raa •\a-ij>-i#.:'.?Js'.'i--r',:< Westfield, Scotch Plains and Fanwood Friday, May 28,2004 50 cents Scotch Plains council delays vote on SID the SID concept. If approved, downtown district will come with sunset provision "My gut feeling is it is the right thing to do," Marks said of •yMUDI creating a special improvement the ordinance. sion would be a way for the coun- attaching the sunset provision to THE RECORD-PRESS district (SID) in the downtown. The move means if the council cil to split the difference on what the ordinance. The council will reconvene a does decide to pass an ordinance has become a controversial topic, "We have not seen an over- SCOTCH PLAINS — steering committee — which rec- creating the SID, it would auto- with advocates on both sides of whelming outcry to defeat (the Following an extended public ommended in February that the matically terminate after a yet- the issue. creation of the SID)," he added, hearing Tuesday night that last- council create the SID — for the to-be-determined period unless After listening to comments noting that residents addressing ed nearly until midnight, the purpose of determining the the ordinance is re-enacted by a from more than 25 residents the council in favor of the SID Township Council decided to length of a possible sunset provi- future Township Council. Tuesday, Mayor Martin Marks delay a final vote on an ordinance sion that would be attached to Inclusion of the sunset provi- expressed moderate support for (Continued on page A-2) DWC 7?w Scotch Ptoins-Fanwood base- Welcome to the neighborhood ball team put an exclamation point on its already strong season revises Saturday, defeating Rosetle Catholic 3-1 to claim the Union County title. Westfield's James Scatfaro pitched seven strong innings for the victory. For small homes are capital full coverage see Sports, Page C-1. disappearing, replaced by request larger, more expensive THE RECORD-PRESS WESTFIELD — After months houses. of wrangling and negotiations, the Downtown Westfield Corporation presented a revised Is that 2004 capital budget request to the Town Council Tuesday night. a good thing? And, while the issue remains very much up in the air, it And if not, appears the latest proposal — which reduces proposed spending can anything in the current year to just $75,000 — may win the support be done of the council. The DWC had originally pro- about it? NICOLE DIMELLA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER posed a major streetscape project These house* on the corner of Central Avenue and Paarl Street, built atter a demolttlon, are repre- that called for replacing side- sentative of the trend toward construction of large, new houses In Westfield. walks, planting new trees and torasMiwis •yMUD — with the intention of replacing them — lies who want to move in town, knowing improving lighting throughout State Sen. Tom Kean Jr. thought he THE RECORD-PRESS the very day they hit the market. their investment will pay off a year or two the downtown. The project would was going to give a simple cMcs Nurturing is not alone. Developers are down the road. jLocal developer Bernardo have been paid for with 15-year lecture when he came to Westfield's WESTFIELD — Robert Nehring says increasingly coining into town with an eye Messercola said [when new properties are bonds, with the town and the Wilson School last week, but he got the three Cape Cods down the street from to demolish' and build anew. In 2002, published in real estate listings, bidding DWC each contributing some- a gritting instead, including a plea to the Carleton Road house he's owned for 21 Westfield's building department received wars between builders can inflate the final where over $1 million. The pro- have asparagus designated as New years never struck him as anything more 11 ipjinillilTniliiiinii ill residences. But last sale price by $7(1,000 to $90,000. posal was derived from a Jersey's official vegetable. See the than just part of the neighborhood. year, the town granted 36 demolition per- In Westfield's booming real estate mar- Downtown Improvement Plan story on Page A-3. That was before the two-story, three-bed- mits, and requests have continued to flow ket, a developer can make quite a profit by formulated in 1999; though the room home next door was purchased by a into the department at the same rate in purchasing a one-and-a-half or two-story subject of repeated budget developer, demolished, and replaced by a 2004. In March, in fact, the town granted home, tearing it down, and replacing it with requests, much of the work called 3,600-square-foot, three-story colonial. As a demolition permits for 10 applicants. a larger, modern structure, said Messercola, for in the plan has yet to begin. stand-alone structure, the large new house Though the trend has affected neighbor- who has been building in the area for 18 As they have previously, repre- has an appealing look, Nehring says. But in hoods across town, it has been most promi- years. sentatives of the DWC on the context of the smaller homes nearby, he nent on the south aide, which includes most On Mohawk Trail, for example, one Tuesday said public spending on wonders if the new house represents the of Westfield's diminishing supply of afford- developer acquired a single-family home the project is warranted because end of the neighborhood as he knew it. able housing. built around 1950 for $339,000. After tear- the downtown benefits the entire The character of the neighborhood has Most of the demolition permits are being ing it down and constructing a 3,000- community and because the changed," be said. applied for by developers, who sometimes square-foot home for an estimated council has committed little Now, instead of seeing smaller houses as are able to negotiate deals with sellers $156,000, the developer sold the new resi- money to the area in recent a familiar part of his neighborhood, he sees before the properties are printed in real dence for $837,500. years. them as potential targets for developers, estate listings. Also, said DWC Executive who are ready to purchase existing houses Or, developers can simply outbid fami- (Continued on page A-2) (Continued on page A-2) Guard members llfcer will Its* WMHMI partis deployed to Iraq Local communities are set to cele- brate Memorial Day this weekend; in Westfield. Air Force veteran Al Riker will be out In front, serving as the parade's Grand Marshal. For more on Monday's activities, turn to Community Life, Page B-1. Donate bload next weak The WestTiold/Mountamside Chapter of the American Red Cross will host a blood drive at its Elm Street offices next Wednesday, June 2. Show up between 3-8 p.m. to donate. For more information, call the Blood Center of New Jersey at Students and residents gath- (800) NJ-BLOOD, ext. 140. ered at the National Guard Armory in Westfield May 20 to express their gratitude and wish good luck to members of the 250th Signal Battalion, whose members have been deployed to serve in the ongoing U.S. mil- itary effort In Iraq. At far left, Commentary A-4 Christian Trejo hugs his mother, Zully, as he prepares to leave Community Life B-1 with his unit. Above, members of the battalion line up to Sports ..C-1 receive their final instructions before shipping out. Near left, Prime Time B-3 Westfield High School Principal Robert Petlx leads the school Obituaries B-2 community in a rousing cheer for the troops. The soldiers' J-7 deployment, part of the third Real Estate round of troop rotations In Iraq, Police Log A-5 PHOTOS BY GEORGE PACCIELLO/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER is expected to last 18 months. A-2 Record Press May 28.2004: and $2,000 annually based on proposed district. "Hie SID budget asseeaed property values. is not going to stay static." SID At Tuesday night's debate, oppo- Appezzato presented the council Welcome to the neighborhood (Continued from page A-l) nents expressed fears about with a petition including signa- changes to the township's down- tures of 70 township residents (Continued from page A-l) construction phenomenon has ever much they have become part of the neighborhood's feel, are slightly outnumbered thoae town, which is dominated by inde- opposed to the SID. "Scotch Plains attracted the attention of the pendently-owned, service-oriented is not ready for a SID," he said. Next door, the same developer Town Council, which has assigned subject to subdivision or construe-' against. tion of larger homes, with no vari- Establishing a SID allows a retailers, while residents in favor of Although be accepted the docu- repeated that strategy by acquir- planner Blais Brancheau to con- municipality to create a downtown establishing a SID point to the ment, Marks said a petition has no ing another property for $327,000. duct a study aimed at determin- ances required. management corporation, which growing, vibrant commercial dis- official standing in a public hear- After demolition and new home ing which neighborhoods are In the future, zoning ordi;-; would likely move to hire a down- tricts seen in other communities . ing, since officials can't be certain construction, the builder posted a being most affected by this trend. nances could include floor to area'. town manager. The manager and "I would like to see more diversi- how the signatures have been gar- sale of $787,000 about a year "The most important thing in ratio limitations — which would corporation would recruit new busi- ty, more variety, and more stores in nered or whether those signing it later.