27, 2014 OUR 124Th YEAR – ISSUE NO
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Ad Populos, Non Aditus, Pervenimus Published Every Thursday Since September 3, 1890 (908) 232-4407 USPS 680020 Thursday, February 27, 2014 OUR 124th YEAR – ISSUE NO. 09-2014 Periodical – Postage Paid at Rahway, N.J. www.goleader.com [email protected] SEVENTY FIVE CENTS Mayor Skibitsky Discusses Goals, Key Issues Impacting Town in 2014 By PAUL J. PEYTON increases), if not a little better,” the work with local garden centers, land- Specially Written for The Westfield Leader mayor said. “The difficult decisions scapers and the Audubon Society, WESTFIELD — Mayor Andrew we’ve made in the past five to seven “on helping to educate Westfielders Skibitsky met with The Westfield years have really started to pay off on how they can make their proper- Leader on Friday to discuss his goals and it is helping us from a budgetary ties more bee- and bird-friendly with for the new year and issues impacting standpoint.” more flora that is natural to the area” the town. On another issue, he expects and making properties more friendly The mayor said the town council’s Westfield to be certified with its Green to New Jersey’s natural wildlife. finance committee has begun work Team as a Sustainable Jersey town. Another area the mayor has been on the 2014 municipal budget, not- Sustainable Jersey is a certification working on is the Mayor’s Safety ing that his top goal is for the town to program for municipalities in New Academy, saying many home and “stay on a fiscally sustainable path.” Jersey that want to go green by clean- workplace accidents are preventable. ‘“The budget looks good, the rev- ing up the environment. As part of “Sometimes it just comes to mak- enues look strong, and we should this effort, he said Westfield is work- ing people more aware of what to do certainly be within the 2-percent ing on a plan to “rescape the suburbs” or what not to do to prevent those (state-mandated) cap (on tax levy where the town and its Green Team accidents from happening,” he said. After attending a New Jersey League of Municipalities program on safety, the mayor said he decided to use the town’s volunteers and their knowledge to build content on the Internet to direct residents to one location for information such as fire safety, pedestrian safety or carbon monoxide safety. Paul Lachenauer for The Westfield Leader In terms of Westfield’s capital bud- SUNSHINEY DAY...Shoppers enjoy the spring-like weather as they stroll through downtown Westfield this past weekend. get, the town has on order new mu- The warm temperatures helped to reduce the piles of snow throughout the downtown. nicipal parking pay stations for the downtown to replace the existing machines. “These will be more state- of-the-art pay stations which will be Attendees Urge ‘Yes’ Vote on MS much more user-friendly. The ones we have now are just beyond their prime.” The new machines will ac- $19 M BOE Bond March 11 cept dollar bills, credit cards, coins By KATE BROWNE proposal to improve cell phone and Heights, a Frequently Asked Ques- and smart cards. They also will have Specially Written for The Westfield Leader an app that will enable users to utilize emergency response service at Gov- tion (FAQ) was in the process of their smart phones to pay for parking MOUNTAINSIDE – At the board ernor Livingston High School by being prepared and would shortly spaces as well as add time for their of education’s meeting Tuesday installing a cell phone tower at the be posted on the district’s web page. night, several residents, including rear of the varsity baseball field. In The board told parents that seven Christina M. Hinke for The Westfield Leader spaces. PLANNING AHEAD...The Cranford planning and zoning boards held a joint “I’m excited about that just to help an eighth grader at the Deerfield addition, Ms. Parker noted in order snow days had been used to date workshop meeting on February 16, at which time Township Zoning Officer improve the parking,” the mayor said. School, spoke in support of the up- to correct any misperceptions re- and schools will be open Monday Robert Hudak led a discussion about the role of the zoning board of adjustment In terms of road improvements, the coming, Tuesday, March 11, $19 garding the relationship between and Tuesday, April 14 and 15, and and the planning board. See story page 2. town will be paving Rahway Avenue million bond referendum. Some re- Mountainside and Berkeley CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 from West Broad Street to Grove imbursement from the state is in- Street as well as most of Westfield cluded in the referendum for funds CF Considers Pay Stations; Avenue. spent on infrastructure repairs. WF Planning Bd. OKs Also, the town will expand its re- Speakers detailed the impact that Budget Meetings Next Week cycling opportunities at its conserva- leaky roofs, broken boilers and out- tion center. The town currently ac- dated equipment were having on Seneca Subdivision By DELL SIMEONE replacing them all at a cost of $462,982. cepts cardboard, plastic, bottles and the learning environment at the By LAUREN S. BARR application requests larger areas than Specially Written for The Westfield Leader “The cost would remain at 25 cents electronics. Deerfield and Beechwood Schools. Specially Written for The Westfield Leader required for each of the two new lots. CRANFORD – The township com- per half hour,” Lieutenant Davenport The town also plans to dredge the Though details of the referendum WESTFIELD – At Monday night’s Mr. Watson testified that currently mittee, at its workshop meeting on said. The motorist would pay at the pay pond at Mindowaskin Park, which were not discussed, board mem- Westfield Planning Board meeting a the lot straddles both Westfield and Monday night, decided to amend an station and receive a receipt as proof of has not been done since 1988. “Of bers encouraged the community to new member was sworn in and the Scotch Plains, but that the proposed ordinance regulating noise before in- payment, he said. course over time the silt keeps build- review the terms of the proposal board approved an application by square footage, “meet or exceeds all troducing it at the regular meeting on “The committee has time to think ing up and you can see there are some and to contact them with any ques- Michael Mahoney to subdivide prop- requirements in both the Town of Tuesday evening. The committee also about this before the introduction of the parts of the pond where the pond is tions or concerns. erty at 300 Seneca Place; several other Westfield and the Township of Scotch heard a proposal from the police de- capital budget,” Mayor Andis Kalnins extremely low,” the mayor said. He Board member Jeane Parker, who applications were carried to future Plains.” partment on ordering new pay stations said. said the Audubon Society will add is the board’s liaison with the Ber- meetings. He also pointed out that no variances for the downtown municipal lots and Business Administrator Terrence plantings “that will be more bird- keley Heights Board of Education, At the start of the meeting new board are being sought for the project. received a copy of proposed changes to Hall said the budget process is on CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 provided a preliminary report on a member Pam Wiaczek was sworn in by The board unanimously approved the land use regulations in the track and that the budget must be Board Attorney Ken Soreiro. the application. One lot will measure township’s master plan. introduced by Wednesday, March 19. Mr. Mahoney was represented by 7,426 square feet and will be entirely in The proposed noise ordinance was The committee set special dates to Union County Receives attorney Art Attenasio and testimony Westfield, while the other lot will mea- scrapped when committee members meet with department heads for Mon- was offered by engineer James Watson sure 10,029 square feet and will be in took issue with some of the new regu- days, March 3 and 10. Mr. Hall sug- of EKA Associates. both municipalities. According to the lations. Committee member Lisa gested requesting monthly reports Rock Salt Orders Mr. Attenasio told the board that the application Mr. Mahoney intends to Adubato said, “I don’t want to fix some- from each department to keep the ad- By SONIA OWCHARIW our local roads and protecting our lot is in an RS6 zone, which requires demolish the existing residence on the thing that’s not broken.” ministration up to date on department Specially Written for The Westfield Leader county roads,” Freeholder Alexander that each residential lot have a mini- property and construct two new homes. Police Lieutenant Edward Daven- needs and expenditures. COUNTY — Spring may be just Mirabella said. mum 6,000 square feet, and that the CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 port gave a presentation on replacing Zoning Officer Robert Hudak and around the corner, but winter still The county’s public works depart- parking meters in the downtown mu- zoning consultant Paul Ricci gave cop- officially has three more weeks to go. ment reported that there was 12,000 nicipal lots in favor of pay stations and ies of proposed changes to the munici- Thursday night at the Union County hours of overtime for combating said they would pay for themselves in pal land use code in the master plan to Freeholders meeting, Union County storm and icy conditions by workers less than a year. He said right now there committee members to consider.