For developers, Smart Growth is game of hide and seek 6/29/05

BUENA VISTA TOWNSHIP - If you build a house in the township's Newtonville section, it should be located within Newtonville's postal district, its fire district and its voting district.

But Mayor Chuck Chiarello cautioned that it may not be located in Newtonville's Smart Growth area.

Real estate agents and a builder who recently developed and sold five dwellings just north of the section's 11 Street found out to their dismay that they missed the growth area by a matter of feet.

This meant that thousands of dollars of additional costs were tacked onto the project.

Under rules implemented by the state's Board of Public Utilities in March, developers and builders who want to build in areas not designated for development under New Jersey's Smart Growth plan will shoulder the full cost of infrastructure upgrades.

Utility companies are no longer allowed to pick up the tab for running pipes, poles, transformers or wires, as they did in the past as a courtesy.

The New Jersey BPU has said the rules are intended to ensure that those building in nongrowth areas will shoulder the additional infrastructure costs.

Ratepayers living in Atlantic City, for example, shouldn't have to pay for new infrastructure for someone who wants to live in areas not designated for development.

In pinelands-heavy Buena Vista Township, the Pinelands Commission is the body that designates what constitutes a growth area.

Chiarello said five Smart Growth blocks are mapped out on 2,000 acres of township land. Four areas - Milmay, Richland, Collings Lakes and Newtonville - are considered Pinelands "villages." A strip of land along Route 40 in the township's Buena section is considered a Pinelands town.

Chiarello said these designations were based on traditional centers of infrastructure and population within the township. But they are also based on decades-old boundaries, leaving land within the sections outside of growth areas.

"So if a builder says he's in Newtonville and does he qualify for Smart Growth, the answer may be yes, but it also may be no," Chiarello said.

The mayor added that while these blocks can be found on state Web sites on Smart Growth, the township has yet to receive official written notice of what can and can't be redeveloped within its boundaries.

The key, Chiarello said, is for developers to do their homework on growth areas before embarking on a project.

"It's something a good engineer should figure out before you start building," Chiarello said.

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A NEW RICHLAND EMERGES: Optimistic public awaits opportunity to weigh in 6/29/05

Andrea Gonzalez, of Gambale Construction in Clementon, digs around a newly formed sidewalk in Richland.

BUENA VISTA -- The Richland Village redevelopment project is moving along slowly but surely, and residents will have a chance this week to offer their suggestions about what should happen next.

A three-quarter-mile stretch of the Route 40 corridor, from Cedar to Llewellyn avenues, is gradually coming into focus. Concrete sidewalks dyed to resemble red bricks are being installed on both sides of the highway from the railroad tracks to Greenbriar Avenue.

And work is about to start for a yet-to-be-named 1.7-acre park that was the site of a sawmill, but now lies vacant between Greenbriar and Fir avenues.

Richland was a vibrant business center in the middle of a thriving agricultural area at the dawn of the 20th century, with plenty of commuter and freight train service. Today, by comparison, it's a quiet hamlet.

But Buena Vista Mayor Chuck Chiarello and other township officials have a vision to return Richland to what it once was by bringing in a new railroad tourist line, rail depot, quaint shops, restaurants, model railroad display and parking lot.

The public has generally greeted the effort with optimism.

Juan Torres, a general building contractor from Newtonville who was recently buying electrical supplies at Richland General Store, said he's pleased with news of the project's steady progress.

"I think it would be cool for the area," said Torres, 33. "It's good to see the sidewalks going in. There's hardly any in town, and I think it's going to increase pedestrian traffic quite a bit because people are going to have a safer place to walk without having to worry so much about oncoming traffic as they do now."

Torres said he'd enjoy living in the area even more once most of Richland Village nears completion, which township officials believe could happen as soon as 2007.

Calling it a "work in progress," Chiarello said the project is one-third of the way to where he hopes it'll be in two years.

"We're also intending to have an Urban Enterprise Zone established in Buena Vista," he said. "It would allow some of the sales tax money collected in Richland and the surrounding area to be re-invested in the community."

Township Administrator Ronald Trebing said the municipality is flexible when it comes to adding other attractions to Richland Village that might encourage tourism.

"Not everything is completely planned out yet," he said. "We're still thinking a lot of things through because this is a big project."

Trebing said township officials will be open to suggestions from the public at 7:30 p.m. Thursday when the Planning Board holds a meeting about the redevelopment project.

At the meeting, Chiarello said, he'll speak on his recent experience at the N.J. Mayors' Institute on Community Design at Princeton University, what he learned at that seminar and how it can be applied to Richland Village. He said he'll be glad to answer questions about the project and take input from anyone who attends.

Angelina Biscoglio of Richland, who owns and operates Little Frankie's Italian Deli, said she can hardly wait for the project to be finished.

"Our business is getting better as time goes on," Biscoglio said. "But I know it will be even better when the project is finished. I'm eagerly looking forward to it because I know it will be good for the town."

Township officials said they'd like to renovate and fix up as many storefronts as possible to attract tourists with a variety of quaint gift and artisan stores, a flower shop, antique stores and an art gallery.

"We're looking at a lot of different things that we don't have but think will be good for the community and for people traveling through the area," Chiarello said. "Part of what we're looking to unveil in the near future is the opportunity for additional shops and places for businesses to locate in Richland Village. We have several sites that we're working on."

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All aboard? Railway line could return ~ Buena Vista mayor sees passenger service as boon to Richland Village 6/27/05

BUENA VISTA -- When the Richland Village revitalization project nears completion, Mayor Chuck Chiarello hopes to have a tourist railway line in place.

And he's got just the one in mind: the Cape May Seashore Line, which once serviced the area before passenger service was phased out about 15 years ago because of a decline in ridership. The only trains now using the track through Richland are freight haulers.

Township officials plan to turn a six-block area in the heart of downtown Richland into a tourist destination, complete with a train depot and museum, quaint stores, restaurants and a park. The town center's redevelopment, Chiarello believes, will bring an influx of shoppers who can come in on the railroad line instead of driving their cars and who would infuse money into the local economy.

For the past month, Chiarello has been hard at work drumming up support for the railroad line, which would make stops at Richland Village, Tuckahoe Station, Woodbine, Dennisville, Cape May Court House, Cold Spring Village and Cape May City.

Additional stops between Richland and Tuckahoe could be added in places such as Milmay, Dorothy and Estell Manor, according to Tony Macrie, president, owner and general manager of Cape May Seashore Line.

Chiarello and Macrie are convinced the rail service project could happen within two years -- about the time the core of the Richland revitalization project will be finished.

The only thing that stands in their way is money, which they believe could be made available once the right connections are made.

In an attempt to find financial support, Chiarello and Macrie attended a meeting last month hosted by the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority in Atlantic City. Both spoke to officials from the CRDA, the state Department of Transportation and NJ Transit, which operates virtually all the railroad lines in the state.

Chiarello was tapped at that meetingto head up a committee to garner support for the tourist railroad line. He spoke with George Warrington, chief executive officer of NJ Transit, and Alan Weinberg, an official with the railroad system. He said both seemed pleased with the township's plan for Richland Village.

On June 6, Chiarello presented a resolution to the Township Committee asking it to support the railroad and urge state officials to play an active role in finding financial sources to prepare the rail line for use as soon as possible. It was passed unanimously.

Copies of the resolution were sent to communities along the rail line's right of way. Since then, Chiarello has been informed by several of those municipalities that they plan to draft similar resolutions in support of the project.

The Cape May Seashore Line presently runs on 12 miles of track between Cape May Court House and Cape May City, according to Macrie.

"We want to expand the track to 42 miles, from Richland Village to Cape May City," Macrie said. "However, in order to do this, most of the track is going to have to be repaired first."

Chiarello estimated those repairs would cost between $5 and $7 million, and if everything runs smoothly, the line could be up and running within a year.

Macrie said the bulk of the work involves replacing worn railroad ties -- a job that would take six months at most.

He added that he sees NJ Transit as a "catalyst" for finding avenues of financial assistance.

NJ Transit officials could not be reached for comment.

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Cost of doing business in Smart area grows high 6/27/05

BUENA VISTA TOWNSHIP - In this town, being on the wrong side of the street can cost you thousands of dollars.

It's a lesson real estate agent Guy Kern and developer Ira Mendelsohn said they have learned the hard way.

Kern, Mendelsohn and another real estate agent developed and sold five new dwellings on the north side of 11th Street near the intersection with Sixth Road. The sales, involving houses valued at about $200,000 or more, were completed in February.

But as Mendelsohn worked on getting utility services for the houses, he and Kern learned there were other costs involved.

The width of 11th Street, no more than about 18 feet, separates the properties from a state designated Smart Growth zone.

Under rules implemented by the state's Board of Public Utilities in March, developers and builder who want to build in areas not designated for growth under the Smart Growth plan will shoulder the full cost of infrastructure upgrades. Utility companies are no longer allowed to pick up the tab for running pipes, poles, transformers or wires, as they have done in the past as a courtesy.

Mendelsohn said he received a bill for more than $12,000 from Verizon for communication hook-up costs and a $14,000 bill from Atlantic Electric for electricity connections. This was after houses had been settled on, and comes to more than $5,000 of additional costs for each dwelling.

"What are we supposed to tell the buyers," said Mendelsohn, a Margate resident. "These costs could have been zero dollars before. ... We have to figure out who's going to eat the costs."

Kern, a Mays Landing realtor who specializes in land sales, said it's especially frustrating that a few feet of paved road separate the properties from some of the 2,000 acres within Buena Vista designated as a Smart Growth area.

"I guess we're stuck in the 'unsmart' area," Kern said. "But if we keep sending costs up, people won't be able to afford to buy places to live. They'll be stuck with rentals."

Kern and Mendelsohn are convinced utility companies are using the new rules to gouge builders, developers and property buyers. They also think the rules are discriminatory and will force people to live in areas they don't want to.

Verizon spokesman Rich Young said his company has been hearing similar complaints since March. But he added his company is bound by the rules set down by the state's BPU.

"We must abide by the rules," Young said. "We cannot extend service into a non-Smart Growth area without the developer paying for it."

The New Jersey BPU has said rules are intended to ensure those building in non-growth areas will shoulder the additional infrastructure costs. Ratepayers living in Atlantic City, for example, shouldn't have to pay for infrastructure for someone who wants to live areas not designated for development.

BPU Chief of Staff Lance Miller said the new rules should help combat suburban sprawl because it allows for "better planning at the local level."

Miller said that municipal officials could work with the Pinelands Commission, the body that designates Smart Growth areas in Pinelands-heavy Buena Vista, to get the designations shifted.

"Yes, prominent geographic features like streams and streets are used as boundaries," Miller said of the 11th Street situation. "Communities can work to change those boundaries."

But Kern and Mendelsohn have other problems with the rules.

There seems to some confusion as to what costs need to be shouldered. After getting the bill from Verizon in May, Mendelsohn said he was told communications service would be available free of charge for the five dwellings.

But Young has maintained that hook-up costs will still be charged for two of the houses. He said the other houses can be connected with no additional costs because of available infrastructure nearby.

"I'm confused," Mendelsohn said. "No one knows what we're supposed to pay."

There is also confusion concerning a phase-in period in which utilities can opt to support a certain percentage of infrastructure costs in non-growth areas. And many seem confused as to exactly where growth areas are in their communities.

A Smart Growth locator is available on a state website and can determine whether individual addresses are in growth areas. But Buena Vista Mayor Chuck Chiarello conceded he's not entirely sure where the growth areas are in his township.

"It's a pretty confusing issue," Chiarello said.

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Richland dressing up the neighborhood for future tourists 6/25/05

BUENA VISTA TOWNSHIP - The brick sidewalks taking shape along Route 40 in Richland Village aren't made of bricks. They're a cement mixture designed to simulate bricks.

For township officials, the sidewalks being laid down are further progress on a project they hope will become a tourist hot spot in Buena Vista.

The Richland Village 1920s-themed destination is projected to feature commuter train service, model railroad displays, a park, restaurants, shops, a winery and other structures that reflect a southern New Jersey of days past.

It won't take shape overnight.

At the project's November groundbreaking, township Mayor Chuck Chiarello predicted that putting the finishing touches on the village would take three to five years.

But the streetscape phase, which involves themed benches and lamps, as well as the "brick sidewalk," is well under way.

The next stage will involve a railroad-style pavilion for the project's park.

Chiarello said Thursday the project has attracted attention in other parts of the state.

He was asked to present the Richland Village concept at the New Jersey Mayors' Institute held at Princeton University earlier this week.

Chiarello said the design was examined by outside architects and engineers at the conference.

"They'll be able to provide fresh perspectives on Richland Village," Chiarello said.

Meanwhile, the township continues to seek funds to keep the project going.

The completed Richland Village will have an estimated price tag of more than $2 million. Township officials hope to cover the majority of these costs through both federal and state sources. Other revenues are expected from township investments.

So far, more than $500,000 has been raised from these sources, according to Township Business Administrator Ron Trebing.

The township had been pursuing an Urban Enterprise Zone designation in hopes of securing more funding.

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Free summer concerts in Richland 6/24/05

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Environmentalists buy land for refuge 6/24/05

BUENA VISTA -- Environmentalists have snatched more land to help protect animals and birds native to our region.

The Unexpected Wildlife Refuge this week purchased 127 acres to add to its 610-acre property, Director Sarah Summerville said. The conservancy bought the land from the U.S. Department of Agriculture with a $670,000 low-interest loan from the Open Space Institute's N.J. Conservation Loan Program.

The refuge is off of Unexpected Road in Buena Vista. The new land is the former Codario Farm site on Cedar Lake Road, which straddles the border between the township and Buena Borough. It'll eventually provide an entrance to the refuge from Cedar Lake Road.

The Open Space Institute is a nonprofit environmental organization in dedicated to protecting landscapes of significant ecological, agricultural, historical and recreational value.

Summerville said the refuge provides sanctuary for animals indigenous to the region such as beavers, gray and red foxes and raccoons as well as endangered species such as barred owls, bog turtles and songbirds.

Large land areas designated as nature refuges not only protect wildlife and endangered species, but also help preserve water quality, said Chris Jage, Pine Barrens regional manager for the N.J. Conservation Foundation.

The Unexpected Wildlife Refuge comprises upland forests and wetlands including more than a mile of the Main Lake Branch, a tributary of Great Egg Harbor River.

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Wildlife refuge buys 127 acres in Buenas 6/23/05

The Unexpected Wildlife Refuge has purchased an additional 127 acres in Buena Borough and Buena Vista Township

The 610-acre refuge announced Monday it had purchased the property from the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the New Jersey Conservation Loan Program, which provides funding for land conservation projects throughout the state.

The refuge is comprised of upland forests and wetlands along the borders of Atlantic and Gloucester counties, including more than one mile of Main Lake Branch, a tributary of the Great Egg Harbor River.

It is home to hundreds of species of indigenous plants and animals and is open to the public by appointment. The refuge welcomes about 300 visitors annually.

The refuge began in 1961 on an 85-acre tract of Pinelands in Buena Vista Township purchased by Cavit Buyukmichi and his wife, Hope. It was formally incorporated as a nonprofit in 1969 and named after the nearby Unexpected Road.

Over the next 40 years, the Buyukmichis quietly acquired neighboring forests and wetlands while mounting patrols to keep hunters from trespassing. Their actions sometimes resulted in arson fires and threats against them.

Cavit died in 1987, while Hope, who published two books on her experiences in the refuge, died in 2001. The refuge's current director is Sarah Summerville.

The refuge's continuing expansion won praise from Chris Jage, Pine Barrens Regional Manager for the New Jersey Conservation Foundation.

"Generally speaking, the larger the preserve you have, the better chance you will have of protecting significant wildlife populations and water quality," Jage said.

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Weymouth Road residents voice their traffic concerns 6/21/05

Donald Lentz, and his daughter, Kathleen Farley, 25, residents of Weymouth Road in Buena Vista Township, watch a school bus stop at a railroad crossing on Weymouth Road near Walnut Lane.

Donald Lentz, a resident of Weymouth Road in Buena Vista Township, discusses the traffic problems he has experienced on Weymouth Road. Kathleen Farley, 25, talks about concerns with the traffic she has experienced near her home on Weymouth Road near Walnut Lane in Buena Vista Township.

BUENA VISTA -- Whenever Donald Lentz pulls out of his tree-lined, U-shaped driveway onto Weymouth Road, he often wonders who is going to try to sideswipe him next.

During the past few months -- in a pattern that's becoming increasingly routine, he says -- he or family members have nearly been killed as they attempted to turn into their driveway, which is about 300 feet west of railroad tracks that cross the rural road.

"The three miles between where Route 54 meets Weymouth Road and the Hamilton Township line are like a speedway," Lentz said of the road, which has a 45 mph speed limit.

Township officials are looking into ways to make the area near Lentz's home safer.

Lentz, a retired carpenter who once worked as a train lineman, has lived on Weymouth Road for 26 years. He said railroad track warning signs painted on the road in front of his driveway are "nearly nonexistent," and even vehicles required by law to stop at the tracks, such as tractor-trailers and school buses, "just speed past without stopping."

A study of the road's use is badly needed to determine what kind of safety measures should be put in place, Lentz said.

"The drivers on this road go way too fast," he said. "It's not just my concern, but that of the people in this neighborhood who like to bicycle along this road or who like to jog or take a walk. They're at a terrible risk, too, because a lot of these drivers who whiz by don't see them."

Lentz's daughter, Kathleen Farley, 25, who lives next door to her father with her husband, John. Farley said a passing car nearly sideswiped her last month while she tried make a right turn into her driveway.

Rich Calaresco, the township's public works administrator, said a hidden driveway sign will be installed next to Lentz's property.

Calaresco said his road crews regularly cut brush and leaves from outer edges of the driveways to make visibility easier for those living along the road to pull onto the road more safely.

Township Administrator Ron Trebing said he wrote a letter earlier this month to Richard Balgowan, a regional engineer for the state Department of Transportation, about the situation but hasn't yet gotten a reply. It's unclear whether the state or township is responsible for the tracks, Trebing said.

"What I do know is that the double yellow lines which are in the center of much of the road need to be repainted," he said. "And the railroad crossing signs that were on the road are old and faded. I hope we can do something soon."

Township officials are looking into ways to make the area near Lentz's home safer.

Lentz, a retired carpenter who once worked as a train lineman, has lived on Weymouth Road for 26 years. He said railroad track warning signs painted on the road in front of his driveway are "nearly nonexistent," and even vehicles required by law to stop at the tracks, such as tractor-trailers and school buses, "just speed past without stopping."

A study of the road's use is badly needed to determine what kind of safety measures should be put in place, Lentz said.

"The drivers on this road go way too fast," he said. "It's not just my concern, but that of the people in this neighborhood who like to bicycle along this road or who like to jog or take a walk. They're at a terrible risk, too, because a lot of these drivers who whiz by don't see them."

Lentz's daughter, Kathleen Farley, 25, lives next door to her father with her husband, John. Farley said a passing car nearly sideswiped her last month while she tried make a right turn into her driveway.

Rich Calaresco, the township's public works administrator, said a hidden driveway sign will be installed next to Lentz's property.

Calaresco said his road crews regularly cut brush and leaves from outer edges of the driveways to make visibility easier for those living along the road to pull onto the road more safely.

Township Administrator Ron Trebing said he wrote a letter earlier this month to Richard Balgowan, a regional engineer for the state Department of Transportation, about the situation but hasn't yet received a reply. It's unclear whether the state or township is responsible for the tracks, Trebing said.

"What I do know is that the double yellow lines which are in the center of much of the road need to be repainted," he said. "And the railroad crossing signs that were on the road are old and faded. I hope we can do something soon."

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Tennis courts receive finishing touches - Fourth of July completion date nearing 6/17/05

Alejandro and Jorge Martinez of J. Sanders & Son Excavating Inc. prepare to drill holes so that a tennis court fence may be put up at Michael Debbi Park in Richland.

BUENA VISTA -- The new tennis courts at Michael Debbi Park should be ready for play within two weeks.

Work on the three regulation-size asphalt playing courts is finished, but the surfaces must be painted green and boundary lines must be drawn, Township Administrator Ron Trebing said Thursday.

"Workers are in the process of erecting a high chain-link fence around the three courts," he said. "Next they'll install poles to hold the tennis nets and finally a control panel for the lighting."

The Cedar Avenue park's former tennis courts were closed last year because of bad cracks in the surfacing that couldn't be repaired. A $165,000 low-interest loan from the state Green Acres program helped make the new courts possible.

Trebing said he expects the project to be completed within 14 days at the latest.

"It should be ready in time for the Fourth of July," he said. "A lot of people are eagerly waiting to use the courts."

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Buena Vista officials seek more land for Richland project 6/16/05

What's next

The Township Committee has scheduled a public hearing on the bond ordinance for 8 p.m. July 5 in the Municipal Building, 890 Harding Highway.

BUENA VISTA -- Township officials are in negotiations to buy more property for the Richland Village revitalization project.

The Township Committee this week unanimously voted to introduce a $450,000 bond ordinance for the purpose of purchasing the land that it's trying to acquire and to make improvements upon the property.

Mayor Chuck Chiarello said officials cannot provide any details of the possible land acquisition until negotiations are completed. But he said residents would be pleased when he's able to reveal the details.

Richland Village is the name given to the historic area along Route 40 between Greenbriar Avenue and the railroad tracks that is being restored as a tourist destination. Officials plan a railroad depot, stores, new restaurants, a museum, a new park, sidewalks and railroad-style lighting. Work is currently under way to install the sidewalks and lights.

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A view from the law's sponsor - Pinelands: A look back, forward 6/16/05

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Feature Photo 6/16/05