Agency, residents talk about Ford Ave.

BY SETH MANDEL
Staff Writer

SCOTT PILLING staff Residents opposed to the current redevelopment plan for Ford Avenue in Milltown rally outside borough hall prior to Tuesday’s meeting on the issue. 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.

SCOTT PILLING staff Charles Jegou has been a vocal proponent for environmental testing and cleanup at Ford Avenue and the Mill Pond. 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.