PLUMSTED – A recent meeting of multiple township boards had a relatively small turnout of residents and numerous loud moments as a familiar zoning proposal was examined further.
The joint board workshop meeting was held at the New Egypt High School auditorium and marked the third discussion about a controversial ordinance that would rezone four property lots in downtown New Egypt from R-40 (residential) to C-4 Zoning that would allow for residential and commercial.
The issue has been the topic of debate since August’s Township Committee meeting.
Mayor Dominick Cuozzo said he had worked to establish a redevelopment fund in the township. “It doesn’t have any money in it. We will be receiving money as we go forward.” In order to develop he noted that 22 existing units would need to be rehabilitated and 33 will have to be new affordable housing units.
Present as a guest at the workshop was 12th District Senator Owen Henry who answered questions. He reminded residents that the 12th District satellite office is located right in the township. He also spoke in reference to the township school district’s diminished state aid funding.
He said he was hopeful “that we’ll get a state aid formula that works” noting the criticism that the S-2 state aid funding formula has received and its impact on Ocean County school districts such as Jackson, Toms River, Lacey, Brick, Lakewood and Plumsted itself.
Resident Bernard Bahnam asked the senator about the status of litigation by 14 townships that were suing the state for overdevelopment in relation to the state’s regulations on affordable housing.
Sen. Henry responded, “they are fighting this law that has been written in stone. They are suing and this may go to the Supreme Court eventually.”
The mayor commented that with the township’s sewer system could put Plumsted in a vulnerable situation of a builder coming in and utilizing a “builder’s remedy.”
Mayor Dominick Cuozzo shows a PowerPoint presentation at New Egypt High School during a third workshop concerning rezoning four property lots in the downtown district. (Screenshot by Bob Vosseller)
“We could join the lawsuit and spend the money on it but the only case that was successful was a town that didn’t have a sewer system. “The (township’s) sewer system was overlayed with downtown here. It is illegal for us at this time to have our sewer system outside the town center,” Cuozzo said.
The PowerPoint presentation Cuozzo showed during the meeting noted that the township subsidizes the PMUA which is projecting a deficit of $250,000 for the period of July 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024 and a deficit of $550,000 for the period of January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025. The township provided a $250,000 subsidy for each of the last fiscal years.
It was also noted that the PMUA costs taxpayers’ money whether they have a sewer connection or not. The PMUA currently has 876 connections and it is estimated that 2,000 are needed to help make the authority solvent. The mayor has said that by rezoning those four lots, it opened up commercial possibilities that could add utility connections for the PMUA.
Cuozzo said “commercial is not bad. Nobody is going to build commercial on the back woods. Nobody develops property to lose money. Right now, the best way to develop property is to develop some of these residential units.” He noted that there would be some restrictions on the commercial development if the proposal were approved and it would also face review and approval by the Land Use Board.
Many of those who questioned Cuozzo expressed concern that the full impact of approving the rezoning had not been thoroughly researched by the Township Committee.
During the second workshop meeting of the rezoning proposal, a resident asked “what would happen if the school didn’t get the money” from the sale of property across the street from the Dr. Gerald Woehr Elementary School that the school district is seeking to use to balance their school budget.
The mayor loudly responded that the state would likely take over the school district, close down all school buildings and sell all the property. This would leave township students to be transferred to surrounding districts at a greater expense.
During last month’s Plumsted Board of Education meeting however, school officials responded to the same question contradicting the mayor’s description of the situation.
While officials from several boards were in attendance, The MUA was not.
Mayor Cuozzo said, “I did receive word back that the Municipal Utilities Authority refused to attend but I do see members of the school board here and some members of the Land Use Board.”
One resident asked the mayor why the Plumsted MUA (PMUA) had declined to attend. The mayor responded saying, “I do not know. The last time I spoke to the chairman, he told me that he would do everything he could to make sure I did not get re-elected. The executive director told me (that) asking them to come here tonight was a form of blackmail. I am not blackmailing anyone and take offense to that accusation.”
The Jackson Times reached out to the PMUA for response to the mayor’s comments. The PMUA consists of Chairman Brian Kubiel, Vice Chairman Steven Grosso, Treasurer Beth Kimmick and members Michael Ruppel and Janet Cristman. The authority has two vacant alternate positions.
PMUA Executive Director Biran J. Brach responded stating, “The Plumsted MUA respectfully declined participation in any workshop related to the Township’s rezoning effort in an October 4, 2024 correspondence to the Township, in which the Authority expressed its intention to avoid premature long term planning decisions until such time that comprehensive wastewater management planning can be completed to provide full context on exactly what the Authority’s needs are in a prioritized, deliberate and thoughtful manner.”
“It was concluded that the Authority could not offer substantive feedback on the rezoning effort at the current time in light of the previous statement. Let it be clear that there was no ‘blackmail’ by the Mayor and he and the rest of the Township Committee have been collaboratively engaged with the MUA for the entirety of my tenure. The Township is, and will continue to be, a trusted partner of the MUA,” Brach added.
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