JACKSON – After members of the Planning Board told an applicant’s representatives they had one more chance to get their application right, that direction was not followed and the application was denied on Oct. 16.
The applicant, CDR Whitesville LLC, was proposing to build a contractors yard with the bulk storage of building supplies and equipment on a 74-acre parcel on Whitesville Road in Jackson.
Attorney Raymond Shea and engineer Ian Borden represented CDR Whitesville at the board’s July 17 meeting to discuss a plan of action to be taken by the applicant regarding existing issues at the Whitesville Road location. The issues were not resolved that evening.
At that time, board members told Shea and Borden they would have one final chance – on Oct. 16 – to improve the application or it would be dismissed.
According to the board, on Oct. 16, CDR Whitesville’s representatives requested that the application be carried to February.
Upon hearing that request, board member Diana Brunner questioned the need to even discuss the application that evening.
“If I recall, did we not give this applicant basically an ultimatum to respond by (informing them) this has been dragging on for so long?” Brunner said, adding that if the applicant “did not perform by (Oct. 16), there was supposed to be something (done).”
Vice Chairman Robert Hudak said, “We did give them an ultimatum. We have been going back and forth for a couple of years and the last time they were here we gave them this date (Oct. 16) as the drop dead date; if they did not come before us with some meaningful movement, we were going to deny this application and then we would have to start from the beginning all over again, when and if they could get their act together. As far as I am concerned, I will believe it when I see it.
“As far as an agreement goes, these guys have not been square with us since day one. They have come in here with story after story after story. Frankly, I am done with it and I do not think it warrants another minute of this board’s consideration. I think we should be done with it and move on to the next application,” Hudak said.
Brunner offered her “environmental perspective” on why she believes CDR Whitesville was asking to carry the application to 2018.
“I feel this is a delay tactic in regard to the responses we were looking for. They were supposed to reach out to us,” she said.
The board was still waiting to hear from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regarding certain issues. In July, board members made it clear the applicant had been waiting for a response from the DEP since July 2016.
“I am disappointed. I spent time reviewing (the application) thinking they were meeting with us today, only to find out at the last minute they are not,” Brunner said.
A motion was made to deny the CDR Whitesville application and Brunner, Hudak, Michele Campbell, Larry Josephs and Township Councilman Ken Bressi, who sits on the board, voted yes to deny the application.
Board Chairman Joseph Riccardi and Leonard Haring voted no on the motion and board members Andrew Kern and Martin Flemming abstained.
Members of the public who were in attendance applauded the board’s 5-2 decision to deny the CDR Whitesville application.
