Professional planner, engineer and Planning Board attorney offer views.
By John Tredrea
Before the Township Committee cast its 3-2 vote in favor of the out-of-court settlement with Merrill Lynch Monday night, Mayor Vanessa Sandom asked the township’s professional consultants to comment on the matter.
This drew criticism from Committeewoman Marylou Ferrara, who said: "I object to making the township professionals justify this decision." The mayor’s reply was that it only made sense to seek the professional opinion of the consultants the township hires before making a final decision.
Professional planner Michael Bolan who, like downzoning defense attorney Howard Cohen (see separate story on this page), said he thought the settlement was "reasonable for the township."
Mr. Bolan said the planning profession inherently brings a tendency to look further ahead than most people are likely to do. Looking ahead 15 to 20 years, he said that if the township stayed in court and won, the 440 acres owned by Merrill on the west side of Scotch Road "could be one of the last undeveloped tracts in the I-95 corridor, which could bring a future you might not be able to control. A settlement brings closure."
The planner said the 3 percent floor-area ratio (FAR) Merrill would be permitted on the west side under the settlement is, in his view, very low indeed. "We permit far greater FARs on residential lots," he said. "Frankly, it’s unheard of in my experience for there to be such a low FAR anywhere in New Jersey"
A 3 percent FAR means the square footage of office space would be equivalent to 3 percent of the total acreage of the site on which it would be built. Mr. Bolan noted that other large township corporate facilities, including that of Bristol-Myers Squibb, have been permitted FARs five or more times greater than what Merrill will get on the west side under the settlement.
Township Engineer Paul Pogorzelski said positives for him in the settlement are the preservation of woodlands in the buffer between the office park slated for the west side and homes to the west. He said he had been very positively impressed by Merrill’s stormwater management practices key to groundwater recharge, he said in its Southfields development on the east side of Scotch Road. "The implementation of their stormwater management plan has been second to none," he said.
Planning board attorney Ed Schmierer termed the settlement process "a long and arduous one." Noting that the office park addressed by the settlement would have to be approved by the township Planning Board, he said: "You have a very talented Planning Board that protects the interests of the community." He said the Township Committee endorsement of the settlement in no way legally forces the Planning Board to approve the office park. The planning board is "autonomous" in that regard, Mr. Schmierer said.