Regardless of the outcome of November’s mayoral race, one thing is for sure — a new face will be at the helm of Metuchen next year.
Mayor Thomas Vahalla said he will step aside after finishing his current term.
“I have not registered to run,” Vahalla said. “I’m retiring.”
The mayor cited personal reasons for his decision not to seek the post for a third term. In March, Metuchen’s Democratic organization endorsed former Councilman Peter Cammarano for mayor. Vahalla then considered running as an independent candidate but decided against it. On the Republican side, a write-in candidate emerged from the primary election this month. Daniel Lebar, a longtime borough resident and attorney, will challenge Cammarano for the mayor’s seat.
Lebar’s late entry into the race came after he noted an unusual lack of registrants, he said, adding that the borough’s Republican Party has suffered from a lack of organization. Lebar, involved with the party for 30 years, is serving as interim executive director, also filling other roles temporarily, until the party can reorganize, he said.
Never married and without children, Lebar said he has a personal interest in improving Metuchen, to which he would devote himself as mayor.
“I’d basically almost be married to the town,” he said, adding that the all-Democratic governing body needs a second voice on the dais. “I see it as … really sort of being [a] pressure valve for community concerns.”
According to Lebar, as he worked his way around the borough gaining signatures for his petition to run, he noticed a theme among residents.
“The universal borough unease that exists … is what could be called the Manhattanization of the borough,” he said. “A ratables chase is really a zero-sum game.”
Lebar said officials have been charging ahead with developments, bringing in more residential units and schoolchildren than the borough can handle.
“That siren song about no kids, no cars — it’s a myth,” he said.
Lebar largely referenced Woodmont Properties’ Pearl Street Piazza project that is kicking off at the Pearl Street parking lot. The plans consist of 273 residential rental units — 134 one-bedroom, 130 two-bedroom and nine three-bedroom units. Retail space will comprise about 12,000 square feet. A sixlevel parking deck will house 753 spaces to be shared among residents, commuters and shoppers. Central to the project is a half-acre piazza at Pearl and New streets.
Along with the residential concerns, Lebar raised questions about potential environmental issues from railroad and industrial residues at the site. He also said the new retail use could create problems for existing merchants.
“I would like to see Woodmont go byebye, to be honest,” he said. “Who is going to want to go into a Main Street legacy property when you have brand-new, state-of-the-art businesses a couple of blocks away? This is going to cannibalize Main Street.”
The consensus among borough officials has been that the project will breathe new life into Main Street, and Cammarano said he agrees.
“I’m actually very excited about it, as are a lot of other people in town,” said Cammarano, a partner at the Trenton-based government relations firm Cammarano, Layton & Bombardieri Partners.
“Bringing several hundred people into the downtown area to support the businesses is never a bad thing.”
Cammarano, who has worked for more than 20 years in state government — including 12 as chief of staff for former New Jersey Senate President and Gov. Richard Codey — pointed out that officials involved residents in the years-long process of hashing out the project’s details and selecting the right developer.
“We tend to do a bit more research and preparation before we do any project,” he said. “There’s a tremendous amount of community support, and I think that has a lot to do with the way we do things.”
Still, Lebar said the project is excessive and overburdens the 4-acre tract.
“If I had my druthers … one of the first things I would do is see if there was a way of buying out Woodmont … ,” Lebar said.
Cammarano balked at his opponent’s assertions.
“The Pearl Street project — it’s a little bit late to be weighing in and criticizing it,” Cammarano said, adding that environmental concerns have been addressed. “It’s kind of like closing the barn door after the horse has left.”
Cammarano left the council in December 2014 after seven years in office, saying he wanted to be there for his son, a high school senior. Visiting colleges and attending his football games took precedence in his life at the time, but Cammarano said he misses serving in the borough that he loves.
Along with his involvement in the Republican Party, Lebar said his longtime membership in the Friends of the Metuchen Library benefited the organization. He said he got the friends incorporated as a nonprofit and put the organization in the spotlight during his time as president. He said the borough needs to again focus on the library.
Lebar was a founding member and served as chairman of the Cable TV Advisory Committee, which is now the TV and Technology Committee. He said he spearheaded the establishment of METV, the borough’s TV station. Lebar also served on the borough’s Traffic and Transportation Committee from 1995 to 2012.
He continues to serve on the county’s Transportation Coordinating Committee.
Cammarano captured 187 votes in the June 2 Democratic primary. Lebar received 34 write-in votes in the Republican primary, according to unofficial results from the county.
In the council race, incumbent council members Ron Grayzel and Allison Inserro will look to hold onto their seats. Each garnered 181 votes in the Democratic primary. On the GOP slate, newcomer Dan Kline garnered 21 write-in votes.