Commuters get a reprieve
with bus at shopping center
By linda denicola
Staff Writer
FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — For 15 years, commuters have been parking at the Raintree shopping center, Route 537, to pick up an NJ Transit bus to New York City. That convenience stopped a couple of weeks ago when the 15 or 20 commuters were told they can no longer park at the shopping center.
However, an agreement reached with the owner of the shopping center may result in a 90-day reprieve for local commuters who catch their bus at the shopping center.
According to Barbara Safron, who lives in the Raintree community behind the shopping center, about three weeks ago commuters received a notice informing them that they can no longer park at the shopping center.
"There was a notice on a glass door at the Port Authority at the gate that we go in through and later on, someone from NJ Transit was there and gave us the same notice," she said.
Safron, who is the spokeswoman for the Raintree commuters, said she has been parking at the shopping center for 15 years.
"What happened was, one of the people who lived in Raintree got a bus to come into the shopping center 15 years ago. The shopping center wasn’t very busy, so we were able to park anywhere, but eventually it got busy and they asked us to park in the back," Safron said. "Foodtown is expanding, so they are fixing the whole area in the back there. We were told by a security guard that we can’t park there any more. They also put signs up. I spoke to someone in the shopping center owner’s office and asked them to give us stickers to park there. I was negotiating with them."
She also contacted Township Committeeman Anthony Ammiano, who is the Township Committee’s liaison to the Transportation Committee. Ammiano said he contacted the shopping center owner and was told the accommodation for the commuters was never intended to become a park and ride situation.
"It is convenient for the Raintree development. I sit on the transportation board and she sought the township’s help, but we as a township cannot force the owners to allow them to park there," Ammiano said. "What we did do was to write a strong, pointed letter to the owner urging them to reconsider. In the letter the township sent to Raintree Associates, they said that there are 1,500 residents in the Raintree community and suggested that they reconsider their position.
"We also went one step further and got in touch with Jerry Norkus, the owner of Foodtown.
He agreed to a four-way telephone conference with the property owner Raintree Associates, the president of Raintree, and Tom Antus, the township administrator," Ammiano explained. "The outcome was that the owner has agreed to a 90-day moratorium for the bus to go into the shopping center as long as the residents don’t park there. Hopefully that’s going to happen by [this] week. They will still not have the parking, but they would have the bus service there."
In addition, Ammiano said, NJ Transit it trying to work on another bus stop closer to Raintree so that residents wouldn’t have to drive their cars to the bus stop.
Safron has a Freehold Township permit, so she is parking at the township’s Route 9 commuter parking lot. Others are parking at the Shibanoff Road parking lot, she said.
"We’ve all been going back to see how many shoppers are parking there behind the supermarket. So far, we haven’t seen any. In the meantime, we are boycotting the entire shopping center. We used to get off the bus and go into the stores there."
She said there are 1,206 units in Raintree, consisting of houses, condominiums and patio homes, but only 10 or 12 commuters parked there and maybe another five came from other places.
Speaking as president of the Raintree Homeowners Association and for the Board of Trustees, Daniel Foley issued the following statement regarding the commuter bus situation: "Let us assure you [the public and the Raintree shopping center owners] that the person who was sponsoring the rally [seeking the continuation of the bus service] does not speak for the Raintree community. The commuters who were staging the rally do not represent, nor does the Board of Trustees of the Raintree community sanction them. We believe that the Raintree shopping center has been and is a valuable neighbor and friend to our community. The merchants of the Raintree shopping center have always treated us fairly and we will continue to avail ourselves of their services."