THE OBSERVER | WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2013
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‘Hospital’ use ruled out for Roche site By Ron Leir Observer Correspondent
that, “Medical offices of a wide variety as well as doctor’s offices are the most logiBELLEVILLE – cal land use activities near a hospital like Clara Maass; with ust like the commercial the ever increasing advances jingle says, “Like a good in gene therapy and bio-scineighbor,” Belleville “is entified businesses, [the site] there.” could well become a mixed Township officials have practiced aggressive listening use center of research facilities and laboratories, same day in agreeing to amend a proposed redevelopment plan for surgery facilities and doctor the Roche Diagnostic Systems and dentist offices. There is an unmet demand for modern property at 11 Franklin Ave. office facilities for medical Roche continues ownerpractitioners in the area and ship of the property but, with adoption of the plan, Belleville serving Clara Maass, as many of these professional are conwill have input into what befined to using older, outmoded comes of the land in future. buildings.” The 52-page plan, prepared
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Clara Maass President/CEO Mary Ellen Clyne, who appeared at those hearings with the hospital’s attorney, to learn more about the institutional rationale for its position on the redevelopment plan, but hospital spokeswoman Elizabeth Moore said that it was the hospital’s preference that the media seek out a township and/or Planning Board tape or transcript containing Clyne’s
remarks. Unfortunately, the Township Clerk’s office hadn’t time to work on the tape for the council meeting to find the desired commentary and the Township Construction Code Official didn’t return a phone message requesting permission to listen to the tape from the Planning Board session. In any case, respecting the wishes of Clara Maass, Mayor
Ray Kimble and the Township Council obligingly voted to remove the objectionable proposed uses, namely, “hospital,” “ambulatory healthcare center,” and “ambulance services” from the plan. The governing body also deleted a separate proposed use for a “medical helicopter landing pad.” see ROCHE page
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GRAND OPENING!
KEARNY TRANSMISSION Photo by Ron Leir
& AUTO REPAIR FOREIGN & DOMESTIC
The Franklin Ave. entrance to the Roche property in Belleville.
for the township by John Madden of Maser Consulting of Red Bank, was approved by the Belleville Planning Board July 11, one month after the Township Council had voted to designate the 18.7-acre area at the southwest corner of Franklin Ave. and Mill St. and opposite Essex County’s Branch Brook Park as an area in need of redevelopment. In the plan, Madden recommended a variety of possible principal land uses for the site, chief among which, is a “medical services district,” since the site “is uniquely situated [just north of] the Clara Maass Medical Center, one of the few remaining regional hospitals, making it a likely ‘anchor’ for a variety of land use activities focused on medical services that gravitate to a location near a prominent hospital.” Madden goes to suggest
Other supportive uses envisioned by Madden included a “pharmacy with a drivethrough facility,” home health agencies, a fitness center, a health spa, restaurants, a hotel, retail shops, banks and a 1.5acre park in the center of the site near Franklin Ave. Among other permitted uses listed by the plan are: hospital, ambulatory healthcare center and ambulance services. These three notions, however, rankled representatives of Clara Maass who spoke at the public hearings on the plan held by the Planning Board and the Township Council, according to Township Manager Kevin Esposito. They were “not interested” in those particular suggestions, Esposito said. “They didn’t want competing hospitals coming into the area.” The Observer tried to reach
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