Present were:

Mayor Barbara Cannon	Alayne Shepler, Business Administrator	Michael D'Agnes
Patrick Gillespie, President	Russell J. Azzarello, Director	Joseph Arena
Peter Davis, Vice-president	Larry Redmond, Councilman	Anita Greenberg
Mark Proudman, Treasurer	Edward Testino, Councilman	George Koehler
Robin Rosen, Secretary	Tom Galante

 

 

 

Absent were:

Michael Spina

John Vincenti

Raj Patel

 

The meeting was called to order at 6:40 p.m.

Salute to the flag was followed by roll call.

Statement was made that the meeting was held in accordance with the requirements of the Open Public Meeting Act.

A motion was made by Peter Davis, seconded by Joe Arena, with Mayor Cannon abstaining, for the approval of the July 203 and August 2003 Treasurer's Report. The motion carried.

A motion was made by Peter Davis, seconded by Patrick Gillespie, with Mayor Cannon abstaining, for the approval of the August/September 200 bill list. The motion carried.

A motion was made by Edward Testino, seconded by Mark Proudman, with Mayor Cannon abstaining, for the approval of the July 9, 2003 meeting summary with the amendment on page two, third paragraph from the bottom to real "Pay to Play Order" instead of "Ordinance" and "Mr. Downs" indicated that this was not applicable to this procurement." The last sentence, "Mr. Vincenti stated they were in compliance", will be deleted. The motion carried.

Russ Azzarello gave his Director's Report.

Mr. Azzarello stated that there has been discussion with Dave Roberts, Schoor DePalma, and John Vincenti, Township Engineer, regarding the scope of work to be provided and the agreement. Revisions have been made to the Scope of Work.

Mr. Azzarello stated that the EDC should have enough money in the EDA grant to complete the plan as well as continuing the services of Anne Babineau with little impact to the EDA budget.

The sub-committee and the Board will be fully involved in the decision making process as the plan moves forward.

The Chamber of Commerce has selected Zudhi Karagozy, Kara Homes, as the Business Leader of the Year for Old Bridge Township. The dinner will be held on October 29, 2003 at the Grand Marquis.

Mr. Azzarello has been working closely with the YMCA and, together with George Scharpf, have had great success with contributions from local businesses.

A meeting will be held on September 17, 2003 at 6:30 pm in the George Bush Center regarding the Old Bridge Airport. This meeting will be about airport layout plans, public coordination programs, etc.

Mayor Canon informed the Board that the airport assessment is being done by the federal government but through the state to assess capacity, future needs, etc. They have made suggestions on what can be done to make the airport safer and functional. There are limitations regarding the airport expansion.

Mr. Azzarello attended a meeting at the Western Monmouth Chamber of Commerce. Some of New Jersey's largest businesses (J&J, Squibb, Bell Labs and Verizon) were in attendance. The meeting was hosted by Congressman Rush Holt. The next meeting will be a seminar early in 2004.

Mr. Azzarello met with Tom Tortorici and Dan Gerity, developers of oldbridge411.com. They are trying to establish a business directory for the town. Marketing appears to be their biggest obstacle. The cost of participation for small businesses could be high.

Mr. Testino suggested that we should consider renaming the O&Y parcel because of the negative connotations attached to it.

A motion was made by Peter Davis, seconded by Larry Redmond and unanimously agreed upon for the approval of the Executive Director's Report.

A motion was made by Larry Redmond, seconded by Anita Greenberg and unanimously agreed upon to enter into Executive Session to discuss personnel matters and contract negotiations with Schoor DePalma.

A motion was made by Joe Arena, seconded by Peter Davis and unanimously agreed upon to come out of Executive Session.

A motion was made by Mark Proudman, seconded by Peter Davis and unanimously agreed upon to authorize Tom Downs, with Russ Azzarello's assistance, to prepare and agreement with Rose LaFergola for employment as an independent contractor with the Old Bridge Economic Development Corporation.

A motion was made by Larry Redmond, seconded by Peter Davis and unanimously agreed upon for the Old Bridge Economic Development Corporation to sponsor a hold for the Rotary Golf Outing, which will be held on Monday, September 22, 2003 for $175.00.

PRESENTATION - STANBURY DEVELOPMENT

Marc Pottschmidt, Stanbury Development, was present to give a presentation for the property located on the northbound side of Highway 9 on the northeast corner of Texas Road.

They are developers of what is called "small lifestyle centers". A lifestyle center is best defined as a shopping area that does not require an anchor because it is more of a destination based upon the quality of the particular stores - usually high end stores.

They are proposing a 105,000 sq. ft. development with a 200 foot setback. The architecture of the buildings and the landscaping make this very attractive.

Stores include Banana Republic, Ann Tayor, Talbots, Domain, Gap, Pier 1 Imports, etc., and there is usually a coffee shop and ice cream parlor on the premises.

Question was raised regarding any plans for building and overpass from Route 9 north connecting to Route 18 south.

Mr. Larry Fishman, Ocean Acquisitions, stated that when they presented their plan to the DOT, the DOT did not give any indication of any existing plans for creating an overpass.

Signage will be an important factor in identifying the center because of the setback.

There will be fifteen foot sidewalks, benches and landscaping adorning the shopping center.

Mr. Davis stated that in general the Board felt it was a good idea and a resolution should be drafted supporting the concept.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:00 p.m.