HIGHTSTOWN: Borough leaders react to latest word from rug mill owner

By Vic Monaco, Managing Editor
   HIGHTSTOWN — After more than four years of negotiations and changed plans, perhaps nothing would surprise borough leaders and interested residents when it comes to the desires of developer John Wolfington.
   That doesn’t mean anyone was happy to read a couple weeks ago that the owner of the rug mill property wants yet more changes to the local redevelopment ordinance despite the latest concession made by the Borough Council.
   ”No, I’m not surprised,” said Steve Misiura, chairman of the Planning Board. “One would expect minor tweaking of the plan as it continues to get developed due to technical issues that might need to get resolved. But if they’re looking to make major changes to the plan, we would pretty much be back to square one. But in this economic climate I’m sure shovels aren’t going in the ground anytime soon anyway.”
   ”I’d hate to see it go back to square one because we put a lot of time and effort into it,” he added in a reference to reviews and changes already made to the borough’s redevelopment ordinance.
   The exact changes being sought at the moment are only known by representatives of Wolfington Companies and some borough officials, but neither will publicly reveal them. A rampant rumor for months is that Mr. Wolfington wants to change the largely condo plan to apartments, something banned by the borough ordinance and strongly opposed by many locals, including council President Walter Sikorski.
   The borough first amended the ordinance in the fall of 2006, raising the allowable number of residential units on the 7-acre Bank Street tract from 80 to 130, in accord with Mr. Wolfington’s wishes. The latest amendments, among other things, would allow him to make a payment – said to be $350,000 – in lieu of previously required rehabilitation or reconstruction of the nearby municipal building.
   Mr. Wolfington sued the borough in January, seeking to overturn its redevelopment ordinance, as it stood before the latest changes, and be reimbursed more than $250,000 he says he has spent to help pay for local review and planning. Contrary to what some residents predicted, he has not withdrawn his suit as a result of the latest amendments.
   Councilman Jeff Bond has sat on the rug mill committee for quite some time and said last year, before he was seated on council, that he didn’t plan to help push through ordinance amendments that were defeated in December. When he did just that earlier this month, he expressed frustration with Mr. Wolfington.
   ”I’ve been through the twists and turns and circus we’ve all had to endure,” he said, while adding that approving the latest amendments would tell Mr. Wolfington, “This is it. This is what was negotiated. Now do something with it.”
   Last week Mr. Bond shook his head disgustedly when asked about the latest comments from Mr. Almquist and said he does not favor further ordinance amendments.
   Mayor Bob Patten, who sits on the rug mill committee and has often defended Mr. Wolfington, did not respond to a request for comment.
   Councilman Larry Quattrone, who originally voted against the latest amendments but approved them earlier this month because “we have to get it moving,” said he wasn’t surprised to hear the latest from Mr. Wolfington.
   ”You’ve got to see what they have to offer,” he added.
   Councilman Ryan Rosenberg, who has steadfastly opposed the latest amendments, also said he’s trying to keep an open mind.
   ”I am always open to listen, however it is not surprising that they want more concessions considering we have given them everything they have wanted up to this point,” he said.
   ”They are in business to make it as advantageous as possible for themselves or the company that they are going to sell the property to,” he added. “I don’t think that we can blame them for doing that, especially in this financial climate.