Recently, a TruthTeller named Butch left a message in da form of a newspaper story on this forum about something daTruthSquad has been talking about for years. Da question is - which Village will be built, and which town will reap da benefits, and just as important, who may have their tentacles in da way one town may be doing business.
For a number of years now, a 500,000 square foot tract has been zoned and ready for business. However, nothing is being built there. Da developer is partly to blame, asking for more than what was zoned there, but obviously any developer wants as much as they can get. Da town leaders very much to blame, slowing this project down to a snail's pace, handing "studies" to political donors, and da reality is another town could possibly reap da benefits as Manalapan's ratables slowly drift away.
Across da Route 33 border in Monroe, another developer had proposed, much like Manalapan's developer, a scaled down version of what they wanted to build. Originally they wanted to build a Mega-Mega-MEGAMALL, complete with a baseball stadium and other Mega-items on an even larger area of land a stone's throw from da Manalapan border. Fortunately, da Asbury Park Press got wind of exactly what daTruthSquad was talking about all along, and that was da link between da developer, Smiling Jack, and his friend, da head of da Lynch mob, convicted former politician & jailbird John Lynch, along with their benefactor, da head of Monroe's Pucci Posse.
However, da tentacles of one John Lynch doesn't end there.
In 2003, Manalapan's then-mayor da King received a donation, according to ELEC from a PAC called "New Beginnings." That PAC was controlled by John Lynch. Soon afterward, Da King was not in favor of da Village off Route 33.
At da same time, word leaked to daTruthSquad about da competing MegaMegaMegaMall, and all of a sudden, Democrats led by Da King & Da Queen were against Manalapan's Village, but appeared to have no problem with da MegaMegaMegaMall a stone's throw from where 3,000 homes were being built in Manalapan.
Now, as da Asbury Park Press brilliantly points out, there are 2 large developments within a stones throw of each other, and both are right by where 3,000 homes, as many as 5,000 vehicles and 6,000 to 11,000 people may be moving in to Manalapan's southern end of town. Da question is - where will these people shop? Will they jump in their cars and cause huge traffic jams heading east to Freehold and taking their tax money to subsidize Freehold, or will they jam up Route 33 heading west taking their tax money to subsidize Monroe?
Of course, as da Star Ledger reported, even Monroe residents aren't happy with da idea that will seriously impact Monroe's roads, and since Manalapanites would shop there clog Manalapan's roads and allow even more tax money from Manalapan pay to lower Monroe homeowners.
Interestingly, da answer may possibly be found in a story reported by da Asbury Park Press and apparently omitted by da local Snoozepaper.
It appears da Manalapan Township Committee recently voted to approve da spending of over $1 million for a 25-acre tract of land. That land is adjacent to da Manalapan Rec, and it appears all 5 members, voting either for or against, have 5 different plans for da land, meaning they spent YOUR TAX DOLLARS on land they have no idea as to how they will use it!
It's kind of like buying a large in-ground swimming pool, paying for it in full, and realizing you haven't bought the house yet, don't know where you'll buy it, and have no idea if you'll even have a backyard to put it in.
Guess that's how every person handles their finances?
However, there is one concern that was shocking to discover. According to da newspaper, "I also am not happy with what I am seeing and who owns the property, what I'm finding on ELEC and what I'm reading," Cohen said. Cohen said she had concerns about possible connections to Lynch and his Democratic political action committee, New Directions through Responsible Leadership, from which Lynch announced he would step down in 2006."
This is not to say that Lynch has or had ties to da company that owned da land, because there is no proof that he is involved in any way with the company which owned da land Manalapan bought. Da connection, however, are through donations to & from New Beginnings, which da newspaper pointed out.
DaTruth is, Manalapan is a town that has been growing at an extremely fast rate, and da county records show Manalapan is one of da biggest single housebuilders in da county, at an even faster rate than Freehold, Marlboro, or Howell. However, where these 3 towns have added much-needed business ratables, Manalapan has been at da bottom of da county list at adding businesses. Now you wonder why Freehold homeowners pay less in taxes?
There was a time when GOP'er committeeman Andy Boy in Manalapan was for da Village (remember those political attack ads regarding his "limo ride?). His attitude, however changed, ironically at da same time he was supported by da Queen to become Manalapan's mayor.
DaTruth is, Manalapan residents need a tax break - a big one, and even a stripped-down version of da Village is better than fighting traffic to Freehold or Monroe and giving their residents tax relief with your purchases. Maybe that's what some politicians may want, but daTruthSquad's guess is your bottom-line, da cost of gas traveling to other towns to shop, and da fact Manalapan will be subsidizing other towns may make you feel a little unhappy - and very unnerved.
Now, if you have absolutely no problem whatsoever helping to lower da tax rate of towns like Freehold or Monroe, while your taxes in Manalapan have gone up over 40% in da past 2 years alone, and with 3,000 homes, as many as 5,000 vehicles and 6,000 to 11,000 people may be moving in to Manalapan's southern end of town, then by all means tell your Township Committee you don't want da Village, and you'll proudly turn Manalapan's country roads into a traffic nightmare. That is your right as a resident, a citizen, and taxpayer, and that is your choice.
However, if you want a place to shop in town, a "Village" atmosphere as da developer has asked for, and want to see ratables help to lower your tax burden knowing full well 3,000 homes, as many as 5,000 vehicles and 6,000 to 11,000 people may be moving in to Manalapan's southern end of town, then you better tell those same town leaders, including da Mayor running for reelection, that you don't want politicians playing with your money for their political gain.
DaTruthSquad alone can't change da minds of politicians, but your votes can. It's YOUR money, and right now, you may want to ask about da agendas of those politicians you elect to spend it, and how it's being spent - before it's too late.
And that's daTruth.
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23 comments:
Here we go again with the broken record. First, if you think that a $1,000 donation from the PAC to Shapiro's campaign is enough to make him completely change his mind on the topic you are sorely mjistaken. Second, the purchase of the former Tillis Tract is a wise long term move for Manalapan - it eliminates the property from further development and sets aside land next to the Rec Center for its eventual expansion. Specific plans for exactly what it will be used for aren't needed since it isn't going to be developed anytime soon. And as for Brunelli & Co., it wasn't just that he asked for "more than what was zoned there"....he wanted build 2.4x as much as it was zoned for, and to include a residential component to property specifically zoned commercial. And then MRP sued the town under a ridiculous suit pointing towards their COAH obligations. The MegaMall will never be built, and the Village Center won't be built until the developer stops pushing for more than the town is willing to give and more than what the traffic studies say the site can support.
Didn't Cohen get bitch slapped by the TC, Spodak and the News Transcript for making unfounded accusations about the Lynch connection to the property?
I want a shopping center with a supermarket and some neighborhood stores. I don't want a hotel, movie theater, tennis club or a monstrocity. The traffic is bad enough along Millhurst Road. DO it right or don't do it at all.
Why is it that almost everything Da Squid posts includes (a) Snipes against the Democrats, (b) A defense of Da Mosked Man, (c) Support for Da MegaMall, or (d) a combination of these? Hmmmmm....
I could careless aboutthe politics. I pay $11,000 in taxes, so here's my $11,000 worth of comments. I want this Village. I also want a commuter parking lot so I don't have to travel to Gordons Corner anymore. I don't want my wife to go to Monroe or Freehold when she can buy things here. If you don't like my comments I don't care. I want my taxes lowered.
first of all, the only person who ever got bitch slapped by Spodak was his wife, not Susan Cohen. Second, proof has already been presented everywhere that Lynch is connected to Roth/Shapiro and the Tillis Property and the mall in Monroe. I love how these same brain dead Roth apologists can't seem to discuss anything without mentioning Moskovitz (jeez how jealous can you get, it's a little sick by now, isn't it?) or ignoring the facts that are beyond question. Copernicus probably felt the same about the people insisting the world was flat as I feel about this group of low life hacks controlling Manalapan's government and wasting our tax dollars on nonsense.
I wish we could leave all of the personal snipes out of this forum. That's why I don't bother reading nj.com anymore.
Personally I think if it smells like a duck and walks like a duck then it's a duck. Something is very wrong with a Village project that I've been reading about for years with delays and delays. I live in Marlboro and I was excited that our leaders want a Village type center here. I'm surprised people in Manalapan don't, but that's your choice. If we build ours, please feel free to shop there. My taxes are too high and we can use a break.
Manalapan residents want the Village Center. We just don't want the MegaMall. Give us a 500,000 square foot shopping center with a supermarket and neighborhood stores, with no residential component, and we'll be happy to shop there. Try to shove down our throats a project that is too large for the roads to handle and we'll fight every step of the way.
To all those who say their taxes are too high and they just want whatever ratables are available: How would you feel if an apartment building or Home Depot opened across the street from you? Great ratable for the town...but what about that traffic? That's why your MegaMall wasn't allowed....
To the coward who wrote the question about ratables, Home Depot and something called "MegaMall":
Sounds like the ridiculous former chairwoman of the planning board who didn't want a Home Depot in back of her house and instead ended up with Target and Wegman's, bringing even more traffic.
Nice deflection - not!
DOT studies showed the intersection of Millhurst Road and Rt. 33 to get the LOWEST rating they have. Millhurst has difficulty accommodating existing traffic. Building anything will make the matter worse. Overbuilding the site - i.e. the MegaMall - will create massive backups.
Changing Times Too
No disputing that fact, yes the DOT and the town have to work out an improvement for that roadway. But if they build the 500K they are permitted to, it will help offset some of our tax debt. I know there were fists flying over the developer wanting to build housing there. The developer offered to build Affordable on that site. Something that Roth is keeping mum on. Where is Manalapan going to get the money to pay ofr their Coah obligation and build what Corzine has mandated we build? Roth has cut our noses off to spite her own face by severing that part of the developers proposal. Let's face it we the people are going to get stuck picking up the tab for the affordable housing Manalapan has to build. Roth should have listened more and used her head and not react to her emotions as she so frequently does to negotiate a win win for this town with this developer. The developer was willing Roth was not. Higher taxes are in the forecast for Manalapan residents for the next 10years based on Roths spending actions of these past 3. Roth buys land, but not one acre has been bought for all the affordable housing we have to build.
Uhm...the town doesn't build the affordable housing....developers do. And they get it done when the developers create housing in residential areas, not commercial zones with traffic problems. But you know that....
Also, the deveoper wanted to build 8 market rate homes for every COAH credit. New rules reduced that to 4 per COAH credit.
Um a did you forget the single family affordable homes Manalapan did build called Samariatan?
Changing Times Too
What I know is that Manalapan can build straight affordable housing on their own. Just ask Mr. Cramer from T & M. He had a meeting and Roth was there, to look for at land maps of potential sites. Sites the township could acquire to build upon in conjunction with the company that manages Manalapans affordable housing. But you know all this.
Interesting. According to their own website, the Samaritan Center is not affiliated with Manalapan Township, is not located in Manalapan Township, and acknowledges that its housing doesn't conform to COAH: http://www.affordablehousingdevelopers.com/pr070899.htm
But you knew that....
Never mentioned the post that said there was a meeting to build affordable by the township.
If you want credibility don't just pick and choose your responses. Your silence on that speaks volumes that you are playing games.
Manalapan Republicans calling for positive committee campaign
By Alesha Williams Boyd • FREEHOLD BUREAU • September 3, 2008
MANALAPAN — The GOP candidates for Township Committee have challenged their Democratic opponents to limit campaign spending to $5,000 per candidate and limit the signs they post to 250 per campaign.
But the Democrats say they plan to follow state and municipal guidelines — not their opponents' — in a "clean and fact-driven campaign."
"In this economy, never has it been more important to use money efficiently and make the most of every dollar. We're prepared to show the residents of Manalapan that we can do more with less. That's what's needed on the Township Committee," said Republican Ryan D. Green, who is seeking a committee seat in the November election with running mate William Garcia.
The Republican candidates say they're also challenging their opponents not to accept contributions from special interest groups and political action committees and to run a "positive, issues-based campaign."
But the Democratic candidates, Mayor Michelle Roth and running mate Donald Holland, say they already initiated a meeting in August with their opponents to discuss debates and keeping the campaign clean.
"We are pleased to see that the Republicans have agreed with our request for a clean and fact-driven campaign for Township Committee, free of any mud slinging," Roth said. "We intend to make sure the voters are well informed before Election Day utilizing town-wide mailers, walking door-to-door and publicly debating our opponents."
Regarding limiting spending, Roth said she and Holland aren't planning to comply with Green and Garcia's demands, adding "one mailer with postage and printing is over $5,000." Roth said she spent roughly $17,000 on her last political campaign in 2005.
"As always, we will abide by the state regulations concerning campaign spending and contributions," Roth said.
But Green and Garcia said state regulations, which allow the contributions, don't go far enough.
"We need to limit the power of special interest groups in political campaigns in Manalapan, and campaign spending limits are the best way to accomplish that," Garcia said.
"We just wanted to keep the air clear right from the start," Green said. "We just don't want to see third parties having too much say in what happens in Manalapan."
Campaign signs became the focus of another conflict down party lines in December when the Township Committee's Democrats, including Roth, voted against adopting an ordinance that would limit the signs. Republican Committeeman Andrew Lucas then said the signs caused "sight pollution" in town, but Roth said she was concerned the ordinance could violate First Amendment rights.
Green said he wouldn't comment on Roth and Holland's decision not to meet their challenge, but that he and Garcia planned to comply with the limits they set for themselves.
"People are tired of seeing a sign at every turn come the fall political season. Limiting campaign signs is a responsible way to consider the residents of Manalapan," Green said.
da Headline should read:
WE CAN"T RAISE FUNDS SO WE DON"T WANT YOU TO USE YOUR FUNDS.
daTruth is that Republican municipal chairman McEnery can't raise funds for da campaign. daTruth is that McEnery doesn't have da support of da grassroots Republicans who from what I hear are showing up at in numbers at da county events. da facts are that Green has been AWOL at every event while Garcia has made one or two. Green & Garcia didn't raise much for da primary while Budai & Johnson put together over $10,000. da G & G guys won on a typical last day campaign smear by da chair & Garcia. Remember these guys aren't da candidate choice of da long time Manalapan Republicans. Remember they were handpicked by McEnery & Lucas in a manipulated process. Green & Garcia have made their bed and now must lie in it.
It's obvious to see this campaign by the Republicans is poorly run and also seems doomed to failure. The way it has been handled so far it seems like the Republicans don't want to win. How ironic would it be that McCain could win the national election and the Republicans in Manalapan could lose by a landslide?
Not so ironic. McCain has a real campaign team with supporters. Green & Garcia don't.
Green and Garcia are getting what they deserve. They were told and shown that McEnery had made a deal with Gerry Ward to make sure Roth wins. Remember McEnery will do anything to get his unemployable daughter a job. He knew the county republicans were going to throw her out as soon as Puharic was thrown out. Green and Garcia are obviously perfectly content to be McEnery's stooges. Maybe next year, now that there's a REAL county chairman, McEnery won't be given the line in the primary and we can have legitimate candidates, not these two clueless tools.
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