Exemption to be sought
to parking restrictions
FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — School district administrators will seek an exemption to a new law that prohibits parking on the street near an entrance to the West Freehold School.
Meeting on July 26, the Township Committee, at the request of the Monmouth County Division of Engineering, enacted a law that will prohibit standing, stopping or parking on the east side of Stillwells Corner Road from Route 537 to a point 890 feet toward the south, and on the west side of the street from Route 537 to Sycamore Avenue.
Additionally, there will be no parking, standing or stopping on Elton-Adelphia Road in the vicinity of the Marshall W. Errickson School, and on Route 537 from Sentinel Road to the Freehold Borough border.
The ordinance could have an impact on parents who drop off and pick up their children at the West Freehold School. In the morning and afternoon hours, cars typically are parked along Stillwells Corner Road in the area that is now a no-parking zone.
During a public hearing on the ordinance, Susan Grajek, of Fern Avenue, asked what will happen when she comes to pick up her children and she has to wait on Stillwells Corner Road because the small parking lot at the school is filled up.
Thomas Antus, township business administrator, told Grajek he had spoken with Superintendent of Schools Dr. Peter Bastardo and indicated to the superintendent that this request came from Richard P. Kucinski, supervising engineer, Monmouth County Division of Engineering.
A letter from Kucinski to the township indicated that in conjunction with the no-parking zones on Route 537, the county was seeking to implement similar restrictions on portions of Stillwells Corner and Wemrock roads.
Antus told Grajek that Bastardo will take up the issue with county engineers.
By Friday, Bastardo had written to Kucinski to ask that the no-parking zone near the West Freehold School be exempt from enforcement during the school’s drop-off and pick-up hours.
The county’s reply is awaited.
Committeewoman Dorothy Avallone said the ordinance can be amended if needed.
In other business, a "tennis and sports" ordinance was adopted.
"After much discussion by the committee, this ordinance adds to the section that sets the criteria for swimming pools on private lots," said Mayor David Segal. "This includes tennis courts, basketball courts, roller rinks or sports-related activities with any similar impervious surfaces."
The new ordinance does not specify any particular zones.
"If it meets the criteria, you can have it," Segal said. "There are 25-foot minimum side yard and rear yard requirements, and a 10-foot fence surrounding the facility is also a requirement. The 6-foot fence still applies to the property line. The plans must be reviewed by the township engineer to determine if there are any drainage problems where water could affect a neighbor’s property, and no lights are permitted."
Sarojini Hayne, of Pin Oak Road, who has plans to install a tennis court at her home, thanked the members of the committee for addressing the situation.
"You’ve more than met our expectations. In less than two months you’ve introduced this ordinance without any red tape," Hayne said. "I just want to applaud this committee for working so quickly, and I plan to tell my Freehold friends how lucky we are to have a capable and caring committee."
In other business, an Information Technology Department for the township has been created. The department will be headed by Holly Manis, who will supervise two employees. The department will handle data processing, telecommunications and all phone-related matters for the township.
"We are now in the computer age and we have a full-time staff here devoted to that," Segal said.