BY JANE MEGGITT &
JENNIFER KOHLHEPP
Staff Writers
Stephen Alexander Upper Freehold Town-ship Republicans are gearing up for the June 6 primary.
Two newcomers will challenge incumbents Salvatore Diecidue and Stephen Alexander, whose terms are up this year, in the election. The two candidates who win the primary will have their names officially placed on the ballot in the November election.
Those elected in November would serve a three-year term on the Township Committee.
Robert Faber, 69, and Jeff Ferrier, 35, will vie against Diecidue, 44, and Alexander, 40.
Faber is a farmer who graduated from Allentown High School. He and his wife, Patricia, have three children and five grandchildren.
In 2004, Faber ran for the Township Committee as a Democrat. He said he had always been a registered Republican prior to that. According to Faber, numerous Republican voters asked him to change his party affiliation back to Republican to run in this year’s Republican primary.
Ferrier, an attorney, has a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and a juris doctor degree from Catholic University Columbus School of Law in Washington, D.C. He is married with two children.
Salvatore Diecidue He and his family moved into the township in 2003, Ferrier said, but they have lived in Monmouth County their entire lives.
Ferrier said he decided to run for office because he wants to be involved in making Upper Freehold Township the best community it can be.
In his opinion, the biggest issues facing the town are planning and zoning issues, which he called “the overriding concerns in the township at this time.”
When asked why voters should return him to office, Diecidue said he is and always has been passionate about quality-of-life issues in Upper Freehold. He said he is an advocate for the safety and well-being of township children and residents.
“Hardworking by nature,” Diecidue said, “I have devoted many hours to township business and will continue to do so if re-elected.”
Diecidue, has both an associate degree and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering technology from the University of Akron in Ohio.
Robert Faber Diecidue works with an engineering consulting firm and specializes in heating, ventilating and air-conditioning design in commercial buildings, schools and corporate headquarters. He has been married to Lori for 16 years, and they have three children, Christina, 12, Michael 9, and Anthony, 4.
Alexander has a master’s degree in law from the Temple University School of Law in Philadelphia. He is a senior trial attorney for Frey Petrakis Deeb Blum & Briggs, with offices in Marmora, Cherry Hill and Philadelphia, and serves as a major in the New Jersey Air National Guard, 108th Air Refueling Wing, which is based out of McGuire Air Force Base, Wrightstown. He is currently serving in Iraq.
Alexander and his wife, Linda, have a 7-year-old daughter named Analise.
The candidates all took some time off the campaign trail to discuss what they consider the most important issues facing the township.
On township growth: Alexander said he opposes the township’s current zoning ordinance, which the committee passed in 2003.
Jeff Ferrier He called the ordinance “a miserable failure” and said there are more homes on the township’s books now than in 2003.
Alexander said he supports “smart development.”
“I recognize we cannot stop [development],” Alexander said.
Alexander considers equestrian communities to be smart growth.
“If we are going to build and attempt to keep open space,” he said, “this is a perfect plan that will slow growth and support our local horse and agricultural industry.”
Diecidue, who ran on a slow-growth platform in 2003, said it has always been one of his priorities.
“In my original campaign literature, I stated [that] growth will occur, [that] it is a reality,” Diecidue said.
He said community representatives must plan growth through the master plan and township ordinances.
“So when it does happen,” Diecidue said, “it will be by township rules and at the township’s pace.”
Faber sees growth as the No. 1 issue in the township.
As a farmer who has land in the Farmland Preservation Program, Faber wants to encourage more preservation.
Faber said township growth must slow down. To control it, he suggested that the township should create impact fees for developers or ask developers for help in paying for schools.
Ferrier said it is his belief that people like living in Upper Freehold because it is still a rural farming community.
“As such, most people – myself included – want the town to remain a rural town to the greatest extent possible,” Ferrier said. “I believe that we all enjoy driving through town and seeing horses in their pastures and corn and hay growing in the fields.”
Ferrier said he grew up in what was once a rural, farming community in New Jersey.
“Now, the farms in that town are gone and have been replaced with houses and strip malls,” Ferrier said. “That is not what the residents of Upper Freehold desire.”
Ferrier said officials need to locate the township’s growth “smartly,” find alternative means and funds to preserve farmland and open space, and encourage the farming and equine industries to remain in town.
Ferrier also said there is an increasing need for recreation space for kids and adults. He said that although some plans are in the works, as of right now the town has no area for adult recreation.
On zoning for village/town centers: Faber said he is against designating any area of town a town/village center, especially on the White Birch Farm property.
“White Birch is a beautiful farm,” Faber said. “It’s far better than a village center.”
Ferrier said he strongly feels that White Birch should remain a horse farm for as long as possible, and he believes that the township should do all it can to encourage White Birch to remain as such.
“In my opinion, no consideration should be given whatsoever to any sort of condemnation or eminent domain proceeding for White Birch,” he said.
Ferrier said that only if the owners of White Birch decide not to continue their farm’s operations, and the land cannot be preserved as open space, would he consider zoning the property for a village center in trying to find the best use for such a piece of property.
Alexander said he is not a fan of town/village centers.
“We don’t want small cities cropping up out of our corn fields,” Alexander said. “The bottom line is we must slow/control the number of units. Whether village centers or large lot, it will drive our residents – including our farmers – out of this town.”
Alexander said he has and will continue to do all he can to keep White Birch Farm the gem that it is today.
“I have not [changed] and will not change my position on White Birch,” Alexander said.
With regard to zoning for town/village centers, Diecidue said he is opposed to a town or village center like those in neighboring municipalities.
“We are currently looking at the concept of transfer of development rights (TDR),” Diecidue said. “The TDR planning tool requires a receiving area to be designated in the township.”
“We hope White Birch Farm will remain a farm forever,” Diecidue said. “We would love to see it preserved in its current state.”
Diecidue said he would never condemn a farm for private redevelopment.
“If at some time in the future the owners determine they would like to discontinue farming and sell to a developer,” he said, “the township would hope to have a vision in place for that location.
“If we do not do contingency planning,” Diecidue added, “we would be doing a disservice to our residents and would be at the mercy of the developers.”
On the proposed westerly bypass: Ferrier said he thinks that everything should be done to avoid having the bypass constructed. The location of the bypass, right next to the school and Byron Johnson Park, has the potential to put [children] in harm’s way, he said.
“There are other traffic solutions that I understand are being explored and should continue to be explored options that would alleviate the traffic concerns in Allentown without the need for the bypass,” Ferrier said.
Alexander also opposes the creation of a westerly bypass. However, he said if the area does not curb its development the town may need the bypass to deflect traffic away from Allentown.
“If we continue to contribute to the regional traffic with our uncontrolled development, we continue to give the county a reason to build the bypass,” he said.
Faber said he opposes the construction of a westerly bypass around Allentown.
Alexander also mentioned that he was the only one to vote against a raise for the members of the Township Committee last year because taxes kept going up, but the committee had actually scheduled fewer township meetings.
replaced with houses and strip malls,” Ferrier said. “That is not what the residents of Upper Freehold desire.”
Ferrier said officials need to locate the township’s growth “smartly,” find alternative means and funds to preserve farmland and open space, and encourage the farming and equine industries to remain in town.
Ferrier also said there is an increasing need for recreation space for kids and adults. He said that although some plans are in the works, as of right now the town has no area for adult recreation.
On zoning for village/town centers: Faber said he is against designating any area of town a town/village center, especially on the White Birch Farm property.
“White Birch is a beautiful farm,” Faber said. “It’s far better than a village center.”
Ferrier said he strongly feels that White Birch should remain a horse farm for as long as possible, and he believes that the township should do all it can to encourage White Birch to remain as such.
“In my opinion, no consideration should be given whatsoever to any sort of condemnation or eminent domain proceeding for White Birch,” he said.
Ferrier said that only if the owners of White Birch decide not to continue their farm’s operations, and the land cannot be preserved as open space, would he consider zoning the property for a village center in trying to find the best use for such a piece of property.
Alexander said he is not a fan of town/village centers.
“We don’t want small cities cropping up out of our corn fields,” Alexander said. “The bottom line is we must slow/control the number of units. Whether village centers or large lot, it will drive our residents – including our farmers – out of this town.”
Alexander said he has and will continue to do all he can to keep White Birch Farm the gem that it is today.
“I have not [changed] and will not change my position on White Birch,” Alexander said.
With regard to zoning for town/village centers, Diecidue said he is opposed to a town or village center like those in neighboring municipalities.
“We are currently looking at the concept of transfer of development rights (TDR),” Diecidue said. “The TDR planning tool requires a receiving area to be designated in the township.”
“We hope White Birch Farm will remain a farm forever,” Diecidue said. “We would love to see it preserved in its current state.”
Diecidue said he would never condemn a farm for private redevelopment.
“If at some time in the future the owners determine they would like to discontinue farming and sell to a developer,” he said, “the township would hope to have a vision in place for that location.
“If we do not do contingency planning,” Diecidue added, “we would be doing a disservice to our residents and would be at the mercy of the developers.”
On the proposed westerly bypass: Ferrier said he thinks that everything should be done to avoid having the bypass constructed. The location of the bypass, right next to the school and Byron Johnson Park, has the potential to put [children] in harm’s way, he said.
“There are other traffic solutions that I understand are being explored and should continue to be explored options that would alleviate the traffic concerns in Allentown without the need for the bypass,” Ferrier said.
Alexander also opposes the creation of a westerly bypass. However, he said if the area does not curb its development the town may need the bypass to deflect traffic away from Allentown.
“If we continue to contribute to the regional traffic with our uncontrolled development, we continue to give the county a reason to build the bypass,” he said.
Faber said he opposes the construction of a westerly bypass around Allentown.
Alexander also mentioned that he was the only one to vote against a raise for the members of the Township Committee last year because taxes kept going up, but the committee had actually scheduled fewer township meetings.