=3163.
Contact Kenny Walter at
kwalter@gmnews.com.
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Monday, September 20, 2010
T.F. council mulls projects for DOT funding
T.F. council mulls projects for DOT funding
Roadwork, sidewalks among options listed
BY KENNY WALTER Staff Writer
TINTON FALLS — A hopeful Tinton Falls administration has requested that the Borough Council consider which options to go after for a state transportation grant.
Borough Engineer David Marks, of T&M Associates, explained the grant program that the borough is pursuing.
“The state of New Jersey has put together the municipal aid grant program for fiscal year 2011 and they’ve identified five different areas for funding,” he said at the July 6 Borough Council workshop meeting.
“There is the typical municipal aid … and there is also [grants for] bikeways, centers of place, safe street transit, and transit village.”
Marks explained that the borough is not eligible for all of the five programs.
“Unfortunately, two of the programs we are not eligible for — centers of place and transit village,” he said. “There are only a handful of communities in New Jersey that have those designations.”
Before explaining what the best options might be, Marks asked the council for ideas.
“We’d like to ask the mayor and council if there are any projects that they have in mind,” he said. “Give it some thought if there is any particular project you’d like to evaluate further.”
Marks then gave his preferred option for the application.
“One good option would obviously be the continuation of Heritage Boulevard,” he said, adding that the borough previously received $200,000 in funding for the project.
“We would consider going from Roslyn Drive to Asbury Avenue this year,” he added, then listed another alternative for the grant application.
“Another option would be Apple Street,” he said, describing the road’s condition as poor.
“It’s a good candidate for DOT funding because it connects two county routes.”
He said another option would be to put sidewalks along one of the borough’s roadways.
“A third potential project would be to put in sidewalks along Essex Road,” he said. “This is something that would tie into the county’s improvements along Asbury Avenue.
“We can start at Asbury Avenue and head toward Seabrook Village as one phase,” he added. “As a potential second phase to that project, we can finish up from Seabrook Village to the [Jersey Shore Premium] outlet shopping mall.”
Marks gave his opinion on what he thought the best option would be.
“These are just three ideas we put together; we are open to any others,” he added. “I think all three are very fundable. Maybe the two best would be the continuation of Heritage Boulevard— the state does like to fund phased projects — or the Essex Road sidewalk because they do like the sidewalk routes and alternative means of transportation.”
Both the mayor and council president zeroed in on a particular project.
“All things considered, probably Apple Street would be the biggest priority,” Mayor Michael Skudera said. “It has more traffic than Heritage, it has a better chance of getting funding because it connects two busy roads, and the road is in pretty bad shape.”
“I agree with that totally,” council President Gary Baldwin said.
Marks said he isn’t sure how much money the borough can expect.
“I’m sure you’re wondering how much money we can get. There is a big question mark there,” he said. “I’d imagine state funds are limited. We are going to have a lot of competition from our neighboring municipalities and every other municipality throughout the state.
“I think a well-written and well-thoughtout application could put us over the top.”
Marks said the borough would have to kick in a minimal amount of money.
“These are 100 percent grants,” he said. “We would need to put up any kind of soft costs, any kind of survey, legal fees, engineering fees.
“They will fund some inspection services, up to 15 percent of the contract amount,” he added. “Let’s say we get a $200,000 award and we have a $200,000 project, it’ll cover everything.”
One project that has been highly controversial in the borough is adding lighting for Liberty II Park, which one councilmember wanted to consider.
“I know we submitted a grant to do the lighting in there, and you told us this wasn’t going to fly and it didn’t,” Councilwoman NancyAnn Fama said. “Any thought on that at all?” Marks said he doesn’t think this grant could be used for the lighting.
“This particular program is very specific for transportation-based improvements,” he said. “They really are for either trying to restore deteriorating roadways, transit-based improvements, pedestrian safety, intersection-based improvements.”
Fama felt that there might be a loophole that would make it possible for the funds to be used to install the lighting in the park.
“I was looking at that, and said if you created a bikeway around Liberty Park and then you had to throw some lights up … ” she said.
Marks said he could talk to the DOT about that option to see if the DOT would be open to it.
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Roadwork, sidewalks among options listed
BY KENNY WALTER Staff Writer
TINTON FALLS — A hopeful Tinton Falls administration has requested that the Borough Council consider which options to go after for a state transportation grant.
Borough Engineer David Marks, of T&M Associates, explained the grant program that the borough is pursuing.
“The state of New Jersey has put together the municipal aid grant program for fiscal year 2011 and they’ve identified five different areas for funding,” he said at the July 6 Borough Council workshop meeting.
“There is the typical municipal aid … and there is also [grants for] bikeways, centers of place, safe street transit, and transit village.”
Marks explained that the borough is not eligible for all of the five programs.
“Unfortunately, two of the programs we are not eligible for — centers of place and transit village,” he said. “There are only a handful of communities in New Jersey that have those designations.”
Before explaining what the best options might be, Marks asked the council for ideas.
“We’d like to ask the mayor and council if there are any projects that they have in mind,” he said. “Give it some thought if there is any particular project you’d like to evaluate further.”
Marks then gave his preferred option for the application.
“One good option would obviously be the continuation of Heritage Boulevard,” he said, adding that the borough previously received $200,000 in funding for the project.
“We would consider going from Roslyn Drive to Asbury Avenue this year,” he added, then listed another alternative for the grant application.
“Another option would be Apple Street,” he said, describing the road’s condition as poor.
“It’s a good candidate for DOT funding because it connects two county routes.”
He said another option would be to put sidewalks along one of the borough’s roadways.
“A third potential project would be to put in sidewalks along Essex Road,” he said. “This is something that would tie into the county’s improvements along Asbury Avenue.
“We can start at Asbury Avenue and head toward Seabrook Village as one phase,” he added. “As a potential second phase to that project, we can finish up from Seabrook Village to the [Jersey Shore Premium] outlet shopping mall.”
Marks gave his opinion on what he thought the best option would be.
“These are just three ideas we put together; we are open to any others,” he added. “I think all three are very fundable. Maybe the two best would be the continuation of Heritage Boulevard— the state does like to fund phased projects — or the Essex Road sidewalk because they do like the sidewalk routes and alternative means of transportation.”
Both the mayor and council president zeroed in on a particular project.
“All things considered, probably Apple Street would be the biggest priority,” Mayor Michael Skudera said. “It has more traffic than Heritage, it has a better chance of getting funding because it connects two busy roads, and the road is in pretty bad shape.”
“I agree with that totally,” council President Gary Baldwin said.
Marks said he isn’t sure how much money the borough can expect.
“I’m sure you’re wondering how much money we can get. There is a big question mark there,” he said. “I’d imagine state funds are limited. We are going to have a lot of competition from our neighboring municipalities and every other municipality throughout the state.
“I think a well-written and well-thoughtout application could put us over the top.”
Marks said the borough would have to kick in a minimal amount of money.
“These are 100 percent grants,” he said. “We would need to put up any kind of soft costs, any kind of survey, legal fees, engineering fees.
“They will fund some inspection services, up to 15 percent of the contract amount,” he added. “Let’s say we get a $200,000 award and we have a $200,000 project, it’ll cover everything.”
One project that has been highly controversial in the borough is adding lighting for Liberty II Park, which one councilmember wanted to consider.
“I know we submitted a grant to do the lighting in there, and you told us this wasn’t going to fly and it didn’t,” Councilwoman NancyAnn Fama said. “Any thought on that at all?” Marks said he doesn’t think this grant could be used for the lighting.
“This particular program is very specific for transportation-based improvements,” he said. “They really are for either trying to restore deteriorating roadways, transit-based improvements, pedestrian safety, intersection-based improvements.”
Fama felt that there might be a loophole that would make it possible for the funds to be used to install the lighting in the park.
“I was looking at that, and said if you created a bikeway around Liberty Park and then you had to throw some lights up … ” she said.
Marks said he could talk to the DOT about that option to see if the DOT would be open to it.
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T.F. considers reducing use of pesticides
T.F. considers reducing use of pesticides
Council mulls which parks should be pesticide free
BY KENNY WALTER Staff Writer
TINTON FALLS — The Borough Council is expected to consider reducing the use of chemical pesticides on borough properties.
Environmental Commission members Jonathon Cohen and Jeff King at the July 6 workshop meeting presented the council with a rough draft of a resolution to reduce pesticide use.
Cohen suggested that Tinton Falls should join many other municipalities across the state in reducing the use of pesticides.
“There are a list of other [towns] around the state that have done this, and we’d like to join with them,” he said. “They have been shown to be hazardous to children, pets, adults, anybody.
“Recently there was a study showing that it could be one of the causes of autism and other pretty bad diseases around children,” he added.
Cohen listed Ocean Township, Asbury Park, Neptune, Keyport, Hazlet and Red Bank as local municipalities that have adopted resolutions on pesticide use.
King explained that children are particularly vulnerable to pesticides.
“Children are particularly vulnerable due to their size, rapid development and hand-tomouth behavior,” he said. “We want to do what’s right for our families, and this resolution will actually save the borough money in the long term and the short term.
“We don’t know how harmful these are in the environment.”
However, Borough Administrator Gerald Turning had some reservations on restricting pesticide use on particular borough fields.
“Our concern is what areas of borough property are we talking about,” he said.
“This was tried once before; it was tried on our soccer fields and our football fields, and what happened was we had a deterioration of the grass and the playing conditions,” he added. “We received many, many complaints.”
Turning said he’d like to see specific parks and fields added to the resolution for clarity.
“The only thing I’d like to see is that we identify those areas where we will be doing it and those areas where we will not be doing it because of past problems that we’ve had,” he said. “We don’t want to be in a position where we’re not allowed to use certain things on certain fields.
“I really would like someone to say to me where are we talking about.”
King explained that the policy is not aimed at eliminating pesticides but rather reducing their use on certain fields.
“The policy will not prohibit us from using chemicals; it just basically says use the least toxic methods first,” he said. “If there is an emergency or a problem, it is not an ordinance, there is no law saying we can’t do anything that we need to do.”
Councilman Andrew Mayer, who is a member of the environmental commission, suggested that the borough administration decide at which parks to eliminate the use of pesticides.
“It gives us the freedom to address issues where there’s issues, while decreasing the amount of chemicals that get dispersed,” he said. “This is really identifying the reduction part, and it is up to the administration to identify those areas that are pesticide-free zones.”
Cohen suggested that if the borough started using organic pesticides as opposed to the chemical-based type, it could save money.
He went on to say that the borough has taken steps in recent years to cut back on the use of pesticides on borough properties.
“The borough has been doing a lot of very good management,” Cohen said. “We would like to make it a policy that it would be the best thing to do for the children and the borough of Tinton Falls.
“They wouldn’t be putting signs up all around saying the property is treated if it wasn’t dangerous.”
Cohen did say the pesticide issue is one that does not require the borough to take immediate action.
“It is not something that has a date or time we need to deal with,” he said. “We’ve been discussing this with many administrations throughout the years, and it is not something that needs to be done tomorrow.”
Turning said the borough would take up the issue sometime in August.
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Council mulls which parks should be pesticide free
BY KENNY WALTER Staff Writer
TINTON FALLS — The Borough Council is expected to consider reducing the use of chemical pesticides on borough properties.
Environmental Commission members Jonathon Cohen and Jeff King at the July 6 workshop meeting presented the council with a rough draft of a resolution to reduce pesticide use.
Cohen suggested that Tinton Falls should join many other municipalities across the state in reducing the use of pesticides.
“There are a list of other [towns] around the state that have done this, and we’d like to join with them,” he said. “They have been shown to be hazardous to children, pets, adults, anybody.
“Recently there was a study showing that it could be one of the causes of autism and other pretty bad diseases around children,” he added.
Cohen listed Ocean Township, Asbury Park, Neptune, Keyport, Hazlet and Red Bank as local municipalities that have adopted resolutions on pesticide use.
King explained that children are particularly vulnerable to pesticides.
“Children are particularly vulnerable due to their size, rapid development and hand-tomouth behavior,” he said. “We want to do what’s right for our families, and this resolution will actually save the borough money in the long term and the short term.
“We don’t know how harmful these are in the environment.”
However, Borough Administrator Gerald Turning had some reservations on restricting pesticide use on particular borough fields.
“Our concern is what areas of borough property are we talking about,” he said.
“This was tried once before; it was tried on our soccer fields and our football fields, and what happened was we had a deterioration of the grass and the playing conditions,” he added. “We received many, many complaints.”
Turning said he’d like to see specific parks and fields added to the resolution for clarity.
“The only thing I’d like to see is that we identify those areas where we will be doing it and those areas where we will not be doing it because of past problems that we’ve had,” he said. “We don’t want to be in a position where we’re not allowed to use certain things on certain fields.
“I really would like someone to say to me where are we talking about.”
King explained that the policy is not aimed at eliminating pesticides but rather reducing their use on certain fields.
“The policy will not prohibit us from using chemicals; it just basically says use the least toxic methods first,” he said. “If there is an emergency or a problem, it is not an ordinance, there is no law saying we can’t do anything that we need to do.”
Councilman Andrew Mayer, who is a member of the environmental commission, suggested that the borough administration decide at which parks to eliminate the use of pesticides.
“It gives us the freedom to address issues where there’s issues, while decreasing the amount of chemicals that get dispersed,” he said. “This is really identifying the reduction part, and it is up to the administration to identify those areas that are pesticide-free zones.”
Cohen suggested that if the borough started using organic pesticides as opposed to the chemical-based type, it could save money.
He went on to say that the borough has taken steps in recent years to cut back on the use of pesticides on borough properties.
“The borough has been doing a lot of very good management,” Cohen said. “We would like to make it a policy that it would be the best thing to do for the children and the borough of Tinton Falls.
“They wouldn’t be putting signs up all around saying the property is treated if it wasn’t dangerous.”
Cohen did say the pesticide issue is one that does not require the borough to take immediate action.
“It is not something that has a date or time we need to deal with,” he said. “We’ve been discussing this with many administrations throughout the years, and it is not something that needs to be done tomorrow.”
Turning said the borough would take up the issue sometime in August.
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I scream, you scream, but not in Pier Village
I scream, you scream, but not in Pier Village
Zoning bars ice cream cart from beachfront
BY KENNY WALTER Staff Writer
Ice cream vendor Charles Measley has been selling ice cream at various locations in Long Branch but is barred from taking his cart into Pier Village. Ice cream vendor Charles Measley has been selling ice cream at various locations in Long Branch but is barred from taking his cart into Pier Village. LONG BRANCH — Beachgoers looking for a cool treat after a day in the sun will have to go elsewhere this summer, after the City Council denied an application by a local ice cream vendor.
Charles Measley, a Long Branch native and resident of Rumson, operated an ice cream cart in Long Branch in 2008 and 2009, but after his application to operate in Pier Village and on park property was denied at the July 13 councilmeeting, he might not be back this summer.
“I might reapply [for a permit]; I haven’t decided yet,” he said. “Next year I’ll definitely be down there if this year is too far gone.”
Measley, who also sells ice cream from a cart in Rumson, said he sold ice cream the past two summers in different parts of the city, including a location at the West End car shows, on the corner of Broadway and Ocean Boulevard during fireworks, at the Lower Broadway fountain, and in parts of North Long Branch.
This summer Measley wanted to take his business to either Pier Village or the portion of Ocean Avenue closed off to vehicles between Seaview and Madison avenues.
Because Pier Village is a redevelopment zone, and the portion of Ocean Avenue was funded by Green Acres money, Measley had to apply for permission to the council, which is the redevelopment authority.
The basis of the application is that the zoning ordinances state that the council may grant permission for vendors within the redevelopment zones. Measley’s lawyer, Michael Halfacre, argued that the ordinances had a proposal like Measley’s in mind.
“Clearly the application itself was contemplated in the ordinance,” he said. “It was allowed to happen because the ordinance says permission may be granted. If it weren’t allowed to happen, there wouldn’t be a provision.”
Halfacre said the ordinance should override any agreement the city has with Pier Village developerApplied Development.
“The ordinance is a law that was passed by this City Council in 1997, and the contract with Applied doesn’t trump that,” he said. “This is a 20-year-old young man who wants to sell $1.50 strawberry shortcake ice cream pops and is in no way a threat to what is sold at Pier Village.”
Testifying on behalf of the city, Building and Development Director Kevin Hayes said that the application is in violation of city ordinances and that the location, Pier Village, is not city-owned.
Also testifying was Greg Russo, senior vice president of Applied, who said that Measley would compete with the Pier Village businesses.
“These tenants would be impacted,” he said. “As much as we’d like to think that one kiosk would not impact sales, these tenants do have to operate in the winter months, and summer sales are vital to them.
“If these sales were undermined by someone who doesn’t have the same existing costs, you could see how that would hurt some of these tenants,” he added. “We do oppose the application.”
While Pier Village is considered private property, Councilman Michael Sirianni explained the concerns about approving the application for Ocean Avenue.
“I like your idea and concept, but if we allow this, then we will have a hot dog vendor, a pretzel vendor, and the whole area we will have vendors coming in,” he said. “We are working on making it a safe area, and it’s going to look like a mess.”
Measley said the city requires a permit, an identification badge, and that the cart be inspected, and that it may be too late in the summer to override the costs of the permitting.
He also said that he normally operates between Easter and Labor Day from noon to 6 p.m., selling between 300 and 400 units of ice cream per day.
His cart is plugged into an outlet overnight, which freezes the walls of the cart, and the frozen walls act like dry ice to keep the product cold during the day, he explained.
Measley takes his cart to Long Branch daily on a trailer and has an agreement to park his trailer for free at The Lighthouse, a local Italian ice shop.
Measley said The Lighthouse isn’t worried about competition, and the stores in Pier Village shouldn’t be either.
“I have novelty ice cream and they [The Lighthouse] sell soft-serve ice cream and Italian ice,” he said. “The person who is buying my product isn’t someone who is buying a $5 cup of gelato [at Pier Village].”
Measley also tried to alleviate any traffic concerns the council may have had.
“I’m extremely mobile; if there is any way I can move and position myself, I’d do it,” he said.
Measley explained how he first got the idea to sell ice cream.
“I started thinking of the 1950s and 1940s, and an idea came to me of Good Humor and how they used to pedal around the beachfront selling ice cream,” he said.
Measley said that his appearance even harks back to the 1950s.
“I wear a white polo shirt with a little white cap and khaki shorts with a change dispenser,” he said.
Measley explained that when he first got the permit to sell in the city, his idea was to sell along the oceanfront.
“I was approached by a city worker and he said I was not allowed to be in this part of town,” he said. “I did not venture to that part again.
“When I graduated from high school, my idea was to sell along the boardwalk on the part of Ocean Avenue that’s closed, and that’s why I applied for the permit,” he added. “I went down for about two days, and city workers came out and said this part is closed off.”
Measley then looked at the city’s ordinances to see if anything can be done.
“I pulled up the city ordinance [61-88],” he said. “What section D says is, in the redevelopment zone and anywhere along the beachfront or any city park, if you want to go there you have to have permission from the redevelopment agency.”
One resident who testified on behalf of Measley spoke favorably of the proposal.
“I am very proud that we are continuing to raise young people that use the governmental system. I am very proud of Long Branch,” Eva Klostreich said. “The people were delightfully engaged with him, and I thought, good for Long Branch.
“I think this would be a strength to our community,” she added. “I think it would service some of the people who tend to go to Pier Village that are not in the economic strata for some of the storefronts there.”
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Zoning bars ice cream cart from beachfront
BY KENNY WALTER Staff Writer
Ice cream vendor Charles Measley has been selling ice cream at various locations in Long Branch but is barred from taking his cart into Pier Village. Ice cream vendor Charles Measley has been selling ice cream at various locations in Long Branch but is barred from taking his cart into Pier Village. LONG BRANCH — Beachgoers looking for a cool treat after a day in the sun will have to go elsewhere this summer, after the City Council denied an application by a local ice cream vendor.
Charles Measley, a Long Branch native and resident of Rumson, operated an ice cream cart in Long Branch in 2008 and 2009, but after his application to operate in Pier Village and on park property was denied at the July 13 councilmeeting, he might not be back this summer.
“I might reapply [for a permit]; I haven’t decided yet,” he said. “Next year I’ll definitely be down there if this year is too far gone.”
Measley, who also sells ice cream from a cart in Rumson, said he sold ice cream the past two summers in different parts of the city, including a location at the West End car shows, on the corner of Broadway and Ocean Boulevard during fireworks, at the Lower Broadway fountain, and in parts of North Long Branch.
This summer Measley wanted to take his business to either Pier Village or the portion of Ocean Avenue closed off to vehicles between Seaview and Madison avenues.
Because Pier Village is a redevelopment zone, and the portion of Ocean Avenue was funded by Green Acres money, Measley had to apply for permission to the council, which is the redevelopment authority.
The basis of the application is that the zoning ordinances state that the council may grant permission for vendors within the redevelopment zones. Measley’s lawyer, Michael Halfacre, argued that the ordinances had a proposal like Measley’s in mind.
“Clearly the application itself was contemplated in the ordinance,” he said. “It was allowed to happen because the ordinance says permission may be granted. If it weren’t allowed to happen, there wouldn’t be a provision.”
Halfacre said the ordinance should override any agreement the city has with Pier Village developerApplied Development.
“The ordinance is a law that was passed by this City Council in 1997, and the contract with Applied doesn’t trump that,” he said. “This is a 20-year-old young man who wants to sell $1.50 strawberry shortcake ice cream pops and is in no way a threat to what is sold at Pier Village.”
Testifying on behalf of the city, Building and Development Director Kevin Hayes said that the application is in violation of city ordinances and that the location, Pier Village, is not city-owned.
Also testifying was Greg Russo, senior vice president of Applied, who said that Measley would compete with the Pier Village businesses.
“These tenants would be impacted,” he said. “As much as we’d like to think that one kiosk would not impact sales, these tenants do have to operate in the winter months, and summer sales are vital to them.
“If these sales were undermined by someone who doesn’t have the same existing costs, you could see how that would hurt some of these tenants,” he added. “We do oppose the application.”
While Pier Village is considered private property, Councilman Michael Sirianni explained the concerns about approving the application for Ocean Avenue.
“I like your idea and concept, but if we allow this, then we will have a hot dog vendor, a pretzel vendor, and the whole area we will have vendors coming in,” he said. “We are working on making it a safe area, and it’s going to look like a mess.”
Measley said the city requires a permit, an identification badge, and that the cart be inspected, and that it may be too late in the summer to override the costs of the permitting.
He also said that he normally operates between Easter and Labor Day from noon to 6 p.m., selling between 300 and 400 units of ice cream per day.
His cart is plugged into an outlet overnight, which freezes the walls of the cart, and the frozen walls act like dry ice to keep the product cold during the day, he explained.
Measley takes his cart to Long Branch daily on a trailer and has an agreement to park his trailer for free at The Lighthouse, a local Italian ice shop.
Measley said The Lighthouse isn’t worried about competition, and the stores in Pier Village shouldn’t be either.
“I have novelty ice cream and they [The Lighthouse] sell soft-serve ice cream and Italian ice,” he said. “The person who is buying my product isn’t someone who is buying a $5 cup of gelato [at Pier Village].”
Measley also tried to alleviate any traffic concerns the council may have had.
“I’m extremely mobile; if there is any way I can move and position myself, I’d do it,” he said.
Measley explained how he first got the idea to sell ice cream.
“I started thinking of the 1950s and 1940s, and an idea came to me of Good Humor and how they used to pedal around the beachfront selling ice cream,” he said.
Measley said that his appearance even harks back to the 1950s.
“I wear a white polo shirt with a little white cap and khaki shorts with a change dispenser,” he said.
Measley explained that when he first got the permit to sell in the city, his idea was to sell along the oceanfront.
“I was approached by a city worker and he said I was not allowed to be in this part of town,” he said. “I did not venture to that part again.
“When I graduated from high school, my idea was to sell along the boardwalk on the part of Ocean Avenue that’s closed, and that’s why I applied for the permit,” he added. “I went down for about two days, and city workers came out and said this part is closed off.”
Measley then looked at the city’s ordinances to see if anything can be done.
“I pulled up the city ordinance [61-88],” he said. “What section D says is, in the redevelopment zone and anywhere along the beachfront or any city park, if you want to go there you have to have permission from the redevelopment agency.”
One resident who testified on behalf of Measley spoke favorably of the proposal.
“I am very proud that we are continuing to raise young people that use the governmental system. I am very proud of Long Branch,” Eva Klostreich said. “The people were delightfully engaged with him, and I thought, good for Long Branch.
“I think this would be a strength to our community,” she added. “I think it would service some of the people who tend to go to Pier Village that are not in the economic strata for some of the storefronts there.”
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Kingdom Fighters, library team on jobs program
Kingdom Fighters, library team on jobs program
Resources offered to those who have spent time in jail
BY KENNY WALTER Staff Writer
LONG BRANCH — A partnership between Kingdom Fighters, a local nonprofit, and the Long Branch Free Public Library has already resulted in jobs for two people and more may be on the way.
Kingdom Fighters and the library have been hosting a weekly employment and development support group for Monmouth County residents with arrest records over the past several months at the library each Wednesday.
Kingdom Fighters founder Steven Worsley Sr. explained the goal of the program.
“My nonprofit Kingdom Fighters partnered up with the Long Branch Library, and our goal is to help individuals become employable,” he said. “We help them with résumés, computer training and whatever skills they need to get them jobs after they come out of incarceration.
“This helps them reestablish into the work force after they come home, because it is really difficult once you have a record to get employed,” he added. “Our goal is to get people hired through our program.”
Worsley said that most of the jobs that are being targeted are in the construction field or labor-intensive work.
“Our goal is to just give them the opportunity to get a better start,” he said.
Worsley said that initially, interest in the program was high.
“At our jump-off we had about 27, 28 people, but now we have fewer,” he said. “It is a little discouraging, but we keep the process; we are hoping to have more participants.”
Worsley began Kingdom Fighters two years ago, and this is the first year he has partnered with the library.
He said that Kingdom Fighters has worked with local nonprofits including Family & Children’s Services, Prevention First, and the Long Branch Concordance.
Worsley said one problem is that a lot of the participants want immediate employment, which is hard to find.
“A lot of people now are looking for immediate employment, and we are trying to let them know it is a process,” he said. “It is not going to be right away; you have to get your paperwork together and make sure you have all your proper IDs.”
The persistence has paid off for at least two people involved in the program who found employment with the Long Branch Housing Authority.
Worsley said the program is open to all Monmouth County residents, but Long Branch residents have dominated those participating.
He explained some of the content of the classes.
“We have guest speakers that talk about all the different aspects of employment,” he said. “It’s hard because they might end up going back to doing what they did to get incarcerated, because of the lack of employment.
“What we do is make them employable by helping them with résumés and computer training.”
Worsley also said that topics include appearance, making eye contact with interviewers, and the importance of bank accounts.
He said he tries to get a read on each individual who comes to the program.
“We make them fill out a form when they first come in, what their interests are, what kind of work do they want to do, what kind of work have they done,” he said. Worsley described some of the common problems encountered thus far.
“A lot of them can’t read properly, a lot of them can’t fill out an application properly,” he said. “If you don’t have your birth certificate or Social Security card, you can’t get a job.
“Our goal is to help them get all the proper documents so they can approach a job in the proper manner,” he added.
Worsley said Kingdom Fighters would pay employers for the first three months when they hire someone through the program.
“The first three months of employment are paid by the nonprofit for the individuals; that way, their record doesn’t become an issue,” he said. “After doing that, they absorb the person based on their work skills and not on their background.”
Worsley said the library received a grant to fund the classes until September, but they are hoping to receive more grant money.
Worsley is making plans for a block party at the end of August.
“We are trying to put together a community block party, but it’s going to be a learning experience at the same time,” he said. “We are going to have people come out and set up booths and talk about banking and programs offered to help people in different situations.
“We are going to have food, fun, music and offer an educational party.”
Worsley said that local nonprofits are hoping to prevent children from living their lives on the street.
“The kids nowadays don’t have a choice,” he said. “If we don’t give them the options and opportunity to occupy their time, they are going to keep going back to the street.”
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Resources offered to those who have spent time in jail
BY KENNY WALTER Staff Writer
LONG BRANCH — A partnership between Kingdom Fighters, a local nonprofit, and the Long Branch Free Public Library has already resulted in jobs for two people and more may be on the way.
Kingdom Fighters and the library have been hosting a weekly employment and development support group for Monmouth County residents with arrest records over the past several months at the library each Wednesday.
Kingdom Fighters founder Steven Worsley Sr. explained the goal of the program.
“My nonprofit Kingdom Fighters partnered up with the Long Branch Library, and our goal is to help individuals become employable,” he said. “We help them with résumés, computer training and whatever skills they need to get them jobs after they come out of incarceration.
“This helps them reestablish into the work force after they come home, because it is really difficult once you have a record to get employed,” he added. “Our goal is to get people hired through our program.”
Worsley said that most of the jobs that are being targeted are in the construction field or labor-intensive work.
“Our goal is to just give them the opportunity to get a better start,” he said.
Worsley said that initially, interest in the program was high.
“At our jump-off we had about 27, 28 people, but now we have fewer,” he said. “It is a little discouraging, but we keep the process; we are hoping to have more participants.”
Worsley began Kingdom Fighters two years ago, and this is the first year he has partnered with the library.
He said that Kingdom Fighters has worked with local nonprofits including Family & Children’s Services, Prevention First, and the Long Branch Concordance.
Worsley said one problem is that a lot of the participants want immediate employment, which is hard to find.
“A lot of people now are looking for immediate employment, and we are trying to let them know it is a process,” he said. “It is not going to be right away; you have to get your paperwork together and make sure you have all your proper IDs.”
The persistence has paid off for at least two people involved in the program who found employment with the Long Branch Housing Authority.
Worsley said the program is open to all Monmouth County residents, but Long Branch residents have dominated those participating.
He explained some of the content of the classes.
“We have guest speakers that talk about all the different aspects of employment,” he said. “It’s hard because they might end up going back to doing what they did to get incarcerated, because of the lack of employment.
“What we do is make them employable by helping them with résumés and computer training.”
Worsley also said that topics include appearance, making eye contact with interviewers, and the importance of bank accounts.
He said he tries to get a read on each individual who comes to the program.
“We make them fill out a form when they first come in, what their interests are, what kind of work do they want to do, what kind of work have they done,” he said. Worsley described some of the common problems encountered thus far.
“A lot of them can’t read properly, a lot of them can’t fill out an application properly,” he said. “If you don’t have your birth certificate or Social Security card, you can’t get a job.
“Our goal is to help them get all the proper documents so they can approach a job in the proper manner,” he added.
Worsley said Kingdom Fighters would pay employers for the first three months when they hire someone through the program.
“The first three months of employment are paid by the nonprofit for the individuals; that way, their record doesn’t become an issue,” he said. “After doing that, they absorb the person based on their work skills and not on their background.”
Worsley said the library received a grant to fund the classes until September, but they are hoping to receive more grant money.
Worsley is making plans for a block party at the end of August.
“We are trying to put together a community block party, but it’s going to be a learning experience at the same time,” he said. “We are going to have people come out and set up booths and talk about banking and programs offered to help people in different situations.
“We are going to have food, fun, music and offer an educational party.”
Worsley said that local nonprofits are hoping to prevent children from living their lives on the street.
“The kids nowadays don’t have a choice,” he said. “If we don’t give them the options and opportunity to occupy their time, they are going to keep going back to the street.”
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