Hopefuls discuss future needs

Millstone candidates review positions on recreation, police, administrators, and other topics.

By: Scott Morgan
   MILLSTONE — Township Committee candidates Greg Bellotti and John Pfefferkorn expressed opinions this week regarding recreation space, the impact of schools and the eventual administrative needs of the township.
   The men are seeking to win the committee seat currently held by Bill Kastning, a Republican who decided not to seek re-election. Election Day is Nov. 6.
   Mr. Bellotti is a Republican while Mr. Pfefferkorn is running as an Independent.
RECREATION
   Both candidates said they would like to see more recreation space in Millstone, but both also questioned where to get the money to pay for it.
   Mr. Bellotti said a more centralized approach to developing recreation space, building recreation areas that are convenient to residents, is the "right way to go." But he cautioned about the price tag, which he said has been "ballparked" at around $6 million by the Recreation Commission. That estimate, he said, includes the cost of acquiring lands and building facilities.
   He also admitted that developing recreation space near residential areas inevitably causes a stir.
   Residents who live near a recreation area either embrace its proximity or hate the traffic it creates, he said. The ideal, he said, is to find space that is both convenient and unobtrusive. He pointed to the outskirts of the township as potential sites for recreational development.
   "There are parcels near Route 526 or I-195 that would be good and have no residential implications," Mr. Bellotti said.
   Mr. Pfefferkorn referenced past township ideas, such as Millstone Park, a wooded area on Back Bone Hill Road which he said never came to fruition, as good candidates for rec space.
   He also said that recreation is not just for kids. Adults looking to enjoy a shady spot or a quiet place to rest need to be considered as the township looks for new recreation areas, he said.
   As for money, he said he would look into Green Acres funding, or other financing methods that would not have an impact on taxpayers.
   One of the main adult recreation concepts is the proposed horse trail, which is intended to encircle the township. Both candidates said they strongly favor the idea of horse trails, though Mr. Pfefferkorn said some trails already should have been built.
   He said township officials should have petitioned Monmouth County officials for permission to build horse trails around Charleston Springs Golf Course when it was constructed in 1999. Charleston Springs is a county-owned facility.
   Mr. Pfefferkorn also said it is important to consider which areas are best for horse riders and to look ahead at other types of trails, such as biking or walking trails.
FUTURE NEEDS
   Both Mr. Bellotti and Mr. Pfefferkorn said they do not see the need for a police force anytime soon.
Mr. Bellotti said that though he expects growth in Millstone, he does not anticipate a large influx of residents.
   "There’s no need to put the fear of God in people about the need to build high-rises or anything," he said. He said the State Police coverage, which could increase, is likely to be adequate for the future.
   Mr. Pfefferkorn said a township department would be small and probably unable to provide adequate coverage to the township as it grows. Also, he said, a township department likely would become a political vehicle.
   In other administrative concerns, Mr. Bellotti said an important consideration is the Economic Development Committee, an idea from the 1990s he plans to resurrect. The EDC was proposed as an advisory board to oversee growth and development in the township.
   Mr. Bellotti said he plans a three-year economic strategy designed to market viable properties to developers in order to stabilize growth and taxes.
   Mr. Pfefferkorn said would like to implement a five-year strategic plan to analyze capital growth and find where money needs to go. He said public safety in light of the Sept. 11 terror attacks is a top concern now.
   He said it is important to provide for public safety through stainless steel water tanks, fallout shelters, supplying the Office of Emergency Management and providing emergency information to residents.
   Neither candidate said the township needs a full-time administrator at the current time. Last year, the committee considered the idea of hiring an administrator.
SCHOOLS
   Mr. Bellotti and Mr. Pfefferkorn both said that good schools need a lot of money.
   Mr. Bellotti said it is critical to have enough money to support the capital expenditures enrollment growth inevitably will cause. His answer is to develop commercial ratables to offset the cost.
   "Without ratables, anything based on capital will raise taxes," he said.
   Mr. Pfefferkorn also said he would like to deal with school growth without affecting taxes, but said he would like to do so through better use of existing tax money.