Ford Avenue 2

Plans to clean up the former Michelin Tire Co. site in Milltown have taken a step forward. News that the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s has ordered the owner of the Ford Avenue site to remediate the powerhouse comes at the same time the borough has changed its redevelopment plan to allow fewer homes. Tom Budroe, the EPA’s on-scene coordinator for Ford Avenue, said his agency has issued a unilateral order for Lawrence Berger, principal owner of the site, to remediate the contamination at the powerhouse, said to be a heavily polluted portion of the property. The EPA earlier this year attempted to negotiate an administrative consent order that Berger ultimately rejected. “The difference between the two orders is that the administrative order is negotiated, and it is not ordering them to do the work; it’s something that they would comply with voluntarily,” Budroe said. “A unilateral order, on the other hand, orders them to do the work.” Berger could choose not to comply with the unilateral order, Budroe said, but that could prove more costly for Berger. “After we issue them unilaterally, then we could potentially go ahead and do the work ourselves, and then reclaim the cost for doing the work,” Budroe said. “Sometimes the cost could be what’s called ‘trouble damages,’ which is three times whatever it costs us to do.” But Budroe said Berger has agreed to perform the remediation and follow the schedule outlined in the order. The Ford Avenue site was slated to be redeveloped with 324 age-restricted housing units, along with retail space, but the agency last month amended the plan and reduced the housing density to 276 units. Ford Avenue Redevelopment Agency Chairman Anthony Zarillo said more funding may be on the way for remediation. The agency’s application to have the property designated as a brownfields site was approved, and new legislation provides special funding for such sites. Zarillo said the agency has applied for a $5 million grant from the Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Fund, a joint-funding operation between the state Department of Environmental Protection and the state Economic Development Authority (EDA). The money would be used for any further site investigation, the development of a remedial action work plan (RAW) and remediation of the site itself. Zarillo said he was informed that the DEP plans to recommend to the EDA this month that the application be approved. “I don’t want to be too aggressive in my optimism, but I believe that if all of that takes place, by the end of the year, we will have an approval for close to $5 million worth of funding that will do all that needs to be done by way of remediation on the site,” Zarillo said. Some residents have expressed concern that the Mill Pond is also contaminated, and should be tested. State and federal officials have said that the pond is not within the redevelopment area, however, and is therefore not a top priority. But that may soon change as well, Zarillo said. The $5 million grant includes funding for a preliminary site investigation of the pond. “So it is the agency’s indication to the borough and its residents that we do have a sensitivity about the Mill Pond, but there’s a place and a time for that to happen,” Zarillo said, adding that the redevelopment area must first be cleaned in order to prevent any further contamination of the pond. Zarillo credited the mayor and council with initiating the cleanup of the site. Had the governing body not created the redevelopment agency, he said, the site would have remained in its current state. “And over the last four years, we have slowly but surely worked toward resolution of those problems in the face of tremendous odds and tremendous negative misinformation being spun by opponents of the project, much to the detriment of the residents of Milltown,” Zarillo said. A recording of the Nov. 22 meeting of the redevelopment agency shows Janet Court resident Charlie Jegou, a founding member of the citizens’ group, Milltowners for a Sensible Ford Avenue Redevelopment, contesting Zarillo’s point. Jegou said he has been in contact with DEP officials concerning the acquisition of funding for the cleanup of the site. He said the remediation is not dependent upon the redevelopment of the site by Boraie Development, Milltown’s chosen redeveloper. “Mr. Zarillo says if Mr. Boraie leaves, it’ll never get cleaned up; the DEP told us this morning it will get cleaned up. There’s money out there available,” Jegou said. The powerhouse, the largest source of contaminants on the site, could be completely remediated with Brownfields funding, and the rest of the site could be cleaned as well, Jegou said. “We won’t need Mr. Boraie to pay for it,” Jegou said. “Can you imagine how much that would save the taxpayers of Milltown? Mr. Boraie then wouldn’t have to put 324 units there.” But Zarillo told the Sentinel that he has lived in the borough for 35 years, and the site has remained unchanged. He said everybody — borough residents, officials and members of the agency — wants the site cleaned up. The public’s interest and involvement in the environmental concerns, however, were absent until the agency was created four years ago, he said. The density of the project has also been the subject of much debate. Residents and some borough officials expressed disapproval of the density in the residential portion of the redevelopment proposal, but the agency was wary of any amendments to the plan that would violate the terms of the developer’s agreement, which includes plans for up to the senior housing and up to 75,000-square-feet of retail space. In consideration of the apparent impasse, Freeholder Director David Crabiel earlier this year proposed a compromise, dubbed “The Crabiel Plan,” which would reduce the number of residential units. The county also plans to purchase four acres of the property to increase open space and setback acreage. The amendments were adopted at the Nov. 22 meeting, and the plan now calls for 226 single-family age-restricted housing units and at least 50 age-restricted senior apartments — an overall reduction of 48 units. Zarillo said officials would like to move away from the designation of the Crabiel Plan and any political stigma it may carry. “That plan was not offered as a political alternative, but rather as a major substance of change and adjustment to the original developer’s plan,” Zarillo said. “And while that plan, in my opinion, was a good plan, this plan is much better.” Now that the amendments have been adopted, an offer of acquisition of the property can be made as soon as the aforementioned funding is in place. Acquiring the site, he said, is a matter of “when,” and not “if.” “These are major, major milestones that we are now accomplishing,” Zarillo said. “This is good news for the site, it’s good news for the agency and it’s good news for the residents of the Borough of Milltown, because now definitive action will be taken.” The Sentinel by Seth Mandel - Staff Writer

Milltowners Group Says Crabiel Plan Falls Short
September 8, 2005

Some residents are hoping the Crabiel Plan is not the final plan for the redevelopment of Ford Avenue. Charlie Jegou, co-founder of the grassroots Milltowners for a Sensible Ford Avenue Redevelopment group, released a statement criticizing several parts of Freeholder Director David B. Crabiel’s vision for the former Michelin Tire Co. site. Last month, Crabiel presented a plan that would reduce the number of residential housing units in the proposal by 48. His self-titled plan also asks the freeholders to acquire 4 acres of the 22-acre site in order to increase the open space buffer to Mill Pond to at least 100 feet in all directions. Jegou said the 100-foot buffer is a provision included in the borough’s master plan, and should be adhered to regardless of the proposal. “This guideline was seemingly forgotten in the early planning of the Ford Avenue redevelopment project,” Jegou’s statement read. “In Mr. Crabiel’s suggestion, the county will pay a premium to provide something that should have been included in the original plan.” Jegou noted that the setback increase is a step in the right direction, but still falls short of the 300-foot setback recommended by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to protect drinking water from contamination. Crabiel said that, to his knowledge, DEP officials never made the 300-foot setback a requirement, and if they had, the plan would adhere. Crabiel said the borough ordinance outlining the redevelopment plan supersedes the master plan, and the redevelopment could legally be completed with its proposed 50-foot setback. Under the Crabiel Plan, the 100-foot setback would be strictly enforced. Jegou said any reduction in residential units would be a positive step, but the 48-unit reduction in the Crabiel Plan is not enough to make a difference. If the county purchases 4 acres of the redevelopment area, the density of the project would still be about 15 units per acre, he noted. Aside from the 4 acres the county plans to purchase, each change suggested by the Crabiel Plan could be enacted by the Ford Avenue Redevelopment Agency, Crabiel said. “To [remove] more than 48 units, in the opinion of the lawyers, would throw it back to the mayor and council, which would delay things probably somewhere between six months and a year,” Crabiel said. He added that any further delay in the process would hurt efforts to remediate contamination on the property. Crabiel also proposed a traffic signal at the intersection of Ford Avenue and Main Street. There is currently a Wachovia bank branch near that intersection, and Crabiel said the intersection is a difficult one that will be made worse with the added congestion of the Ford Avenue redevelopment. “The traffic light should be done even if you don’t develop Ford Avenue,” Crabiel said. “If you come out of the bank right now, you can’t make a left-hand turn, it’s impossible. So there is a need for a traffic signal.” Jegou said the traffic light will not ease congestion, but would further impede traffic flow in the area. “This will do little more than create a bottleneck on an already crowded section of Main Street,” Jegou said. “With the addition of 400 more cars from the development, traffic would naturally spill over onto the nearby side streets. This will create a safety issue, not only for the residents of Ford Avenue, but also children walking to public school less than three blocks away.” Main Street is a county road, Crabiel said, and the municipality and Wachovia would also share in the cost of the signal, which would be about $1 million. In June 2004, International Communications Research, of Media, Pa., conducted a phone survey of 300 borough residents to gauge public opinion of the redevelopment plan. Jegou said the results of the survey showed that age-restricted housing and residential housing in general were less important to respondents than open space, access to Mill Pond, and retail establishments and restaurants. Jegou said the current redevelopment proposal ignores the public’s wishes. “From the beginning, the Ford Avenue Redevelopment Agency decided that the site plan would contain high-density housing,” Jegou said. “This decision was made with no public input.” Crabiel said there has been a wealth of public input with both plans, and he believes the majority of area residents support the Crabiel Plan in its entirety. “I believe there is good support for the Crabiel Plan around Milltown,” Crabiel said. “If they put it on the ballot, I think the Crabiel Plan would pass right now, overwhelmingly.” Crabiel said Milltown Council President Mike Skarzynski should be lauded for his steady pursuit of bringing age-restricted housing to the borough, which will add no schoolchildren and therefore no additional property taxes. “The main criticism they had was the magnitude of the so-called Boraie plan,” Crabiel said, referring to the borough’s original plan, the result of a proposal by local developer Omar Boraie. “This cuts the plan without killing it, and gets the property cleaned up. It’s a disgrace at the moment.” Additionally, Crabiel said the original proposal included the appropriate amount of retail for the town, which is surrounded by shopping centers, and that any increase in that amount would possibly be suffocated by competition in the existing marketplace. “When you’re boxed in between North Brunswick, where you have shopping centers right over the line, and you have Home Depot on the south side of town, and then you go into East Brunswick, it’s very difficult to get a commercial center developed of any magnitude,” Crabiel said. But Jegou said that residents responded to the survey because they believed their input would be reflected in the redevelopment plan, but that has not been the case. He said residents are concerned not only with how the redevelopment will affect them, but how it will affect their children and all future residents of the borough. “The decisions made today about the Ford Avenue redevelopment will affect generations to come in this small town,” Jegou said. “What legacy will we leave for future generations in Milltown? Something to be proud of, or poor decisions that will only grow worse in time?” The Sentinel by Seth Mandel - Staff Writer

Crabiel's Housing Plan Has Serious Shortfalls
August 29, 2005

Middlesex County Freeholder Director David Crabiel used his considerable power late last week to try to find a solution to the simmering dispute in Milltown over the redevelopment of the Michelin Plant site.

Crabiel, who happens to be a resident of Milltown, where his wife serves on the board that approved the controversial development proposal, said the county would buy four of the tract's 22 acres with money from its open space fund. He said he hoped the purchase would quiet critics who have complained the plan contains too much development and not enough green.

The additional four acres would give the site a total of 7 acres of open space, and create a 100-foot buffer along the entire length of the property's pond.

The question, of course, is whether Crabiel is acting in the interests of the county — to which he owes his allegiance — or whether his focus is really Milltown. It might be best for the borough to get the county to purchase four acres, at what one can only assume will be a premium, from developer Omar Boraie. It is not entirely clear that paying top dollar for four acres and a 100-foot strip along Mill Pond, hardly wide enough for any athletic field, will serve the county well.

The other problem with Crabiel's solution is that it demands so little. He is asking Boraie to sacrifice 48 of his proposed 324 units, a solution that — given the loss of four acres — actually will increase the density at the site, to 18.4 from 17 units per acre. His plan calls for dropping 20 of the 90 proposed apartments, but just 28 of the 234 proposed town houses and condominiums, which would leave a density of 13.7 town houses per acre, as opposed to the current 12.3.

In short, it's not clear Crabiel's offer does very well by either the county or the borough. And it ought to be given a thorough review at both levels.

The Home News Tribune Editorial

Greener Plan: County to Help Boost Redevelopment Buffer
August 25, 2005

Freeholder Director David B. Crabiel presented a plan yesterday that he hopes will end the recent flap over redevelopment at the former Michelin Tire Co. site.

"I realize there has been a lot of banter in Milltown, but hopefully this plan won't kill the idea of redevelopment, just modify it," he said yesterday at his freeholder office.

In the plan, Crabiel proposes that the county use open-space funding to buy and preserve 4 acres of the 22-acre Michelin site, which is bounded by Ford Avenue, Main Street, Lawrence Brook and Mill Pond.

Those 4 acres plus the 3 acres that developer Boraie Development Co., based in New Brunswick, has already promised for open space would provide a 7-acre buffer — or roughly 100 feet — between any development and Mill Pond. The open-space buffer would span the length of the pond, Crabiel said.

"That means that nearly one-third of the land on which the former tire plant sat would be preserved forever, with no risk of ever being developed," he said.

The county, he said, can purchase previously contaminated lands with open-space dollars as long as the site's cleanup is complete and paid for by the owner or the company that contaminated the site.

Crabiel's plan also suggests that developer Omar Boraie scale down the proposed number of residential units — 90 senior apartments and 234 condominiums and town houses. Crabiel wants to eliminate 20 senior apartments and 28 condominiums and town houses, or 48 total. All housing would remain age-restricted.

Crabiel wants his plan to appease those residents who have complained that Boraie's proposal for the 22-acre site includes too much high-density housing and not enough green space.

"They basically have come forward with questions, and I believe we have to react to that," he said. "I think this plan will get the project off the ground now."

Crabiel has discussed the plan with Boraie, who did not return telephone calls seeking comment last night.

Both Crabiel and Boraie are Milltown residents who want what's best for the community, Crabiel said, adding he hopes officials support his redevelopment plan.

Mayor Gloria Bradford said she is pleased with Crabiel's plan and hopes, with the county's help, the long-delayed Ford Avenue project can now move forward.

"We're finding a compromise between all the residents in town," she said yesterday afternoon. "I think that any way we can have more open space and protect our waterways and satisfy the developer is a win-win for everybody. I'm glad we're getting off dead center."

Borough Council President Michael Skarzynski agreed, adding he is thankful the county is willing to purchase and preserve 4 acres of land bordering Mill Pond.

"From the start of this project, I've always said it was a work in progress," he said last night. "But we're definitely looking a lot better today than we were yesterday."

Borough Council plans to apply for the county open-space funding immediately, said Skarzynski, who hopes members can take action at their Sept. 12 meeting.

"We want to get the ball rolling on this," he said.

The Ford Avenue project has been in the works since the council appointed seven residents — including Crabiel's wife, Mary — to the Ford Avenue Redevelopment Agency nearly four years ago.

The agency's original plan included Boraie building 324 units of senior and age-restricted housing plus 75,000 square feet of commercial and retail space.

Crabiel said agency members can modify the plans to include his suggestions without going through the council or the Planning Board. Even though his wife serves on the redevelopment agency, Crabiel said he sees no conflict of interest with using county open-space dollars to purchase land that's a part of the Michelin site. Eric Aronowitz, first deputy county counsel, agreed.

"He has proposed some recommendations or suggestions to the Redevelopment Agency," Aronowitz said yesterday afternoon. "He's doing that as a public official of the county. His wife, being an unpaid member of the agency, has no interest — financial or otherwise — in his proposals. It's the Borough Council that will ask the county for open-space funds, not the agency."

Mayor Bradford, who was also appointed to the agency, has long said politics played no part in the council's selections despite grumblings by some residents, including those in the group Milltowners for a Sensible Ford Avenue Redevelopment.

"This has have never been about politics," Bradford said. "It's about what's best for Milltown."

However, Alex Wiener, co-founder of the community group with Charlie Jegou, disagrees with that statement and Crabiel's redevelopment plans. Speaking for himself and not on behalf of the group, Wiener said he would like to see even more green space and less housing.

"It's definitely an improvement, but it's not what we're looking for," he said yesterday.

In addition to boosting open space and eliminating housing, Crabiel also proposes adding a medical facility at the site and installing a traffic light at Ford Avenue and North Main Street, a county road.

The county would cover most of the $1 million cost of the traffic light, Crabiel said.

The Home News Tribune by Kristin Boyd - Staff Writer

Alternative Plan: Pie in The Sky?
May 24, 2005

The Milltowners for a Sensible Ford Avenue Redevelopment presented an alternative redevelopment plan yesterday that calls for office buildings, parks and the preservation of a smoke stack and water tower on the former Michelin tire factory site. But the group's conceptual plan could go to waste. Officials said altering the already approved redevelopment plan now would likely cost the borough and jeopardize the entire project. "We can't just change our minds now or we could face litigation," said Anthony Zarillo, chairman of the Ford Avenue Redevelopment Agency. "We're into an area where serious consequences could happen to the borough." Agency attorney David Himelman said changes now could result in "legal ramifications in regard to the developer's agreement," but he declined to elaborate. Boraie Development Co., based in New Brunswick, plans to build 324 units of senior and age-restricted housing plus 75,000 square feet of commercial and retail space on the 22-acre Ford Avenue site. Charlie Jegou and Alex Weiner, who co-founded the grassroots Milltowners group, said they are more concerned about what the project will cost residents in terms of traffic congestion and increased population. "We don't want high-density housing," Jegou said. "We want something on a small scale that will actually benefit the people of Milltown." Residents have repeated their concerns for the past three years during numerous public Borough Council, Planning Board and Redevelopment Agency meetings, according to Zarillo, who said the issues were addressed. However, the Milltowners feel their input and concerns were never taken into consideration. They gathered outside Borough Hall yesterday afternoon to present the conceptual plan, which includes a mixture of commercial and open space. The Milltowners would prefer to see commercial space, including two-story office buildings, retail shops and restaurants, on the west end of the site. In addition, they want a public park along Main Street with benches and monuments as well as a walking path that would stretch from Main Street to Lawrence Brook. They also want the the smokestack, water tower and railroad footprint to be preserved from the former Michelin tire factory site. "What we've come up with is what the people want to see on Ford Avenue," Jegou said, adding the ideas were culled from residents' comments at previous Milltowners meetings as well as an informal telephone survey. "We want to work with the agency to accomplish these goals." Jegou hopes to display the conceptual plan in Borough Hall, but yesterday he was still seeking permission to do that. The Edison Wetlands Association, which has been aiding the Milltowners group, contracted the Ringoes-based Princeton Hydro LLC to prepare the conceptual plan. Zarillo said the Milltowners' plans fail to address the $1 million promised by developer Omar Boraie for a new fire station as well as tax ratables, which would help the borough maintain low taxes. "This (plan) is a pie in the sky," he said. "It's bordering on being ludicrous. It doesn't deal with the number one issue: Taxes. We need something that has a sizable revenue stream for the borough." The Home News Tribune by Kristin Boyd - Staff Writer

Residents concerned about contamination
Officials expect report on Ford Ave. remedial needs next week
May 19, 2005

Residents expressed concerns last week that the Ford Avenue property that is the former site of the Michelin Tire Co. is contaminated and that further testing is needed to determine the extent of chemicals on and around the site.

The residents, who addressed the Ford Avenue Redevelopment Agency with their questions, were given a brief presentation concerning a recent investigation into contamination at the redevelopment site. However, the results of that investigation are not expected to be available until sometime next week.

The presentation, which included an audience question-and-answer session, was made at the agency’s May 10 meeting by representatives of both the New Jersey Institute of Technology and Najarian Associates, the Eatontown-based engineering firm that conducted the investigation.

The site investigation began in 2002 after the Middlesex County Improvement Authority received a grant from the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s brownfields program to perform the tests.

The site was divided into four areas — the Chlorobenzene Plume Area near building 3 and Main Street; a coal and fuel storage area known as the Coal Storage Area; an area between the powerhouse and Mill Pond; and the remainder of the site. The remainder of the site is known as the Minimally Impacted Area, due to its low concentration of chemicals such as arsenic, lead and zinc.

The final report is being prepared and will elaborate on the contamination at the first three areas.

The Minimally Impacted Area represents about 80 percent of the site, investigators found.

The Chlorobenzene Plume Area includes a vat that would fill up with rainwater and then overflow, leaking possible contaminants into the ground.

The Coal Storage Area features a concrete wall that, experts said, may have acted as a barrier preventing the outward migration of chemicals.

The area behind the powerhouse was tested for chemicals that were believed to have leaked into the ground underneath. Because of the presence of asbestos and the questionable structural integrity of the building, the powerhouse itself was deemed too dangerous to be included in this investigation.

The Mill Pond and the soil underneath were also excluded from the testing, since that area is not located within the boundaries of the current redevelopment plan.

After the report is prepared and turned over to the state Department of Environmental Protection, two remedial action work (RAW) plans must be developed: one for the Minimally Impacted Area and a second for the other three areas.

According to a summary report prepared by Najarian, the two plans will allow for the redevelopment of the Minimally Impacted Area while the areas with heavier concentrations of contaminants are still in remediation.

Borough resident Charlie Jegou said there were four cement tanks on the site that were found to contain traces of mercury and lead. He was concerned that when those tanks filled with rainwater and overflowed, the contaminants would invade the town’s water supply.

“The drains going out to the pond also had lead and mercury,” Jegou said. “Now, you said at that time they [flushed] them out. Where did they go? The only place to go was into the water, into our drinking water.”

A representative from Najarian responded that the contents of the tanks were flushed away from the drinking water.

Jegou said that the Mill Pond and the soil underneath are not part of the investigation, but children frequently walk along the pond’s banks.

“Is it safe for them to walk along there?” Jegou asked. “What can we do to make sure that the ground under the water isn’t contaminated so that we can tell the kids, ‘Yes, you can go fishing there; yes, you can walk in that area?’”

The Najarian official said that only the redevelopment area has been, and will be, tested.

DEP representative Ken Clue said that a contamination site is defined as “an area where discharge has occurred, and any point to which it has migrated,” which could possibly include the pond.

He said in order for a No Further Action (NFA) letter to be obtained, a baseline ecological assessment must be conducted. That assessment would include an investigation into any area where contamination may have spread from the redevelopment site.

If the area around the pond was contaminated by chemicals from the redevelopment area, Clue said, it would need to be remediated as well.

Jegou then asked Ford Avenue Redevelopment Agency Chairman Anthony Zarillo if the area has been designated a Superfund site by the EPA. Zarillo said that when he has told residents the site does not qualify as a Superfund site, he has been accused of misleading the public.

Zarillo read a letter from the EPA to clear the air. The letter indicated that “a Superfund site is defined as any site that is proposed to the National Priorities List (NPL), currently on the NPL, or deleted from the final NPL. The Michelin powerhouse site is not on the NPL, and therefore is not considered a Superfund site.”

“I rest my case,” Zarillo said.

Jean Marie Cartman expressed her concern that only the surface water on the site would be tested, but not the soil underneath.

Clue assured her that testing the soil under the groundwater is necessary to determine not only the types of contaminants present, but the age of the discharge as well.

“Sampling of only the surface water frequently does not provide the necessary information to make that determination,” Clue said.

Resident Alex Weiner protested the possibility that some contaminated land would be “capped” instead of fully remediated. In such a case, he said, the capping would not remove the contaminants from the ground.

Clue said that although the contaminants would not be removed if the land was capped, the process is still considered a safe and effective method of remediation.

“The materials will remain there, but it is a remedy that is employed frequently throughout the state for brownfields sites, as long as it’s determined to be protective, and ensured that there is no exposure,” Clue said.

Weiner asked how, after a site is capped, the DEP could ensure that residents would not be in danger due to the contaminants.

“If a capping remedy is approved for this or any property, there are obligations that some individual, whether it’s undertaken by the individuals who performed the remediation or by the property owner, by contractual arrangements someone will be responsible every two years for that remediation cap to ensure that it is maintained,” Clue responded.

Officials said the investigation took longer than expected, but once the final report is in the hands of the DEP it will become a public document, and residents can fill out a request under the guidelines of the Open Public Records Act to obtain a copy.

The next meeting of the Ford Avenue Redevelopment Agency is scheduled for May 24, and will include a presentation and explanation of the current plans to redevelop the site.

The Sentinel by Seth Mandel - Staff Writer

Agency, Residents Talk About Ford Ave.
Housing, traffic, environmental concerns hashed out at meeting
May 12, 2005

Milltown residents had the chance Tuesday to tell the Ford Avenue Redevelopment Agency exactly how they felt about the current plan. And many seized that opportunity during a special portion of the meeting that was designated for comment on the plan, which is being opposed by many residents who say it calls for too much new housing. Agency Chairman Anthony Zarillo prefaced the session by addressing the audience at borough hall, which was filled to capacity. He said the economics of the project will dictate how the former Michelin Tire Co. site can be developed, but the agency was willing to take suggestions. He reminded the audience that the borough must proceed with caution, because any modifications would have to be made to legal documents already approved by the Planning Board and the Borough Council. “This is a serious matter we’re dealing with. This is not some game we’re playing,” Zarillo said. Although the agency would consider public input, there are three components to the current plan that are not flexible, he said. “And, in my opinion, they cannot and will not be compromised as long as I am chairman,” Zarillo said. “I will resign before that occurs.” The first of those areas is the construction of what Zarillo called a much-needed senior citizen development. The second necessary component is the donation of $1 million toward a new facility for the fire department. The third, Zarillo said, is that the redevelopment provide property tax relief for the borough’s residents. If property taxes is not the most pressing issue in town, it is a close second, he noted. “Tell me that the borough is not sensitized to property taxes,” he said. “Tell me the public in Milltown are not crying for relief.” The redevelopment plan, as proposed, brings that relief, and the housing proposed in the plan is the only way for the redevelopment to make that possible, the chairman said. “If you are against the housing, you compromise the fire department, you compromise the senior citizens and you compromise substantial property tax relief,” Zarillo said. The property currently yields $211,000 in property taxes, Zarillo said, citing a recent study. If the current redevelopment plan is built out, he said, it will provide the town with $1.6 million in tax revenue. Zarillo pointed to the rehabilitation project on Washington Avenue that raised public concern about possible traffic implications as well. “What has happened? Nothing,” Zarillo said. “It has been an economic engine for the borough. This project could be an economic engine for the borough. Are there challenges? Absolutely. Are we dealing with them? Absolutely. Is traffic a problem in Milltown? You bet. It is a serious problem. And it is not a problem related to Ford Avenue.” Janet Court resident Charlie Jegou agreed that the Washington Avenue project did not cause unbearable traffic congestion in Milltown, but noted that there are only about 40 units there, as opposed to the 324 units in the redevelopment proposal. He challenged Zarillo’s claim that the Ford Avenue redevelopment would not present a traffic problem. “Well I’m sorry, those neighbors over there on Ford Avenue, Clay Street and all the other streets, they feel that it is going to be a problem,” Jegou said, citing what could amount to almost 400 additional cars on the road, many of which would join the morning rush. “How are they going to get out of here? You are going to put such a burden on these people and this town, that it’s going to be ridiculous, and it’s not worth the $1.6 million,” he said. Jegou called the $1.6 million tax yield a bloated figure, since it does not include the cost of additional services the development would require, such as police coverage, garbage collection, sewer treatment and street maintenance. He suggested the agency consider bringing medical offices to the site, as residents would much prefer to go to appointments in town instead of traveling to New Brunswick. Jegou pointed to the borough’s master plan, which states that a 100-foot setback bordering the property would be necessary to protect the nearby water supply. “That’s our drinking water,” Jegou said. “Look at 10, 15, 20, 30 years from now. A lot of us aren’t going to be here. Some of us are just going to move away, some of us are going to go up, some of us are going to go down. My hope is that the people here on the Ford Avenue agency are going to look out for future generations that are going to be here.” Agency member Edward Kozack protested to the argumentative tone he said the session was beginning to take. He asked residents to tell the agency what they would want the redevelopment plan to include. “The purpose of tonight’s open public meeting was to hear those comments,” Kozack said. “The exchanges and the bitterness that we see here, I don’t find helpful.” Resident Jim Cononie said he would like the plan to include a mix of businesses, housing and open space. He said the money used for the site investigation and remediation has come from tax dollars, and he wondered why the property owner has not been forthcoming with any supplemental funding. “Somebody has to pay for it besides us,” Cononie said. Resident Alex Wiener said the property is hazardous and should be cleaned up whether the redevelopment takes place or not. He asked state Department of Environmental Protection official Ken Clue, who was at the meeting, if the site is as much a priority to state officials as it is to residents. Clue responded that it is not considered a high-priority site, and that if not for the redevelopment, it would not be remediated anytime in the near future. Bob Kramer said that if the developer is willing to donate $1 million for a new firehouse, the money could be better spent. “I don’t personally believe that we should spend $1 million to open a new firehouse that I don’t think we need,” he said, suggesting that the borough is in need of utility upgrades more than a new firehouse. “It’s a nice idea … but I think the town needs other things before that,” he said. The density of the proposed housing should be reduced, he said, and he would like a study done to find out how much tax revenue the project would yield if it was 30 to 40 percent commercial. Ann Marie Simons said she is looking to retire in Milltown, and possibly to a home in the new development, but worries that when residents sell their homes, they will be purchased by families with school children. Such a pattern could cause further school tax increases. “When I look around here, most of you are closer to my age than my children,” Simons said. “You are going to leave your house, and you raised your family here. How can we ever take that many children into our school system?” Mayor Gloria Bradford, who is also a member of the redevelopment agency, responded that when the time comes for a resident to move out of their home, there is always the possibility that it will be purchased by a family with children, regardless of whether that resident moves within Milltown. “Whether or not there’s a place in Milltown for me to go will not determine when I sell my house,” Bradford said. “The thing that will determine when I sell my house is that it’s too much for me, and if Milltown hasn’t done anything to help me stay in town, I’m going to move anyhow.” Stacey Waters objected to Zarillo’s implication that those opposed to the housing were not in support of the borough’s fire department or senior citizens. She said not only does she support the seniors, but she doesn’t think the $1 million facility is enough of a donation to the fire department. Waters asked Zarillo if there was any way the agency could develop the land without demolishing the smokestack and water tower that exist on the property. Zarillo responded that the agency is looking into the possibility of saving those buildings or constructing replicas, so the aesthetic value of the site will not be eliminated. Carol Jegou said she has conflicting feelings about having any housing on the site, but she is certain about her feelings toward the housing currently in the proposal. “I do not want high-density housing,” she said. “The 324 units is way out of conformity with the already-existing homes [in the area].” She said the area would be perfect for a research or technical facility, and that professional and medical offices should be included in the plan, and possibly a community center as well. Additional traffic caused by high-density housing, she added, would make the neighborhood unsafe for children to walk to school and play outside. She said the plan should be something the borough would be proud to hand down to future generations of Milltowners. Agency member Gerard Cappella said the addition of commercial space to the plan could force the closure of local businesses, many of which have already closed. He said he owns a small business in town himself, and his hardware store is “striving to stay alive, not thriving.” Zarillo closed the session by announcing that the agency’s May 24 meeting will be devoted to a presentation of the entire plan as is currently in place. He said he will meet with local interest groups prior to that date to make sure everyone understands exactly what the redevelopment plan contains. The Sentinel by Seth Mandel - Staff Writer

Milltown Learns Of Tainted Land
May 11, 2005

Residents did not seem surprised to learn that three areas of the former Michelin Tire Co. are heavily contaminated with arsenic, lead and zinc, according to a report presented last night during the Ford Avenue Redevelopment Agency's monthly meeting.

A packed crowd that spilled into the hallway listened to the results from Najarian Associates of Eatontown, which investigated the 22-acre site and found an open 60-year-old vat, an old coal storage area with a 100,000-gallon fuel tank, and asbestos flaking from rusted pipes.

All three heavily contaminated areas — located behind Building 3, the powerhouse and a coal-storage area — are clustered near Main Street and Mill Pond, but they are consistent with the industrial history of the property, the report found. Other areas of the site are considered minimally impacted areas, meaning only small areas — or hot spots — are contaminated, according to the report.

The company analyzed 706 samples that were collected from 422 areas within the site. Testing has not been done to determine if Mill Pond was ever contaminated.

Before the report was discussed, redevelopment agency Chairman Anthony Zarillo dispelled rumors that the agency had overlooked environmental concerns.

The public portion of the meeting was continuing at press time as residents asked about the report.

The site is bounded by Ford Avenue, Main Street, Mill Pond and Lawrence Brook. Boraie Development Co.in New Brunswick plans to build 324 units of senior and age-restricted housing plus commercial and retail space there.

The Milltown Historical Society wants some of the site's buildings preserved. The property was included on Preservation New Jersey's 2005 list of the state's 10 Most Endangered Historic Sites that was announced yesterday. The Trenton-based group has released an annual list since 1995 to raise public awareness. The Home News Tribune by Kristin Boyd - Staff Writer

Residents Skeptical about Ford Ave. Plans
Citizens group looks to present alternate redevelopment plan
April 21, 2005

A meeting called by Milltown activists about the future of Ford Avenue last week was attended by more than 100 residents concerned about the current redevelopment effort. The April 13 meeting was hosted by Milltowners for a Sensible Ford Avenue Redevelopment, a group of residents seeking input on the plan to redevelop Ford Avenue with age-restricted housing and retail uses, along with Robert Spiegel, executive director of the Edison Wetlands Association (EWA). Much of the meeting was devoted to the topic of contamination and remediation of the Ford Avenue site, the reason Spiegel said his group became involved. Spiegel said he had been driving past the old factory buildings on Ford Avenue on his way to visit a contaminated East Brunswick property when he noticed the doors in the front and back of the old powerhouse were wide open. “When I looked in, I couldn’t believe that there were 55-gallon drums turned over and leaking, and asbestos everywhere, and it was just basically open for children to come in and play, and there were actually trails that went around to the back of the open building,” Spiegel said. “I called it in to the DEP [state Department of Environmental Protection] hotline and that’s how I got involved with the process.” Spiegel said the EWA works to help communities convert old industrial sites to environmentally safe recreational and commercial properties. But Milltown officials involved with the effort are already working on the environmental aspects of the project. In fact, Ford Avenue Redevelopment Agency Chairman Anthony Zarillo told the Sentinel that the May 10 meeting of the agency will be devoted to the results of the DEP’s testing of the site. He said representatives from each member of the “triad” — the DEP, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), and Najarian Associates, the three organizations involved in the testing of the site — will attend the meeting to present their findings. “If anybody speculates prior to that report, it is mere speculation,” Zarillo said. “I don’t even know myself what the report is going to contain, and so I’m looking forward to hearing from the agencies that have the responsibility. They have the jurisdiction over the redevelopment of the site.” The rest of last week’s meeting allowed for members of the public to make suggestions as to what they would prefer to see in the redevelopment. The current plan for the 22-acre site calls for 324 units of age-restricted housing and 75,000 square feet of retail and commercial space. The plan was adopted last year by the redevelopment agency, which has partnered with local developer Boraie Ltd. for the project. “The bulk of the people there overwhelmingly did not want high-density residential housing,” Spiegel said. “They wanted open space and they wanted some commercial for the economic tax base. Most everybody who raised their hands and talked did not want high-density residential and felt that it was going to be very detrimental to the community.” Resident Charles Jegou said many of the residents didn’t want any housing at all, but would rather the plan include professional offices and an open space buffer, possibly for a dog park. Zarillo said that some of the ideas now being discussed are unrealistic. “The bottom line is that the economics will drive the redevelopment of this project, and to suggest that 22 acres be preserved for open space is absolutely ludicrous,” Zarillo said. “The residential taxpayer in Milltown has been living with that site for too many years, where it’s been underproductive and underutilized. It is a site that should be developed in an environmentally benign manner, and it also should provide tax relief for the borough residents. The plan that we have put on the table does both of that.” Spiegel, however, said the current plan does not represent the desires of borough residents, and that it could include more open space and still be economically feasible. “You can have an economically based redevelopment and cleanup, but still have some set aside for open space, and what we’re looking for is a balanced redevelopment with this site,” Spiegel said. “We’re going to help them put together a redevelopment map that’s balanced, that really puts forth what the community wants, not a hand-picked bunch of politically connected folks who really are just concerned about money. The only green that the redevelopment authority seems to care about is the color of money.” Zarillo said economic feasibility, and not politics, is the engine that keeps the redevelopment running. He said too much personal animosity has arisen from the public’s unwillingness to accept that the redevelopment agency members are trying to do what’s best for borough residents. “Not only me, but every member of that agency is only interested in one thing, and for the public to suggest that we do not have the best interests of Milltown at heart when we go through this process is troublesome to the nth degree with me, because that is not the case,” Zarillo said. The agency welcomes public input and participation at every one of the agency’s meetings, he said. There is room in the plan for compromise, he acknowledged, but any proposed changes to the plan must be realistic. “So while I’m willing to listen to the input from the public, the public has got to understand that there are times when their desires cannot be met, because of the economics of the site,” Zarillo said. “Now, to suggest that this site ought to have more commercial development, to me that’s beyond understanding. We have enough commercial, and enough retail, in and around Milltown that will be competing with Milltown.” Jegou said that even if age-restricted housing does not add to the financial burden of educating additional schoolchildren, the town still must provide services to the new residents. He said even many of the borough’s senior citizens oppose the age-restricted housing in the plan, which would cost them more in taxes and condominium fees. “The seniors who we talked to said they couldn’t afford to move in there anyway; they’re better off staying in their own house,” Jegou said. “So they would like to see the commercial, because that would bring a tax break for them.” Another concern with the residential portion of the redevelopment plan is that it will cause further congestion of the borough’s main roads. Zarillo said that the redevelopment, as currently planned, will not exacerbate the existing traffic problem in the borough, though additional commercial space might. “It has been proven that age-restricted housing creates less traffic than a commercial site,” Zarillo said. “A commercial site will more than likely be 24-7. There will be traffic coming in all hours of the day to Milltown, assuming they can go shopping, and so therefore, what does that do with regard to the traffic problem?” Zarillo said the current plan has been approved because it is the only feasible option. “It’s been looked at by the Planning Board, it’s been looked at by the mayor and the council,” Zarillo said, adding that it may be possible to make adjustments and that he is willing to explore the possibility of reducing the density of the project. “But if the density reduction goes so far as to make the plan uneconomic, the result that the public better be ready and willing to accept is that site will never be redeveloped, not in an economically feasible way,” he said. Spiegel said he is going to work closely with Jegou and the residents who attended the meeting to put together a redevelopment map that will more adequately mirror the wishes of the community for the redevelopment. Jegou said he would like to take into consideration the opinions of all the residents who oppose the current plan in forming a new site plan. “What we’re going to do is go back to the people who were there, make sure we’re all on the same base that everybody agrees, ‘Yes, we want open space, we want commercial property,’ ” Jegou said. “Then what we’re going to do is make an alternate plan, and Bob Spiegel and the Edison Wetlands are going to help us out to make an overlay on that.” At that point, Jegou said, the group will present the new plan to the redevelopment agency “as an alternate for the people of Milltown, something that the people of Milltown decided they would like there.” Spiegel said that the meeting, and the residents’ input, came in this stage of the redevelopment effort because residents did not feel that they could effect any change in the plan. But, he said, they grew tired of being left out of the process. He believes community involvement should be a key component of redevelopment. “Now that the community understands that they actually have a voice in the redevelopment process, I think you’re going to see a lot more people get involved, because this is so centrally located in Milltown that it’s going to either make Milltown a very desirable place to live and come and visit or it’s going to drive everybody from the community,” Spiegel said. Zarillo said he has not yet perceived a large groundswell of opposition to the current plan, and that the residents should always be kept well-informed. He said he supports and respects the idea of last week’s town meeting and each resident’s right to be made fully aware of every facet of the redevelopment process. “We’ve been holding these meetings for four years, and we welcome the public participation,” Zarillo said. “The same people who are complaining they have no input, have been able to speak at every one of our meetings of the last four years. It’s not a question of whether or not there’s been public input. The frustration with these individuals is they expect us to adopt their proposal, and we have had professionals who have advised us with regard to the plan that we have put before the mayor and the Borough Council and the Planning Board, and it’s approved by those bodies. So therefore, we’re very comfortable with the plan.” Many residents, according to Jegou, said they were told the redevelopment was a “done deal,” and that there was nothing they could do to change it. “If you went to the Ford Avenue meetings, that’s what it sounded like, that they were running the show, and no matter what the people of Milltown say or do, they’re not going to change,” Jegou said. “When they came last night, they saw that there can be a change." The Sentinel by Seth Mandel - Staff Writer

Ford Avenue Redevelopment Plans Delayed
April 13, 2005

A delay in an environmental report will temporarily halt work on site plans for the Ford Avenue Redevelopment project.

Developer Omar Boraie requested a 90-day extension on the predevelopment period, stating in a letter that he can not design an accurate preliminary site plan without knowing the extent of contamination on the 20-acre tract or how that might alter the project.

The Milltown Ford Avenue Redevelopment Agency agreed with Boraie and approved the extention at its monthly meeting last night.

David Himelman, borough attorney, said Boraie will move forward with some aspects of the planned development such as traffic and utility studies.

Najarian Associates, based in Eatontown, have been investigating the former Michelin Tire Co. property, which is bounded by Ford Avenue, Main Street, Mill Pond and Lawrence Brook, for the past four to six months. The firm has yet to complete its report, but Himelman said the findings could be ready as early as next month.

The New Brunswick-based Boraie Development Co.'s plan for the redevelopment site includes 324 units of senior and age-restricted housing plus 75,000 square feet of commercial and retail space.

The Home News Tribune by Kristin Boyd - Staff Writer

Town Moving Ahead with Plans to Redevelop Surrounding Area
February 24, 2005

Now that the Ford Avenue Redevelopment area has been tested for contamination, some residents want nearby Mill Pond tested as well. Borough resident Charlie Jegou said that decision rests with the state Department of Environmental Protection and the federal Environmental Protection Agency, but neither has ordered the testing. “Well, they don’t live here, they don’t drink the water — I do,” Jegou said. “They don’t breathe the air. So, what we want to do is make more people aware of what’s going on.” When Johnson & Johnson considered building in the area in the late 1980s, Jegou said, company officials decided the project was cost-prohibited as a result of contamination that was found. He said Johnson & Johnson found mercury and lead in the ground near the Mill Pond, but the water itself was never tested. “But [Johnson & Johnson] says, ‘Don’t test the land under the water, because we didn’t work with lead and mercury. That came from somebody else, and we’re not responsible to clean that up,’ ” Jegou said. “Well, our problem is, that’s our drinking water.” He said the water is used by the borough as well as other towns, including New Brunswick. Jegou said he has urged the DEP to have that area tested several times to find out if it, too, is contaminated. “Maybe it isn’t. Maybe it’s so little that it doesn’t mean anything,” Jegou said. “But after 100 years, I think it’s more than a little bit.” Richard Rydstrom, executive director of the Ford Avenue Redevelopment Agency, said the agency has not been asked to test the ground under the Mill Pond because it is not part of the redevelopment plan. “Since nobody’s encroaching into the pond or anything, at this point they feel that they want to get the property that’s going to be developed checked out first before they do anything,” Rydstrom said. “And since nothing is going to disturb that water through this development, they don’t feel that it’s necessary to do anything at this point.” But, Rydstrom added, the agency would be happy to have the testing done should the state request that it do so. “If they require testing to be done, it would be done. Right now, they know what part is being developed and that’s the part they’re requiring to be tested,” Rydstrom said. Jegou, on the other hand, said that such lack of urgency is dangerous. Aside from the mercury and lead that may be in the water, Jegou was told by one inspector that the area is also contaminated with asbestos. He said large pipes in a nearby powerhouse were insulated with asbestos. When cracks in the roof widened and windows were broken, the asbestos on the pipes was left vulnerable to the elements. “So the rain had come in, washed the covering off the asbestos, [and] now it’s blowing all in the air. That’s all getting in the lake,” Jegou said. Rydstrom said such testing wouldn’t necessarily be the most sensible action to take. “Michelin [Tire Co.] was there almost 100 years ago, and they could’ve put something there, but since that time sediment has gotten on top of the contamination and the water flows freely over the top of the cover soil. … To go down and disturb any contamination just wouldn’t make sense,” Rydstrom said. Jegou, however, said that because the water is so shallow in certain areas, the contaminated land is easily disturbed. “If you’ve got somebody fishing, all you’ve got to do is put your oar in the water and you go to push, you can disturb the land,” Jegou said. “In other words, it’s not that it’s down 20 feet or 10 feet, it’s up close to the ground.” Rydstrom said that even if the land was tested, it would have to be remediated by whoever contaminated it. That, he said, would be nearly impossible. “Because there are so many things upstream of that pond that feed into there, trying to lay blame on who contributed what is going to be a very difficult task,” he said. “You have runoff from roads and possibly factories way upstream that could’ve put stuff in. There could have been residential stuff dumped in there in the past. So trying to figure out who contributed to any contamination that’s in there is going to be a very difficult thing.” Rydstrom said that the state recently passed legislation that removes the decontamination burden from the shoulders of the developer in order to encourage the redevelopment of unused commercial property. “And it pretty much says, ‘Hey, we’re not going to hold the developer responsible for something that he didn’t do,’ ” Rydstrom said. “We’re interested in developing brownfields, and if there’s an off-site contamination issue, we’re prepared to address that issue, and not scare the developer away by saying you’re responsible if you buy that land.’” Rydstrom said that brownfields development refers to the redevelopment of old factories that have fallen into disrepair, rather than buying and developing farmland. “What it’s trying to do is to make more efficient use of property that is no longer being used for its original purpose, and it’s just a blight and an eyesore in the middle of different towns and cities,” he said. The Ford Avenue redevelopment area falls under this category, and Rydstrom said contamination testing of the site has recently been completed. He said the testing was done in conjunction with the EPA, DEP and the New Jersey Institute of Technology, known as the “triad” approach. The firm contracted to perform the testing, Nigerian Associates, is currently preparing the report. Rydstrom said he hopes the report will be completed by early April, at which point the results will be made public at the following meeting of the Ford Avenue Redevelopment Agency. That meeting is currently scheduled for 7 p.m. April 12. After the report is completed and released, the agency would then prepare a decontamination proposal. The implementation of the proposal would be subject to state approval. Jegou said there is a distinct possibility that some of the contaminants found on the site are also underneath the Mill Pond. He said he realizes that further testing of the area could have been costly, but that it would have been money well spent. “It was going to take a couple of dollars,” Jegou said. “But what’s more important — the people’s health or building another parking lot?” The Ford Avenue redevelopment project is to include 324 age-restricted housing units along with retail and commercial space, open space and parking on the site bordered by Main Street, Ford Avenue and the Mill Pond. Boraie Ltd. is expected to build the development after acquisitions and cleanup procedures have been completed on the property. The Sentinel by Seth Mandel - Staff Writer

Town Survey Reveals Many Support Project
August 12, 2004

Milltown residents surveyed about the Ford Avenue redevelopment plan are largely in support of it, according to results presented at a meeting Monday. The redevelopment proposal includes 234 townhouses and condominiums and 90 apartments, all of which will be age-restricted. The plan for the 22-acre site also includes about 46,500 square feet of retail and commercial property and 187,000 square feet of open space. In addition, the developer will provide 622 parking spaces. The survey was conducted in July by International Communications Research of Pennsylvania. A PowerPoint presentation Monday night was conducted by Redevelopment Agency Chairman Anthony Zarillo and Dan Marguerita, vice president of International Communications Research. Zarillo prefaced the presentation by saying that although some residents had been outspoken in their opposition to the redevelopment plan, the majority of residents in town supported the project. He also said that contrary to certain residents’ complaints, the citizens of Milltown were never left in the dark as to what the fate of the redevelopment site was going to be. By keeping the public informed, Zarillo said the agency has "taken the high ground," and that the meetings concerning the project have been open to the public. Residents, he said, "had input both prior to the adoption and after the adoption [of the redevelopment plan]." Zarillo then displayed a chart that showed how much money the land currently yields, and how much it would yield if the proposal went through. The property, according to the chart, currently produces $211,398 in taxes for the borough each year. Zarillo called this underproductive and a "burden on the taxpayers." Based on a build-out in 2007, the property would yield about $1.6 million, with a net increase of about $1.4 million. Zarillo then addressed possible options to the current redevelopment plan. He said farmland is not a viable option, and that commercial development would attract more people, more traffic, and more crime to the area. Finally, Zarillo addressed what he called "malicious attacks" on Mayor Bradford and Freeholder Director Crabiel during the redevelopment process. "I will not stand by and have our public officials dragged through the mud," he said. He added that the claims made in the attacks contained "absolutely not one iota" of proof. See Survey Results ▼ Below ▼ After the presentation, Councilman Sean Leary said that he thought it "accurately summed up" how most residents in town feel about the project. Resident Charles Jegou objected to the notion that residents had any say in the matter. "We were talking about input, and it seems like we’re getting off the track," he said. "When Ford Avenue [redevelopment plans] came to us, it was already set basically in stone what they were going to put there." Councilwoman Murray said that although it may seem as though most residents are in opposition to the plan, that is not the case. "There are people who are very excited about the project," she said. The Sentinel by Seth Mandel Staff Writer

Milltown Ford Avenue Redevelopment Project
August 9, 2004
Phone Survey Results

Background A redevelopment plan overseen by the Ford Avenue Redevelopment Agency is nearing final approval that would transform the 22-acre site fronting Ford Avenue into an enclave of 234 two and three bedroom condominium town houses with attached garages, clustered in groups of three, offering a maintenance-free and amenity-laden lifestyle intended to appeal to active older adults. There would also be 90 rental apartments for the elderly and as much as 75,000 square feet of commercial space, including a restaurant. These homes and stores would be built along a mile-long pond on the site, where a brick smokestack and water tower still stand. The proposed community, which is also to have waterside pathways and a health club and central square, would be the first age-restricted multifamily development in this 1.6 square-mile borough, and only the second major multiunit project. The agency is seeking to redevelop it using mixed-use zoning to include open space, retail shops, pedestrian walkways and age restricted housing. The company that will be doing the construction work is Boraie Development LLC. Boraie Development began thirty years ago when Omar Boraie began investing and developing homes in the central New Jersey area.

Methodology ICR drew a random sample of residents in the 08850 zip code, contacted via telephone. A total of 300 interviews was conducted with approximately 1/2 males and 1/2 females. All respondents were head of households in this area. Interviews were completed between June 9th and June 17th, 2004. The margin of error is +/- 5.7%
Survey Results - Key Findings Current Site Conditions/Concerns 70% of respondents feel the current conditions at the site are dangerous. 89% of respondents feel redevelopment is necessary. Attitudes Toward Redevelopment 52% of respondents have a positive opinion about the Ford Avenue redevelopment, while very few (8%) have a negative opinion. Most respondents indicate that open space within the project, such as park areas, plazas for the public and access to Mill Pond are most desirable when considering this redevelopment plan. 73% of respondents feel it is important to have the Mill Pond area reopened and 72% feel it is important to have additional revenue for the borough. 53% of respondents are satisfied that the Ford Avenue Redevelopment Agency properly and adequately screened prospective developers, and chose the one with the best plan. Only 15% were dissatisfied. Familiarity and Involvement 98% of respondents are familiar with the redevelopment project. Most respondents (86%) have not personally attended a public meeting about this project. Generally, those who have attended public meetings were individuals with a negative opinion about the redevelopment effort.International Communications Research

Milltown Approves Rezoning Changes
August 24, 2004

Amid an intense debate among residents and the Borough Council, the six member panel last night approved changes in a redevelopment plan that will transform the former Michelin Tire Co. plant into mixed-use property.
The council vote was 4-1, with one abstaining, in favor of adopting an ordinance to change the overall density requirements from 5 units per acre to an overall 15 units per acre on the site in the Ford Avenue Redevelopment Plan. Councilman Sean Leary voted against the changes, while Councilwoman Patty Murray abstained.

The changes were requested by New Brunswick-based developer Boraie Development LLC and approved by the Planning Board last month. Another proposed change, but not approved by the council, was to add a waiver clause allowing the Planning Board flexibility in making changes to the plan as needed.

Leary made a motion to table the ordinance for further review in the middle of a motion to adopt after hearing comments from several residents concerned about the specifics of the changes in the redevelopment plan. These included questions about lot size, density, setbacks, traffic and parking.

"It's not enough time. Based on an artist rendering, we cannot gauge the impact those changes will make," Leary said. "I move to put this ordinance off -- to table it -- until we have a prepared site plan, until we have an accurate site plan."

Murray also was concerned that residents were not informed enough and asked if a timetable could be posted as to when traffic studies and other necessary tests would be done. Mayor Gloria Bradford pointed out that these types of tests are generally done when the developer presents a plan for site approval.

Some residents complained about the changes and continued to voice strong objections, saying there's not enough consideration for open space or historic preservation of the former plant.

"I think this revision make the town look foolish," said former councilman Armand Stolte. "We accepted a plan for five units and now it's tripled."

Resident Judith Mason asked when traffic studies would be done and said that the borough already has limited access to roadways.

The developer will be required to do traffic studies when he goes to the Planning Board for approval of the site plan, Bradford responded to Mason's question.

Stacey Waters, whose family dates back six generation in the borough, said she believes that governing body also needs to spend more time reassuring residents.

I don't think the majority of us are against it. We just don't see eye to eye," Waters said. "I think a lot more needs to be done so residents have a full idea of what's going on"

Boraie's plan calls for 324 senior-housing units at the Mill Pond and Ford Avenue site, including a mixture of townhouses, single-family homes, condominiums and senior apartments.

Endorsed by the Ford Avenue Redevelopment Agency, the plan also provides for 16 units of affordable senior housing and some 75,000 square feet of commercial and retail space in three buildings along Ford Avenue.

The original redevelopment plan was adopted as an ordinance by the Borough Council in 2002, before Boraie was named site developer. That plan had no overall gross density requirement for the varied types of housing proposed on the site, borough planner Ray Liotta said.
The Home News Tribune by Lisa Vernon-Sparks - Staff Writer

Survey To Show Views On Ford Avenue Proposal
August 6, 2004

The results of a survey taken in July of some 300 borough residents regarding the future of Ford Avenue will be presented at a special meeting Monday night. Residents were asked numerous questions in the survey, which was conducted by phone, including whether they support a redevelopment of the 22-acre site formerly occupied by the Michelin Tire Co. They were also asked about their support for the mixed-use development that has been proposed for the area. The survey also sought residents’ specific concerns regarding the project, according to Anthony Zarillo, chairman of the redevelopment agency. Zarillo said the community would have to wait until Monday’s meeting to learn the results of the survey, which was coordinated by the agency but funded by Boraie. The survey was conducted by International Communications Research, of Media PA. "We’re at a point now of determining whether or not the majority of residents in Milltown support the redevelopment of the site. And secondly, if they support it, what are their concerns and how can we as an agency address and deal with those concerns," Zarillo said of the reasons for the study. Also at Monday’s meeting, the Borough Council is expected to discuss changing the Ford Avenue redevelopment ordinance. Officials are expected to amend the ordinance so that the site can be redeveloped with the project as it was proposed in May. Zarillo said that details of the project remain the same, but that several components of the ordinance — including density, setbacks and other zoning guidelines — need to be changed to bring the project into compliance. The primary change, he said, involves the permitted density. A redevelopment plan adopted by the council when the agency was established capped housing at five units per acre. However, all nine builders who responded to the borough in hopes of winning the project indicated that such a density was not feasible, Zarillo said. Boraie, the eventual builder selected, had sought 20 to 25 units per acre, a figure that was negotiated down to 15 by the time of the developer’s agreement. Responding to questions that have been raised regarding whether several existing houses on Ford Avenue will be included in the project, Zarillo said none of the houses are in the redevelopment zone, nor is the building occupied by the United Way of Central New Jersey. "We have no intention of taking any of those homes or the United Way building for the Ford Avenue project," he said. In other Ford Avenue news, the borough has been notified it will receive an additional $500,000 in grant funding from the state and federal governments to use toward the environmental assessment of the property. The borough now has $1 million in outside funding to use toward the assessment and remediation of the site, Zarillo said. He added that the borough has an agreement with the owners of the privately owned Ford Avenue property that allows access to the site for environmental testing. The Sentinel by Seth Mandel Staff Writer

Milltown Planners OK Change For Ex-Tire Plant
August 5, 2004

Changes to a redevelopment plan for the former Michelin Tire Co. plant were unanimously approved by the Planning Board on Tuesday.
The changes, which included those to density and bulk standards, will be forwarded to the Borough Council. It will be introduced on first reading at Monday's council meeting, said Borough Planner Ray Liotta.

Boraie Development LLC, a New Brunswick-based developer, requested the changes to the 22-acre site, situated along Ford Avenue and Mill Pond.

Liotta said last month the revisions streamline the plan and give it more clarity.

The plan by developer Omar Boraie, a Milltown native, calls for 324 senior-housing units, including a mixture of town houses, single-family homes, condominiums and senior apartments.

The board approved Boraie's request for a density of 15 units per acre for the development, Liotta said. The original redevelopment plan was adopted as an ordinance by the council in 2002 before Boraie was named site developer.

The plan had no overall gross density requirement for the varied types of housing proposed on the site, Liotta said. However, specified in the original ordinance was a density of 5 units per acre for the town-house component only, he added.

Along with the changes, the Planning Board approved a waiver clause that would allow the board to approve necessary changes in the plan as they came up.

Liotta said this would save the developer from appearing before the Borough Council every time a change is needed.

The Home News Tribune by Craig Yetsko Staff Writer

Plan Adds Housing For Seniors
July 6, 2004

A New Brunswick-based developer, picked by the borough to transform the former Michelin Tire Co. plant, has requested some changes in the overall redevelopment plan, borough officials said. The request by Boraie Development LLC was heard by the Planning Board last week. If approved, Boraie will be permitted to build 15 units of senior housing per acre on the 22-acre site, situated along Ford Avenue and Mill Pond. While most residents are not opposed to redevelopment or senior housing, some have said they are concerned about the amount of senior housing proposed. In addition to the redevelopment plan changes, developer Omar Boraie, a Milltown native, also has asked for a waiver clause which would allow the Planning Board to approve necessary changes in the plan as they came up, borough Planner Ray Liotta said. This would save the developer from appearing before the Borough Council every time a change is needed, he added. The request is being reviewed by the Planning Board and final comments will be heard on Aug. 3. The board at that time may decide to make recommendations to the council, which has the final say regarding the changes, Liotta said. Boraie's plan, endorsed last month by the Ford Avenue Redevelopment Agency, calls for 324 senior housing units, including a mixture of townhouses, single-family homes, condominiums and senior apartments. The plan also provides for 16 units of affordable senior housing. In addition, Boraie would include 75,000 square feet of commercial and retail space in three buildings along Ford Avenue. The original redevelopment plan was adopted as an ordinance by the Borough Council in 2002, before Boraie was named site developer. That plan had no overall gross density requirement for the varied types of housing proposed on the site, Liotta said. However, specified in the original ordinance was a density of 5 units per acre for the townhouse component only, Liotta said. Liotta said the existing ordinance is slightly inconsistent with the developer's plan, and it needs to be amended. The revisions streamline the plan and give it more clarity, he added. The original proposal was scaled down from one submitted last year by Boraie. The initial plan called for building 471 residential units and 85,000 square feet of commercial and retail space, borough officials said. While members of the Ford Avenue Redevelopment Agency say the site potentially will bring in $1.6 million in revenue to the borough as compared to the nearly $212,000 that owners now pay in taxes, many residents are concerned about several issues. These include environmental remediation of the site -- which is bounded by Ford Avenue, Main Street, Mill Pond and Lawrence Brook -- and whether there is enough commercial space. In addition, residents also are concerned about the preservation of some of the historic buildings from the old tire plant, which operated from 1907 to 1930. Another concern residents have is the amount of senior housing being proposed. Stacey Waters, 28, who lives on Main Street, comes from a Milltown family that dates back six generations. She believes the borough has not taken the time to get proper input from residents and that Boraie's proposal doesn't fit with Milltown. "We are a small town, traffic is a huge issue. They are looking at 622 parking spaces. With that number of seniors, the (borough's) first aid squad and fire department will be extremely affected," Waters said. "We are all-volunteer (departments). We can't afford paid services." Boraie could get funding from the state if he tried to save the historic buildings, Waters said. In addition, the borough should be trying to keep some of the businesses on Ford Avenue, instead of kicking out "someone who is paying taxes," Waters added. "It doesn't make sense." The Home News-Tribune by Lisa Vernon-Sparks Staff Writer

Agreement Lays Out Future For Ford Avenue
May 13, 2004

An agreement that will allow 324 residential units and retail uses along Ford Avenue was approved Tuesday by Milltown’s redevelopment agency. During a lengthy and at times heated meeting, the agency unanimously approved the agreement with developer Boraie Ltd. The agreement comes approximately one year after the agency awarded the redevelopment of the 22-acre site, formerly occupied by Michelin Tire Co., to the Boraie firm, one of nine parties that sought to partner with Milltown on the Ford Avenue project. According to Ford Avenue Redevelopment Agency Chairman Anthony Zarillo, recent negotiations with the developer have resulted in a lower-density project and addressed many residents’ concerns such as a future strain on emergency services and environmental impacts. Zarillo also said the borough’s accountant, Andrew Hodulick, estimated the project will bring Milltown about $1.6 million in annual tax revenue once completed. Approximately $1 million of that will go to the school district and about $344,000 will go to the municipality, Zarillo said, the rest going mostly to the county. "It will effectively put ‘zero cost’ on the school district. It is more than the defeated budget represented," Zarillo said, referring to the recently defeated $11.6 million school budget which included a proposed 14-cent tax rate increase. "[It will] be the long-overdue economic engine to provide real property tax relief to the overburdened property taxpayer of Milltown," Zarillo added. Boraie’s original proposal had been for 271 townhouses and condominiums, 200 senior citizen rental apartments and up to 85,000 square feet of commercial space, according to officials. The newly negotiated agreement calls for 234 for-sale townhouses and condominiums, 90 senior apartments and up to 75,000 square feet of retail and commercial space, Zarillo said. All housing will be age-restricted. The density, Zarillo said, has decreased from 21 units per acre to a little more than 14 units per acre. The plan also calls for 187,000 square feet of open space including landscaped areas and pedestrian walkways. The proposal also shows 622 planned parking spaces. Agency Attorney David Himelman said yesterday that the actual commercial space proposed is now 46,500 square feet, down from 58,500, though the agreement allows "up to 75,000 square feet" in order to give the developer some flexibility. Sam Boraie, whose father, Omar, owns the development firm, said yesterday that the density decreases were primarily made by the time that the nine developers had been narrowed to four finalists last spring, and that the numbers have remained about the same since that time. The Sentinel reported last year that just prior to their selection in July, the developer presented a plan for 224 residential units including the senior apartments. However, officials now say that the approximately 100 apartments should not have been included in that number. Redevelopment agency member Anne Perlin said that one of the most significant physical alterations in the plan was the relocation of the senior apartment building to be closer to Main Street. "Senior citizens will now be able to walk to shops on Main Street," Perlin said. Other negotiations included a provision for Boraie to put $1 million in escrow to be used for building a new firehouse at an undetermined location. One quarter of that sum would be submitted initially, with the balance to be paid as future residents begin to purchase homes. The residences will be fully built-out by December 2007, and the remainder of the project will be completed by summer 2008, Himelman said. The builder, he noted, will have to do a historical and cultural study to determine which existing buildings or structures should be salvaged. Also, Zarillo said, studies for utility requirements and traffic impact will be performed. A timetable will be created for the demolitions and environmental cleanup on the brownfields site. The first 12 months, Himelman said, will provide time for acquisition of the property and for the state Department of Environmental Protection and federal Environmental Protection Agency to determine what remedial action is necessary. Boraie would be responsible for the costs of the cleanup, Himelman said. However, the borough has received $350,000 in grants and has applied for another $500,000 from the DEP for environmental investigation of the site. Himelman said that although the plan is for Boraie to attempt to negotiate the purchase of the property from its owner, U.S. Land Resources of Morristown, if condemnation becomes necessary Boraie must reimburse the borough agency for any expenses incurred as a result of the condemnation. Several residents expressed concerns to the agency on Tuesday, at times leading to heated debates. On one occasion, a resident was declared "out of order." Lifelong resident Charles Jegou said he believes the property should be redeveloped with commercial and light industrial uses to bring the highest tax ratables to the town. He said he believes that many senior citizens now living in the borough will sell their single-family homes to move into the new development, thus leaving their current homes open to purchase by younger families with schoolchildren. This, he said, would ultimately raise school taxes. He also said the proposed density was significantly higher than the current zoning of the property. "We don’t want New Brunswick in Milltown," Jegou said. He also said he has talked to many people and that seniors do not want more housing in town. "They want to see taxes lower so they can stay in their homes [rather than move to the new development]," Jegou said. Omar Boraie said the proposed commercial and retail numbers were reduced because of the other retail uses in close proximity, such as on Ryders Lane. "[The tax rate] is not going to go up. It’s going to go down," Boraie said. "Every person in Milltown will be happy." Ford Avenue resident Susan Haas also expressed concerns over potential young families moving into vacated homes. Zarillo said that seniors who want to move will do so regardless of the Ford Avenue project. "That is a bogus argument that doesn’t hold water," Zarillo said. "You can’t stop people from migrating out of town." Resident Ed Holton, also a lifelong resident, said that the borough, which now has a population of more than 7,000, has only seen an increase in population of about 500 people from the 1970 census to the 2000 census. "They want to put many more people than that in just a few years," Holton said. "If this project was good for the town, I would want it." Alan Godber, head of the Environmental Commission, said he is concerned that the public has not been part of the process and was never asked what they wanted to see at the site. "We’re concerned because there has been no public input at all," Godber said. Himelman said later that the public has been involved. "The developer’s agreement has taken into account the comments made by the public over the years," Himelman said. Zarillo said that he wanted to dispel misinformation that has gotten out to the public and that the "naysayers" would eventually see that the project benefits the town. He said he expects they will have to "sit back and join the parade." Borough Councilman Gerard Cappella and Mayor Gloria Bradford, also agency members, said the agency and its professionals did a great job of negotiating a project that is good for the borough, and that it does not deserve to be attacked. "Don’t be part of the problem. Be part of the solution," Cappella said. "It’s not a case of them vs. us," Bradford said. "It’s all of us [together]." Himelman said the agreement is contingent on the Planning Board recommending the necessary zoning changes and the Borough Council adopting those changes. He also said the agreement is somewhat flexible. "If it turns out that issues are raised by the Borough Council, the Planning Board or the agency, any agreement can be amended," Himelman said. Omar Boraie, who has resided in Milltown for 30 years, said he was not disheartened by the negative comments. "It’s no problem. It’s normal in any community," he said. Agency members include Zarillo, Perlin, Bradford, Cappella, Mary Crabiel, Edward Kozack and Herb Berg. The Sentinel by Tara Petersen - Staff Writer

Local Family Selected As Ford Avenue Developer
July 10, 2003

Boraie Development will work with agency on redevelopment

Ford Avenue is one step closer to a major redevelopment project. Milltown’s redevelopment agency has chosen Boraie Development Ltd., of New Brunswick, from four finalists to redevelop a 20-acre span along Ford Avenue and adjacent to Main Street. Omar Boraie, president and owner of the company, which he runs with his two sons, has lived in Milltown for nearly 30 years. Boraie was one of nine initial developers who presented redevelopment plans to the agency based on a request for proposals advertised last year. In May, that field was narrowed to Boraie and three other builders — American Properties, Matzel & Mumford and the Kaplan Cos. Redevelopment Agency Chairman Anthony Zarillo said Boraie’s appointment Tuesday night "begins our journey of transforming Ford Avenue from its current unsightly, run-down, dilapidated, unsafe, environmentally unacceptable, grossly mismanaged state into what has always defined Milltown — a safe, aesthetically attractive, environmentally sensitive, family-oriented and friendly community." The Ford Avenue site has been used for industrial purposes dating to the late 1800s. Many of the buildings currently on the property were built as part of the Michelin Tire Co., which operated there for much of the last century. The land is privately owned and includes a mix of vacant buildings and small businesses. Zarillo said that a developer’s agreement will follow this week’s action and will outline "all terms and conditions. There is no more-important document." Boraie’s concept plan incorporates mixed-use zoning and includes commercial office space, retail, single-family homes, townhomes, duplexes and apartments, as well as restaurants, a pedestrian walkway, a gazebo and open space. "I assure you, and I assure everybody in Milltown, we will fulfill every word in our proposal," Omar Boraie said. According to his son, Sam, all of the housing, including the single-family homes, would be age-restricted. The commercial and retail portion would each comprise around 25,000 square feet. The company envisions having a plaza area where people can walk in and see retail on both sides and offices on the second level, he said. This space would be located to the east of Clay Street, which would need to be extended. The residential portion would encompass approximately 220 units, he said. Some 60 townhomes would be located next to the retail area, and would have a parking deck on the lower level that can be used for the residences or the shops. Around 60 additional townhomes would be built along the water. Approximately 8 to 10 single-family homes would be located along Ford Avenue to "blend the project into the surrounding area" since there are some houses in existence already, Boraie said. There would also be a larger structure for "senior housing" that would have around 100 rental apartments. He said that senior housing has a different, more stringent definition than age-restricted housing, he said. With regard to the number of homes, he cautioned that "they are all rough numbers," because the developer’s agreement needs to be completed first. Other details of the plan include a gazebo that will be at the end of a dock-like structure that juts out into the Mill Pond. The builder has also incorporated a variety of open spaces, some green and some paved. A paved open square near Clay Street could be used for "concerts in the summer," Boraie said. "We really wanted to incorporate it into the rest of the town. We don’t want it to be exclusive [like other communities can be], but inclusive so the town can use the pavilion, and walk to the river," he said. He said that two restaurants would be located along the water, and the builder is also trying to make space for a heath care clinic. "Awarding this proposal takes us a step closer to realizing a dream to move forward with the cleanup of the blighted Ford Avenue complex," said Borough Council President Gerard Cappella, who is also a member of the redevelopment agency. Agency member and Milltown Mayor Gloria Bradford said, "This is a day in history I think we are going to remember." The Sentinel by Tara Petersen Staff Writer

Development proposals due from builders in February
November 28, 2002
Up to nine parties have expressed interest in Ford Ave. redevelopment

Builders interested in redeveloping Ford Avenue’s factory buildings for commercial and residential purposes have met with borough officials on several occasions recently to discuss issues surrounding the future of the 19.5-acre site. During those meetings, officials explained their desire to see mixed uses such as age-restricted housing, upscale townhouses, commercial businesses and professional offices, but they also talked about what they don’t want to see — uses such as light industrial businesses or anything that is not in keeping with the borough’s historic character. "We indicated to them that we’re not looking for something overly ambitious, that what we want is to maintain the aesthetic value of the town," said Anthony Zarillo, chairman of the Ford Avenue Redevelopment Agency. Developers are expected to present official redevelopment proposals to the redevelopment agency by February, Zarillo said last week, noting that the deadline for proposals was pushed back to give builders more time to work on their concepts. Once the proposals are submitted, the agency will prioritize them based on criteria such as how they fit with the agency’s ideas for the site; the builders’ qualifications, experience and knowledge in redevelopment strategies; the firm’s financial strength; what parties the builder would involve in the redevelopment process; and other issues. It is possible that two developers, rather than one, will be selected to work with the borough on the redevelopment of the area, Zarillo said. Eight or nine developers and vendors met with the agency during a bidders’ conference in September, and weeks later many of them walked the Ford Avenue site with agency members to discuss ideas and view the buildings — some of which can be rehabilitated while others will have to be demolished. They also discussed obstacles such as environmental contamination, which officials said may be present in some areas of the site. Agency members feel strongly that the borough needs senior citizen housing, but that is not the only type of residential housing that may spring up on Ford Avenue. "One thing we’re seriously looking at, though I want to emphasize that no decisions have been made, is the potential for some high-end townhouses, the type that does not bring a lot of schoolchildren but instead brings young couples who want to invest in a townhouse as opposed to paying rent," Zarillo said. He noted that those young couples are more likely to move out of the townhouses once they start to raise children. As for the developers, Zarillo said they have expressed an interest in a number of types of ideas. "Developers are interested in the bottom line, but they want to present a product that is within the realm of what (local officials) want to see at the site," he said, noting that officials also want to keep the property as a positive tax ratable for the future. "We want to come out with the best combination of uses for the borough," he said. The agency also wants to leave intact the historic character of the area. For example, Zarillo said he would like to see an old water tower and smoke stack worked into the redevelopment plan along with those buildings that can be rehabilitated. "I don’t know if it can be done, but we’d like to look at that," he said. "It’s part of the historic value of the site." Though it is no longer the industrial hub it once was, the Ford Avenue property is presently the site of numerous buildings and several active businesses, including light manufacturing businesses, a dance studio and other operations. The property, which is the former site of the Michelin Tire Co., is owned privately by three parties, and Zarillo said he hopes the borough and developer will be able to buy the properties through negotiations with the owners. Condemnation in court will be a last resort, he said. Zarillo said that, of the two primary owners, one has been cooperative with the borough and the other has not. "We know there are many challenges ahead of us," Zarillo said. "We are only in the very early stages of the redevelopment process, but we’re very comfortable with the pace we’ve been going." The Sentinel by Jennifer Dome Staff Writer

Ford Avenue Redevelopment Proposals Sought
August 22, 2002
Boro seeks uses such as Senior Housing, Town Homes, Retail

After months of discussions, the Ford Avenue Redevelopment Agency has taken a major step in its effort to redevelop the site of the former Michelin tire factory in Milltown. On Friday, the seven-member agency, which was appointed by the Borough Council to handle redeveloping the Ford Avenue site, issued a request for proposals from potential developers. The agency hopes to choose a developer for the site by late January, according to Anthony Zarillo, agency chairman. The 19.5-acre site, much of which has fallen into disrepair, is the former location of the Michelin Tire Co. and is presently only partly occupied by some light-industrial businesses. Officials said the site’s buildings are owned by three separate parties, who officials hope will be willing to work with the borough and any potential developers in selling their properties so they can be redeveloped. The redevelopment agency hopes to find a developer willing to transform what members believe is a blighted area that is not producing enough tax revenue. They also hope to bring in a use that will be in keeping with Milltown’s "small-town character," Zarillo said. The agency will hold a mandatory proposal conference for potential developers Sept. 10. The agency is then planning a site visitation on Oct. 16 and will accept bids from developers in December and January. On Jan. 14, agency members plan to select a proposal and begin negotiations. In seeking developers and looking at bids, the agency will evaluate the qualifications of potential developers on the basis of their financial strength and capacity, Zarillo said. Four or five developers have already expressed interest in redeveloping the property, he said. "Every indication so far in our contacts and discussions with potential developers is that they are very enthused about this. They think this is an ideal site for redevelopment," the chairman said, noting that talks been centering around making Ford Avenue into a town center that can also benefit existing businesses in the Main Street area. Zarillo said general zoning approved by the council allows for a mix of residential, commercial and office uses on the property. It does not permit light-industrial uses. "One thing we’re looking for is a senior citizens complex," he said, noting that upscale town homes without age restrictions is also a possibility. He said the agency would also like to see "a nice upscale restaurant" and professional offices to house law firms or accountants, for example. Borough Councilman and agency member Gerard Cappella said that the Ford Avenue site is a capital location for potential developers. The site is located directly behind Mill Pond Park, which itself is about to undergo a $1.3 million improvement project, he said. The agency and potential developers hope to meet with the property owners to discuss the acquisitions of their properties, Zarillo said, noting that they can be purchased through negotiations or, as a last resort, through condemnation proceedings in court — something that he said "would be costly to us and the seller." He said the business owners have been cooperative in that they have allowed appraisers hired by the redevelopment agency to go on the property, and they have also given approval for an environmental evaluation of the site. Zarillo said he is optimistic that this spirit of cooperation will continue, and that the various parties will be able to negotiate "a reasonable price" for the properties. At an agency meeting on Aug. 13, Zarillo told residents who live near the site that new homes would not be included in the redevelopment plan. The agency intends to provide a buffer area between the residences and the redevelopment area, he said. Though some officials believe construction would not begin for at least 18 months or two years, agency engineer John Stefani, of CME Associates, Howell, said redevelopment could begin as early as a year from now. In the meantime, the agency is having the site appraised and will also determine the extent of environmental contamination on the site and plan a means of remediation. He said any costs involved with the remediation could be aided with state and federal grants. Attorney David B. Himelman, Iselin, noted that the borough is receiving funding for the project from the Middlesex County Improvement Authority. The funding is a "tremendous help to the agency," said Himelman. "We are going to minimize the cost (to the Borough of Milltown)," Zarillo said. "We hope it will be as close to zero as it possibly can be." Any expense to borough taxpayers, he said, could be seen as an investment that will be returned to the borough in the form of future tax revenue generated on the property. The Sentinel by Sandi Carpello Staff Writer

Members Named To Agency For Redeveloping Ford Avenue
October 25, 2001

After receiving 15 résumés from residents, the Borough Council made the appointments to the Ford Avenue Redevelopment Agency at a meeting Monday. The seven members, who include Mayor Gloria Bradford and council President Gerard Cappella, will be responsible for designing a development plan for the Ford Avenue site — which is bounded by the Mill Pond and Lawrence Brook to the south and west, and Main Street to the east. On part of the 14-acre site sits the former Michelin Tire Co. In 1843, Michelin opened its first United States location in the existing factory on the site. "It’s a total eyesore," Cappella said about the Ford Avenue site, which is owned by U.S. Land Resources, Morristown. Lawrence Berger is a principal partner in the company and an attorney at Berger & Bornstein, Morristown. According to Cappella, the council has tried for years to work with Berger who reportedly said he would redevelop the area when he purchased it in the mid-1980s, but the redevelopment never occurred. "After trying to deal with him for years with no success, a redevelopment agency has now been formed to address Ford Avenue," Cappella said. "We’ve taken the bull by the horns, and we’re going to do what we have to do." After a 1.5-point tax increase was approved by the council — reportedly the direct result of a November 2000 fire in one of the dilapidated buildings owned by U.S. Land Resources — the company was fined more than $100,000 in fire code violations by the Milltown Fire Prevention Bureau, according to Cappella. Last week, the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders approved a resolution to enter a judgment against U.S. Land Resources if the company does not pay $80,000 by Dec. 31, according to Freeholder Director David Crabiel. Through an appeal process between U.S. Land Resources and the county’s Construction Board of Appeals, the company agreed to pay $80,000 while also waiving any further rights of appeal, Crabiel said. "We will put that $80,000 back into our general fund," Capella said. "We spent $70,000 to clean up that fire. We recouped on what we spent." The remaining $10,000 received from the settlement will be proportioned between the state and the borough, according to Crabiel, who lives in Milltown. There were five appointments to the Ford Avenue Redevelopment Agency. One of them was Mary Crabiel, who was employed as a certified municipal clerk and purchasing agent for the borough for 25 years before retiring. During her tenure as a municipal clerk, Crabiel served as both personnel officer and secretary on the borough’s Planning Board, as well as on the Zoning Board of Adjustment. Borough resident Anne Bambrick Perline, a retired art teacher and practicing artist, was another appointee. "As a disabled senior, she feels she will be an asset to the agency because of her keen understanding of what can make life easier [and therefore improve mobility] for others who are also disabled," Cappella said of Perline. Anthony Scelsa, also named to the agency, has 28 years’ experience in the construction industry and 13 years’ experience as a construction code enforcement official. He is a former member of the borough’s Zoning Board and owns a construction business, Capella said. Anthony Zarillo will also serve on the new agency. Zarillo is a former chairman of the Middlesex County Improvement Authority and a former Democratic borough councilman who served in the late 1970s, according to Cappella. Zarillo, who brings to the agency an expertise in public utilities, has published articles in his field in professional publications. In 1980, he wrote an article titled "Three Mile Island in New Jersey Regulatory Response." The article was published in the Public Utilities Fortnightly, Cappella said. Richard Rydstrom, the borough’s business administrator, was also appointed as a member to the new agency. The Sentinel by Lynn K. Barra Staff Writer

Redevelopment Project Set In Motion For Ford Avenue
September 13, 2001

The borough has received permission from the state to create an agency that would stimulate the economic revitalization of Ford Avenue between Main Street and Brook Drive. The Borough Council took its first steps this week toward redeveloping an 18-acre stretch of land on Ford Avenue that, in 1843, was the location of the first industrial rubber company in the United States. Today, nothing more than neglected buildings, a smattering of small businesses and a century-old factory stand in its place. The council is currently in the process of creating a Ford Avenue Redevelopment Agency to promote economic revitalization to the site, located between Main Street and Brook Drive. After recently receiving permission from the state to create what will be a seven-member agency, the council officially adopted an ordinance at a meeting Monday to begin the member selection process. The agency will decide the fate of the Ford Avenue site, which is bounded by the Mill Pond and Lawrence Brook to the south and west, and Main Street to the east. At least two of the seven members will be appointed from the governing body, Mayor Gloria Bradford said. The council is now actively seeking to appoint the other five members from the community. According to Borough Business Administrator Richard Rydstrom, each member should have a level of expertise in areas such as planning, finance and architecture. "We want representatives from all parties — Republican, Democrat and Independent," Rydstrom said, adding that borough or county employees will be considered for appointment, as will residents who have ideas on ways to redevelop the site. Those interested should send a résumé or letter of interest to Borough Clerk Michael Januszka by Sept. 29. The applications will be reviewed by Borough Council President Gerard Cappella, who will create a list of candidates that the council will review at its Oct. 9 meeting. The appointments are expected to be voted on at that same meeting. "I don’t want to hold this up any longer," Bradford said. "The redevelopment has been an issue for about 10 years, and the health and safety concerns have increased. The kids play in there now. It’s a safety hazard. We’re going to lose a child in there," she said. Some of the redevelopment ideas include consolidation of the two existing borough firehouses, which are currently located on either side of the borough, and construction of a senior housing unit and a strip mall. No homes or businesses on the north side of Ford Avenue will be affected by the future development, according to Rydstrom. Despite the desire to facilitate the development process through the formation of the agency, Bradford said she does not expect the "shovel to break ground" for at least another 10 years. "We’ve got a long way to go. It could be 10 years down the road," the mayor said. She added that "the first hurdle is that this is privately owned property," which she said is owned by more than one person. According to Rydstrom, the property, which is leased out to small businesses through American Land Resources, Morristown, is owned in part by Lawrence Berger, a principal partner in the company and an attorney at Berger & Bornstein, Morristown. Berger bought the Ford Avenue property in the mid-1980s and reportedly planned to redevelop it, but never did, Rydstrom said. "Over the past eight years, there’s been more and more of a push to get Mr. Berger to redevelop the property," Rydstrom said. "The proof of the pudding is he hasn’t done anything. Either step up to the plate and agree to work with us or he can sell it," he suggested. Rydstrom added that the council may exercise its right to condemn the property if continued attempts to negotiate with Berger are unsuccessful. The Sentinel by Lynn K. Barra Staff Writer

Agency Established To Improve Neglected Areas Of Ford Avenue
August 30, 2001

The borough has received permission from the state to create an agency that would stimulate the economic revitalization of Ford Avenue between Main Street and Brook Drive. A public hearing will be held Sept. 10 on a proposed ordinance that would establish the Ford Avenue Redevelopment Agency. Thus far, the proposal has been approved by the state Local Finance Board and the Division of Local Government Services, and Mayor Gloria Bradford is optimistic that it will be approved by the Borough Council as well. "We were delighted when we got the approval," said Bradford, who explained that the agency would be "empowered to conduct all the business that will serve to redevelop the area." Bradford pointed out that the Ford Avenue site — which is bounded by the Mill Pond and Lawrence Brook to the south and west, and Main Street to the east — is riddled with unused and neglected properties, such as an abandoned Michelin Tire store. According to Borough Attorney Patrick J. Diegnan Jr., the agency would have the authority to condemn property — a major advantage in this situation because properties on Ford Avenue have been in disrepair for several years. If the site is cleared, the land can then be used for housing and commercial development. Another advantage to forming the agency is that it potentially makes the borough eligible for other grants and outside funding, Diegnan said. The agency would consist of seven commissioners to be appointed by the Borough Council. These commissioners would be responsible for the following: • surveying and publicizing the utility of available properties; • classifying the land and properties according to their potential use; • advertising the available opportunities; • creating partnerships with other borough organizations to promote development of the site. No specific plans have been made yet as to what projects would be created on the site. Agency member and Milltown Mayor Gloria Bradford said, "This is a day in history I think we are going to remember." The Sentinel by Lori Elkins Solomon Correspondent