Redevelopment plan may be scaled back

BY MICHAEL ACKER
Staff Writer

South River's controversial redevelopment plan may soon be revised to omit several properties whose owners resisted the concept.

Mayor Robert Szegeti called a special meeting of the Borough Council Wednesday to consider changes in the plan, though he was unable to attend because of a hospital procedure he was undergoing.

Council President David Sliker spoke on Szegeti's behalf.

"The mayor has heard everyone's concerns loud and clear," Sliker said. "He has reviewed three redevelopment areas and he is recommending scaling back the redevelopment zones, in particular in two of those zones."

Szegeti, he said, hopes to move forward with the plan in the interest of expanding the borough's commercial tax ratables.

The mayor wants to keep the properties of Witty's, the old Lincoln School and the vacant Eckerd building as redevelopment sites. All other properties, including that of the Krauszer's store and adjacent lots, would be removed from the redevelopment process.

Sliker said a formal recommendation will be composed and signed by Szegeti to be sent to the Planning Board, asking that it consider scaling back the proposal. He said he hoped that the council would endorse the action.

Planning Board Vice Chairman David Krempecki addressed the council Wednesday, saying his board was not given any advance notification of the special council meeting.

Councilman Raymond Eppinger told the Sentinel that the notice calling the special meeting was not signed by Szegeti, but by Deputy Borough Clerk Anita Hernstedt. He noted that the letter was dated May 24 and that Szegeti did not go to the hospital until May 27.

"I believe that this whole meeting is defective," Eppinger said, adding that regulations require that public notice of the designated time and place for a special meeting be given at least 48 hours prior to that meeting. He said the advance notice should state who is calling the meeting and specify why the agenda items cannot be addressed at the next meeting of the council.

Borough Attorney Thomas Roselli rebutted that the rules and regulations were followed, allowing the special meeting to go forward.

Councilman Richard Reichenbach made a motion to support Szegeti's letter to the Planning Board, and Councilwoman JoAnne Dembinski seconded.

However, when Eppinger asked that the letter be produced, Sliker replied that there was no copy of it at that time.

"I want the letter to say that we are getting rid of the whole thing," Eppinger said of the preliminary redevelopment plan.

Sliker reiterated the purpose of the special meeting, saying that the governing body met to recommend that the Planning Board make changes to the three parcels selected for possible redevelopment. He added that the council is taking a roll call vote to endorse and encourage Szegeti to send the letter to the board.

Eppinger, dissatisfied with the absence of a formal letter to look at, motioned to table the vote until a letter was produced. Councilman John Krenzel, the other Republican on the council, seconded Eppinger's motion.

"The mayor is going to send a letter to the Planning Board," Krenzel said, "but the mayor is a member of the Planning Board. He can give his opinion at the meeting. What [we] are voting on is that the governing body is making this recommendation. Who is he speaking for, himself, the governing body or the town?"

"I do not think we should be interfering with the Planning Board. I want to see this letter he is going to write. I move to table this motion until the June 19 public meeting," Krenzel said.

A roll call then resulted in a 5-1 vote to table the endorsement of Szegeti's letter. Only Dembinski voted against that motion.

Sliker noted that the letter will be sent off regardless of the council's endorsement.

Resident Marilyn Meloni voiced her criticism of the borough's redevelopment process thus far.

"A lot of things that you people have done [has] wasted time and money," Meloni told the council. "Why don't you think things out before you go ahead?"

Sliker responded that the process of redevelopment is not complete, so it is too soon to tell whether anything was unsuccessful.

Meloni then expressed frustration with the presence of the borough's hired professionals. Borough redevelopment planner Les Nebenzahl was among those in attendance at the meeting.

"These people do not have to be paid [to be present]," Meloni said. "You are throwing money away. It is about time you all woke up."

Resident Ed Duffy noted that the municipality is still looking to create three separate redevelopment zones in town in the same spots as originally proposed. He added that the borough already owns the Lincoln School.

"I do not understand why we have to go through this whole process," Duffy said. "We are on the edge of a cliff. I do not think recreating redevelopment zones is a good idea in any circumstance."

Duffy said he believes Szegeti is well-intentioned, but cautioned the governing body on the process ahead.

"There is a lot more depth to this issue, and you need to consider very carefully the steps you are going to take," Duffy said.

Tony Greco, of Greco Jewelers & Clock Shop, said he was pleased that Szegeti is recommending the removal of the property he rents, but raised concerns about eminent domain.

"You took some properties off," Greco told the council, "but you did not take out eminent domain on the others. Take out eminent domain."

Sliker replied that eminent domain would only become part of the redevelopment process as a last resort. He said a developer would negotiate with property owners on a fair price.

He noted that some of the properties proposed for redevelopment have been vacant for the last 10 years.

Greco remained skeptical.

"This is a little town," he said. "Are you going to knock down all of this and put up a Starbucks? This is not Long Branch."

He said he came to the borough because property was affordable, adding that he fears the changes that this redevelopment process could initiate would raise the rent in town.

Sliker said the council does not want to lose the small-town atmosphere of South River, noting that is what makes the borough unique.

Resident Scott Forgue said the Lincoln School is in need of redevelopment. But there are other properties in town that are in greater need than the vacant Eckerd building, citing a house near the intersection of Main, Ferry and Reid streets as an example.

"Have you asked the people what they want?" Forgue asked. "You work with the developer but not with the people."

Dembinski said she believes Szegeti has done a good job listening to the public.

"Apparently that is not enough either," Dembinski said, adding that she believes the redevelopment process is needed to bring a greater tax base to the borough.

"We are not happy with what is going on either," Dembinski said, "but we think we have a good plan here."

Dembinski reassured the public that once a property has been removed from the redevelopment plan, it cannot be put back in.

"We would have to restart the whole process," she said.

Eppinger said he does not believe there was a legitimate reason for the special meeting. He said the meeting was for political damage control.

"We brought our professionals out for this," Eppinger said. "It is unbelievable."

He said the process should have began with town meetings for Szegeti to put out his ideas to residents and merchants.

"I mean it sincerely that the mayor's intentions are good," Eppinger said. He noted that he thinks the plan is not right for the borough.

Councilwoman Linda Ejk directed Business Administrator Joseph Kunz to look into why the Planning Board was not made aware of the special meeting. She added that South River is in need of new life, but that eminent domain is not her preference as a way of achieving that.

"Eminent domain is not one of the things I believe in ... ," she said. "I feel this town does need new life, a transfusion. I do not know where or what. That is why these groups of professionals are here."

Sliker described the redevelopment process as long and tedious.

"We will go through with it with everybody's thoughts in mind," he said.

Sliker said 13 percent of the borough's tax base is commercial and 86 percent of the tax burden is on residents. This process is an attempt to correct that by better using the commercial properties in town, he said.

The Planning Board is scheduled to meet on the preliminary redevelopment plan at South River High School at 7 p.m. June 21.