Board pushes Cottrell Farm hearing to Dec. 2
BY ZACH LEVINE Correspondent
Despite the township's ongoing push to purchase the Cottrell Farm in Old Bridge, a developer is moving forward with plans to build there.

The Planning Board heard the plans for Carriage House Crossing on Oct. 28, but ran out of time and continued the matter to the Dec. 2 meeting. Carriage House Crossing would be located at Route 516 and Cottrell Road and would consist of 120,725 square feet of retail/office space, 83 age-restricted town homes units and 129 apartments.

Attorney Jonathan Heilbrunn and engineer Jeremy Lange of Maser Consulting were on hand at the Oct. 28 meeting to represent the applicant, Jerald Development Group of Wall Township. It was the eighth hearing scheduled this year for the applicant. Lange told the board that everything that has been discussed is in conformance with the specifications of Township Planner Sam Rizzo.

"A 25-foot buffer will be installed, and hopefully with this buffer we can keep all of the parking spaces originally intended. There will also be six crosswalks for the property, but more will be installed if the board wants," Lange said.

The board brought up several environmental issues on the property. Board member and Township Councilman Pat Gillespie wanted to know how dangerous it would be for residents of the area if an underground fuel tank leaked from the retail/office complex. The representatives explained that there would be no contamination and residents would be safe.

Board member Dave Merwin had a similar question about health concerns.

"This is currently a farm that they would be building on. It would be ridiculous for someone to buy the property without an environmental study done, especially if arsenic is identified on the land," he said. The applicant's representatives then said that any contaminants identified would obviously be cleaned up before building begins.

Other issues the board had with the property included confusion over the amount of space allocated for garbage, and the board requested more enhancement features for the property before it could be finally approved.

Chairman Larry Redmond and the rest of the board then decided to move the meeting to Dec. 2, when the public will have the opportunity to ask questions of the representatives of the developer.

As the hearings continue, the township is negotiating with the developer to purchase a 27-acre portion of the Cottrell Farm. The council authorized such negotiations in early October and on Monday discussed the matter in closed session.

Jerald received general development plan approval for the "town center" development in 2003, and one of the issues the Planning Board is now considering is whether the current plans are consistent with that approval.

The Oct. 28 meeting began on a somber note, as Redmond requested a moment of silence for Roman Sohor, former chairman of the Planning Board and council member, who had passed away three days earlier.

"Roman was a great man who was a member of this board and even sat in this chair," Redmond said. "He was a proud volunteer and will surely be missed by everyone who knew him."