Builder Seeks OK for 43 Homes by GREG MARX Twin Oaks Realty July 8
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-*v anforh Vol. 114, No. 22 Thursday, May 30, 2002 50 cents Builder seeks OK for 43 homes By GREG MARX Twin Oaks Realty July 8. tion the applicant said "would variances for construction with THE CHKON1CLE Development, LLC, a majority The developer will need a render this development econom- less than the required tract area, share of which is owned by number of variances from the ically unfeasible" in a statement less than the required minimum CRANFORD — As downtown Pennsylvania resident Steven board before beginning construc- to the zoning office. frontage, less than the minimum Cranford attracts more and more Fishman, has filed an application tion. Though the townhouses are Beside the density, the devel- distance to a minor arterial and apartments, another area of to build the houses in the neigh- a conditional use in the area, the oper seeks a variance to exceed less than the required minimum town may soon see a different borhood of Hale and Heinrich proposed density of the develop- the permitted building height distance to an adjoining zone. type of residential development. Streets and Meeker Avenue, just ment far exceeds what is allowed and number of stories. The ordi- The proposed units would A Brooklyn development firm off South Avenue East and adja- in the township's ordinances. nance allows 30 feet and 2.5 sto- have three bedrooms, three bath- has applied to build 43 town- cent to the Ashley Business Park. Township regulations would ries; the proposed units are 38 rooms, a living room, dining houses on the eastern edge of The Board of Adjustment will allow only 28 units on the feet tall and three full stories. room, family room and dinette. town. begin hearing the application 140,000-square-foot site, a condi- The developer is also seeking See Bulkier, page A-2 Garwood, Town Westfield kicks in spar over Finalists $95G for Christine Pemoulie and Cranford will street take on West Morris in the stete sec- tional final at 4 this afternoon in EMTs Roselle Park. See story on Page C-1. closing By GREG MARX Squad to phase THE CHRONICLE South Chestnut Street is a out billing plan seemingly innocuous little road, a side street lined with baseball fields, basketball courts and a By GREG MARX few houses. But the road is also THE CHRONICLE the source of a simmering dis- pute between Garwood and its CRANFORD — In what could much larger neighbor to the be the first step in a transforma- west, Westfield . tion of the , At the root of the dispute is way emer- gency medical the Garwood Shop-Rite that services are Inside moved in to North Avenue at the provided, the border between the towns last year. With the supermarket came Township volunteers a new traffic light at North and Chestnut; and a substantial TuVs increase in traffic coming down unanimously See Page A^2. from Broad Street in Westfield. authorized a In response to the increased $95,000 emer- Never forget traffic, and citing safety concerns gency appropriation to pay for children using Gumbert Park, salaries, wages and operating Flags adorned the graves of veter- the Westfield Town Council expenses for emergency medical ans at Graceland Cemetery in authorized the temporary closure responders. ' Kenilworth on Memorial Day. See of Chestnut Street from Fourth Township officials would pro- more pictures on Page B-1. Avenue to the town border (just vide few specifics on how the north of North Avenue) during money would be used, pending games. On May 7, the council further discussions between the passed an resolution allowing the township and the independent street to be closed weekdays from Cranford First Aid Squad; the 5 p.m. to dusk, Saturdays 8 a.m.- two sides were expected to meet 7 p.m., and Sundays noon-7 p.m. again Wednesday. Garwood Mayor Michael But from the information dis-; Crincoli says he does not object to closed, it appears the township the temporary closures, which will use the money to hire full-! have occurred in the past. But time, civilian emergency medical Crincoli said he and the Borough technicians during daytime Council do object to suggestions hours. Those EMTs would be on by Westfield officials that the the township's payroll, not the squad's, and would be responsi- street be closed permanently to GEORGE PACCIELLO/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER through traffic. ble to Police Chief Harry Wilde, but would operate the two ambu- While Westfield officials have Memorial Day tribute lances owned by the First Aid noted safety concerns at Squad. Gumpert Park, Crincoli said the Folks of all ages came out Monday morning to watch the Memorial Day Parade in Cranford. More pic- The $95,000 will pay for the road closure would create haz- tures on Page B-1. EMTs through the end of 2002. 066 SUBQi, r2 Township officials said there was no interest in hiring a private contractor to provide the ser- vices. Size matters: 1 square inch dooms plan The proposed scenario could, eventually mean the end of the By GREG MARX But at its May 22 meeting, the Cranford. originally sought the three-lot squad's new billing program, said Student take over township officials, because it THE CHRONICLE board rejected the application by Despite the minuscule size subdivision, he said, to ensure The kids rule in Kenilworth. See a 5-1 vote, citing the small size of impact the variance would have there would be no construction of would be improper to bill resi- PageA-3. GARWOOD — The Borough the lots and their orientation had, the council decided not to two-family houses in the one- dents for calls on nights and Council's plans for a senior citi- toward a dead end on Myrtle appeal the board's decision to family neighborhood. weekends, responded to by the First Aid Squad, and not bill for zen and teen center and Rankin Avenue. Superior Court. Mayor Michael Crincoli said the borough Avenue were dealt a setback last Crincoli said the council has calls during daytime hours, Though the board was con- should eventually make at least responded to by township EMTs. week, but borough officials are cerned with the lot size, two of decided to submit another appli- $250,000 from the sale of the two hoping it is only a temporary one. the proposed lots would have cation seeking to divide the prop- lots. That money, along with a "There's no interest in the township to pursue billing at this To offset the cost of the build- been 4,000 sq. ft. That is the min- erty into only two lots. $200,000 grant and funds from imum permitted size in the zone, time," said Commissioner of ing, the borough hopes to sell The new proposed lots will the previous sale of sewage flow Public Safety Tom Denny. And Those unable to vote at the polls In some vacant, wooded municipal and would not have given the measure 50 ft. by 120 ft., he said, rights, should cover the estimat- Commissioner George Jorn con- the Primary Election Tuesday can property at the southeast corner board grounds for a denial. and will face New Street rather ed $700,000 of the senior/teen firmed billing would be eliminat- pick up and fill out an absentee bal- of New Street and Myrtle But the council had to seek a than Myrtle Avenue. center, he said. ed, though when that would hap- lot at the Union County ClerkS Avenue. The Borough Council variance because the third lot Because the new lots will be The council hopes to make its pen had not been decided. Office, 2 Broad St., Elizabeth, had applied to the Planning would have been 3,999.99 sq. ft. larger, Crincoli said, "we don't applications for both the subdivi- The new full-time EMTs, who between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Board for permission to subdi- — a one-square-inch triangle in feel that there will be a loss in sion and the center site plan at may include current volunteers Saturday. vide the 12,000 sq. ft. property the corner of the lot was cut off by revenue" when the properties are the Planning Board's June 26 into three equal lots. the municipal border with sold to a developer. The council meeting. See Squad, page A-2 INDEX Cranford could impose construction moratorium in flood zone By OREO MARX requested the committee amend until an inventory has been done increasing the number of families restrictions on development. On Commentary A-6 THE CHRONICLE the township's subdivision ordi- to determine which lots should living in the flood zone and the advice of Township Attorney nance to prohibit subdivisions in remain undeveloped, to acquire decreasing the amount of imper- Al Stender, the committee Community Life B-1 CRANFORD — Prompted by the flood zone and restrict it in any remaining undeveloped lots vious surface," Dittmar wrote. referred the matter to the continued applications for devel- other areas. Until that process — in the flood zone, and to amend Some members of the commit- Planning Board for a formal rec- Sports C-1 opment in environmentally sen- which would likely be lengthy — the land development ordinance tee expressed sympathy with ommendation. As of the middle of sitive areas near the Rahway is completed, Dittmar said, the to include measures limiting the Dittmar's recommendations, this week, the board had not Prime Time B-3 River, the Township Committee made a recommendation; Board may soon consider a moratorium township should institute a impact of new impervious sur- which come as the committee moratorium on subdivisions in face.