Thursday, May 2, 2013
Developer gets approval from planning board for construction near Bridgewater Senior Center.
Genova Built LLC is planning to build a new road with three residential homes off Old Somerville Road near the Bridgewater Senior Center. The planning board granted approval for the construction at the April 22 meeting, pending further approvals required from the township council concerning the surrounding roads. According to Thomas Genova, president of the company, they are looking to create three different lots on the property, and create Harrison Court, a new road to service the three properties. “It is named after Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd president of the United States,” he said. With the planning board recommending its approval, the township council will now be required to approve the street name before the builder can move forward…
Friday, December 28, 2012
Members are disappointed that the application was approved before more studies were done.
With the approval of 17 homes on the former Wemple property at Twin Oaks and Steele Gap roads, the members of the group opposing the plans are determined to keep on top of what happens over the coming months. “At this time, I can say we will all still be attending all planning board meetings to see if there are any new developments,” said Patty Phillips, a member of the steering committee with Stop 18 Homes. “We are moving forward and all saying a lot of prayers that the DEP will come to our rescue.” The application is for the building of 17 single-family homes on the woodlands formerly owned by the late John Wemple, and currently owned by Steven Lang. Wemple, who willed the property to his nieces and nephews after his death in 2002, had …
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Planning board approved the application for former Wemple property by 5-2 vote on Tuesday.
With a vote of 5-2—with councilman Filipe Pedroso and Mayor Dan Hayes opposed—the planning board approved a preliminary subdivision application Tuesday for single-family home development on the former Wemple property at Twin Oaks and Steele Gap roads. The approval came despite vehement opposition from residents living near the property, who said they believe the application is incomplete without several additional studies. The application is for the building of 17 single-family homes on the woodlands formerly owned by the late John Wemple, and currently owned by Steven Lang. Wemple, who willed the property to his nieces and nephews after his death in 2002, had maintained to his neighbors that he never wanted to see the land developed, and …
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Opponents' expert John Thonet says proposal to develop Wemple property is incomplete.
John Thonet, hired by those who oppose the Lang application for homes to be built on the former Wemple property, said Monday that the applicant has failed to submit key required studies that would deem this application complete. Those studies are, Thonet said, one to determine the historical significance of the property and another to classify the type of dams to be built. The application is for the building of 18 single-family homes on the woodlands formerly owned by the late John Wemple, and currently owned by Steven Lang. Once change to the application, according to applicant engineer James Mantz, is that they have eliminted one property, so it will actually only be 17 single-family homes. Wemple, who willed the property to his nieces …
Monday, December 10, 2012
A decision may be rendered at special planning board meeting.
A special planning board meeting is being held to continue, and possibly finish, testimony concerning the proposed 18 homes on the property formerly owned by John Wemple at Twin Oaks and Steele Gap roads. The application is for the building of 18 single-family homes on the woodlands formerly owned by the late John Wemple, and currently owned by Steven Lang. Wemple, who willed the property to his nieces and nephews after his death in 2002, had maintained to his neighbors that he never wanted to see the land developed, and made that a part of his will, which was overturned by the Superior Court of New Jersey in 2005. Although the applicant has already rested his case, Stop 18 Homes—a group formed to oppose the application itself—has called …
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
The council introduced the ordinance Monday.
The council approved the introduction of an ordinance Monday to regulate wireless telecommunication facilities, with the hope of instituting it before the end of the year. Township attorney William Savo said comments were submitted by both the planning board and zoning board concerning the ordinance, and he and a consultant made changes based on those comments. The planning board has expressed the opinion in the past that for wireless towers to be conditional uses, the conditions to be satisfied need to be explicitly explained. Township planner Scarlett Doyle has said that conditional use requirements must be explicit, and able to be answered with a yes or no. The first piece of the new ordinance states that the request for collocation …
Monday, November 26, 2012
Administration will take concerns from the planning board to the council.
As the township moves forward with putting together an ordinance concerning the building of cell towers, township planner Scarlett Doyle said it is important that all conditions in the ordinance be explicit. The ordinance, which has not yet been introduced by the township council, was discussed at Monday’s planning board meeting. Doyle said conditional use requirements in an ordinance are supposed to be very specific, able to be answered by a yes or no. “To say it will improve the site or won’t, won’t affect the neighborhood, those things are necessary for testimony,” she said. “If the board finds it does substantially impair [the neighborhood], you’re at the wrong board and should be at the zoning board.” “In a conditional use, you must …
Thursday, November 15, 2012
A special meeting for the application has been set for Dec. 10.
A decision has still not been rendered in the application to build 18 homes on the property formerly owned by John Wemple at Twin Oaks and Steele Gap roads. The application was heard at Tuesday’s planning board meeting. The application is for the building of 18 single-family homes on the woodlands formerly owned by the late John Wemple, and currently owned by Steven Lang. Wemple, who willed the property to his nieces and nephews after his death in 2002, had maintained to his neighbors that he never wanted to see the land developed, and made that a part of his will, which was overturned by the Superior Court of New Jersey in 2005. Although the applicant has already rested his case, Stop 18 Homes—a group formed to oppose the application …
Monday, November 12, 2012
The most recent meeting involved cross-examination of the opponents’ expert.
With only time for about an hour of testimony on the Lang application at the previous meeting, the planning board heard the cross-examination of the opponent’s expert on endangered species, and is expecting to wrap up the application at Tuesday's meeting. This portion of the meeting was originally scheduled for a special meeting Oct. 29, but it was cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy. “Barring any unforeseen event, this case will likely be concluded at the next meeting,” councilman Filipe Pedroso said in a statement after the most recent meeting. “The planning board has been hearing this case since the springtime, and has certainly given both sides an opportunity to present their case.” The application is for the building of 18 single-family …
Monday, October 22, 2012
Planning board meeting regarding Wemple property application will continue Monday.
The application for 18 homes on the former Wemple property at Foothill Road is expected to continue at Monday's planning board meeting, with the cross-examination of the opponents' environmental expert. Testimony had continued Oct. 8 when Blaine Rothauser, one of the environmental experts hired by the opposition to the application, said the study originally done by the applicant is insufficient to justify the development on the land, particularly because of the many endangered and threatened species living on the land. The application is for the building of 18 single-family homes on the woodlands formerly owned by the late John Wemple, and currently owned by Steven Lang. Wemple, who willed the property to his nieces and nephews after his …
youknowwho
1:39 pm on Monday, June 3, 2013
Laura Hierspiel has some nerve talking about "touching a nerve" that a deceased persons wishes were not being followed. Ask her how horrible she was to her DEAD husbands children when he passed away unexpectedly. Stealing a child's college money and stocks. Refusing his children any of their fathers personal items that were sentimental value because she "couldn't find them". More like your … more ›