Towaco Village and Master Plan being discussed

An email which has circulated in town describes concerns about the proposed re-development opposite the  Towaco train station.  Are 45 units with 200 additional cars on the road really being proposed?  Or is this mis-information? 

Discuss on OurMontville.com blog.

Editor's note: Two different things are going on here.  The Olde Town (existing retail opposite the train station) site plan proposes 16 units.  The master plan allows for up to 45 units, maximum throughout the entire Towaco Village area. If Olde Town gets approved for 16 units, there would be 29 more allowed, maximum, on any another properties.

Mayor Art Daughtry: 

There are those of us who are distressed, dismayed and appalled by the possibility of 45, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments/condos, with over 100+ renters or home owners (which?), in the midst of our small community, Towaco.

How many of the Planning Board members live in Towaco? How many of them live as close to the possible addition of 45 apartments/condos as we do?  .........This proposal will change the atmosphere for those of us close to this development, not to mention the added inconvenience of another 100 plus cars traversing route 202 making egress from the roads abutting 202 even more difficult than it is now.

With route 287 dumping constant traffic onto route 202 as it has since it's inception, we now have a developer about to add to the claustrophobic conditions we live with.

Then, we have the possibility of over 200+ cars parked practically in our front yard making us feel as if we live on top of a, "Willowbrook Mall" parking lot.

Add to all of this the added burden on our township services, our police, our fire companies, and especially our schools, it makes one wonder about our town fathers ability to think rationally about this proposal.

What ever happened to the former Master Plan circa 2003?  That included an upgrade in the appearance of the shops on route 202 and 13 to 20 studio apartments or offices above. We are definitely not opposed to a renaissance of Towaco Center, it is the overwhelming size, the addition of too many apartments, too many cars, too much of a shopping mall appearance, and the incredible increase in traffic.

Comments

[Ridger]

The residents don't want additional development in Towaco. ENOUGH already! How many politcians have to be voted OUT before this request is heard?
Facelift, refurbishment of existing structures OK. Developers, you don't like it...sell and get out.

[Regina Ann Burel]

The New Towaco Center Master Plan raises many environmental questions.
The Towaco Master Plan, presented to the few residents in attendance at the December 12th Planning Board meeting, requests cardinal waivers from existing zoning requirements.
The environmental hazards these waivers could permit are multiple. The first and most important the safety of our aquifer. Add to that the massive paving of land to permit the parking of 337 cars causing water retention in and around the site. As it stands right now, residents whose homes abutt the north side of route 202 close to the proposed massive paving of this land, can, with any heavy rainfall experience flooded basements. This massive paving of the site for parking purposes exasperates the condition for these residents.
We must also consider the fact that in summer droughts throughout the last few years, the water and sewer department, asked us to conserve water, any addition of people usage, and lack of natural soil retention would only add to the need to conserve.
Montville residents be sure to get a copy of the Towaco Center Master Plan, and attend the proposed Planning Board meetting January 24, 2008.

[Regina Burel]

We were asked to present questions for the upcoming township meeting on 1/24, these are some that I came up with.

Questions for our town officials. January 5, 2008

1. Why has the zoning for Park Avenue and Majorca been changed from residential to residential/commercial after so many residents fought to keep these streets residential at various meetings in 2003, and were assured that they would not be included in the TC2 Transitional Zone?

2. Why did township officials seek or accept a grant, which included mandated residences, and especially moderate and low income residences, without placing that idea before the residents in and around the proposed building plans before seeking or accepting it? Weren't we entitled to being able to consider that decision?

3. Have the various town officials thought of the flooding conditions those of us who live on Park, Majorca and Rathbun deal with now? We actually live in wetlands. The addition of masses of macadam for the parking of over 200 cars will eliminate the ability of the soil to retain water causing greater flooding conditions for these residents, not to mention the run-off of water from these parking lots any time we have a heavy rain, exacerbating this condition.

4. Has any thought been given to the fact that Montville schools are becoming more and more crowded? The addition of 45 or more 2 and 3 bedroom apartments will only increase this crowding as couples renting or owning a 3 bedroom apartment are very likely to also have children. The addition of school resources to accommodate these children will cause taxes to rise.

5. The traffic, that is already unsupportable at peak times of the day, will be incredibly increased with the addition of over 200 cars. None of us is going to be able to get from one end of 202 to the other, or get into or out of the small streets abutting 202 at those times.


The mall at the Shop Rite in Lincoln park, has had shops coming and going since it's inception, right now there are 4 for rent signs along the mini mall. When one considers that Shop Rite draws thousands every week yet cannot keep small restaur ants and other shops viable, what makes Montville believe the shops/restaurants/bars being proposed will be able to exist continuously and not leave Towaco Center with multi for rent signs?

We do not object to a renaissance of the shops with the original 13-20 studio apartments or offices added above the shops, indeed we feel the area needs it. It is the over whelming size, the introduction of over 200 cars added to our traffic problems, the possible burden to our schools, the possible harm to our aquifer, and the massive parking areas being proposed causing flooding for those of us who have lived here for many years

Respectfully submitted: Henri and Regina Burel

[Regina Burel]

Here are some of my questions for our town officials for the January 24th Planning Board Meeting

1. Why has the zoning for Park Avenue and Majorca been changed from residential to residential/commercial after so many residents fought to keep these streets soley residential at various meetings back in 2003?
2. Why did township officials seek or accept a grant, which included mandated residences, without placing that decision before the residents in and aorund the proposed building plans before seeking or accepting it? Weren't we entitled to being able to consider that decision?
3.Have the varuous town officials thought of the flooding conditions those of us who live on Park, Majorc and Rathbun deal with now? We actually live in wetlands. The addition of masses of macadam for the parking of over 200 cars will eliminate the ability of the soil to retain water causing greater flooding conditions for these residents, not to mention the run-off of water from parking lots any time we have a heavy rain, exacerbating this condition.
4. Has any thought been given to the fact that Montville schools are becoming more and more crowded? The additon of 45 or more 2 and 3 bedroon apartments will only increase this crowding as couples renting or owning a 3 bedroom apartment are very likely to have children. The addition of school resources to accommodate these children will cause our taxes to rise.
5. The traffic, that is already unsupportable at peak times of the day, will be incredibly increased with the addition of over 200 cars. None of us is going to be able to get from one end of 202 to the other, or get into or out of the small streeta abuting 202 at those times.
6. Our aquifer, a fragil entity, is at risk if this proposal is permitted as it is at it's capacity now.
The mall at the Shop Rite in Lincoln Park, has had shops coming and going since it's inception, right now there are 4 shop for-rent signs along the mini-mall. When one considers that Shop Rite draws thousands every week yet cannot keep small restaurants and other shops viable, what makes Montville believe that the shops/restaurants/ bars being proposed will be able to exist continuosly and not leave Towaco Center with multi for rent signs?
We do not object to a renaissance of the shops with the original 13-20 studio apartments or offices above the shops, indeed we feel the area needs it. It is the overwhelming size, the possib le harm to our aquifer, the addition of over 200 cars added to our traffic problems, the possible burdern to our schools, and the massive parking areas being proposed causing flooding for those of who have lived here for many years (45). Let's not let anyone create another Rathbun Road situation.
Respectfully submitted: Henri and regina Burel

[Dan Grant]

I have no interest is any continued political activity in Montville Township so the following observations are as a member of the TCA and a life long resident of Towaco. My lack of political activity in no way diminishes my desire to see Towaco not be damaged by development that is too intense for the area and runs the risk of potential damage to the Aquifer. To that end I would appreciate it if you would forward my comments to the rest of the TCA membership as comments from a follow member but as one who also was involved it this effort from the beginning.

I thought Truscha did a great job of presenting the facts of the "new development plan" but I also think that some of the Comments made by others were inaccurate to say the least. I chose not to comment at the time because it would have become a he said, they said, political debate which I felt would have served no purpose and would have disrupted to generally factual presentation by Truscha.

When I left the various committees the plan was substantially smaller in scope to the new plan, which has a different Planner who is I am sure paid for by the Township. I worked to eliminate any residential component and also worked to eliminate Park Ave, Majorca and the Whitehall Rd portion from the development plan. That was the plan at that time.

This new plan has expanded back into those areas and added a residential area. This is in fact far different from the original and from the new Township Committee. My long experience tells me the statements that this is:

A. "Just a normal planning review"

B. : "That it only was part of an over all master review" and "this is just the maximum" are not accurate statements. Why is there a need for a maximum at this level which will only be pushed by future developers?

The fact is that there is no requirement to revisit this plan and if it is being done it is because someone is pushing it and trying to benefit at the expense of the residents of Towaco.

C. The alleged Council on affordable housing component has long been used by developers as a means of circumventing local zoning. The fact is that Montville Township has exceeded COAH required housing and has credits into the future which is how I was able to stop the COAH development a mile or so down the road.

D. This issue of the $50,000.00 Grant requiring Mixed Use was not a part of any discussion that I am aware of in the initial planning for the Towaco Redevelopment and if that is the case then the Township should give the money back and if it was, that fact was hidden from some of the Township Committee members and from both the TVC and the Planning Board. I would certainly like to see the documentation that requires it. If true then the prudent course would be to give it back as the additional residential housing would be much more damaging than the loss of the $50,000.

E. There was in fact no Taking by imminent domain. NJ Transit does have that capacity but the record reflects a buy and sell agreement and in fact some of you will remember a "For Sale" sign on the property. I can easily understand the dissatisfaction on the part of the property owner but NJ Transit had two choices either the property opposite Pine Brook Rd or where they ultimately wound up.

F. The Rathburn Rd. disaster is really a three part problem. At the original hearing it was a generally conforming subdivision with one existing home and two additional lots. At the time the residents were most concerned about the widening of Rathburn but the real failure here is that the DEP required additional detention in the form of a detention tank which altered the plan and should have been stopped then and there and returned to the planning board and the minute the road was damaged it is contrary to the Township Soil Movement Ordinance and should have been stopped cold in November when it was brought to the attention of the Township. No development that I have seen over the last 15 years was allowed to operate in this manner. That is an enforcement issue. I fully admit that the Planning Board may well have not properly assessed the impact of this development however the change in plan caused by the DEP and the horrendous conditions caused by soil movement are both enforcement issues on the part of the Township.

In closing I want to say that in the last two years requests for rezoning have increased dramatically and it should be remembered that there are either plans or concepts ( including this one) include a concept for 93-150 multi-housing units opposite the Senior Center and 150 units on the Border of Towaco but in Lincoln Park. That would be a potential of almost 300 residential units in about a 3 mile length of 202. The State Planning guide estimates 10 traffic trips per residential unit per day, so do the math. Call me a cynic but the Township's desire to have the County realign 202 has more to do with development than it does with what is good for the Towaco Residents


Dan Grant
973-723-0403

[Frank Lechleiter]

The only people in favor of this plan are those who stand to make a buck. Several years ago when the planning board voted on this travesty, there wasn't one vote in opposition in spite of the fact that not one taxpayer who spoke was in favor of it. This is a prime example of why people have no respect for, or confidence in, political figures since it appears most only represent the interets of the highest bidder. It's time the developers move on and make their money somewhere else. They have had it their way far too long in Montville, resulting in higher taxes and a reduction in quality of life due to loss of open space, incessant construction, and ever increasing traffic.
Frank Lechleiter