By Mark Rosman
Staff Writer
MANALAPAN – A proposal for the development of a 130-acre property at the corner of Route 33 and Millhurst Road is likely to be a topic of discussion for the members of the Manalapan Township Committee in the near future.
During the Jan. 25 meeting of the governing body, Township Attorney Roger McLaughlin said that in recent weeks he has met with developer Vito Cardinale to discuss a new plan for a parcel of land that has been the subject of several previous development proposals.
The property at Route 33 and Millhurst Road is Manalapan’s Village Commercial (VC) zone and only commercial uses are permitted in that zone.
Any plan that proposes the development of residential uses in the VC zone would have to be the subject of a rezoning ordinance that would require a public hearing and a vote by the members of the governing body.
McLaughlin said an ordinance could be presented to the committee this month. The governing body has meetings scheduled for Feb. 8 and Feb. 22.
According to McLaughlin, the new proposal from Cardinale calls for the construction of market rate age-restricted single-family homes on small lots, not unlike the neighboring Four Seasons adult community; the construction of affordable housing for individuals with special needs; commercial development that could include a market and a bank; and what McLaughlin described as “substantial” traffic improvements in the vicinity of Route 33 and Millhurst Road.
Committee members did not comment following McLaughlin’s description of the newest development proposal for the VC zone.
In other business at the Jan. 25 meeting:
• Committeewoman Mary Ann Musich, the liaison to the Western Monmouth Utilities Authority, announced that there will not be an increase in WMUA user fees during 2017.
• Musich reported that she met with representatives of the Monmouth County Engineering Department and specifically discussed the issue of the weight of trucks that use Sweetmans Lane (Monmouth County Route 1).
The issue of trucks on Sweetmans Lane has been raised by residents of the area in recent months. Musich said the county representatives took the information she presented to them and will prepare a report for the township regarding that issue.
• Mayor Susan Cohen reported that Manalapan’s recycling tonnage grant for this year will total $45,028, an increase of $5,000 over last year. Cohen said the funds are used to staff the township’s recycling center on weekends and she praised the efforts of Manalapan’s recycling coordinator Troy Davis.
Officials have previously said that when residents recycle materials, it saves the township money on landfill fees. The additional weight in recycled materials is reflected in the annual grant Manalapan receives.
