MANALAPAN — A lawsuit filed by Manalapan which seeks to overturn a decision made by the Old Bridge Zoning Board of Adjustment is awaiting further action in the legal system.
In late 2008, Manalapan filed a lawsuit against the Old Bridge zoning board in an attempt to overturn a decision that was made by that panel. The zoning board granted a variance to Old Bridge resident Steven Pielli.
Pielli lives on a 6-acre property on Hawkins Road in Old Bridge, right at the point where Old Bridge and Manalapan meet.
Hawkins Road intersects Union Hill Road in Marlboro and passes through Marlboro and Manalapan before entering Old Bridge. There is no outlet from Hawkins Road in Old Bridge.
Pielli owns a tree cutting and landscaping service and received a variance from the Old Bridge zoning board to construct a pole barn to house the equipment he uses to operate his business.
The board’s approval also allowed Pielli to continue the business use on the residential property.
Manalapan residents who live in housing developments off Hawkins Road objected to the granting of the variance, citing a number of concerns, including the volume of traffic that will be produced by the business.
In support of the Manalapan residents, the Manalapan Township Committee eventually passed a resolution to authorize litigation in the matter. The resolution states that “any intensive activity on the Hawkins Road site sill impacts the township of Manalapan and its residents … and (will) have a detrimental effect.”
The resolution states that Manalapan officials deem the approval of the variance that was given to Pielli to be “arbitrary, capricious, unreasonable and otherwise improper.”
Ronald Cucchiaro, who is Manalapan’s township attorney, told the News Transcript on Feb. 25 that a case management conference has been held. At that point in the legal proceedings the judge was given an idea of what the case is about, he explained.
Cucchiaro said no briefs have been filed in the litigation. He said further action on the Manalapan vs. Old Bridge case may occur during 2009.
In a related matter at the Manalapan Township Committee’s Feb. 25 meeting, and in response to a question that had been asked by a resident several weeks earlier, Township Administrator Tara Lovrich reported that Manalapan is currently involved in 97 lawsuits.
She said Manalapan is a plaintiff in 22 of the 97 lawsuits and is a defendant in the other 75 lawsuits.
Lovrich said the lawsuits cover a variety of legal issues and claims. She said the township’s legal budget has remained at $180,000 for several consecutive years and she said that in 2008 the township spent $163,000 in legal fees.

