Monday, August 11, 2008

A Town Center For Marlboro? Is This Manalapan's "Shared Services" At Work?

Da Truthtellers were in shock after reading this. It seems da mayor and town leaders in Marlboro are considering something so heinous and barbaric their rationale and motives must be seriously questioned.

Marlboro is considering building -- get this -- a TOWN CENTER!!!!!!

Maybe this is another of da Queen Mayor's "Shared Services" plans, like getting Marlboro to allow some Manalapan residents to use the Marlboro pool for a price obviously beneficial to Marlboro's taxpayers, or continuing to sue da Mosked Man over $10,500 while spending well over $100,000 to do it.

Apparently they haven't discussed da matter with Manalapan's Queen Mayor, her Gang of Three, or henchmen on their hand-picked "Anti"-Village Committee.

For da last 7 years Manalapan too has debated this, going from "great idea" in 2001 to "John Lynch may not like this" in 2004 to "If we build it we'll hurt da chances for a MegaMegaMegaMall on Route 33 in Lynch-linked Monroe" in 2005.

DaTruthsquad read with great interest a story in da Asbury Park Press, a real area newspaper that took both a serious and non-objective look at Marlboro's idea.

What was said was simply hard to believe - of course that is - by Manalapan standards.

"Residents and members of local committees have said might be good for the township's future," was one of da quotes of da story!!!

Wow! Doing something for da township's future? "Residents...said it might be good?" Who would have thought that??

Here are some more of those quotes you should read with interest.

"A common thread in the meetings, led by township planners Heyer, Gruel and Associates, has been talk of a possible town center that could distinguish Marlboro's identity."

"A town center would be different than big-box retail," Hornik said. "I think it's more of a quaint, village-type of development which would have retail on the bottom, possibly apartments and condos on top, and it would be a mixed use that would offer a lot to the town. "The area doesn't need another strip mall," Hornik said."


And, apparently for da benefit of Manalapan residents who indeed will be clogging Manalapan roads to head there, they're nice enough to consider placing it close to Manalapan's border.

"He said the township then could identify a piece of property for such a center — suggestions at past meetings have included the Tennent Road corridor and the township's "historic" section at Route 79 and School Road — and designate a master redeveloper."

It's actually remarkable to watch an actual real local government in action.

DaTruth is, that same type of vision was already offered to Manalapan by a developer who owns da land adjacent to Route 33 and Millhurst Road. Instead of a "Town Center," Manalapan instead is getting 3,000 homes on postage-stamp-sized lots and no actual retail infrastructure for those 3,000 homes, probably 6,000 cars and probably 8-10,000 new residents who will have to drive to Freehold, Monroe, or Marlboro to do their shopping or dining.

Many Manalapan residents want it, and anyone who will be riding traffic-laden roads leading out of Manalapan want it, and considering how much tax dollars are being handed to towns like Freehold and Marlboro already and not being spent to hold down taxes in Manalapan want it.

Unfortunately, there's about 7 people who don't want it, and it's their will that makes da decisions in Manalapan.

DaTruth is, Manalapan has no sustainable infrastructure where ratables are concerned. Manalapan is at da bottom of da Monmouth County barrel where it comes to da percentage of ratables to offset da overwhelming tax burden suffered by da peasants in da Kingdom. Those in charge of that planning have done nothing to alleviate this burden, except raise local taxes. You can blame da school tax burden, and you can blame higher fuel costs, and you can blame cuts in state aid from Trenton, although that figure was 1 half of 1 percent of Manalapan's budget. However, da real blame goes to those whofor whatever reason are stalling an already-planning board approved Village project, and even if they don' t want it, have no real plan for how to address Manalapan's lack of ratables for an ever-growing population and already crowded-and-getting worse local roads.

Of course, when you see da map below you'll see where da Village is intended to go and what it was intended to look like. What you'll also see, AND THOSE WHO OPPOSE DA VILLAGE DON'T WANT YOU TO SEE THIS -- is all of da open space taken by house developers to build 3,000 homes in that area!!!

Instead, Manalapan spends money on studies being done by CME on a traffic study which we all hope was not done when nearby Woodward Road was closed for what seemed like decade-long road repairs. And, Manalapan residents still go out-of-town to do their shopping or enjoy their entertainment.

Whether or not it is a Village now due to all da years of stalling, Manalapan's residents need more than just a strip mall there because that will NOT serve da needs "for all da people." It's also about time those who receive both pay & health benefits think more "for all da people" and less "for all their cronies."

DaTruth is, Marlboro's mayor and town council deserve praise from their residents for their insight and for putting da overall needs of da town residents first. Marlboro is a very large but very nice town that does seem to lack a "hometown" feel at times. A "Village" or "Town Center" concept could go a very long way to alleviate that. Kudos for da Marlboro heirarchy for doing da right thing for their people.

DaTruth is, this plan would be a great achievement for Marlboro, just as it's helped other towns. Maybe da Queen Mayor could get Manalapan a "shared service agreement" where Manalapan residents could get discounts for shopping there? After all, with no real "Village-style" place to shop in Manalapan, a lot of folks may be heading to Marlboro's proposed "Village."

That would be a great benefit for both towns -- Manalapan residents would get a discount for shopping in Marlboro -- and Marlboro gets Manalapan tax $$$$$ to benefit Marlboro's residents. Who knows, maybe Marlboro residents might even see their tax burden DECREASE - now that's a concept!

And that's daTruth.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Here's the best part. Did you notice who the planners were in Marlboro that planned the town center? Heyer Gruel. Does that name sound familiar? In 2000, Moskovitz threw out Cramer, who has screwed up almost as many things in Manalapan as Shapiro and Roth. That year, Heyer Gruel brought in 2,500,000 in grant money; something that Cramer never did before or after. How did the Ward/Shapiro/Roth autocracy repay them? They fired Heyer Gruel and brought back Cramer. Cramer immediately created the downzoning that we are now paying of settlement of $1,400,000 to John Lynch for. We lost grant money and never again received the kind of grant money we received in 2000. Heyer Gruel designed the town center in 2000 and the zoning ordinance that established it. Shapiro/Roth and company killed all of that to protect John Lynch. Want to know what's next for Manalapan while Marlboro is moving ahead with good government? That's easy. Find out when visiting hours are at Lynch's prison and ask him what he's told Roth to do next.

Anonymous said...

As a Marlboro resident who reads this blog, I am thrilled at both the prospects of having a town center, and having Manalapan residents offset my high property taxes by spending their tax dollars in Marlboro.

Anonymous said...

Gerry Ward said he would move if the Village was built. Michelle Roth can't have that happen because Ward as the Municipal Chariman of the Democratic Party in Manalapan controls Roth's political future. Michelle Roth has visions of one day being a State Assembly woman or State Senator. She will do everything Gerry Ward tells her to.
Roth's political life means EVERYTHING to her. Proof is in her vote for preliminary site approval. Roth and Shapiro voted no when the applicant the Village had met all the criteria and there was no legal reason not to. The town center/ Village will be built in Monroe and Marlboro. Manalapanites will shop there and Manalapan residents will be hit next year once again with a whopping tax increase to cover this years spending of Michelle Roth. Those are the facts.

Anonymous said...

I may be naive and new to this blog, but after reading this why can't Manalapan's Village be built somewhere else in town? I read the town purchased a big tract of land near manalapan Rec. Why not build it there? Again, i don't know if there's something legally blocking that idea, but I'm curious and I'd like to know.

Anonymous said...

I don't know why my post was deleted on NJ.com. I am also blocked from posting on the site. I guess it had something to do with my 9/11 Ride posts. As I have done in past years, I posted the info on many of their forums. Each one this year was deleted. I have sent an inquiry to NJ.com without receiving a response.

As many of you know, tomorrow morning my wife Michelle & I set out on the 9/11 Ride. This is a 3 day police escorted motorcycle ride where we connect the 3 crash sites of Sept. 11th, Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pa., The Pentagon in Washington D.C. & The World Trade Center in New York. The ride travels through NJ on Saturday. We will be coming up Rt. 130 North in the Hightstown area at around 2 pm. We continue up Rt. 130 north to Rt. 1 north. We make a brief stop in Linden at the Home Depot parking lot. We plan to arrive there around 3:15 PM. We wait there until they clear the lanes for us in the Holland Tunnel and conclude the ride at Ground Zero.

Yes, we'll be causing traffic tie-ups. We'll be causing inconveniences for people. We'll have people yelling at us, however all that is quickly forgotten when we remember the people who lost their lives that horrible day. When we remember we were attacked only because of the freedom we have. If you have time on Saturday please come out along the route and show your patriotism. Bring a flag.

As Todd Beamer would say, "Lets Roll"


http://www.americas911ride.org/


Butch

Anonymous said...

Bucth go toot your own horn some where else. Mr. high and mighty soap box preachy, election losing, sh-t stirrer blow hard.

Anonymous said...

I guess you must be the one who had my posts deleted on NJ.com. I guess you have no patriotism?

BTW anonymous, I'm available anytime you're interested in discussing this in person.

Butch

Anonymous said...

Hey Butch:

That loser may have had your posts deleted on NJ.com, but my guess is that won't happen in this forum.

Congratulations and great success on your 9/11 ride. Enjoy it. It's great and patriotic that someone like you doesn't forget what happened that day. Again, good luck.

Anonymous said...

Butch, riding on your motorcycle and feeling bad for the victims of 9 11 do not make you a patriot. A patriot is someone who will stand up and do the right thing and say the right thing despite party affiliation. You are a Republican. You have never once criticized the Bush Admninstration. Despite his mishandling of Katrina, despite his mishandling and entry into the Iraq war. In fact the only time you will take the opportunity to disagree with a fellow Republican is when he tries to work in a bipartisan approach with the Democrats. This you find offensive. I am aware of your attitude towards elections. It is an anything goes attitude. I don't consider that patriotic. Stealing political signs, lying about the opposition and on and on and on. Someone who is patriotic learns about the facts, instead of twisting them to suit his political agenda. $500,000 for a truck! Any six year old could have read the budget and known that this was not the case. Some of the greatest patriots were people who challenged their government. You challenged a REpublican administration that tries to deal with the current administration so that it could go back to the old days where Joe Locricchio yelled and screamed and threw out his mail while taking orders from the man you are in touch with every other day. Thank god the township committees are televised so we can all see what a giant hypocrit you are.

Anonymous said...

You must be a Roth/Lucas attack dog. Anyone who knows Butch knows he has Manalapan in his heart, not developers and political cronys in his back pocket like you seem to have.

Anonymous said...

If you can't figure out that the poster wasn't "a Roth/Lucas attack dog" buy Lucas himself, shame on you. Only Lucas thinks people buy into that bipartisanship nonsense. Bipartisanship is trying to work with EVERYONE, not turning your back on your own party to work exclusively with the opposing party that bought your cheap little heart. When you're a nobody like Lucas, you will sell your soul to anyone who promises to give you a title like "mayor." Like it really makes Lucas any better than the estrogen boy we all know he is.

Anonymous said...

Hey datruth, how about an update on the township v former township attorney lawsuit? I can't find any current references to it when doing a search. You really can't get any info from the Manalapan forum, just rantings from both sides. Can you enlighten us?

Thanks!