By Charley Falkenburg, Special to the Packet
WEST WINDSOR The Grover Homestead criminal investigation is finished, but the public, including the Grover Restoration Committee, will never be able to see the police report.
Accusations flew at the Dec. 17 council meeting when frustrated members of the Grover Committee learned they would not be able to lay a finger on the report after waiting four months for its completion. The committee was banking on using the report, which includes a detailed timeline of the home’s missing items and their estimated values and locations, in the construction of its proposed business plan for the property.
The committee is the result of a community movement to save the Grover home, which the council voted to demolish in 2010. However, this latest revelation appeared to throw a wrench into their game plan.
”Why does the Grover Restoration Committee even continue? You made the decision that we operate inside a vacuum,” said Pete Weale, the committee’s vice chair. “This is tantamount to a cover-up.”
Township Attorney Michael Herbert, Det. Lee and Police Chief Joseph Pica presented the report to county prosecutors last week. Mr. Herbert said they went in with the intention to make the 30-page report public, but were told by prosecutors it is their standard procedure that reports that are criminal in nature are kept confidential under the Open Public Records Act (OPRA).
However, Mr. Herbert divulged several details of the report to aid the committee. Tasked with locating the materials back in June, Mr. Herbert confirmed almost everything was tracked down with the help of Det. Lee. Windows, doors, mantle pieces and a banister were located at Restoration Technologies of New Jersey LLC, an antiques dealer, in Belvidere. With the permission of former business administrator Bob Hary, the West Windsor Historical Society swapped those items for period pieces of equal value for the Schenk farm.
Mr. Hary’s consent was guided by the fact the home was slated for demolition in the 2010 capital budget.
Mr. Herbert estimated the total of that property boiled down to a little less than $10,000. Adam Wengryn, the company’s owner, has hired a lawyer so the town would have to explore the options of pursuing the items while taking transportation and litigation costs into consideration.
The report suggests that copper piping was taken by “scrappers,” who take metal items from abandoned buildings and homes and then resell it.
Also, heavy metal items, such as a new furnace and metal registrars, were sold for scrap and were estimated to be about $100. Mr. Herbert said the West Windsor Historical Society thinks these items are thought to be removed without permission.Although it still debatable whether things such as the heavy metal items were taken illegally, the county prosecutors told Mr. Herbert there was nothing that could be prosecuted in the report.
”From what we can determine, there’s not a lot of financial ability to recover the items to bring a financial windfall back to the home,” said Mr. Herbert. “I apologize for not being able to turn it over to the public I was not happy with the prosecutor who told me that.”
However, Mr. Herbert said prosecutors would allow him to distribute the police report to the council, Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh and the administration during a closed session, which council scheduled for Jan. 7 after the reorganization and business meeting.
In that session, he along with Chief Pica and Det. Lee, would go over the report with the council and then collect it back.
The council was told they were able to take notes during the session and that they could relay their knowledge on the report to the citizens. Mr. Herbert also plans on creating his own report, which would summarize Det. Lee’s account. He estimated his would be finished before the end of December.
The strict confidentiality of Det. Lee’s work appeared to overshadow the actual details that were divulged from both residents and the elected officials.
”This is ridiculous, it reeks of a cover-up; If I were on the Grover Committee, I would be outraged and I’m personally outraged,” said Councilman Bryan Maher. “This just stinks to high heaven.”
Mr. Herbert dispelled the accusation, reiterating that he would go over the report piece by piece with the council.
”There is no cover-up whatsoever and I wouldn’t make that allegation if I were you,” he added.
Councilwoman Geevers didn’t like the idea of having to read the lengthy report in one sitting for the first time.
”Trying to comprehend and read 25 pages and ask intelligent questions on the spot? That’s not the way I like to do business,” she said.
She also didn’t like the idea of spending more money on legal fees for Mr. Herbert’s additional report. To date, Mr. Herbert’s fees for the Grover Home are $6,000.
John Church, a Grover Committee member, appeared unwilling to accept the inaccessibility of the police report.
”I’ve heard many strange things in this council chamber, but this is the strangest,” said Mr. Church. “I am extremely disappointed at this turn of events and we will find a way to get it Mr. Herbert, one way or another.”
Mr. Weale not only thought the report’s confidentiality was wrong, but that few organizations, such as the West Windsor Arts Council, has had to raise money or create a business plan.
”I feel like I’ve been handcuffed, blindfolded, put in a canoe, pushed overboard and told ‘hey Pete, why don’t you and your committee swim,” he said. “That’s why I have to go to a higher authority.”
Police report or not, Mr. Herbert thought the committee should still be able to create its plan.
”My responsibility was to find where everything went and the responsibility of the committee was to find a way to save the homestead,” said Mr. Herbert. “Whether you see the police report or my report, I don’t believe that will assist you.”
Mr. Church disagreed, but said the report was “about 95 percent done” and that the finance aspect was positive enough to lead him to think the restoration would not have to be part of this budget cycle.
When Council President Kamal Khanna asked Mr. Church if the committee could present the report on Feb. 4, Mr. Church said he didn’t see any reason why the report wouldn’t be ready by then.

