Buontempo Pulls Application to Fulfill Board Requirements
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Ad Populos, Non Aditus, Pervenimus (908) 232-4407 USPS 680020 Thursday, July 15, 2004 Published Every Thursday Since 1890 OUR 114th YEAR – ISSUE NO. 45-114 Periodical – Postage Paid at Westfield, N.J. www.goleader.com [email protected] SIXTY CENTS Buontempo Pulls Application To Fulfill Board Requirements By MIRIAM BAMBERGER the break, no public participation was term development in Westfield,” said Specially Written for The Westfield Leader permitted, and the board held a non- Mr. Newell. At its Thursday night meeting, the binding discussion with Mr. Mr. Buontempo withdrew his origi- Westfield Planning Board deferred ap- Buontempo’s team. nal application, and said he plans to proval of an application filed by Joe Board member Robert Newell ex- redesign the proposal for the lot and Buontempo to construct a mixed-use pressed concerns about the practice submit it to the board by September, building on South Avenue. Mr. of buying and demolishing residen- if possible, taking into consideration Buontempo requested permission to tial properties to construct commer- the board’s recommendations. Fur- demolish an existing building and merge cial buildings, a precedent he did not ther discussion among the planning two adjoining lots to construct a three- wish to be set in Westfield. board and the planner will continue. floor mixed-used building. According The commercial appearance of the “If you were building this across to the proposal, the first floor would be proposed structure caused concern the street from your house, how would used for retail space and the second and on behalf of the board. The appear- you want it to look? That’s how you third floors would house apartments. ance would not be consistent with the should design it,” said Council Liai- The planning board decided not to architectural character of the neigh- son James Foerst. rule on the existing application due to borhood. “It looks like a commercial In other business, the board approved a number of questions and concerns building,” said Mr. Newell. a motion to repair the Board of Educa- that must be addressed by a profes- Several board members advised Mr. tion building on Elm Street. Robert sional planner. One problem men- Buontempo to redesign the proposal Burman, the Board of Education Busi- tioned, to which Mr. Buontempo’s in a Victorian style according to the ness Administrator, requested permis- representative Robert Kraus con- style of surrounding homes. Mr. sion to restore the portico architecture, ceded, is a difficulty meeting the park- Buontempo agreed that it would most which the Planning Board agreed to ing requirements for the lot. likely be possible to design a struc- on the condition that the overall ap- After a brief adjournment, Plan- ture that would resemble a series of pearance of the structure remain un- Horace R. Corbin for The Westfield Leader ning Board Chairman Jay Boyle an- connected townhouses with Victo- changed. ALL WET...Children in Mountainside enjoyed the giant sprinkler of the fire hose at the Mountainside Fire Department’s nounced that further discussion would rian facades without altering his plans The next Planning Board meeting Wetdown on Saturday. The celebration was held to dedicate the department’s new fire truck. continue in a closed meeting. After for the interior. will be held on Monday, August 2 at FW Borough Seeks Public Opinion to Initiate “Our goal is to control the long- the Westfield Municipal Building. More Downtown Commercial Redevelopment By ELIZABETH CORRELL Grande, Second and South Avenues. subject this had become. “Our inter- property owners. The committee then Specially Written for The Westfield Leader Currently, there are only plans ad- est is not in demolishing the down- reported back to the mayor and coun- Editor’s Note: This is part three of dressing those businesses in the rede- town, our interest is to try and work cil and assisted them in making a a six-part feature on the business velopment area. A separate plan might with the existing property owners and decision that includes the centers in our area that will include be instituted in the future for the rest merchants. We want to see the reha- townspeople’s viewpoints. Members Downtown Westfield, Westfield’s of the downtown area. bilitation of Martine, the develop- of the committee include: Chairman South Avenue corridor, Scotch Plains, The heated controversy came to a ment of La Grande and Second, and Joe Higgins, member of the Planning Fanwood, Mountainside and head during last November’s elec- we want to figure out the best way to Board; Greg Cummings, chair of the Garwood. tion. Merchants, property owners and approach the stores on South Av- planning board; Peter Chemidlin, * * * * * * * residents were all vocal in their ob- enue,” Mayor Mahr said last week in president of Fanwood’s business and The ongoing issue of what is best jections to a plan that seemed to call an interview with The Scotch Plains- professional association (BPA) and for Fanwood’s downtown continues for the demolition of all current build- Fanwood Times. owner of Family Investors; Frank to be debated. Several years after an ings. Merchants were concerned Her plan of action included many Constandi, owner of Frank’s Auto area of the borough was officially about the health of their businesses, if steps towards receiving the maximum Body; three Fanwood residents, Pat declared “in need of redevelopment,” they’d be able to survive during the amount of community input for the Hoynes-O’Connor, April Dunleavy the current administration undertook down time when new structures were handling of the downtown’s redevel- and Jim Dosier; and Councilman a public outreach program to ensure being built, and if they would be able opment. Michael Brennan, who serves as liai- that everyone has a chance to weigh to afford the rents in the new proper- In March, she received a $50,000 son to the council. in with his or her opinions on the ties. Residents sided with the mer- Smart Future Grant after applying to Last month, the mayor and council matter. chants, and wondered if the down- state’s Department of Community interviewed several consultant firms, Fanwood’s “downtown” includes town shopping area would lose its Affairs. and hired Dave Roberts from Schoor all shops and companies located in small-town feel if left to the plans of The next month, she appointed the de Palma, an environmental planning the borough’s central business area; a developer. Fanwood Downtown Advisory Com- and engineering firm, which is cur- however, the “redevelopment area” Mayor Colleen Mahr actively ad- mittee, whose function is to gather rently working together with the com- is specifically the six and a half acre dressed these issues in her campaign feedback from the community, in- mittee. Mr. Roberts co-authored The block bordered by Martine, La last fall, aware of how sensitive this cluding: residents, merchants and New Jersey Redevelopment Hand- book. The firm’s fees, as well as the supplies for the work of the commit- Horace R. Corbin for The Westfield Leader JERSEY FRESH...Fresh fruit and vegatable vendors took advantage of the Mountainside Recreation to Apply tee, will be paid for out of the Smart beautiful weather last Thursday at the Westfield Farmer’s Market on South Future Grant. The function of the Avenue. Gourmet foods from Town and Country and plants from Parker Garden consultant will be “to revisit the rede- were also available for sale at the market. velopment plan and revise it, with For County Kids Rec. Trust Grant public input and consensus,” said Mayor Mahr. By MICHAEL POLLACK ball) totaling $3,000, and the recon- be installed at Deerfield adjacent to “It is important that people under- Specially Written for The Westfield Leader ditioning of 75 batting helmets, along the restroom. The borough will be stand that we are working off of the County Eyes Raritan At Tuesday’s Mountainside Bor- with installing necessary faceguards applying for $50,000 for that venture. original redevelopment plan, not the ough agenda work session, Recre- for $1,875. The total amount of money The Mountainside Youth Baseball plan from (the previous developer) ation Director Sue Wynans recom- in that segment of the grant is $4,875. League will provide $18,000 in Landmark,” committee Chair Joe mended the council apply for a grant, The borough will ask for $2,437 and matching funds toward the Pony Higgins told The Times. Valley Development; which will improve ball fields and the PAL will provide matching funds. League Project. The committee met twice in both fund new recreation equipment. The second component concerns Applications are due by Thursday, May and June and took a walking There are two components of the field improvements and recreation July 29. All applicants will be noti- tour of the downtown. Their efforts to Kids Recreation Trust Application facilities. Under this initiative, the fied by Friday, October 29. In No- gather feedback began with handing Backs WF Crosswalk offered by the Union County Board tennis courts at Deerfield School will vember, the funds will be transferred out 150 surveys to residents attend- By MATT MARINO eral potential opportunities along of Chosen Freeholders. First, the rec- be resurfaced, the Deerfield Pony to fiscal year 2005. ing the Fanwood Street Fair on June Specially Written for The Westfield Leader reation trust fund goes to an equip- League field will be realigned (along In other borough business, 27. The survey asked residents about the rail line, particularly the ment grant that provides for two pitch- with improvements to the backstops Mountainside proposed contracting their impressions of the safety and At their July 8 meeting, the Netherwood station in Plainfield.