Piscataway News Winter 2020
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WINTER 2020 buildings and vacant brownfields into thriving centers of commerce with state-of-the-art logistics centers that have easy access to I-287. That is how we have been able to provide two years of a 12.8 percent lower municipal tax rate while building a $32 million Community Center with no residents’ tax monies and maintaining an “AA+ stable” bond rating with Standard & Poor’s. For example, on the western side of town is a large swath of land that during World War II was the site of Voice of America radio antennas from which the name Telegraph Road came. After the At the County’’’ s grand opening of the rebuilt Baekeland Avenue bridge that traverses war it became a sizable home to chemical Ambrose Brook just west of Possumtown Road are left-to-right: Council President Frank Uhrin (Ward 1), Freeholder Charles Kenny, Freeholder Director Ronald G. Rios, Mayor processing facilities. Hundreds of Brian C. Wahler, Councilmember Michele Lombardi (Ward 4), Council Vice President crews working around the clock would Gabrielle Cahill (At-Large), Councilmember Kapil K. Shah (At-Large) Please turn to page 3 Mayor’s Message remains an affordable and attractive community. A key component in our Brian C. Wahler, Mayor efforts is creating economic development few months ago, people across that gives opportunities to our residents America found out what we have and adds corporate revenue to our local A long known: Piscataway is one tax base. of the best places to live in the United States. By working with businesses, we were able to turn several abandoned office Money Magazine placed Piscataway Township on its prestigious 2019 Best Places to Live in America list, ranking us as #68 in its Top 100 of the country and #1 in New Jersey. The quality of life we enjoy in our community has been awarded a prominent and influential seal of approval. Many factors were considered with, “… the greatest weight on economic factors, housing, health and safety, diversity and cost of living.” Making this prominent list is a result of the Township Council and I striving to be wise stewards of the municipal budget and making sure that Piscataway ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Township Telephone Directory Main: 732-562-2300 Const. & Bldg. Regulations ................................ 732-562-2325 Engineering/Planning/Zoning .............. 732-562-6560/6570 Finance ..................................................................... 732-562-2316 Fire Prevention (non-emergency) ..................... 732-562-2315 Health Office.......................................................... 732-562-2323 Housing Certificate of Occupancy Office...... 732-562-2393 Libraries: Kennedy ................................................ 732-463-1633 Westergard ............................................ 732-752-1166 Mayor’s Office ........................................................ 732-562-2301 Municipal Alliance Substance Abuse Task Force ............................................................ 732-562-2397 Municipal Court.................................................... 732-562-2330 PCTV Cable TV/Channel 15 .......................... 732-562-2305 Personnel ................................................................. 732-562-2308 Do you know where your local taxes go? Compared to Police: 2017 and 2018, it's largely unchanged. Main (non-emergency) ................................... 732-562-1100 As shown in this pie chart, you can see how in 2019 after Detectives ........................................................... 732-562-2366 being collected by the Township, nearly three-quarters of Juvenile ................................................................ 732-562-2371 the funds are then sent to the county, four fire districts Public Information (Police) ........................... 732-653-7380 (each with their own tax rate), library system and school Records ................................................................ 732-562-2378 board. Service ................................................................. 732-562-6577 It’s important to know that the Township Council takes TDD .................................................................... 732-562-1100 some of its revenue and provides additional funding to the Traffic .................................................................. 732-562-2340 library system for its programming and personnel on top of what is automatically dedicated to its needs. Property Maintenance.............................. 732-562-7621/7638 Public Information (Township) ........................ 732-653-7384 Public Works .......................................................... 732-562-2390 Purchasing ............................................................... 732-562-2320 Follow us on: Recreation ............................................................... 732-562-2382 Facebook: piscataway.township Recreation (Program Cancellation) ................. 732-562-2389 Twitter: @PWAYNJ Senior Citizen Center .......................................... 732-562-1133 Senior Citizen Transportation ........................... 732-743-2218 Sterling Village ....................................................... 732-699-0033 Tax Assessor ............................................................ 732-562-2328 Tax Collector .......................................................... 732-562-2331 Township Clerk ..................................................... 732-562-2310 Your Elected Officials Brian C. Wahler Gabrielle Cahill Kapil K. Shah Chanelle Scott-McCullum Mayor (At Large) (At Large) (At Large) 916 East Lincoln Avenue 1003 River Road 423 Netherwood Avenue 62 Morris Lane 732-699-9225 732-235-1920 732-463-3659 732-878-2854 Frank Uhrin Jim Bullard Steven D. Cahn Michele Lombardi (Ward 1) (Ward 2) (Ward 3) (Ward 4) 32 Desna Street 23 Independence Court 986 Sunset Road 76 Carlton Avenue 732-968-6088 732-463-3927 732-748-1224 732-968-2460 ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Metlar-Bodine House Museum 1281 River Road, Piscataway – 732-463-8363 [email protected] www.MetlarBodineHouseMuseum.org Exploring New Jersey's Pre-Colonial Forests presented by Matthew Knoblauch, Esq., on Saturday, January 11th from 2-4 p.m. (snow date: January 18th). Ever wondered what New Jersey looked like just before Europeans first set foot here around 1600? 17th century European writings & contemporary research provide the answers to age-old questions. Slide program; cost is $12/advance, $15 at the door. Limited seating; reserve early. FDR & The Women Who Loved Him presented by Glenn W. LeBoeuf on Saturday, February 8th from 2-4 p.m. (snow date: February 22nd). Come learn about how President Franklin Delano Roosevelt grew to need the help, attention and love of many women in his life. Cost is $15/advance, $20 at the door. Limited seating; reserve early. Open House on Saturday, March 7th from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. (Last tour at 4 p.m.) Free admission for guided and “back of the house” tours where visitors can see the museum’s archives to view artifacts not on regular display. The Dutch Door Gift Shop will be open. Discover Piscataway! Guided tours, Thursdays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (Last tour at 3 p.m.) $5 admission. Group tours by appointment only. Registration strongly recommended. Call or visit the website for information or to schedule a tour. The Dutch Door Gift Shop is open during museum hours. Directions to entrance & parking: From River Road, turn onto Hillcrest Drive. At the top of Hillcrest Drive, turn left onto Logan Lane. Proceed straight to the upper parking area (a cul-de-sac). Limited handicap parking (call ahead) and museum entrance are at the bottom of the hill. ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Sterling Village Mayor Message Continued from page 1 manufacturer petrochemicals and plastics for decades for the Bakelite Corporation, Union Carbide and Dow Chemical. Yet the economy changed and the land was vacated, ecologically strained by years of chemical activity and its value on the tax rolls greatly diminished. After working diligently to recruit Apartments are available for those age 62 and older with low and moderate incomes at interest, private industry came into Sterling Village, Piscataway’s independent senior living residence. our Township, remediated the Located adjacent to the Senior Center, John F. Kennedy Library and Community Center environmental contamination and site, the 150-unit, five-story building has elevators, a community room, laundry on the built the Rockefeller Group Logistics first floor, and a furnished outdoor patio & grill. A security guard is on duty in the evenings Center. The site is now home to and on weekends. Owned by the Township, it is professionally managed by Lutheran Social facilities of Best Buy, Fujitsu, Ministries of New Jersey. Humanscale, KISS Beauty Products, Kuehne & Nagel and SHI International You do not need to be a Piscataway resident to move into Sterling Village. At this time, Corp. These companies are providing there are vacancies for low-income $984/month and moderate-income $1,181/month one- good paying jobs to hard working bedroom apartments with electricity and gas included. Cats and dogs up to 20 lbs. are residents, operating on environmentally allowed with a one-time $75 pet security deposit. restored soil and funding the For more information, please call (732) 699-0033. construction of our Community Center. Free Rabies Vaccination Clinic With continued economic