NORTH BRUNSWICK – Residents continued their plea for improvements to the quality of life in North Brunswick during the most recent council meeting.
Wayne Gerhartz and Tony Nastus spoke on Aug. 7 after months of asking officials to look into dozens of what they consider to be violations of township code.
Both commented about Jack’s Furniture on Livingston Avenue, mentioning that there may be a grocery store inside that is not approved and that owner Jack Mamroud allows cars and trucks to park in the area that should not be allowed.
“Jack’s the worst thing that has ever happened to North Brunswick,” Nastus said.
“If he has materials in there that are not permitted under our current use, we will investigate and take action,” Mayor “Mac” Womack. “Our job is to set the rules and then to issue violations when someone doesn’t follow the rules and then go to court … so the judge enforces the rule in a way to effectuate change.”
Nastus asked about the graffiti on the Amtrak lines, which Womack said the Department of Transportation (DOT) is in the process of cleaning up.
In regard to a Corvette parked at an Adams Lane address for an extended period of time, Womack said that since some residents are elderly, face foreclosure or have their finances depleted, officials try to work with the homeowner and give leeway under extenuating circumstances.
For an address on Cozzens Lane, township Business Administrator Kathryn Monzo said the township has moved to abate the violations through the legal process, and the improvements should be completed by Labor Day.
For a business located at Jerome and Elmer Place, Monzo said the business license will be revoked by Aug. 15.
“It’s kind of ridiculous I even have to be here for stuff like this,” Gerhartz said.
In regard to signage and bus stops along Livingston Avenue, Michael Hritz, the director of Community Development, said a Traffic Regulation Order will be in place by September, stating that one-hour parking restrictions along the highway will be able to be enforced legally.
For all one-hour parking signs denoting times from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on both sides of Livingston Avenue, police can cite vehicles, Hritz said.
In addition, two bus stops that were not under proper DOT approval are now official, and are under the jurisdiction of New Jersey Transit, according to Hritz. However, the North Brunswick Parks Department is responsible for cleaning the shelters and maintaining the bus stops.
Any other signs along Livingston Avenue, such as speed limit signs, are under the jurisdiction of the state, he said.
Contact Jennifer Amato at [email protected].