Objections under review by county boards
By: Jake Uitti
MONTGOMERY Recently opened Montgomery Gardens, located at the corner of Route 206 and Sunset Road, has yielded a crop of complaints from some neighbors.
Michael Fedun, an attorney with Singer & Fedun who practices in the township, recently cited harsh lighting and unauthorized use of space at the business.
Mr. Fedun, who said his mother lives near the Montgomery Gardens, voiced his disapproval at a recent Township Committee meeting. Montgomery Gardens is owned by Bill Randolph.
"I think it’s a horrible situation," Mr. Fedun said in a subsequent interview. "What you have is a gentleman who leaves lights on in a greenhouse at all hours of the night in a residential area. The lights are meant to attract retail business in a residential zone. I’d like to see the man treat his neighbors with respect, and I’d like to see the Township Committee enforce its zoning ordinances."
Mr. Fedun said the Somerset County Agriculture Development Board, which is regulates the development of commercial farms like Montgomery Gardens, has recently reopened the matter.
"The original site plan (Mr. Randolph) submitted to that board is very different than what is there now," Mr. Fedun said. "For example, his original report says he was going to leave all those evergreen trees on Route 206 up," he said, but instead they were cut down.
Mr. Randolph, responding to the complaints, said, "We’ve had an overwhelmingly positive response from many residents in town. People have said we have a beautiful center."
Mr. Randolph also said he is in the midst of "ongoing" meetings with the county Agricultural Development Board, although he did not say what the issues were.
"Other than that, I have no comment," he said.
Anthony McCracken, assistant planning director for the Somerset County Planning Board, said Montgomery Township officials have indicated the garden has gone beyond what was presented to the county Planning Board a year ago in the original site plan.
"We are in the process of gathering more information," Mr. McCracken said.
In the last year, Mr. Randolph has built up his property on Route 206, adding a greenhouse, a parking lot, enlarging the offices, cutting down trees that fronted Route 206 and built a market on site, township officials said.