Foes of Stop & Shop Appeal Court Decision Collection Day Town Pays
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Volume117 Number 14 THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2004 75 Cents Collection Day Foes of Stop & Shop appeal court decision By Harry Trumbore summer of 2002. cific terms. However, the papers of The Item Royal Ahold, the Dutch con- filed last month by Village Su- glomerate that owns the Stop & permarkets and Millburn Town- In the latest round of legal Shop chain of supermarkets, ap- ship both maintain the site plan wrangling over a proposed su- pealed the ruling to the Superior application failed to provide a permarket on Millburn Avenue, Court Law Division. Pisansky’s safe environment at the super- opponents of a plan to build a ruling overturned the zoning market and ask the Appellate Di- Stop & Shop supermarket on the board decision. vision to examine whether Pisan- site of the Saks Fifth Avenue Pisansky ruled the board was sky substituted his own judgment building filed appeals two weeks arbitrary and capricious in its de- for that of the zoning board. ago to reverse a recent court cision. The papers filed on behalf of ruling permitting construction “The Appellate Division will Village Supermarkets state, plans to move forward. review our filings,” James Delia, “Judge Pisansky erred by not Attorneys for the township, the attorney representing the recognizing Stop & Shop’s fail- Village Supermarkets (ShopRite) township, said this week, “then ure to meet (an ordinance) which and the Colonial Association, a they will send us a briefing requires an applicant, among Springfield Township civic schedule.” The parties would other things, to provide for the group, filed their appeals with have perhaps three or four more safe, adequate, and convenient the Appellate Division of the months to prepare briefs for the ingress and egress of vehicles state Superior Court. court, according to Delia. and pedestrians.” The parties are contesting the Township attorney Roger The papers also contest the Jan. 20 ruling by Superior Court Clapp said the after briefs are right of Pisansky to grant condi- Judge John Pisansky that the filed, “we will have oral argu- tions that were spelled out by the Springfield Zoning Board of Ad- ments.” Neither Clapp nor Delia zoning board’s chairman and justment had unreasonably would speculate on how long it meant to be implemented had the denied the site plan application will take the Appellate Division application been approved in Sue Zeilnhofer/staff photographer to build the supermarket. to render a decision, but Clapp 2002. EYE ON THE PRIZE—In photo above, township youngsters don’t need much coaxing After approximately eight said he expects the whole ap- The zoning board has not ap- as they search for eggs Saturday during the annual Easter egg hunt in Taylor Park. years of hearings and legal deci- peals process “will take approxi- pealed the Pisansky decision, Below, 6-year-old Liam Ferrer, left, scans the horizon for eggs while 3-year-old Sophia sions and appeals, the Spring- mately a year.” and Delia said a motion to inter- Scuzzari gets close to the ground for her eggs. Both children are township residents. field zoning board rejected the The briefs will spell out the See additional photo, Page B14. site plan application in the parties’ grievances in more spe- Continued on Page B10 Officials develop survey to assess lane changes By Patricia Harris a parking violation officer or the pay a fee. “We’re making it of The Item drop box outside Town Hall. easier for everyone,” said Sgt. Only those forms with a name Peter Eakley, head of the police Now that traffic barrels are in and/or telephone number will be department’s traffic bureau. place and Millburn Avenue has considered, Gordon also said. If township officials deem the been temporarily narrowed from That provision was added to experiment to be successful, the three to two lanes in the down- avoid any one person submitting township will replace the traffic town, township officials are multiple surveys and skewing the barrels with wider sidewalks at a seeking feedback on their three- results. future date. week experiment. The township’s lane narrowing In developing the survey, A survey developed in cooper- is part of township officials’ ef- Gordon worked with township ation with the Downtown Mill- forts to explore measures to in- resident Dan Baer, a volunteer burn Development Alliance crease pedestrian safety and with the DMDA who is a plan- (DMDA) is being distributed at reduce vehicle speed throughout ning specialist, according to Pat Town Hall and in stores through- the downtown district. The ex- Holden, DMDA executive direc- out the downtown district, and periment began Monday and will tor. The survey asks respondents residents and users of the down- continue through Thursday, April for the number of times they town are being asked to provide 22. travel on Millburn Avenue in the their comments. In addition, a Traffic barrels have been set up downtown area, their primary hotline has been established to off the curb line on both sides of purpose for using the avenue and provide additional information, Millburn Avenue between Main their characterization of travel and comments can be registered Street and Lackawanna Place re- and the shopping experience on by calling (973) 921-8815. ducing the lanes from three to the avenue prior to the lane All information will be kept two. Parking spaces have been change. In addition, the survey strictly confidential, according to marked off outside the barrels, probes respondents’ impression Timothy P. Gordon, the town- and loading zones have been pro- of the effect of the lane change ship’s business administrator. vided on both sides of the street. on the traffic flow and shopping The survey must be returned by In addition, parking meters opportunities, as well as on Saturday, April 24, by mail or fax along the stretch have been to Town Hall or by returning it to bagged so users will not have to Continued on Page B10 Town pays pension bill after hiatus of 7 years By Patricia Harris the funds for the seven-year crease another 20 percent of the of The Item period. Those legislators sus- full amount until, in year five, the pended payments in an attempt full amount of the obligation is For the first time in seven to provide residents of New being paid. For the township, years, the township has made a Jersey some property tax relief, that amount will be $824,490 contribution into a pension with the rationale that huge gains toward the PFRS, Gordon said. system for its employees, which in the stock market during the To put the figure in perspec- is administered by the state. 1990s caused the pension funds tive, he said each tax point A payment of $164,898 was to be more than fully funded. charged homeowners in the made into the Police and Fire Now those Wall Street gains township yields about $564,000, Retirement System (PFRS) by have evaporated, and the legisla- and the initial payment of the April 1 deadline, according to ture approved a five-year phase- $164,898 to the PFRS is equiva- Timothy P. Gordon, the town- in plan as a way for municipali- lent to one-quarter of a tax point. ship’s business administrator. ties and school boards to ease By the time the township is Next year, on April 1, the town- back into paying their obliga- paying the full amount of its ship and the Board of Education tions to the various pension obligation, the cost of the pen- will make their first payments plans. sion contribution might add a into the Public Employees’ Re- Each of the first payments are penny and a half to a homeown- Jim Connelly/staff photographer tirement System (PERS). only for 20 percent of the er’s tax rate. Last year’s tax rate NEW LOOK TO MILLBURN AVENUE—Two travel lanes, wider parking spaces and bagged State legislators prohibited the amount owed to the two funds, was $1.85 per $1,000 of assessed parking meters greeted motorists and pedestrians on the stretch of Millburn Avenue between township and school board from and each year the amount being Main Street and Lackawanna Place Monday morning. The thoroughfare was re-striped from making yearly contributions into paid by local taxpayers will in- Continued on Page B10 three lanes to two overnight Saturday. Please recycle. At least 10% recycled paper. Inside : “Baby” opens, review, Page A8. MHS boy laxers win opener. See Page B1. Classified B11-B13 Education A10-A14 Movies A8 Public Notices B10 Social A9 For home delivery, Editorial A4 Entertainment A8 Obituaries A7 Religious news A6 Sports B1-B5 phone (973) 233-5005 Page A2 Thursday, April 8, 2004 THE ITEM of Millburn and Short Hills www.theitemonline.com High winds down Politeness contributes trees and power lines to accidents Saturday By Harry Trumbore the residence. When they ar- By Harry Trumbore right lane, police said. of The Item rived, firefighters found all of of The Item There were no apparent injuries the occupants had evacuated the and Levavy was cited for failure Township firefighters report building. Township police report acts of to stop or yield. high winds that swept through According to reports, the courtesy may have inadvertently A 2003 Sentra was reported the region Sunday and Monday homeowner was cleaning the contributed to two motor vehicle stolen from the driveway of a were responsible for uprooting stove and became ill. Firefight- accidents Saturday. Main Street residence Sunday at two trees that brought down ers inspected the stove and re- Police said Radi Rice, 18, of 6:51 p.m. utility lines.