Second Street Topsoil Business Stirs Ire of Homeowner Neighbors
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•**'• • :> ONLY NEWSPAPER WITH COMPLETE SCOTCH PLAINS *FANWQB NEWS vo 24 SCOTCH PLAINS-FANWOOD. N. J. THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 1972 15 CENTS k COPY P ^ Disciplinary Second Street Topsoil Pi r^als Tabled By Township Committee Business Stirs Ire Of An ordinance which would have established new disciplinary pro- cedures for the Scotch Plains Police Department was not acted Homeowner Neighbors upon last Wednesday, and will be studied with r" _jrd to its le- gality by both the Township Attorney of Scotch Plains and the PBA, The ordinance was due for a vote last week, but consider- Verdic's Nursery has been located at the corner of Second Street able question from police department members led to the decision for and Flanders Avenue since 1937. For many years, the small lot further study, Volpe Quits near Buxton's and just across from the Board of Education offices A lawyer for the state PBA proposed in the new zoning or- had been lined with row upon row of evergreens and flowering group was reportedly taking an dinance. The majority of com- shrubs which formed the basis for a nursery and landscaping bus- interest In the progress of the ment has concerned the zoning As Park Jr. iness owned by Domlnick Verdlc Today, he is still in the nursery legislation, and Its possible im- of the area around Evergreen business, Mr, Verdic says. However, homeowners from the doz- pact upon the rights of the mem- Avenue to permit garden apart- en homes along Flanders Avenue feel the business has become in- bers of the department. ments. Residents wrote expres- Principal tolerable because of the heavy emphasis upon topsoil and have Mayor Albert Theurer pointed sing the view that this neighbor- complained bitterly about" the "mountains" of soil which are being Prank Volpe, who has served out that the new ordinance had hood Is already densely inhabi- sifted and trucked back and forth from the site. as principal of Park junior High been introduced in the hopes of Continued On Page 28 School for seven years, was simplifying some of the disci- named this week to the position plinary procedures which are now of superintendent of Monmouth long and drawn out, It covered the Regional High School district. question of maters for dlse His Township Contract details are still being cipline, how it is -arrled out, worked out, Volpe expects to who presides at hearings, etc. For A Horse? assume the new post in July. When questioned, Theurer said Mayor Albert Theurer may not the local ordinance was original Mr, Volpe has been associated exactly have fully reversed the here, and not patterned after with the Scotch Plains-Fanwood township stand on horses, but it any other. The real question district for 22 years. He was would appear that he has at least is, "Is it legal?" Theurer said. named a teacher at Park In 1950, turned side saddle judging from Final approval was given to when that school housed six actions last week. Dr, Theurer an ordinanceaddlng$15,000tothe grades — 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, declared tha week of June 11 to original money budgeted for pro- 11th, and 12th. He moved to the 17 as the Week of the Horse in vision of a signal light at West- senior high school when it was New Jersey. field Avenue and Westfield Road, completed in 1957, as a history It was pointed out that this par- The announcement resolution teacher and history department ticular traffic light installation took note of the growing horse chairman. In 1969, Volpe was is unusually expensive because population, which just about named assistant principal of Verdlc says a cutback In hous- of the necessity for acquiring doubled in the past decade, and Scotch Plains-Fanwood High ing construction caused a would be permitted. Theurer said rights-of-way. The road Is nar- the growing popularity of horses School, a post he held for six slowdown In landscaping leading bulldozers , loaders, and sifter row there , with one house po- as a source of recreation and years. He was named princi- him to emphasize the topsoil facet equipment are too noisy. sitioned very close to the road. pleasure, pal of Park junior High in 1965 of the nursery business. He says Theurer says it is now his feel- Mayor Theurer noted. The place- "Whereas, their extensive "ac- and has held the job for the past he still has some evergreens ing that the business is imposing ment of this house necessitated tivities (The "Horsey" Set) are a seven years, during the period and ii in the nursery business, upon the township as a whole. acquisition of additional land on significant part of the everyday of greatest growth in the his- For months, the homeowners Verdic has been given a deadline the opposite side, to meet state life of the people of Scotch tory of the district. have written to the township fa- in which to move the dirt bus- mandates for street width, Plains ..." The Scotch Plains-Fanwood thers asking relief from what iness, Theurer said, and If ac- These plaudits for horses, Summer School was initiated by they claimed were problems cre- tion Is not taken, the township Theurer said the township had their owners and those who enjoy Dr. Volpe, and he served as ated by the Verdic business. They plans legal action in the very tried for federal and state funds them follows close on the heels director of the summer sessions have said that thick layers of near future. It is much too for this project, had been un- (or horseshoes) of a public hear- for approximately six years. dust and soil line their street, small a piece of property for successful to date, and had de- ing on a new zoning ordinance Dr. Volpe holds a Masters, a and sift Into their interiors mak- such an operation, Theurer noted. cided to proceed immediately for Scotch Plains which would 6th year professional certificate, ing housekeeping an almost im- Businessmen along Second without aid since the corner has have banned private horse owner- and a PhD from NYU, where he possible task. They have com- Street have voiced strong op- been one of the most dangerous ship. Dozens of adults and en- has been active in alumni cir- plained about noise from ma- position recently, complaining to spots in the township for many thusiastic youngsters who ride cles. He taught in the NYU chinery and trucks, and have the police department one day years. and belong to the local 4-H turned graduate school, is a past pres- asked for relief from the con- last week when dirt spilled from The Township Committee ap- out In strong opposition and ident of the Educational Alumni stant dust which some of them a truck. It was reported that proved a Board of Adjustment to date the zoning ordinance has Association, and is presentlyDi- have claimed cause a threat to the attempts were made to hose the recommendation which will per- not yet been passed. rector of the All University Fed- health of some elderly residents dirt from the street, resulting in- mit James Brownand johnSmor- Will the Township Committee eration, with respiratory problems. Dur- Continued On Page 28 al to erect 2100 square feet turn tail and permit horse own- Mr, and Mrs, Volpe live on ing last Wednesday's meeting of of additional office space to their ership? Theurer said he really Lake Avenue in Scotch Plains, the Township Committee, the building at 322 Park Avenue, didn't know, since the commit- and are the parents of four child- Committee received nine letters, Listening Post Conditions were included, cov- tee hasn't discussed it as a body. ren: Catherine, Deborah, Frank some from neighboring home- ering lighting, a buffer zone of However, speaking personally, and James, owners, others from out-of-town Moves To Thursday natural grosvth, restrictions on Theurer said he would like to residents commenting on the bus- The "Listening Post," an in- floodlights, etc. Commltteeman Volpe has been an active mem- see the ban removed. When the iness. formal monthly session pro- Walter Grote said monthly Lis- ber of many community organi- zoning ordinance first was in- viding Scotch Plains resi- tening Post sessions had been zations. He has served as vice One man wrote: "While driv- troduced, town fathers said they dents with an opportunity to most helpful in getting opposing president in charge of program ing along, I was amazed to see didn't know how, when or for what question and discuss their con- residents and Brown and Smoral for the YMCA, as president of a 30 foot hill of dirt covering reason the restrictions on horse cerns, moves from Saturday together for peaceful settlement the Lions Club, and as principal the entire corner , , , The loca- ownership had crept into the zon- mornings to Thursday evenings of differences. He thanked Brown and teacher of the Confraternity tion was originally designated as ing changes. The complete re- for the summer months. The and Smoral for patience and sac- of Christian Doctrine school at a nursery to raise trees." The vision took many years to first session will be held on rifices to satisfy public opinion. Immaculate Heart of Mary present use of the property re- compile. Church, flects an entirely different use Thursday, June 22, and will The 1900 Raritan Road Corpo- of said property, the man felt. replace the Saturday morning ration, operating at 1880 Raritan The Township Committee feels meeting which would normally Road under the name of Sleepy the same way. Mayor Albert have been held on Saturday, Hollow inn, was granted per- Police Report On Vandalism Theurer said that while a nur- July 1st, mission to utilize basement area JUNE 2 to 8 sery would be permitted at the The Listening Post was initi- under their new addition for ex- site, a wholesale dirt business ated by Committeemen Al Aug- tension of restaurant and bar fa- 1, Window broken on Plain- What is this vandalism costing would not, Theurer said 44 ustine and Walter Grote, who cilities.