July 23, 2009 Newsstand 75¢ The Home-Delivered 53¢ www.theitemonline.com Serving our Community mmunitySince 1888 Item Night out PMP grant against crime $50,000 helps pay Town holds event rehearsal salaries. of Millburn and Short Hills Aug. 4. See A3 See A7 LIVINGSTON ZONING WACKY COMPETITOR MAKES A SPLASH Pool, cabana added to COAH proposal Developer submits revisions for Tutor Time property By Erin Patricia Griffiths The plan maintains the propos- Livingston Short Hills Coalition, of The Item al for the four-story, 100-unit apart- brought their concerns before the ment buildings with 20 percent Township Committee in Decem- TMB Partners, the developer low to moderate income housing ber. The Committee responded by who submitted plans proposing to availability on the 4.275-acre prop- hiring experts for the case in Janu- build 73-foot high, four-story apart- erty, but includes the addition of a ary, who submitted a report on the ment buildings on the property on pool, hot tub and cabana along environmental impact to the court South Orange Avenue bordering with 213 parking spaces. that month. Millburn Township, submitted a When TMB Partners submitted On Feb. 19, a judge postponed new plan Friday for the 4.2-acre the initial application for the con- the hearing to determine whether property which proposes a pool, struction of two buildings to the or not Millburn officials could par- hot tub and cabana club in addi- Livingston Planning Board, sever- ticipate in the Livingston case. tion to the high-rises. al township residents on the bor- Millburn Township officials In response to the latest plans, der of the property raised issue were denied the motion to inter- the Short Hills Association and the with the proposal. vene as a plaintiff in affordable Livingston Short Hills Coalition The plans would require that housing litigation between Liv- will hold a meeting on Wednesday, Livingston alter its zoning require- ingston and a developer, but were July 29 at 7:15 p.m. at the Millburn ments to accommodate the high- granted the status of “friend of the Township Free Public Library to density apartment buildings, which court” by Superior Court Judge discuss the impact of the develop- are slated to include the 20 units of Dennis Carey III on June 2 ment plans on the township. low income housing to comply This allows for the township to “The key that we have to do is with the Council On Affordable submit data collected and com- use our political clout to get both Housing, COAH, requirement. piled by experts regarding the communities up in arms about The rezoning would permit for plans. If the developer elects to their plan for destroying a neigh- the two, four-story buildings with resume a “builder’s remedy” law- borhood,” said Stewart M. Cohen, 100 residential units to go up on suit, the township will have the president of the Short Hills Asso- the Tutor Time site, which would option to re-file its motion to inter- ciation. have a gross density of 23.81 units fere as a plaintiff as the initial The report, prepared by Art per acre on the 4.2-acre property. motion was denied without preju- Bernard, P.P. of Bernard and The distance from the buildings dice. Nebenzahi, LLC of Lambertville, to the closest single family home in “The Township Committee has was filed with New Jersey Superior Millburn would be 159 feet. been excellent,” said Cohen. “They Court Judge Dennis Carey III on Livingston settled two lawsuits have been very cooperative.” Friday and outlines the latest pro- in December with developers seek- In addition to inviting residents posals for the site located at 650 ing “builders’ remedies” under to the meeting at the library South Orange Ave., which borders state affordable housing regula- Wednesday night, both the Millburn Township residential tions. Short Hills Association and Short STAFF PHOTO BY ADAM ANIK properties on Rippling Brook Dri- One of the suits targeted the Hills Livingston Coalition are ve and Lawrence Drive. The prop- Tutor Time site. looking to meet with township offi- Max Feigelman, 11, a veteran contender, hauls himself out of the pool, after a practice dive at erty was once occupied by Don’s The township’s citizen action cials to discuss the newest plan the warmups for the Big Splash Contest of the annual Wacky Swim Day races at the Municipal Restaurant and is now occupied by groups, including the Short Hills that has been submitted by TMB Pool in Gero Park, Saturday, July 18, sponsored by the Millburn Recreation Department. See Tutor Time learning center. Association as well as the Partners. additional photos on A8. View video highlights of the event at www.theitemonline.com. TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE MILLBURN HIGH SCHOOL Stream buffers may hinder Grads heading downtown development to prestigious By Harry Trumbore a resident living along a stream referred to as possible sites for Richard Keller of the planning of The Item may be restricted from building a parking decks or office and com- firm of Keller & Casey presented institutions swimming pool, or the arboretum mercial development. the latest version of the plan link- Buffers, bollards and bicycles may not be able to expand its pro- Watkinson said any develop- ing the business district to the the- were the issues considered by the grams. ment considered after the change ater. By Andrea Hughes cy Siegel said in a phone interview Township Committee at its meet- Committeeman Robert Tillotson in wastewater ordinances are The Downtown Millburn of The Item last week that this year’s graduat- ing Tuesday night. asked if the new adopted may Development Alliance has been ing class was among the high Tom Watkinson, the township’s regulations have to be approved for a Department of Many Millburn High School school’s most impressive. engineer, reported to the Commit- would apply to ‘Essentially, you can’t do approved by the Transportation grant of about graduates will start the fall at Ivy “It was a very strong class aca- tee that changes in wastewater fully developed Zoning Board of $550,000 to build the walkway and League universities or other top- demically,” she said. “Is it the best? treatment regulations being imple- areas, such as any development within Adjustment. Keller said he hopes to have the tier learning institutions, according No, but it’s certainly an outstand- mented by the state Department of the downtown. the zone.’ Christopher final plans for the Riverwalk ready to numbers just in from the guid- ing year.” Environmental Protection meant While Watkin- Falcon, the for submission to the DOT in two ance office. Other prestigious destinations municipalities may have to pass son said the new To m Watkinson Committee’s weeks. Two Class of 2009 graduates for this year’s Millburn grads new regulations regarding buffer regulations TOWNSHIP ENGINEER attorney, said he “We’re closing in on a final will head to Harvard, which was include Massachusetts Institute of zones along streams and water- would not apply is reviewing vari- design,” Keller told the Committee. ranked as the top national univer- Technology, University of Michi- ways. to development ations to the He said the plan contains a num- sity by U.S. News and World gan, Emory, Tufts, Duke, Carnegie- “I’ve passed this on to our attor- already in place, he said it may proposed regulations being con- ber of alternates that can be scaled Report this year, and second- Mellon, Tulane, Johns Hopkins ney,” said Watkinson, “because it restrict changes in uses, structures sidered by the municipality of back according to the final budget ranked ivy Princeton University and Rice Universities and will have a significant impact on and other alterations. Dover. approved by the DOT. will claim four of the high school’s Renssalaer Polytechnic Institute. the town.” That prompted other Commit- The subject of bollards, decora- The plan calls for a reconstruct- graduates. According to Siegel, the student Watkinson explained that the tee members to question whether it tive waist-high posts used to ed walkway from the theater to the Four will be starting at Yale, one population seems to lean toward new buffer guidelines require at would restrict development of restrict or mark pedestrian move- intersection of Main and Essex at Stanford, six at the University of larger universities. minimum at 50-foot buffer zone. municipal parking lots along the ment, came up during a presenta- Streets, where it will turn east and Pennsylvania, two at Columbia, Between 40 and 45 seniors “Essentially, you can’t do any West Branch of the Rahway River, tion of plans for a Riverwalk con- cross Essex Street and connect three at Dartmouth, eleven at Cor- applied to the University of Michi- development within the zone,” he which runs through the downtown necting the downtown with the nell and two at Brown. said. As examples, Watkinson said area. The lots have often been Paper Mill Playhouse. SEE BUFFERS, PAGE A3 Head guidance counselor Nan- SEE INSTITUTIONS, PAGE A3 CLASSIFIEDSD4, D5 MOVIESA6 Vol. 122No. 30 Pleaserecycle, Reaching out At least34% COMMUNITY D1-D2, D6 PUBLIC NOTICESD3Summer interns with recycled paper For home delivery, COMMUNITY EVENTSA4PUZZLESA6, A7 non-profits. See B1 call 888-504-4280. EDITORIAL A4 RELIGIOUS NEWSB4Remarkable finishes EDUCATION B1-B3, B5 SPORTS C1-C7 Diamond team, booters win ENTERTAINMENT A6, A7 thrillers. See C1 Watch our team currently on the hit HGTV series Joanna Parker-Lentz Jodi B. 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