Friday, December 4, 2009

Manalapan Delays A Vote on Approving What Some Call "Love Canal II"

If you were in da Manalapan Town Hall with daTruthSquad during da November 11 meeting, you saw what turned into a contentious meeting, complete with most of da population of nearby Englishtown in attendance (well, about 30 or so). Why were they there?

Da Manalapan Township Committee, led by da lame duck Commissar Klauber and da Queen, who will not be going to Trenton thanks to da voters by a landslide, want to place over 100 affordable housing apartments right on da Englishtown border to make da town's COAH obligation easier. Sounds good in theory doesn't it? If that were all it was, then there probably wouldn't be much of an argument here, but whenever da Queen & Commissar-led Township Committee does anything, check both your wallot and what is being hidden under da rug first.

While there's nothing wrong with trying to do what is right for those less fortunate, why da rush, why that location, and what is in da best interest for these potential new residents of Manalapan?

ISSUE 1: Da Committee was all prepared to vote -- WITHOUT A TRAFFIC IMPACT STUDY! As many as 200 or more cars will be added to a major road out of Manalapan and into Englishtown and their already-overcrowded Main Street! But it's OK, no traffic study needed. It's not like these two didn't bury da Village project in a series of traffic and other studies and reports.

ISSUE 2: One Englishtown politician described da land where this project is to be built as A POTENTIAL "LOVE CANAL" and another as a "ghetto." Why??? Because da land was once home to an oil company, and needs to be cleaned up, and quite possibly at a large cost still to be determined, BEFORE any work is done. AGAIN - NO STUDY OR REPORT ON DA CONTAMINATION DONE! Still OK for da Queen & da Commissar.

ISSUE 3: With a new governor on his way in, who wants to fix COAH and the obligations towns have, why rush this through? It's not like da Queen accepted donations from builders and developers, even those as far away as Philadelphia during her failed State Assembly campaign?

ISSUE 4: Why was this exact location picked? There's absolutely no infrastructure available to the residents who will have little means. Da only shopping within walking distance to them will be a liquor store, ice cream store, and sandwich shop and take-out Chinese restaurant. There's no sidewalks to da nearest bus stop, so they will have to walk in da already-narrow Route 522 about 1/4 MILE to get to and from da bus. And, there's that cozy feeling of living atop a place that is being compared by some Englishtown residents to potentially being a Superfund site.

In da end, though, a cooler and somewhat balder head prevailed as alleged Manalapan resident and alleged GOP'er Andy Boy asked to delay da vote so some of these issues can be explored. Da township committee agreed, and will wait one month - but is one month enough?

Here's our questions:

1. Why was da Manalapan Township Committee ready, willing and able to vote on a plan that apparently doesn't have an overall plan?

2. With a new governor on his way in, why rush will fulfilling COAH obligations that could be lessened next year?

3. Has a study been done to see if any member of da Manalapan Township Committee received donations from any company or individual who could benefit from this project?


4. Why do we not know even da slightest extent of da ground contamination on da site - yet da Manalapan Township Committee was ready that night to vote and most likely approve da plan where hundreds of people -- and children -- will live?

5. What is to stop Englishtown from having their police set up registration checks every morning along Main Street and Route 522 if this project is approved?

6. Over 110 apartments, some up to 3 bedrooms. How many more kids for Manalapan's already overcrowded schools? How many more police will need to be hired? No crime study for low-income housing, but Manalapan's Township Committee is ready to sign off on this?


7. All of these low-income apartments, and no infrastructure to handle their needs? How are these people supposed to get through Manalapan to Marlboro and Freehold to shop and go to da supermarkets? Da only "infrastructure" within walking distance will be a sandwich shop, take-out Chinese food and a liquor store.

8. You had da Manalapan Township Committee ready, willing and able to vote on a project without even having done even one traffic impact study. With da Village, they did so many traffic studies they could wallpaper da Freehold Mall with it and still have pages to spare. What was da rush?


DaTruth is, while there is a COAH obligation, things could easily change to Manalapan's COAH benefit next year with Christie as Governor. Even if nothing regarding COAH changes were to happen, what is da rush to build even more homes? Even more important, what is da rush to build these particular low-income apartments?? Why push through with such breakneck speed that no traffic impact or infrastructure or health or ground contamination studies done???

Here you have a project that is obviously causing a ton of angst with da neighbors in Englishtown. You're going to build a low-income 100+ unit project that will directly impact their town, because Manalapan is placing this squarely at da border of their town - and Manalapan has absolutely no infrastructure in that area for those new potential residents. In fact - da only "infrastructure" in place for those low-income residents within a mile of that site will be soda machines at Manalapan Rec!

Why there? Why on a piece of land with potential contamination so concerning to some residents they started referring to da land as "Love Canal II??"

There are some who have called for an investigation into whether some politicians received campaign contributions from builders and developers. Is an investigation warranted?

DaTruth is, you really do have to question da rush to vote on this. If it weren't for da folks in Englishtown coming in force to da Manalapan meeting to make their concerns known, this probably would have been shoved through. Is one month going to change anything?

Da people of both Manalapan and Englishtown should put da Manalapan Township Committee on notice. They need to say out loud that this should be delayed until da lame-duck session is over and a new mayor and Ryan Green are added to da committee.

To be fair, if daTruthSquad were da lawyer for da Englishtown residents, they could consider a lawsuit against Manalapan to ensure da proper studies are done first, and to see if there is any money trail. If this isn't done, then what does this say about a development like da Village, which could become Manalapan's biggest overall ratable, add no extra kids to da crowded schools, yet has been buried in study after study for years? Englishtown residents have da most to lose here. If this is going to be done, it should be done right, with no complaints, and no potential health and welfare risks, and with benefits to those low-income residents.

And that's daTruth.

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

amazing how some people who are used to charging by the word can stretch one or two ideas into a length of verbiage close to 'war and peace.'

Humphrey Bogart said...

Just a m oment! Are you telling us that--in politics--there are people so low, so dishonest, that they would try to push through a project as a favor to their friends and supporters just as they were about to leave office?????

OMIGOD! Shocking, truly shocking.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Truth for bringing to light what the New Transcript does not want to discuss. As an Englishtown resident, you can add me to your list of regular readers.

an Englishtown resident said...

I don't know where you get all of your information. You obviously must be some political insider or work in Manalapan Town Hall, but I'm glad you put so much detail into this and asked the questions the Manalapan politicians who want to ram this project through are afraid to ask. Thanks for bringing this shameful project to light.

Anonymous said...

FYI - we'll be back at that December meeting. If this project gets approved, Manalapan is in for one long fight with their neighbors from Englishtown.

Anonymous said...

Hire the engineering genius who approved the Dreier deal. Maybe he can get it right this time.

Anonymous said...

Isn't it interesting that Roth and Klauber went nuts over a landscaper because he might send ten trucks down a rarely used road, but have no problem putting a development dumping 200 trucks on a road that is already backed up all weekend. Smell something funny here?

Anonymous said...

The whole thing sounds like just another cronyism deal.

Anonymous said...

Hopefully Mayor Cohen will see through the shenanigans.

Anonymous said...

Andrew Lucas is going to be the next mayor. Susan isn't running again so Lucas is the obvious choice. If she doesn't support Lucas she will be run out of the Republican party.

Ryan Green knows better than to support Susan. Lucas is the only choice. We know a democrat will not be mayor this year. Wait till next year!

Anonymous said...

Lucas could very well be the next mayor, because Roth will side with him and Holland will do whatever Roth tells him to do. Ryan Green will find out soo enough what both Susan and Tony found out, and that's don't mess with Roth and her power brokers, Grey and Ward.

Anonymous said...

Ah yee of little faith. You think Andy Boy will be the mayor? Don't count Susan Cohen out just yet.
The county has gotten an ear full of the ties that bind Andy Boy to McEnery, namely Cow Chip, LLC. The business venture that keeps McEnery loyal to Andy Boy. But the powers that be are non too happy with the shananigans that Andy Boy has had with the Democrats. The times they are a changing and the new Republicans want no part of the allegiance that Andy Boy has with Roth and Company.

Oh and don't count Susan out from running against Andy Boy next year if he continues to disrepect and ignore her. Andy Boys refusal to work with Susan Cohen is a direct affront to the Republican Party. Not too bright a move from a Princeton grad.

And as for who Susan Cohen can run with next year.

Susan Cohen has no shortage of qualified, principled potential running mates. Individuals who are real Republicans!

Anonymous said...

"Don't mess with Roth and her power brokers...." Yeh, lol. You can see how much it hurt O'Scanlan and Casagrande,Stu Brown, Stu Moskovitz, and everyone else that stood up to this bag of wind. Give me a break. The only person who got hurt was the fool Klauber who let her destroy his political career by not having the blls to stand up to her. Now, if she destroys Lucas as well, that's fine. How about you, Ryan? Would you like to follow Klauber and Lucas?

Anonymous said...

It seems that there are some other "improprieties" with Cow Chips, LLC. Yep. The boy that took the car ride with Brunelli to Trenton hasn't learned his lessons yet.But this time, it's federal. My understanding is that the guy who took down Klauber and Roth is now setting his sights on Andy with information in his pocket about Cow Chips just waiting for Andy to be foolish enough to become mayor and run for reelection, when the information will get the most publicity. Personally, I can't wait.

Anonymous said...

Andrew has the support of the Republicans in the county. Oxley loves McEnery. We will run this yown behind their leadership.

Anonymous said...

someone has nothing to do today.

Anonymous said...

yup. and "someone" has his blog, his big vocab, his law degree and--for the time being--his license, but--boo hoo--everyone with either some power, some common sense, or both, hates his guts.

Anonymous said...

Our police department is being evaluated to be considered among the best in the country. They are already the best in the State of NJ. Only the Manalapan Republicans came to support the police. Where was Roth, Klauber, or Lucas? We filmed the event amd it will be on MTTN channel 77. Check it out. See who could speak out for Manalapan.

Anonymous said...

The more I read about this apartment building by the Englishtown border, the more I don't like it. In other towns that have something somilar, it creates a crime and social problem. Route 522 is bad enough now. With no sidewalks, it would only be a matter of time before some is walking in the street and gets hit by a car. This project should be stopped. Or put it on Route 33 where there's more room for it.

Anonymous said...

Putting it on Route 33 or near it would make more sense, but that won't happen because some Manalapan politicians and their handlers live too close to it and don't want it in their backyard. Why do you think they want it by Englishtown?

Anonymous said...

So Mr. Head Honcho (or at least he thinks he is) Gerry Ward had the audacity to make fun of a poster on this sight that spelled the word (similar) wrong...on none other than Curly Cue Kathy Baratta's hate site... Tisk, Tisk, Mr. Ward - YOU COULDN'T EVEN SPELL THE WORD "STRAIGHT" ~ IN YOUR SUBJECT LINE...on the hate site..

THOSE "DRINK FESTS" WILL GET YOU EVERY TIME...

YOU SEE MR. WARD ~ NOBODY'S PERFECT, NOT EVEN YOU!!!!!!!

NOW THIS WAS PRICELESS!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

ya gotta love how stu goes for the jugular. at least he held back on calling jerry a criminal child molester or a serial murderer, the usual stuff in stu's grabbag of christmas epithets.

Anonymous said...

where do you see any posting by Stu at all? In fact, I've never heard Stu call anyone a child molester or serial murderer. Your psychotic obsession is showing. Hmm. Feeling guity about something, Freddie?

Anonymous said...

tell it to da judge.

Anonymous said...

No, Freddie, that's what you'll be doing. :)

Anonymous said...

What judge? You can't even type up a motion.

Anonymous said...

freddie can tell the truth, something of which you're incapable.

Anonymous said...

How would you know Freddie can tell the truth? He never has before.

Anonymous said...

One-note johnnies never "can tell the truth."