HOWELL – Testimony concerning the proposed construction of an asphalt manufacturing plant is expected to resume at the Dec. 3 meeting of the Howell Zoning Board of Adjustment.
On Oct. 29, board members heard from Lance Redaelli, an owner of L&L Paving, 89 Yellowbrook Road, Howell. Redaelli is proposing to remove an existing concrete manufacturing facility and to develop an asphalt manufacturing plant in a Special Economic Development (SED) zone. The application requires a use variance from the zoning board.
L&L Paving is represented by attorney Michael Butler.
Attorney Ron Gasiorowski said he represents Stavola Leasing, which is objecting to the L&L Paving application.
Traffic engineer Gary Dean, testifying on behalf of the applicant, spoke about the number of vehicles that would come to and leave the asphalt plant at various times.
Dean said the peak morning hour would have 24 trips and the peak evening hour would have 26 trips. He said that is fewer trips than envisioned in the SED zone. The peak morning hour would be 7:30-8:30 a.m. and the peak evening hour would be 5-6 p.m.
Gasiorowski said L&L Paving was previously a customer of Stavola Asphalt. He said according to Redaelli’s previous testimony, L&L Paving was “cut off” from the product by Stavola.
Stavola “no longer sells to us,” Redaelli said.
Butler objected to Gasiorowski’s line of questioning on the basis of relevance to the application.
“Mr. Redaelli, as I read the transcript, tried to clearly give the impression this was in some way some type of anti-competitive or spiteful action on my client’s part when it simply is not true,” Gasiorowski said.
Butler asked Gasiorowski “for the record” if he represents Stavola Leasing or Stavola Asphalt.
Gasiorowski said he represents Stavola Leasing, leading Butler to ask what Stavola Asphalt had to do with his line of questioning.
Gasiorowski said Redaelli’s testimony “was that Stavola Asphalt, which has a facility in this area, has prevented him from purchasing materials, which he used in an effort to convince this board it was necessary for him to construct his plant because there was nowhere else in the area where he could buy asphalt.”
The board’s chairman, Wendell Nanson, once again asked Gasiorowski if Stavola Asphalt is his client. Gasiorowski said his client is Stavola Leasing.
Nanson said he agreed with Butler’s question and said, “If the asphalt company is not your client, then where does this question lead us?”
Gasiorowski said if Redaelli refused to answer his question, then his previous testimony in regard to Stavola Asphalt should be stricken from the record.
“He did not refuse to answer the question. The question was can you get asphalt from Stavola Asphalt company and the answer was no,” Butler said.
Gasiorowski asked Redaelli how he is currently using the property on Yellowbrook Road.
“We use it as our paving company,” Redaelli said.
Gasiorowski asked if L&L Paving is currently manufacturing asphalt on-site.
Butler objected to the question and said it had nothing to do with the application before the zoning board. Nanson agreed with Butler.
Gasiorowski asked Redaelli if L&L Paving does patchwork, driveways, parking lots and has a contract with a water company to complete repairs for that company. Redaelli confirmed that is the case.
Redaelli confirmed his company does not complete work on the New Jersey Turnpike or on the Garden State Parkway.
“If you do not do parkway work and you do not do turnpike work, why do you have to construct an asphalt plant?” Gasiorowski asked.
Butler objected to the question, but Nanson allowed the attorney to continue.
“Tell me why you have to construct (an asphalt plant) and seek a use variance on this site, to construct a plant that can manufacture 400 tons of asphalt an hour, and construct six silos that collectively can house 1,800 cubic yards of asphalt at a time,” Gasiorowski said.
Redaelli said L&L Paving purchases about 50,000 tons of asphalt a year.
“There is one supplier of this product in Monmouth County, one. We feel, my brother and I, there is an absolute need for an additional supplier of this product. We have always believed competition is good, that is why,” Redaelli said.
Gasiorowski asked Redaelli if he wants to be in the asphalt business and Redaelli said yes.
Gasiorowski asked if the proposed asphalt plant would operate at full capacity. Redaelli said market demand would determine the plant’s level of operation.
Gasiorowski continued to ask questions about surrounding asphalt suppliers.
“One of the reasons why (Redaelli) is seeking this use variance is because he said it is either impossible or impractical for him to buy product locally, but yet there are in fact existing plants in addition to my client’s (plant),” the attorney said.
Butler said Gasiorowski initially asked Redaelli if he wanted to produce asphalt, to which Redaelli said yes. Butler then said Gasiorowski once again said Redaelli could not buy product “from my client.”
Gasiorowski denied he said that.
“I said (Redaelli) said he could not buy product from my client, I did not say he could not buy it from my client; matter of fact, my client has offered to sell him product,” Gasiorowski said.
Butler and Nanson both said, “he (your client) has (made that offer)?”
“Your real estate client (Stavola Leasing) is selling asphalt?” Butler asked Gasiorowski.
“I take that back,” Gasiorowski said, adding that “Stavola Asphalt has in fact offered to sell product to (Redaelli).”
Butler asked Gasiorowski how he knew Stavola Asphalt has offered to sell its product to L&L Paving. The question was not answered.
In response to a question, Redaelli said about 75 percent of his company’s business is in Monmouth County.
