By kathy baratta
Staff Writer
HOWELL — The Township Council has heard another proposal for an upscale adult community from developer Terry Sherman.
Sherman, representing Ticetown Hold-ings, is asking the council to rezone an area along Casino Drive near the Lemon Road intersection. The present zoning in the area is ARE-2 (one home per 2-acres).
Sherman is seeking a change in zoning from ARE-2 to PRC (Planned Retirement Community).
In March, following a November 2001 presentation from Sherman on behalf of the Crawford Group, the council adopted the new PRC zoning and applied it in rezoning an area of Route 33 near the Flame Motel. Sherman is planning to build Craw-ford Corner, an adult community of about 400 single-family homes in a gated community on the 35-acre site.
When asked by the Tri-Town News if he was planning to make a monetary dona-tion to the township, Sherman refuted a statement that was published several months ago in another newspaper. That statement claimed Sherman was proposing a $1.5 million contribution from the Crawford Group toward the development of a township recreation center.
Sherman said despite the published statement that was attributed to Township Attorney Richard Schibell, he, Sherman, had never made the offer nor considered such a proposal.
He confirmed that his partner for the project on Casino Drive is Anthony Spal-liero, who is seeking approval to build an adult community in Marlboro. Spalliero and other parties have litigation filed against Marlboro in regard to that plan.
Sherman said he wants to build 330 to 350 single-family homes on a 220-acre tract at Lemon Road and Casino Drive. He said the community would feature a clubhouse, pool, shuffleboard courts and other amenities he has included in similar projects he has built in New Jersey and New York. He said the concepts are uniform: "Active, upscale adult communities."
Sherman told the Tri-Town News the development of the Lemon Road-Casino Drive site would include the donation of 50 percent of the total 220 acres for dedication to the township as open space.
Sherman addressed the council at its Nov. 25 meeting. Joining the governing body on the dais were Republican councilmen-elected Joseph DiBella, Peter Tobasco and Juan Malave.
DiBella suggested that the possibility of Howell buying the Casino Drive tract for open space preservation purposes be discussed.
DiBella, who told the Tri-Town News he is not against PRC development said, "Step one is to try and preserve this space and not have development there at all."
A motion to have the municipal planner start a feasibility study of Sherman’s Casino Drive rezoning proposal was defeated in a 2-2 vote with Mayor Timothy J. Konopka and Deputy Mayor Kimberly Alvarez in favor of moving ahead with a study and council members Fritz Kirchhof and Cynthia Schomaker voting against it.
Sherman was told the council would take the matter under advisement. DiBella said he and the other new councilmen want the opportunity to review the PRC proposal and discuss it with the township’s planner.