For the week of March 28.
By:
Thanks for successful
WAA art auction
To the editor:
The Woman’s Association of Allentown extends a heartfelt thank you to all who contributed in any way to the success of the Art Auction, March 9.
Special thanks to Allentown Lions Club, Cream Ridge Golf Club, local papers for publicity, corporate sponsors, those who took ads and last but not least, those many donators who gave items for door prizes, and services.
This year’s event had a real feeling of community spirit and thanks to all, the Allentown community will benefit greatly because of your willing support.
To all our art customers, thanks for your purchases and for spending an evening with WAA.
Janice Schmitt
Woman’s Association
of Allentown
Historic commission
actions were wrong
To the editor:
Having been a past chairperson of the of the Historic Preservation Review Commission, I believe that I have a unique perspective on the "process" to which my husband and I were subjected at the March 19 meeting.
As stated in the code of the Borough of Allentown, the role of the HPRC is one of advice and recommendation, not one of dictating actions that require compliance. Its role is supposed to be one of persuasion and advice, even when the applicant is presenting a plan that ultimately it cannot support. Its purpose is to find a common ground that will allow dialogue and compromise so that proposed applications will enhance the Historic District at least to some degree.
Our process began with a submission of plans on March 4. Action must be taken before 20 days lapse otherwise the application by default is approved. The commission chairperson advised us of the March 19 meeting date.
As the meeting progressed, it became clear that the focus of the commission was not on the plans submitted, but on the proposed demolition. Further, members of the commission had taken action outside the scope of the commission to alert the public to the proposed demolition. While those actions are clearly within the rights of the commission members as private citizens, those participating commission members should have considered recusing themselves from reviewing our application.
The tenor of the meeting became hostile. The chairperson obviously had no control over the proceedings and allowed vicious and personal attacks from the dais which have no place in the public forum. The commission presented a letter from a state office, a petition of 277 signatures from members of some segment of the public, and finally a witness from the Monmouth County Historic Commission. We were not provided with notice that any of these items were to be presented nor provided with copies of the documents. (The Borough Counsel liaison did make it clear that the witness and the documents were not provided officially by HPRC, but had been brought in by commission members acting as private citizens.)
It became eminently clear that the majority of the HPRC members were not interested in the proposed plans at all. Action could have been taken within a very short time had the chairperson been interested in diffusing a very volatile situation. Rather, she allowed the tension and hysteria to build over a 2½-hour period until the drama had reached its boiling point. During that entire time, the commission members barely looked at the plans. When a vote was finally called, only one member indicated that he needed more information and detail in order to make a decision. In 2½ hours, that was the first concrete suggestion forthcoming from a commission whose sole purpose is supposed to be one of information and advice. Our response was that we had deliberately left the plan details open ended, expecting and desiring the commission to make suggestions at the time of the meeting.
Those plans were submitted to the chairperson 15 days prior to the meeting. Subsequently, I was told that the members saw the plans for the first time that evening. We had
submitted the plans as soon as we could, knowing that this application would be contentious and difficult. If more information was needed, it is only fair that we have an opportunity to provide it. Where were the plans from March 4 to March 19? Why weren’t the members able to view them prior to the meeting? At the very least, they should have been left at borough hall for the members to view.
In an ideal world, an advisory board would behave in a polite and conciliatory way and elicit cooperation from the applicants even when the application is offensive to the board members. I can’t blame the members for their emotional and zealous approach. It appears that for a majority of the members, the HPRC role is tantamount to a mission. It must be difficult to take such a fervent position and yet be unable to implement your position to stop actions that seem to be so terribly wrong. It was obviously a frustrating experience for the commission.
However, for the applicant, this step in the process was horribly tainted. A majority of the members of the commission stepped to the dais with their decision in place. Key members acting in a totally unprofessional and immature way allowed the process to become an intimidating interrogation which ultimately degenerated into a personal attack. There is a time and a place for spirited debate on these issues, but it is not appropriate in that forum. Of course, what happened that evening couldn’t even pass for spirited debate.
Margaret A. Armenante
Allentown
State should reinstate
environmental safeguard
To the editor:
A recent appellate court overturned a state environmental rule that slowed down construction using on-site septic systems. The rule required special state approval for developments of more than seven homes with the on-site systems.
I am herewith requesting that the initial ruling be re-instated or redrafted so as to regulate the septic systems in subdivisions of seven or more residential units.
Millstone Township has a unique environmental landscape with five watersheds within its boundaries. It is also the headwaters of many rivers and streams including; the Metedeconk River, Barnegat Bay, Doctor’s Creek and the Millstone River. All of the residential and commercial development of Millstone Township is serviced by individual well water and septic systems.
Since its inception, the aforementioned state environmental rule has protected our environment and effectively managed growth within our township. As an environmentally sensitive community we embrace this rule to ensure that all future development responsibly address the issue of protecting the existing clean water for our residents, businesses and schools.
I will be forwarding a resolution from Millstone Township urging the New Jersey Legislature to re-enact this valuable rule.
Evan S. Maltz
Mayor
Millstone

