County and Township Join Forces to Preserve Stanford Drive Property
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Price: 50$ JBL*AUT0«*5 -DIGIT 0(9^ _ iERKELEY HEIGH'AV NtJ v^^- Berkeley Heights and New Providence edition of the Summit Herald VOLUME 115, No. 48 October 16,2004 Newsbriefs -, Historical group County and township join forces follows Civil War trek of NJ 33rd to preserve Stanford Drive property NEW PROVIDENCE — The BERKELEY HEIGHTS — buildings which housed Shaw Plas- j New Providence Historical Soci- Berkeley Heights Mayor Michael tics and the former Barry Oil Ser- j ety will hold a general meeting at Chait and Freeholder Daniel P. Sul- vice/Duffy Fuels facility, Part of the 17:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 28, at livan report that the Township of property is contaminated by as- the Senior Center, 15 Fourth St. Berkeley Heights and the Union bestos and oil. As a condition of The speaker will be John C. County Board of Chosen Freehold- sale, the current owner of the prop- Zinn, an historian, vice chairper- ers have partnered to preserve 17 erty has agreed to clean up the prop- son and treasurer of the New Jer- acres of land off Snyder Avenue in erty. sey Historical Society. His talk the township. "Our community's vision of in- will start with the formation of the The Snyder Avenue property is creased green space and recreational 33rd Regiment during the Civil bordered on the east by Snyder Av- opportunities is being realized War, summer of 1863; then follow enue, on the north by single family through our plan to preserve the therr journey from Virginia to the dwellings, and on the east by a Snyder Avenue property," said Com- battles of Chattanooga, to Georgia township-owned Green Acre tract mitteeman Cohen. "Our partnership and the Carolinas, and back to with the county will create a legacy Washington, D.C. He will also totaling another 17 acres, and on the for future generations to enjoy." talk about the lives of some of the south by NJ Transit rail lines. soldiers in the regiment. Mayor Chait said the property "Our agreement marks a great was at one time slated for a develop- day and brighter future for the resi- A question and answer period ment of 259 residential units, but dents of Berkeley Heights and will follow the presentation. Admis- will now remain largely in a natural Union County," said Freeholder Sul- sion is free. The public is invited. state. It will include space for a se- livan, who is chairman of the Open Cookies and cider will be served. nior citizen center, ballfields and Space, Recreation and Historic passive recreation area. The acqui- Preservation Trust Fund Committee. sition is one of the largest pieces of PARTNEBS. IN PRESERVATION — From left, Union County Freeholder Bette Kowalski, "It is a future with increased open ', May performs open space still available in Union Township Committeeman David Cohen, Freeholder Dan Sullivan and Berkeley Heights space and increased recreational op- County and the largest in Berkeley Mayor Michael Chait congratulate each other on the successftil preservation of 17 acres portunities for our children and se- for library fund Heights. of land off of Snyder Avenue in Berkeley Heights. niors.'' NEW PROVIDENCE - The "I would like to thank the county The Trust Fund was approved New Providence Memorial Li- for their efforts in preserving this ty is $13 million. Approximately $8 Heights will retain four acres for a Township Committeeman David overwhelmingly by taxpayers in No- brary fundraising committee hosts land and creating a space that is in million of that $13 million will be senior citizen center and the county Cohen noted that the property, a for- vember, 2000, and is financed by a a special conceit by Mr. Ray at 11 harmony with the integrity of this paid for by the Union County Open will begin to develop plans for play- mer industrial site which is contam- 1.5-cent per $100 of assessed prop- a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 4. There is community," said Mayor Chait. Space, Recreation and Historic ing fields and a recreation area. inated and vacant, would be cleaned erty value surtax. In the four years no school on that day because of "The residents of Berkeley Heights Preservation Trust Fund and $5 mil- Berkeley Heights will be respon- up and brought back to productive since its passage, the fund has al- the teachers' convention. will benefit immensely from our lion will be paid for by the Township sible for the maintenance of the usage. lowed the freeholder board to pre- The concert will be held in the partnership." of Berkeley Heights. playing fields and recreation area on The Snyder Avenue property cur- serve more than 121 acres of open gym at the New Providence Mu- The purchase price of the proper- Under the agreement, Berkeley the county portion of the property. rently contains two vacant industrial space in Union County. nicipal Building, Academy Street entrance. The cost is $7 per per- son at the door with no admission charged for children under two years of age. The program is sug- Doty House hearing will be held Oct. 19 gested for youngsters up to age seven. ByMKENEAVBLL tion of a new home. trator Kenneth DeRoberts and Carl The developer has successfully critic of the proposed demolition, The original application, which Woodward who serves as borough completed two projects in the bor- said that she would like to purchase Mr. Ray, a well-known chil- NEW PROVIDENCE — The sought to demolish the historic counsel to meet with Mr. DeSimone ough and said he "got along well the property, subject to the sale of dren's performer, will entertain fate of the borough's oldest home structure and replace it with two and his attorney to seek a solution with everybody and I want to show her current home. "It is the most his audience with his original could be decided as early as Tues- equitable to all parties. good will because I will come back beautiful thing I have ever laid songs that speak of friendly new homes, met with stiff and wide- eyes on," Ms. Bogdanovic said re- aliens, dinosaurs, zebras and boo- day, Oct. 19, with the borough's spread opposition from residents While no one who attended that with more stuff in town." boos. He gets the audience's at- Planning Board set to review a de- and preservationists. meeting was willing to share details, Mr. DeSimone, who reportedly ferring to the Doty House. tention and encourages them to veloper's application. Residents stormed borough con- it can be surmised that discussions paid $825,000 for the entire proper- In creating the Historic Preser- sing along with him. He often lets In a recent startling turn of struction officials to protest the de- prompted Mr. DeSimone to intro- ty, was unwilling to disclose his ask- vation Commission, Mayor Morgan audience members try out Ms eye- events, Boonton developer John veloper's request for a "knock- duce a revised plan. ing price for the Doty House, saying appointed Patrick Annelli, chairman, candy, muM-stickered guitar. DeSimone submitted a revised site down" permit of the historic home. "So far from what I hear, most he did not want pricing to become an John Rothstein, Robeit.jsK^ating,. Proceeds from the concert will plan which would spare the Doty Volunteers who attended the recent people ate happy about our propos- issue prior to the Planning Board Karen Luongo and Megan' Seecrref benefit the library renovation. House from demolition. Street Fair received 162 signatures al," Mr. DeSimone said referring to meeting. to the commission. Alternates are The developer's plan would di- on a petition to preserve the proper- his revised plans. "I hope this can get done in one Arlena Russo and John Bale. vide the existing property into two ty and dozens of residents attended Revised plans will require Plan- meeting. I don't want this to get A large crowd is expected to at- River Road land parcels. The Doty House would be recent Borough Council meetings ning Board approval of two vari- dragged out," he added, tend the Oct. 19 meeting. Megan preserved on a lot of 31,319 sq. ft. to voice therr concerns. ances. One variance is for a setback In a Borough Council meeting Beecher, one of the originators of to foe auctioned The remaining property, 22,697 sq. Behind the scenes, Mayor Al of 60 feet where 120 feet is re- held on Oct. 12, the council unani- the protest petition, said she was go- ft., would be used for the construc- Morgan directed Borough Adminis- quired. The other variance is for a mously approved the final hearing ing to call petitioners to urge them to SUMMIT - City-owned prop- proposed 60-foot right-of-way line of an ordinance to establish the His- attend the Planning Board meeting. erty at the juncture of River Road where 85 feet is required. toric Preservation Commission The Doty House, located on and Morris Avenue will be auc- "The requested variances relate to which would provide protection to Mountain Avenue, was erected in tioned at 3 p.m. on Friday, the old house," Mr. DeSimone said. local historical sites. 1748 but expanded with several ad- Nov. 12, in City Hall, according to Prior to the adoption of the ordi- ditions over the next 100 years. City Clerk David Hughes. It had Asked how he would market the The Planning Board will meet at originally been scheduled for existing Doty House on a smaller lot, nance, residents had an opportunity Tuesday, Oct. 12, at 11 a.m.