Downtown Business Zoning Being Reassessed
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The Serving our Community Parents’ voices Since1888 are heard Item Public hears comments February 26, 2009 about high school altercation. 75 cents weekly See A3 www.theitemonline.com of Millburn and Short Hills PeBOARD OFrs EDUCATonnelION cuts EJECTING AN UNWANTED GARDEN VISITOR likely as budget takes on shape Increase to be held to 2 percent By Andrea Hughes of The Item Important dates in the school budget process Two new teaching teams will be hired at Millburn Middle School ■ Monday, March 9 – Budget presented: 7:45 p.m. Board of next fall, but some school employ- Education meeting, Deerfield School ees may lose their jobs due to a tighter budget. ■ Monday, March 16 – Special meeting held for discussion, The tax levy for the 2009-10 adoption of budget: 7:45 p.m. at Education Center budget year is estimated to be com- ing in at about $69 million, a 2 per- ■ Wednesday, March 18 – Budget sent to the Essex County cent increase from last year’s tax Superintendent of Schools for review levy of $67. 7 million, which pro- vided about 87 percent of the rev- ■ Monday, March 30 – Public hearing of proposed budget: 7:45 enues for the 2008-09 budget. p.m., Education Center State aid figures had not been announced by Monday night’s ■ Tuesday, April 21 – Board of Education elections, vote on 2009- Board of Education meeting, but 10 budget board members had a chance to peruse and discuss next year’s bud- The new team of nine teachers the superintendent told the public, get, which will be presented to the at the middle school is being added but said he wants to have the public at the board meeting sched- to address overcrowding and opportunity to meet personally uled for Monday, March 9 at Deer- shrink class sizes for next year’s with staff members who may be field School. seventh and eighth grade students, laid off rather than have them find “This is still, in some sense, a and required other adjustments to out by reading a newspaper. preliminary budget,” said Finance be made. “I met with a number of people Committee Chairman Jeffrey “Just having the excess surplus who may not be here next year,” he Waters, with the disclaimer that alone is not enough to hold the line said. “Somehow, some way, I had state aid is “still a material enough on taxes. It really required sub- never had to lay off anyone. I can’t number” and “state finances are stantial fiscal discipline on the part figure out anymore how I can keep not exactly in tip-top shape.” of the administration,” Waters said. everybody. Believe me, for me it Waters said the working docu- For the first time since he began was not easy.” ment calls for a 2 percent tax working at the district, Superinten- Board members spoke of chang- increase in the general fund. This dent of Schools Richard Brodow ing attitudes toward spending and increase is less than the state-man- said the budget shows a net reduc- departmental responsibilities in dated cap of four percent. tion in staff. light of the financial crisis and the One of the situations giving rise In addition to new teaching “sea change” left in its wake. to the lesser increase is the decision positions at the middle school, the “Focus on cost is not a predom- to start using the district’s excess budget calls for “a handful” of inant thing educators are used to surplus of about $3.2 million to teachers at Millburn High School thinking about,” said Waters. fund operations, he explained. and possible reductions at the ele- “When it’s not part of your culture, Although the opening of the mentary school level. it’s not an easy thing to do.” additions to the middle school and “I feel comfortable saying while Board member Scott Kamber STAFF PHOTO BY ADAM ANIK high school could merit a waiver the news is not pleasant, we have said some departments asked for from the state to raise the cap, the worked very hard to preserve edu- the same things they received in Erica Fisher, environmental educator at the Cora Hartshorn Arboretum, scours the late win- decision was made not to seek a cational opportunities for our chil- less difficult times, and “fail not just ter grounds Friday for invasive plants, such as this wineberry vine, with weak winter root sys- waiver, finance committee mem- dren,” said Brodow. tems that are especially easy to pull out before they get an early spring growth spurt. For a bers said. There will likely be reductions, SEE BOE, PAGE B6 report on invasive plants and steps residents can take to get rid of them, see A4. PLANNING BOARD Downtown business zoning being reassessed By Harry Trumbore which Phillips made a number of ‘We weighed what the downtown might look like in Foods supermarket and was con- certainly be stunned by the density of The Item recommendations to redefine zon- sidered as a site for a PetSmart and intensity of this development,” ing in portions of the township. the future and how to prepare for it.’ store until residents rallied in Seelbach said. Discussion about zoning The presentation, according to opposition. More criticism of Phillips’ report changes and new height require- Gorman, came out of a two-year Michael Gorman Phillips proposed limiting the came when the planner discussed ments in the downtown area study by members of both the plan- CHAIRMAN PLANNING BOARD building to 15,000 square feet and the B4 business district that brought a sense of déjà vu to the ning and zoning boards. three stories in height. He cited the encompasses the downtown area. Feb.18 Planning Board meeting. “I can’t stress enough the Avenue would be rezoned from a of the many businesses and offices proximity to the train station and Phillips proposed that zoning be However, board Chairman amount of in-depth discussion we “highway” to a “community” busi- already established along both the residential neighborhood sur- changed to allow four-story build- Michael Gorman said this week had,” Gorman said. “We not only ness district, reflecting the different sides of Main Street. rounding the site as making it ide- ings with a height limit of 47 feet. the meeting should not be viewed weighed what the downtown is types of business establishments It was the discussion of new al for a mixed use of retail and res- Currently, the township’s Master as a reincarnation of the $100 mil- now, but what the downtown already in place. zoning ordinances for commercial idential. Plan restricts buildings to two sto- lion redevelopment plan rejected might look like in the future and Likewise, a neighborhood busi- properties at the intersection of Similar mixed commercial ries and a height of 28 feet. in November by the Township how to prepare for it.” ness zone at the intersection of Millburn and Wyoming avenues and residential usage also was Phillips said setbacks would be Committee. During his talk, Phillips pro- Main and Willow streets — cur- that drew objections from some proposed for the commercial prop- required for any fourth floor. He At the meeting, board members posed changes to four distinct busi- rently the site of a supermarket and board members. erty west of Wyoming Avenue, also said design guidelines that dic- heard a presentation by Paul ness zones. gas station — would be extended On the east side of Wyoming prompting board member Linda tate appearance and what Phillips, a planning consultant Portions of Morris Turnpike north to Rector Street and Ridge- Avenue is the Gateway Center, Seelbach to object. retained by the township, during near the intersection with Millburn wood Road in acknowledgement which once housed a Whole “I think current residents would SEE ZONING, PAGE B6 In Classifieds Vol. 122No. 9 CLASSIFIEDSD5MOVIESA6Police find drugs, COMMUNITY D1 OBITUARIESB4 For more classifieds, see page D5. For home delivery, beer with teens ATutor for Math, To place a classified ad in The Item of Millburn call 888-504-4280. COMMUNITY EVENTSA4PUBLIC NOTICESD4High school and M-MAC respond Science, English, SAT. Get the and Short Hills, and our other community grade you need! Princeton Grad. newspapers, call 1-800-891-9467. EDITORIAL A4 PUZZLESA6to issue. See A2 Rutgers Univ.Prof. Patient & encouraging. All levels &ages. Pleaserecycle. EDUCATION B1 RELIGIOUS NEWSB4Title hopes dashed ➧ At least25% recycled newsprint 973-746-4452 100% recyclable ENTERTAINMENT A6 SPORTS C1-C5 Miller swimmers fall in final. See C1 Joanna Parker-Lentz Jodi B. 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