Pine Barrens Tribune July 20-July 26, 2024

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609-801-2392 Vol. 8 – No. 31

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The News Leader of the Pines

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July 20, 2024 - July 26, 2024

A CLOSING CALLED OFF

Squad Chief Calls for ‘Crackdown’ on Illegal Racing in Washington Mayor Describes ‘Pop-Up’ Races as ‘Like a Party’; Town Will Yet Again Partner with Sheriff’s Department for Speeding, Infractions Enforcement B y D ouglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

Whatever the Reason—and It’s One That Has Not Yet Been Made Public— a Previous Plan to Raze the Highly Popular Medport Diner and Replace It with a Chipotle Mexican Grill Appears to Have Been Taken Off the Table, Which Is Especially Welcome News to Regulars of the Medford Landmark Photos By 'A View From Evesham'

The entrance to the Medport Diner in Medford Township and a sign on the door of the Medport Diner declaring, “We Are Staying Open!”

By Bill Bonvie Staff Writer

MEDFORD —In Doug Easterly’s phrase, “the diner gods were smiling on Medford” on the day the Medport Diner announced that, contrary to previous expectations, the landmark establishment off Route 70 in Medford Township is planning to remain open after all and would continue serving as a place for many of the area’s residents to meet and eat, just as they have been doing for decades.

“I’m ecstatic,” the former longtime Medford resident, who now lives in Beach Haven Terrace, told the Pine Barrens Tribune shortly after learning that a plan to replace the popular breakfast, lunch and dinner spot with a Chipotle Mexican Grill and mini-strip mall, which was granted a conditional variance by the Medford Township Zoning Board of Adjustment back in February, had for reasons unknown apparently been taken off the table.

Easterly was especially pleased that he will be able to go on taking his mom Nancy

to lunch or dinner at the Medport, one of her favorite eating places as well, when he goes home for a visit every two or three months, recalling how he has been a patron of the diner since it first opened in 1983, when he used to get $2 “mini-meals” there in his student days.

“Not that I’m disdainful of Chipotle,” added Easterly, a real estate manager, “but they could go anywhere”—a sentiment expressed by a number of other Medport regulars when plans to close the diner in favor of that franchise were first made public.

Nancy Easterly, when contacted by this newspaper for her reaction, at first sounded somewhat skeptical that the scheduled closing was really being called off. But when informed that the news had come directly from the diner, responded, “Then I have a happy smile on my face.”

She then commented how much she would have missed the “good food at good prices” offered by the Medport and how she especially enjoys being able to go there for breakfast and order scrambled eggs with low-sodium mozzarella cheese

to accommodate her dietary needs, and which “you don’t see on many menus.”

“New Jersey,” she added, “used to be known as the diner state, but that’s becoming less and less so” due to the fact that so many have been closing up—a trend that has increasingly deprived Garden State communities of popular spots for gettogethers as well as affordable local eateries that aren’t affiliated with fast-food chains.

Similarly ecstatic upon hearing the news was Louise Dribben, who lives just over the Evesham line in the community of Legacy Oaks, and who was in attendance at the planning board meeting where the conditional variance was approved that would have cleared the way for the proposed Chipotle to replace the diner, despite its proximity to another chain restaurant, Popeye’s.

‘Everybody would be thrilled to know they are not closing after all,” Dribben contended after being informed of the change in plan. “Just about every person I know at Legacy Oaks goes there.”

See CLOSING/ Page 7

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WASHINGTON—“Big time” illegal drag racing in Washington Township is something that the chief of the Green Bank Volunteer Ambulance Company is calling on Washington Township officials to address.

According to Chief Barbara Cavileer, she has observed drag racing occurring on Cou nt y Route 563, a sig n i fic ant portion of which is a straightaway in the municipality with few homes and light traffic, and hence it is why it is known to attract racing enthusiasts.

“It is going on to the point where a veh icle, with large back tires and a parachute off the back was noticed on County Route 563,” Cavileer advised the Washington Township Committee du r i ng its Ju ly 2 me eti ng. “T h is is unacceptable. The police say they are aware, but that they can’t do anything about it because they can’t catch them.

But we are the ones that will be scraping them off the road and putting out fires in our forests (from any sparks when the rubber meets the road).”

The emergency squad chief asked the governing body “if we can crack down on these” racers and “get them to move away, somewhere else.”

Mayor C. Leigh Gadd, Jr., in responding to Cavileer, revealed that recently there have been “pop-up races” in the township.

“I don’t think it is one or two vehicles,” he said. “It is like a party.”

Gadd suggested the races are being org a n i z e d o n l i n e , a n d qu e s t io n e d whether the New Jersey State Police, responsible for policing in the township, “have people scour the Internet,” looking for such postings.

“The best thing that could happen is when they are getting set up, someone needs to call (the police),” the mayor declared.

Cavileer, in response, attested that on a night the squad recently “came through” County Route 563 “with the ambulance,” there was a race, and the state police were called.

Given the state police’s pur ported limited presence in the township, Gadd See RACING/ Page 6

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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

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Residents on ‘Fixed Incomes’ in Pemberton Boro. Describe Their ‘Upset’ in Receiving Water, Sewer Utility Bills Reflecting Quarterly $39 Increase, Learning, Amid Protest, of Separate Municipal Tax Hike of 7.5 Cents Mayor Maintains Water Utility Was Getting ‘Dangerously Low’ in Funds, But Denies Ball Was Dropped, Though Councilwoman Now Overseeing Utilities Claims It Was

By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

PEMBERTON BOROUGH—A hike in the base service charge for water and sewer utility customers of Pemberton Borough that was approved by Pemberton Borough Council back in April without any public objection, was suddenly a major point of contention at the latest June 17 meeting of the council after residents (many of whom were not at that prior meeting) began receiving their bills and taking note of what amounts to a total quarterly increase of $39 between the two utilities.

As reported in late April by the Pine Barrens Tribune, the base service charge for water utility customers was increased from $50 to $70 per quarter under an April 15 ordinance approved by council, while the ordinance also implemented an increase for sewer utility customers, raising the base service charge from $117 to $136 per quarter.

The reason behind the increases was not given at the time of the ordinance’s passage, however.

Resident Joan Beach, of the Hearthstone retirement community, in pointing out on June 17 that she got her bill and it is “up by $39,” asked, “Why?”

Mayor Bonnie Haines answered that it is because the Water and Sewer are selfliquidating utilities or “that is how they are supposed to be” and the “water utility was getting dangerously low” in funding.

“My bill went up almost $40 every quarter, and if you multiply that by 120 some houses in Hearthstone alone, it is just under $20,000, and that is just for our development, and we have not been hit with a tax increase yet and we know that is coming! Gas is up! Food is up!

Insurances are up! And then you turn around and do this to us?! What do you need all this money for?!”

Beach told the council and mayor she lives on a “fixed income,” as do many residents of the retirement community.

“We do have a utility to maintain,” Haines responded. “We have infrastructure to maintain. We have equipment to maintain.”

Beach pressed officials as to, “Why all of a sudden this big increase?”

“Has someone been asleep behind the wheel?” she also asked.

Haines responded, “No, I don’t think that is true,” before revealing that the “last time there was a rate increase was in 2012 See HIKE/ Page 7

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Effort by Washington Twp. to Implement Direct Property Tax Relief for Taxpayers Hit by 2023 Massive School Tax Increase, Said to Stall

By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

WASHINGTON—A plan for the Township of Washington to give direct property tax relief to individual township taxpayers to offset a 2023 tax increase caused by the local school board’s budget in closing a $473,871 shortfall, has reportedly stalled with local officials contending the “state is fighting us.”

Officials had previously passed a measure that would provide taxpayers with a direct tax credit, hoping the program would be along the lines of a state tax credit program. “ We a r e s t i l l wo r k i n g o n t h e innerworkings of the ordinance we passed for direct tax credit relief for everybody in response to a large tax increase for the school budget,” declared Mayor C. Leigh Gadd, Jr. during the latest July 2 Washington Township Committee meeting. “However, the state is fighting us every possible way that they can. Without getting into all the details and nuances, the best way to sum it up is they are making it impossible with what we are trying to do.”

Gadd, however, maintained “we are still pushing forward” and “we hope to have some sort of mechanism in place to get this done.”

“We are diligently working on this, and the state is just fighting us, for what reason I don’t know,” the mayor added.

The Pine Barrens Tribune previously

reported that the local school district failed to adopt its budget for the 2023-24 school year by a May 2023 state deadline, and then in late December of last year, the New Jersey Department of Education reportedly came down to the township and adopted it, addressing the shortfall in a way the local district did not want to do, and allowing the Burlington County Board of Taxation to complete its work for the year.

Delayed tax bills were then mailed shortly thereafter, reflecting a $224.14 increase to the township taxpayer for every $100,000 of assessed value.

The board, as it came out, had at le a st approa che d t he n-m ayor a nd current Deputy Mayor Daniel James for assistance, but James had declined to provide any beyond an initially requested $50,000, contending the requested amount of assistance kept changing.

Still, several residents have asserted that they believe the retroactive efforts could have been avoided if the then-mayor worked the situation out (there has been an ongoing dispute whether any school district request had made its way to the full committee).

As public pressure mounted and the impact began to be realized by residents, the township filed suit in hoping to still be able to retroactively use its surplus monies to close the gap.

See TAX/ Page 9

LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES ♦ Page 3

Alleged Public Urination Described As ‘Out of Control’ at Firehouse in Chatsworth, with Fire Chief Asking About Adding Possible Fencing Chief, Also Working as Public Works Laborer, Resigns from That Latter Position Following Supervisor Dispute; Cheaper Pump Sought for Planned Firehouse Well

By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

WOODLAND—Public urination has reportedly become a problem in the area of the Chatsworth firehouse of the Woodland Fire and EMS Company.

“It is out of control,” declared Fire Chief Shawn Viscardi during a June 26 Woodland Township Committee meeting, in asking township officials what would be needed to place a fence on the property to curb the urination from happening.

Viscardi noted that on one occasion he “stopped two guys who were urinating in front of the building.”

“It is the weekend warriors,” said Viscardi of who is doing such a thing.

Mayor Wi l l ia m “Bi l ly” DeGrof f ack nowle dge d there is a problem, asserting, “They got 10 miles of woods and they got to stop there.”

It is to the point that with the “concrete and the heat,” according to the fire chief, “you can smell the urine inside the building.”

Signage, the chief added, has not been a successful deterrent.

Township Administrator and Clerk Maryalice Brown explained to the chief that he would need a permit from the township to erect any fencing, and that in order to obtain the permit, he would need

to supply a copy of the land survey for the firehouse property, along with the location of any proposed fencing drawn on it.

Once Viscardi submits the required documentation, Brown said she would give it to the local zoning officer for review and approval.

Viscardi, for a second meeting in a row, discussed recent vehicle troubles impacting his agency. One of the agency’s ambulances suffered a high-pressure coil and associated line failure, he said, and the township committee on June 26 approved of a repair not to exceed $4,800.

The chief also explained that another vehicle of the agency has had suspected cylinder and engine problems and was taken within the last month to two dealerships for evaluation. Estimated repairs, he said, are as much as $9,152.

Brown said she would look into potential insurance coverages for any repairs, believing the vehicle repair could be covered under township property insurance.

During a May committee meeting, officials revealed a $45,850 estimate for a long-planned well project, but were surprised with how high it was.

Now, according to DeGroff, “we want to go back out to bid.”

See FENCING/ Page 7

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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

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Pemberton Twp. Council Orders Yet Another Investigation, This One Probing Circumstances Behind ‘Firing’ of Plumbing, Electrical Official • At Issue is Tabernacle Twp.’s Tom Boyd, Who Was Providing Shared Services to Pemberton and Has Been at Center of Tabernacle Town Hall Controversy •

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Terminated Employee Alleges He Was Accused of Having Used ‘Racial Slur,’ Which He Adamantly Denies, and Let Go Without Any Sort of Investigation In Light of Also Reportedly Being Told He ‘Stirs the Pot,’ Suggests Retaliation Is at Play for His Having Questioned Lack of Inspection, Permit for Items

By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

PEMBERTON—Yet another Pemberton Township Council-ordered investigation has been authorized, this one over the circumstances surrounding the purported firing of Pemberton Township’s plumbing and electrical subcode official, Tom Boyd, who held the position through a shared services agreement with Tabernacle Township, where he is employed full-time.

Boyd, already facing controversy in Tabernacle Township over his conclusion earlier this year that Tabernacle Town Hall poses an imminent danger of collapse (though there is no indication that is in anyway related to his termination in Pemberton), maintained at a July 10 Pemberton Township Council meeting that he has been “accused of using a racial slur and not doing inspections as the reason” for Pemberton Township “ending the contract.”

“I take a lot of stuff,” Boyd told the council during public comment. “I take a lot of personal attacks. But when I was told it was a ‘racial slur,’ it absolutely infuriated me.”

The now-former Pemberton subcode official went on to explain that his daughter is a “foster mom” and that her first child, at some point, told him, “‘I don’t like you because you are white.’”

“The last time I met him, playing on the streets, he ran up to me and said, ‘There is my pop-pop,’” contended Boyd in suggesting he is not a racist.

Boyd described that when he learned his contract was in jeopardy, he approached Pe mb e r t on Tow n sh ip C om mu n it y Development Director Rosemary Flaherty and advised her he plans to “fight’ the allegations.

Photo By Tom Valentino

Tabernacle Township’s Tom Boyd, who claims to have been terminated from a role he was filling in Pemberton Township.

Boyd contended that he soon learned that Flaherty purportedly took what he said directly to Pemberton Business Administrator Daniel Hornickel.

“I went to inspect people’s houses, only to learn someone had already been there,” said Boyd of how he had learned he was fired from the Pemberton job. “I didn’t even get the courtesy of being told my services were no longer requested.”

B oyd s u g g e s t e d , h ow e ve r, t h at Hornickel was directed to take the action that he did, describing that “the reason the administrator was told my services were no longer requested was because I was ‘stirring the pot’ and that I attended a Planning Board meeting, and employees are not permitted to attend a Planning Board meeting.”

(Hornickel reports to Republican Mayor Jack Tompkins in Pemberton’s form of government.)

“The pot sometimes needs to be stirred so that the stew doesn’t get burned on the See INVESTIGATION/ Page 9

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Pemberton Council Meeting Degenerates into Shouting Match Over Redevelopment, a Wild Session That Also Saw Councilman, Call for ‘Investigation’ as He Accuses Business Administrator of ‘Lying’ Business Administrator Demands Councilman ‘Tell Me What My Lies Are’ and Puts Councilman ‘on Notice’ That ’If You’re Wrong,’ He Will Be ‘Served’

By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

PEMBERTON —A n of f the rai ls “meeting” of Pember ton Tow nsh ip Council on July 10 degenerated into a shouting match on multiple occasions with Democratic Council President Paul Detrick at times losing control of the over three-and-a-half hour long proceedings.

The underlying current was several items related to planned warehouses and redevelopment in the township on the agenda (see separate story), and a special meeting was called to order after the body could not muster up enough votes to pass them at an earlier regular session.

But it all led to exchanges over unrelated redevelopment, including in regards to the former Country House and Browns Mills Supply sites.

GOP Councilman Dan Dewey, known to be in opposition of some warehousing and large development projects before the township, opened the meeting by conducting what he called a “survey” of a large crowd that gathered in opposition to the development.

He asked, by a show of hands, how many are for and against warehouses, age 55 plus com munities, proposed apartments and townhouses, ‘cannabis stores coming to town” and “saving our farms.” Overwhelmingly, the audience was against the items he raised.

Hornickel had made an unusual move of attending a June 24 Planning Board meeting to explain what he saw as the importance of redevelopment, but found himself before a skeptical board. At one point during that meeting, members of the board suggested that the communication from the adm inistration needed to improve, with one member contending he had reached out to Com munity Development Director Rosemary Flaherty for information, but had been referred to Business Administrator Daniel Hornickel instead.

When the board member described that he insisted he talk to Flaherty, Hornickel

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explained he had the member referred to him because he is Flaherty’s “boss.”

It reportedly did not sit well with at least some members of the board, particularly Dewey (he is also a Planning Board member). The Republican councilman, in recounting the remark at the July 10 council meeting, alleged Hornickel said he “was the boss.”

“I have no idea what you are talking about Mr. Dewey!” Hornickel snapped.

Amid further intense questioning by Dewey, Hornickel contended he had stated, “I would be the boss over my staff.”

“I will refer to you as the ‘boss’ now,” declared Dewey in response.

And with Hornickel the “boss,” Dewey said he would put several questions to him. Dewey first queried the business administrator as to the owner of what used to be Browns Mills Supply and the length of time the property belonged to the owner. After Hornickel answered the property owner has had it for “two years,” Dewey wanted to know if violations were ever issued to the owner.

Hornickel responded had Dewey posed the question to him prior to the meeting, he could have gotten a response from his staff.

“I don’t know everything my staff does,” Hornickel continued. “We have 40 some employees!”

Dewey, however, reminded Hornickel he is the “boss,” before contending he made a site visit and found overgrown vegetation and that he “thinks there are violations there.”

(As for why Dewey had brought up the former Browns Mills Supply, Dewey later contended to this newspaper that six stores and three-story townhouses are proposed for there before declaring, “another historical building bites the dust.” And Hornickel later explained to this newspaper, when asked why the Browns Mills Supply had come up, responded, “we were attempting to attract an investor to utilize the existing See SHOUTING/ Page 8

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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES ♦ Page 5

Resolutions That Led to Pandemonium at Pemberton Council Meeting Allow Warehouse Project on Rt. 206 to Be Connected to Mt. Holly MUA Those Opposed to More Warehouses in Town Saw Their Protest of Measures as Last-Ditch Effort to Stop Project That Has Secured the Necessary Approvals

Evesham Twp. Police Chief’s Intervention Helps Resolve Complaints Over Loud Noises from Eatery, Concerns About Hazardous Crosswalk Volume Reduced to ‘Acceptable’ Levels, Bus Route Resumed for Students But New Community Consternation Created by Vandalism of ‘Pride’ Flags

By Douglas D. M elegari

By Bill Bonvie

Staff Writer

PEMBERTON—The special July 10 Pemberton Township Council meeting that turned contentious was over, in part, a pair of proposed resolutions intended to approve the nearby “Mount Holly Municipal Utilities Authority (MUA)’s request,” according to Pemberton Township Business Administrator Daniel Hornickel, for Treatment Works Approvals (TWAs) that enables the agency to obtain permission from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to “construct a sanitary sewer collection system along Route 206” in Pemberton to serve proposed Rockefeller warehouses at 2470 and 2554 Route 206.

“They are looking to connect to the Mount Holly MUA sewage collection system,” Hornickel explained. “They are in the Mount Holly MUA sewer-service area.”

He added “nobody is providing them water” as “they are putting in wells for water and fire suppression.”

Those launching opposition to the resolutions, however, saw opposing the pair of TWA resolutions as a last-ditch effort to thwart the plan to construct the warehouses within a 466-acre redevelopment area comprising farmland, near the intersection of Route 206 and N. Pemberton Road.

“If they are not signed, you won’t be able to get sewer to the project,” said Attorney Jerry J. Dasti, filling in for Solicitor Andrew “Andy” Bayer, despite being from a different law firm than that of the regular municipal solicitor, with this newspaper told Dasti has been handling this particular issue as special counsel. “I don’t know what the ramifications are as far as the approvals that were granted.”

But Hor nickel interjected that it would be a “breach of our contract – the redevelopment agreement,” and when Democratic Council President Paul Detrick asked whether a septic system could be permitted, Hornickel responded “that would be their alternative,” with Dasti adding it would “need to be allowed by the NJDEP and Board of Health.”

T here wa s a lso a s e pa rat e it e m on the agenda to approve a “Master

Redevelopment Agreement” with PDC Nor theast LPIV, LLC, for c er t ai n properties in the township.

The Pine Barrens Tribune previously reported that a pair of redevelopment agreements enabling the two Rockefeller warehouses were approved by Pemberton Township Council in 2023, after the agreements had initially failed to secure enough council suppor t am id loud objections to the plan.

Since this newspaper’s last report, the two proposed warehouses, according to Hornickel, now have Planning Board approval.

A sanitary sewer collection system helps provide the necessary infrastructure for the warehouses.

“Under the respective redevelopment agreements, the township has a duty to cooperate with the developer,” said Hornickel in defending to this newspaper his decision to call a special meeting and re-listing the TWA resolutions on council’s agenda after they initially had not gotten enough council support.

He pointed to Section 2.3, par. (b) of the previously-adopted redevelopment agreements, which state, ‘“The Township agrees to fully cooperate with the redeveloper in obtaining the governmental approvals provided such actions are not materially adverse to the township and to fully support all applications for governmental approvals consistent with this agreement.”’

“The developer needed site specific TWAs for each location,” he added.

“Nothing about granting consent for a TWA is controversial – the township has no reason to refuse to grant consent for the two site-specific TWA applications.”

But the large crowd that had gathered on July 10 for the special council meeting clearly saw it as part of a broader issue many have been rallying against – the enabling of more redevelopment in the township, particularly warehouse development.

“Mr. (Councilman Donovan) Gardner, you asked why people are here,” said resident Marie Reynolds. “People see three warehouses on one single agenda, and we got warehouses already up,” contending people are “scared” over all the development.

Maureen Taylor-Ford, “not a resident, but a person who drives through Browns Mills and Pemberton,” told the council that she has “family who lives in the woods and I enjoy coming here,” and over the last 10 years she has felt the area has gone “haywire.”

“Are there no more Open Trust Funds for open land?” she asked. “Are there no more grants or Green-Acre Program funds?”

She also questioned why the open space can’t be “rented out” to generate revenue.

Real estate broker Dave Cantara, from nearby Camden County, pointed to various warehouses in his county that are now vacant, while contending in Burlington County, “there are 12 vacant Amazon warehouses that have been vacant for a year,” claiming it is because of the cost to maintain them.

See WAREHOUSE/ Page 12

Staff Writer

EV ESH A M—Two proble m s t hat have re c ently created considerable consternation for residents of different Evesham Township neighborhoods have reportedly been resolved, at least for now, after some direct intervention by Police Chief Walt Miller—even while a new source of outrage in the community, which was recently aired on Philadelphia news broadcasts, has come under investigation by his department.

Miller told attendees at the July 10 Evesham Township Council meetings he had taken it upon himself to directly address two situations that have been the focus of vociferous complaints at recent Evesham Township Council sessions.

One was the excessive noise generated on weekends by outdoor entertainment being staged at the Chicken Or The Egg (known as CHEGG), a casual eatery on Route 70, which has reportedly penetrated the interiors of homes within at least a half-mile radius of the restaurant.

The other concerned a decision by the Evesham Township Board of Education to dispense with a short bus ride for middle schoolers living in the Briarwood section of town, forcing them to use a crosswalk

on Tomlinson Mill Road that, despite mitigation efforts by the township, has reportedly remained hazardous.

As a result, the chief reported, the management of the restaurant has agreed to turn the volume down to a decibel level more compatible with the environment of the neighborhood and the school board has opted to restore the bus route at issue— decisions that he and council members indicated they hope will eliminate these sources of stress for affected residents.

Just as those issues had been seemingly settled, however, the deliberate destruction by still unknown parties of rainbowc olore d “pr ide” flag s a long Ma i n Street that were intended to reflect the community’s diversity and acceptance of LGBTQ lifestyles during “Pride Month” in June has unnerved and angered officials and residents who lent their support to that effort.

The first indication that modulation of sorts had occurred in the amplification of CHEGG’s outdoor entertainment came in the form of a public comment from Dennis Ventura of Overington Avenue, who was one of the dozen or so neighborhood residents that voiced complaints about it at the previous council meeting on June See INTERVENTION/ Page 10

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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

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Bodycam Video of Evesham Officer’s Heroic Rescue of Couple Accentuates Positive Role of Police Department at Council Meeting

Officer Kevin Long (center) was presented a commendation for his actions on June 16.

By Bill Bonvie Staff Writer

EVESHAM—From start to finish, the nearly two-hour-long meeting of the Evesham Township Council on the evening of July 10 might have been billed as Appreciation Night for the Evesham Police Department, reflecting as it did some of the department’s most recent finest hours.

RACING

(Continued from Page 1) contended residents or passerby’s have “got to call” the agency “right away” when they see any signs of a race being set up.

Otherwise, he maintained, it is “highly unlikely” those doing the racing will have a “random encounter” with the state police.

Cavileer reported illegal drag racing is also taking place in the township near the intersection of County Route 542 and River Road, contending the noise “wakes us up at night.”

“So, there are multiple places where they are doing it in the community,” the squad chief contended in calling for action.

Gadd, in response, re-emphasized that the “most important thing” one can do is “pick up the phone and call right away” so that the state police can “get them when they are setting up.”

Washington Township will yet again, Gadd announced, be partnering with the Burlington County Sheriff’s Department to, as he put it, “pick up the slack” of the state police in patrolling the township in “helping us out with our problems,” or what have been described as motorists continuing to speed on township roads and engaging in other vehicle infractions.

A meeting, according to the mayor, was re c ently held w ith the Sher i f f ’s Department and he said that he “expects a list of traffic detail dates and assignments later this week.”

“We will see them here and there,” Gadd maintained.

But it left Cavileer questioning why the Sheriff’s Department was not conducting traf fic patrols i n tow n on a reg u lar basis, and with such efforts funded via taxpayer dollars versus a grant, which is being utilized to cover most of this year’s

Photo Provided

As it was, the session that was largely devoted to Chief Walt Miller’s seemingly successful efforts to personally take on a couple of the township’s most vexing problems (see accompanying story) began with a tribute to one of the Evesham Township Police officers who was credited with saving an elderly couple from a fire in their home.

“We get to see some pretty remarkable temporary patrol costs.

Gadd responded that the Sher if f ’s Department does not have a “traditional patrol unit that patrols,” and this year’s efforts are also being supported by some funds set aside in the municipal budget.

But Cavileer wanted to know whether it has ever been “formally requested” of the Sheriff ’s Department to have a traditional patrol unit.

“That is how it got to where this is,” Gadd answered. “They have a Traffic Unit, but it only responds to trouble spots on the (highways of the) county.”

Serious crashes at the intersection of County Routes 563 and 542 have been previously discussed at length during township meetings, with reports of bad lighting in the area being an attributing factor. Gadd announced at the latest session that a flood light at the intersection will be worked on, but Cavileer questioned whether a previous suggestion of adding a solar operated flashing stop sign for traffic approaching the intersection from County Route 563 is something that will be followed up on.

“We we r e out t h e ot h e r n ig ht i n torrential rain, and you don’t even notice that sign,” she said of the stop sign for motorists coming from County Route 563.

“It comes upon you, and you don’t see it.”

A flashing stop sign, she maintained, would make the signage to stop “very noticeable,” and “I think it is just a solution – one of them, for that intersection.”

Gadd, in response, pointed to the township engineer “coming up with a plan to present to the county to improve signage,” and pointed out the “streetlight is being worked on.”

“I don’t know whether a flashing light was specifically mentioned to the county,” the mayor added. “I will mention it and see if it is a possibility.”

Deput y Mayor Dan iel Ja me s,

Saturday, July 20, 2024

things every day on video,” Miller told those in attendance at the start of the ceremony, going on to cite the successful rescue performed by Officer Kevin Long, which was recorded on the officer’s body camera footage and has since been posted at the department’s Facebook page, as an example that represented “a pretty good opportunity to show the public what police officers do and the selfless sacrifice they give to people that they don’t know.”

In a YouTube rendition of the video that was posted by the department on June 24 along with a press release, Long is shown entering the burning house, which had already filled with dense smoke, and first managing to extricate the wife who was engaged in trying to remove her wheelchairbound husband, then going back in and getting him out as well, “suffering smoke inhalation in the process.”

The video has also been shared on various TV news outlets, despite Long appearing to be “a pretty humble guy,” noted local state Senator Latham Tiver in attendance, who quipped, that “it looked like the chief had a hard time getting him (the officer) up here because he doesn’t like to be in the limelight.”

Following the ceremony, Miller, in introducing his department’s annual report for 2024, called attention to some of the distinctions that have helped the Evesham police force earn national accreditation.

“One of the things that separates our

department from many of the police departments in the state and region is its diversity,” he maintained pointing out that while many departments struggle to reflect the demographic makeup of the communities they serve, Evesham’s has made a point of meeting that objective.

One result of that effort, he said, can be seen in the number of female officers who have been recently recruited, which creates an environment that encourages more women who are interested in law enforcement to apply, “because there’s an established process here for hiring them.”

The specialized training offered by the department is another area in which it has distinguished itself, Miller maintained.

“In 2023, the department completed 12,897 hours of training, including driver simulator training for officers,” which, he contended, has made them better prepared to respond to calls that might necessitate their driving at high speeds “without injuring or killing themselves and members of the public.”

The department has likewise made a point of offering firearms training that ensures its members are prepared to handle the kinds of “high-risk, low frequency events” they’re going to encounter at some point. “From the public’s perspective,” he noted, “we see these incidents go bad nationally,” which ‘reflects poorly” on both law enforcement and the individual department involved. Hopefully, through this training, we’ll avoid that.”

meanwhile, raised another apparently outstanding issue entailing county roads in the township – the reportedly nonworking flashing signs to warn motorists of tidal flooding ahead.

E a rl ie r t h i s ye a r, t h i s newsp ap e r highlighted the reports of residents and officials that some of the sig ns don’t activate when there is flooding, while others activate when there is no flooding.

C ou nt y of fic i a l s , at t he t i m e, we r e said to be seeking solutions from the manufacturers, having only installed the signs a couple years ago.

“The other day I was coming down River Road, off the bridge, and the flood lights were flashing for no obvious reason, and none of the others worked as I ended up going through town,” James reported.

Gadd responded that John A. Janis, super visor of Roads and Br idges for Burlington County, is “well aware” of the ongoing problem. Some possible ideas being “kicked around,” the mayor added, include adding additional sensors,

or relocating them (in some areas moving them where it would require a lot of water to trigger them, while in others, putting them in a lower spot).

“However, they are holding off on any decision of that magnitude until they get answers from the manufacturer of the system themselves to basically see what their idea is on what the best course of action is,” Gadd said.

But the continual delays in arriving at a fix caused resident Horace Somes to quip, “We can put somebody on the moon, but we can’t sense the tide!”

Earlier in the session, a representative for Tow nsh ip Eng ineer Kevin Di xon announced that the municipality would be seeking a state grant to improve a halfmile section of Godfrey’s Bridge Road, but officials raised a couple of things that seemed to give rise to possible project delays should the township be awarded any money: a continued dispute over ownership of utility poles alongside the See RACING/ Page 9

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CLOSING

(Continued from Page 1) “I lead water aerobics at our pool, and will spread the word,” she added.

But the Medport’s slogan, “Meet you there,” apparently doesn’t just extend to sociability, as was indicated to this newspaper by local attorney Gary Zangerle, who, on behalf of an adjacent commercial property owner, had appeared before the zoning board in February seeking a postponement of its action on the variance.

“I’ve settled a few cases there with opposing attorneys over lunch,” Zangerle said, “as well

HIKE

(Continued from Page 2) for the water utility.”

“It just seems too exorbitant, and I really want to know why,” Beach declared.

Councilwoman Diane Fanucci, who oversees Water and Sewer, a responsibility delegated to her in January by Haines, later in the meeting, provided a different take on the situation than Haines, however.

“Somebody made the comment the ball was dropped,” Fanucci said. “Yes, as far as I am concerned, the ball was dropped.

This should have been incrementally raised every year. It needed to be, so we didn’t get socked like this.”

She also revealed that “this council got socked with that and with our budget,” describing that the governing body was faced with a $70,000 shortfall when developing its regular general fund budget.

“We went line-by-line,” Fanucci said. “We went through and slashed everything we could because we need a surplus for emergencies.”

Still, the borough had to increase its municipal purpose tax, pointed out Fanucci, and in response to another question posed

by Beach about the anticipated amount of

FENCING

(Continued from Page 3) “We don’t need a pump that big,” said DeGroff of the one called for in the initial estimate. “It is one of the reasons the price was so high.”

DeGroff added he wants to “talk” to Township Engineer Tom Leisse about it.

Also during the June 26 session, Brown announced that a pre- constr uction

LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES ♦ Page 7

as having had breakfast there with clients.”

When asked whether he knew what had been responsible for the diner’s deliverance from the wrecking ball, Zangerle said he really didn’t know, although it didn’t strike him as unusual that it would continue to be open, especially since the application that was approved was a limited one and “they made it clear they were not applying for approval of the strip center” nor had they sought it.

Nor was much more in the way of a n e x p l a n a t i o n fo r t h c o m i n g f r o m C h e r yl Ly n n e Wa lt e r s , a n at t or n e y with Nehmad, David & Goldstein, who represented the potential developers at the zoning board meeting, and whom Zangerle suggested this newspaper contact.

‘All I can tell you is my client, who was given the conditional use variance, was under contract to purchase the property, but no longer is,” said Walters, who added that in not being the “transactional counsel,” she was not privy to the reason.

Also unclear is whether the applicant’s decision was in any way influenced by the unpopularity of the plan to raze the diner, which was the subject of an online petition to “preserve the Medport Diner” initiated by local resident Lindsay Cogan at change.org.

“Medport Diner is more than just a place to eat; it is a community staple that holds countless memories for many of us.

This iconic local business is always packed with patrons, demonstrating its value and

importance to our community in Medford, New Jersey,” read the petition, which has now claimed “victory” and taken credit for having “made change with 745 supporters.”

As of press time, Cogan had not responded to an attempt by this newspaper to contact her for comment.

Also unavailable was the owner of the Medport Diner, whom this newspaper made several attempts to reach, both there and at other diners with which he is reportedly affiliated.

But when asked whether plans now call for the Medport to continue operating, the individual who answered a call there from this newspaper replied with a very enthusiastic “yes!” Also confirming that was a sign in the door of the diner that read “We Are Staying Open!”

the tax increase that is on top of the water and sewer rates, Haines answered that it will rise by 7.5 cents for 2024.

“That is just for here,” Haines emphasized.

“I don’t know what the school or county is.”

When Beach learned the local school district is raising its school taxes by 9 percent, she expressed disbelief, with the councilmembers maintaining they are not permitted to speak on the school taxes as it falls outside of their purview, but is rather that of the local school board.

In returning to the water and sewer rate hikes, Beach asked, “Do you really need that much money?”

“According to our auditor, yes, that was his recommendation,” Haines answered.

Beach’s husband, Fred, however, pressed the mayor and council as to, “How are you justifying a 35 percent increase?”

“Is anyone getting a 35 percent raise at their homes, jobs?” he asked. “So, how do you justify a 35 percent increase in one shot. We are all on fixed incomes! Let alone the people in this borough who are (considered) low income! You just threw at them a 35 percent increase, and you all just sit there and say well that is what we had to do! I think we need to look at the numbers a little bit better!”

Resident Elizabeth Rainey, as did the Beaches, asked officials as to whether the level of increase could somehow be adjusted.

“We finalized the budget, so for this year, no we cannot,” Haines responded.

However, the township engineer agreed to look into whether residents could purchase a separate meter for watering their lawns, following several questions in that regard by residents. Fanucci, at one point, emphasized to “remember the base rate was raised,” and one is “not paying for extra water.”

Rainey, however, described how her taxes alone had increased from $5,200 in 2021 to now $6,300, calling it “quite a big jump for a short period of time,” with the three-year resident adding that she is now “starting to look at other houses.”

After Fred Beach made the point that there are “a lot of older people of this town” on “fixed incomes,” and declared, “you really made an impact” with the water and sewer hike, and another woman, Karen, also from Hearthstone, pointed out “a lot of us are upset” and “you have to realize in Hearthstone we are on fixed incomes,” Council President Terry Jerome emphasized, “There are none of us up here that increase a burden flippantly or off the cuff.”

“It is something always considered at

great length,” he added.

Jerome then provided the most detailed explanation yet as to why a $39 quarterly increase was needed.

“The utility is in a position where it has to be self-funded,” he said. “We cannot take borough-budgeted money to support the utility. The utility can support the borough, but it cannot go the other way around. And another utility cannot support a separate utility. There are many things involved with the water utility that are invisibly expensive. We have three well pumps, and a single one costs anywhere between $36,000 to $40,000. It may last 30 years, or it may last two. We hope we get a good life out of them, but we have to be prepared in the eventuality we need to service these parts of the utility. That is the basis for the increase in the water rate.”

Jerome recognized “it is not always apparent to somebody” what an ordinance or other council actions “is going to mean” for residents, but that it “becomes very apparent when a bill arrives.”

“I just want to echo that none of us up here do it lightly, or without caution, care or concern with how it will affect people in the borough,” Jerome declared.

meeting was scheduled to commence on July 10 for the first two phases of a repaving project in Lebanon Lakes, which are being funded through New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) grant funding.

The committee also took action to apply for another NJDOT grant for a third phase of paving planned in Lebanon Lakes, as well as a fourth phase of paving planned for Sooy Place Road.

It led resident Jane Donoghue, of Old Tuckerton Road, to question when the area

of Jones Mill, Old Tuckerton and Baptist roads would be resurfaced by the township.

“We are looking at (doing it) once we finish up Lebanon Lakes,” DeGroff replied.

When Donoghue inquired about the status of shared services that were being sought to “fix really bad holes” on those three roads in the interim, Brown contended the holes were repaired “three weeks ago.”

Viscardi, who also took on a Public Works assistant role back in the fall, resigned from that position, effective July 3. As Viscardi assumed the position back in the fall, longtime Woodland DPW Supervisor Fred Arnwine battled throat cancer and ultimately had his voice box removed.

Viscardi received praise in the fall and winter from local officials (and the public) for doing things such as “cleaning up” the township dump.

But Viscardi suddenly faced critical questioning about his Public Worksrelated activities from Woodland officials earlier this spring during a RICE Notice hearing, all as a battalion chief from the fire company challenged (unsuccessfully) Deputy Mayor Mark Herndon.

No action was ever taken against Viscardi, however, with officials just “reminding” all municipal employees that political activities should not be conducted while on the clock, with Viscardi’s work hours and responsibilities also clarified.

Apparently, as indicated in Viscardi’s

resig nation letter prov ided to th is newspaper, Arnwine had since returned in some capacity and the two quarreled over a number of things, with Viscardi maintaining in his resignation letter that he cannot work for “someone” who “has no plan of what to do on a daily basis and just shrugs his shoulders when asked.”

Viscardi went on to allege that, for example, he was “not being allowed to use equipment” that both “the township purchased to make the work more efficient” and that also is supposed to result in “less wear and tear on the equipment.” He also charged that some items that he purchased “out-of-pocket” for the job were allegedly “destroyed.”

The chief went on to indicate he was concerned for Arnwine’s “safety” on the job now “with his very limited speech.”

A n a l l e g e d “ t e m p e r t a n t r u m” culminated with some sort of scene in Brown’s office, the letter indicates, with that causing Viscardi to “lose all respect for my supervisor” and resign.

“I am sorry it didn’t work out,” DeGroff declared. “Thank you for what you did.

You did a good job over there at the dump.”

The mayor repeated his thanks for Viscardi’s efforts once more at the end of the June 26 session.

Brown concluded that meeting by saying an executive session has been “determined to no longer be needed.”

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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

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A resident excoriates Pemberton Council for not utilizing vacant properties for its redevelopment plans and also calls on Business Administrator Daniel Hornickel (sitting at right) to resign.

SHOUTING

(Continued from Page 4) 10,000 square-foot block building for a light assembly operation and to beautify the other buildings.” He contended it “was” the “investor’s goal “to host the light assembly use,” and hire locally [and from] the Joint Base at that location for a few years then look for a larger location elsewhere in the town to expand. At the same time, Hornickel maintained, the investor “would be planning to raze all the buildings and construct housing over retail in the front (consistent with the Browns Mills Tow n Center Redevelopment Plan) and multifamily housing, such as townhomes, in the rear [also permitted under the Browns Mills Town Center Redevelopment Plan.]

“Some people have expressed concern with the use of the one building for light assembly [which some have called manufacturing even though finished goods would be shipped to and assembled onsite],” said Hornickel of why the issue is controversial. “There are a couple of industrial uses within the vicinity, and we were excited to bring a growing young business and good jobs into town. The use of the property for light assembly, however, will not be moving forward.”)

Then Hornickel was asked by Dewey on July 10 what he knew about the former Country House Restaurant, but not before Dewey contended on the day the restaurant was being torn down, he went to Hornickel about it to ask what was being done, only to be allegedly told, “‘I don’t know.’”

“I said, ‘“W hose name is on the demolition permit?”’ Dewey said. “You said, ‘I don’t know.’”

Dewey, prior to the meeting, contended to this newspaper that the building is over 100 years old, and raised questions about whether approvals were required before it could be torn down. He also maintained whoever is doing the reconstruction “filled in” the original foundation, and a new building is being constructed on the site, which has a larger footprint. He claimed, however, there are no applications that came before the local Planning and Zoning boards granting the necessary approvals for there to be a larger footprint (something raised at a previous Planning

Board meeting by another member in questioning what is going on).

Dewey further contended to th is newspaper that in the wake of questions being asked about the project and observations that “industrial steel” was being brought on site, a fence was erected to block the public’s view from the ground of what is going on the property.

It has aroused, he said, his suspicions that the facility’s existing use is not going to be retained, but that something larger, such as a warehouse, is going on the site. In fact, he told this newspaper, a member of the Planning Board has visited the site and was told the facility was going to be used as a catering place, but the redeveloper had “changed their mind” and it is “now going to be some type of warehouse.”

He emphasized to this newspaper that the amount of steel being brought to the site is not consistent with a restaurant construction project.

Dewey, however, for the sake of the council meeting, did not offer such specifics, except to point to the former restaurant’s age, claiming it was 102 years old, before contending he “doesn’t know” if the township has “rules” or “certain” regulations that if a building is a certain age, it must be preserved.

He then pointed to the recent opening of a township’s historical museum, before asserting there was a “stained glass” piece with a “gigantic oak tree” inside the former restaurant “from 1922” that “would have looked really good” inside the museum.

“I guess the excavator ate it up!” he quipped.

(Hornickel, for his part, later told the Pine Barrens Tribune that the “property owner or owner’s agent” contacted the Community Development office “early in the spring” about “reconstructing a restaurant/ dining hall on the site.” The business administrator contended that it is both a “principal permitted use under the Township Zoning Code (GC/ LI) and the existing use for the site.” The Community Development Director, as the Zoning Officer, issued a zoning permit and worked with the owner’s agent to adjust the footprint, not expand the footprint, according to the business administrator.

The adjustment, he maintained, was to “modestly move the reconstructed foundation to be in compliance with the

minimum side and rear yard setbacks.”

Plus, the existing foundation was in poor condition, according to Hornickel. The owner/agent was agreeable, Hornickel adde d , a nd t he n “appl ie d for t he construction permits.” The property is outside of the Pinelands, Hornickel also maintained, “so it’s not subject to any Pinelands regulation about demolition and reconstruction.” It has been subject to inspections, he added, and Flaherty “notified the owner’s agent that if they sought to change the use of the property to anything other than a restaurant, they would have to file an application to appear before the Zoning Board.” The business administrator ended his communication with this newspaper by stating, “We have no information of this location being proposed for use as a warehouse.”)

Hornickel, also an attorney, appeared to fire a warning shot at the councilman for raising the parcel at the July 10 council session, asserting, “I don’t see why you are discussing a private property owner’s business in public, because you are likely to get a suit.”

“For asking questions?” the councilman said in a rebuttal.

Hornickel then somewhat forcefully said in making point “number two” that the “property is not in the Pinelands!”

(Typically, in order to commercially rebuild a structure on a property in the Pinelands without having to go through a process, it has to be proposed to be constructed on the same footprint.)

Hornickel, in further responding, contended that Dewey at one time told him the property was only 98 years old.

“Pencils come with erasers!” Dewey shot back.

In fur ther responding to Dewey, Hornickel maintained “my job as business administrator is not to know who applies for demolition permits on every property being worked on in Pemberton Township.”

“We have 9,000 to 10,000 taxable properties with construction on them,” Hor n i c ke l m a i nt a i n e d . “T h e r e i s construction activity in this town every day of the year.”

Dewey again pointed to Hornickel’s “boss” comments, asserting, “So you are the ‘boss,’ in charge, and you did not know who was … tearing it down and that it got torn down!”

“Because I know you knew it was getting torn down!” Dewey charged.

“The Historical Society could have gotten artifacts for the museum. We lost that!”

Hornickel shot back that “as far as I know,” his “phone and email” were “not broken” and if the councilman was aware “historical artifacts” were in jeopardy, it was “never communicated to me.”

“M ayb e i f you w e r e f ro m t h i s community, you would have known the history of the building!” Dewey retorted.

Dewey and Hornickel have had their differences as of late, and at times publicly quarreled. But those previous times are pale in comparison to this occasion, with Dewey publicly suggesting that the business administrator is an alleged liar and calling for an “investigation.”

“I personally asked you in this council, a couple questions about the Country House, and you had no answers, and it has been that way for the last two or three months,” Dewey said. “Since I have been on this council, I had my suspicions, and

Saturday, July 20, 2024 they do not sit well with me because of the number of times you basically lied to this council or public on different problems you had in the town!”

“I am asking that all the pending resolutions for building get put on hold until we get an investigation of what is going on in this town with the building, losing of farms, and (addressing) why are we losing farms. I strongly suggest we have a complete investigation with this administration!”

Hornickel retorted, “I too would like an investigation!”

“I would like Mr. Dewey to disclose which ways I have been lying to the town,” Hornickel added. “By the way, Mr. Dewey, if you are accusing me of lying, I am going to put you on notice – put you on notice.”

“Tell me what my lies are!” angrily declared Hornickel. “And if you are wrong, you will be served with defamation, libel and slander action!”

It led Dewey to declare, “Well, tell me what the truth is with the Country House!”

“I have told you!” Hornickel shot back. “Again, what business is it of yours bringing up private property in public!”

Dewey then turned to the recent decision of Pemberton Council raising solid waste removal fees on residents because of an over $400,000 deficit that developed.

“You want to talk about the trash bill!”

Dewey quipped.

Hornickel responded, “I am on record explaining all that,” and that he would not “regurgitate” the discussion.

“How about those streetlights?” Dewey asked.

The councilman then contended that for months Hornickel described that he was awaiting a response from the local utility company to fix some 190 streetlights, but that after six months had passed, he took matters into his own hands and called the Board of Public Utilities and the utility had three trucks out there the same day as the call.

Hornickel replied he gave Dewey “credit” for bringing a resolution to the problem, but added he did not know which streetlights were out and had the police department working on gathering the locations.

“But if I didn’t make the call, the lights would still be out!” Dewey charged. “…

You didn’t do anything!”

Hornickel shot back, “Now, you are lying!”

Dewey, as the ugly confrontation continued unabated, asked the business administrator, “Do you want some more?!”

“It is your prerogative!” Hornickel declared.

Dewey maintained there is a “pattern here” in which Hornickel is allegedly “a lot of times not truthful with council and the audience,” leading to applause from the audience.

The councilman went on to suggest a possible back room c onversation having taken place between Hornickel and the Democratic members of the council, pointing to how the warehouse resolutions didn’t secure a needed motion at the previous meeting because of a key councilperson’s absence, but a special meeting is now called with them appearing listed again, with one councilperson phoning into the July 10 meeting from California.

See SHOUTING/ Page 10

Saturday, July 20, 2024

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INVESTIGATION (Continued from Page 4)

bottom, or boils over,” Boyd declared.

While the now-for mer Pemberton subcode official maintained he doesn’t know what exactly was meant by the allegation that he “stirred the pot,” his suspicion is that it has to do with a “restaurant that opened up in this town” that “did not have the proper inspections” and “did not have the proper signoffs.”

“At the time, there was no fire subcode official,” Boyd alleged. “So, it could not have the proper signoffs.”

Boyd attested that the restaurant’s “fire suppression system in the kitchen was not inspected, yet the store was open.”

“I did what I felt was proper and advised the construction official of that,” Boyd said. “When he did not respond, I went to the community development director because I felt it was my position, and my responsibility to advise her of such.”

Boyd maintained he was also asked to serve as an acting “fire subcode official.”

Boyd contended that the construction official responded that she would raise the issue with Hornickel, and then “that is when everything came down.”

The now-former Pemberton subcode official pointed to the “legally-binding” contract being valid for three months, before asserting of Hornickel, “he is trying to end it at a month-and-a-half because of these allegations.”

Under state law, those who work to enforce the Uniform Construction Code (UCC) fall under the purview of the state Department of Community Affairs (DCA). But Boyd charged that he has “documentation in an email of him trying to tell me what to do.” “‘Roe (a nickname for Flaherty) – we do not have a demo,’” said Boyd of what is allegedly written in one of those emails.

“Can you please ask Tom to review and reconsider. We have been doing our own demolition work, training employees successfully for years, even though there is the code that says you can’t do it.’”

Other alleged violations of state law, Boyd contended, involve the acting fire subcode official position he was first tasked with in April, contending that at the behest of GOP Mayor Jack Tompkins, he was sent a letter on June 17 asking him to remain in that position on an acting basis, even though state code prohibits more than a 60-day acting appointment.

Boyd claimed that when he brought the specific code outlining the acting term limitations to the attention of Flaherty, the community development director responded on June 26, ‘“Daniel said to please continue with the fire review and inspections under the temporary appointment in the letter the mayor (Jack Tompkins) issued to you.’”

After reading that alleged email aloud, Boyd accused Hornickel of “trying to run the Construction Office.”

“I understand it was a three-month appointment and you can get out of it,” Boyd acknowledged. “But the way it was done (the termination) and just the absolute lunacy of saying ‘racial slurs’ made me come here.”

Also drawing the ire of Boyd was an allegation that Hornickel told “the administrator of Tabernacle,” who is

Maryalice Brown, “I ‘couldn’t go to a meeting.’”

“First of all, I was not a (Pemberton) employee, I was an employee of Tabernacle Tow n sh ip u nd e r a sh a r e d s e r v i c e agreement,” Boyd said. “But second of all, … members of the audience who proceeded me and members of this council have served in the U.S. military and were willing to shed their blood, so citizens of this country can come here and participate in this meeting, and to say you can’t do so is absolutely disgraceful.”

Boyd, despite facing heavy public criticisms over the separate Town Hall issue in Tabernacle, received thunderous applause from the audience in Pemberton, several of whom were already downright incensed at the Pemberton administration’s decision on July 10 to place a series of warehouse/redevelopment-related items on the meeting agenda for council approval, despite longstanding, fierce public protest against anymore warehousing, with Hornickel facing multiple public calls that evening to be fired for a whole host of reasons.

Carol Boyd, Tom Boyd’s “other half,” immediately went up to the dais following her husband’s remarks and asserted, “I am not happy!”

“When my husband is accused of racial slurs, I take it personally!” she declared.

“When my husband is not given an investigation, I take it criminally!”

Carol Boyd pointed to a past incident in Woodland Township (where her husband also holds posts) from several years ago when Boyd deemed a home unsafe, with the owner of the structure having alleged it was a racially motivated decision.

“There was an investigation, it went to court, and not only was he found to be proper in what he did in Chatsworth, but the homeowner had to, in court, apologize, because it was totally untrue that (he made) a racial slur,” Carol Boyd charged.

She then turned to Hornickel, who is also an attorney, and snapped, “It is so easy to sit there with your law school (degree) and knowing words, and knowing the words ‘racial slur’ will get people in trouble and then making them (those charges) and not investigating them!”

Carol Boyd further contended that her husband has not been told “when” or “where” the alleged use of the racial slur had happened.

“He was not told anything and that is because it didn’t happen!” Carol Boyd charged. “He did not make a racial slur!

It was picked out of somebody’s brain as a way to get rid of him because somebody else was thwarting the law by trying to intimidate him and trying to get him to do things against statutes!”

The spouse of Boyd called it “disgusting” that the township can fire someone without first conducting an investigation, and contended it is “repulsive” that “somebody in the administration in this town” can “tell someone they can’t attend a public meeting in this town.”

“Is this Russia?” she asked. “Is this Communist China? Is this North Korea where only some people can come to meetings?”

Su c h a d i r e c t ive, she a dd e d , i s “criminal” and “against every principal of our government.”

All of this comes after a councilordered investigation (one initiated in

LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES ♦ Page 9

December) found that there have been numerous instances of harassment, i nclud i ng s exu a l ha ra s sment, a nd r et a l iat ion i n t he tow n sh ip, w it h council referring specific allegations of Tompkins’ involvement in those alleged activities to the local police department and/or county prosecutor’s office.

So far, as of press time, no charges have been announced in the matter.

Local 8th District Assemblywoman Andrea Katz recently wrote a letter to Attorney General Matthew Platkin, however, asking for his office to open up their own investigation into the report’s findings, calling the mayor’s alleged conduct “disturbing.” And Governor Phil Murphy has said he believes Tompkins should resign.

Hornickel, during the July 10 session, did not address the Boyd allegations, and Tompkins, facing continued calls for his resignation and a recall effort, was absent from the July 10 session.

A bid by GOP Council man Dan Dewey to have a much broader probe

TAX

(Continued from Page 3) But recently, Township Solicitor Tom Coleman described “roadblocks” at every turn, with the mayor indicating that the municipality would drop the litigation.

Additional funding cuts came down from the state earlier this year, but local officials vowed to work closer with the local school district this time around.

Gadd, before discussing the status of the potential tax credit program on July 2, said this about the Washington Township School Board: “I attended a school board

RACING

(Continued from Page 6) road (wh ich officials want relocated because they are right up against it) and previous word that the state intends to install a new Godfrey’s Bridge sometime i n 2024 -25 (w it h s om e c on c e r n t he construction could put wear and tear on a new road surface).

The representative for the township

into administration, to include the mayor, which would not have just included looking into the Boyd allegations, but also other allegations involving the Construction Office (including a dispute over a former restaurant and whether some councilmembers were misled about the intention of a redeveloper) and the nature of how some of the redevelopment negotiations came about, and the extent of administration’s involvement, failed to secure enough council support, but an investigation specifically looking into the Boyd matter was unanimously approved, 5-0, despite the 3-2 Democratic majority.

Hornickel was later asked by this newspaper if he could confirm the reason for Boyd’s firing, and he responded, “as township council ordered an investigation, I cannot speak to the matter.” As for who is leading any probe, when the question was put to him, the business administrator answered, “I don’t know who council i nt e nd s to a s s ig n to c ondu c t t h e investigation. I will cooperate completely with whomever that may be.”

meeting last week, and they finalized and passed their budget. There are not many people here to pass the message on to, but I would say that people really need to start going to the school board meetings and keep track of what is going on and what is being said.”

To d d D’A n n a , s c h o o l b u s i n e s s administrator for the district, later told this newspaper he could not speak to what Gadd was talking about, and when asked about this year’s budget tax impact, replied, “The tax levy amount for the 202425 school year remained the same as the 2023-24 school year, at $1,482,945.”

engineer, as a result of the outstanding qu e s t io n s , w a s a s ke d i f t h e r e i s a timeframe for when any grant money has to be spent upon any receipt, and he answered the inquiry by explaining the state Department of Transportation usually does not like to see it taking more than a year for a project to commence.

“Definitely follow up,” Gadd said to the representative. “Let’s see if we can nail down a timeframe (for the bridge replacement), so we can do ours (road project) after, if possible.”

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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

SHOUTING

(Continued from Page 8) “I am sure there was probably a conversation, ‘I really need this,’” Dewey charged.

Hornickel asked Dewey that if he didn’t like what the employees are being paid, “Do you think you can change it?”

The business administrator contended the answer is “no,” because “union contracts” are in place. He contended it is the same situation here – only “we have redevelopment agreements, or legally binding contracts.”

“We have legally binding contracts executed with the redeveloper, which require us to cooperate,” Hornickel declared. “So, yes, I am going to put it on the agenda again, as I don’t want to get the town sued.”

The business administrator then charged of Dewey that it is “your prerogative to play fast and loose!”

“I want things done right!” clarified Dewey of his motives, contending the township “had many lawsuits before you got here” and “have a pile of them now.”

Hornickel, yet again shot back, “Then obey the contracts and support them like you are legally obligated to do!”

Dewey shot back, too.

“I think there should be an investigation and we should get to the bottom of this, and find out who is fibbing and telling the truth,” Dewey declared.

The exchange between Dewey and Hornickel was not the only thing to upset the audience.

Also getting lambasted is Democratic Councilman Donovan Gardner, who following the dispute, suggested the “large turnout” was “pretty rehearsed.”

“What is your concrete plan to bring revenue to the town, beside taxes, and it not being on the backs of residents?”

Gardner asked.

When one resident shouted from her seat, Gardner demanded she come up to the microphone to detail her plan, but Detrick finally spoke up, and said he was not going to allow it, and if residents wanted to speak of their plans during their allotted five minutes of formal public

INTERVENTION (Continued from Page 5)

12. Noting that he had observed police cars in the vicinity of the restaurant on the Sunday following that meeting, Ventura, a motorsports buff, said that when he was out walking his dog on the most recent Sunday the decibel levels in the immediate neighborhood were down in “the 50 to 60 range,” according to his measurements, which are considered acceptable.

“So, whatever you did,” he told the council, “thank you.”

Shortly after Ventura spoke, Chief Miller, who had advised the residents who spoke at the June meeting that police had limited authority to handle noise complaints of that sort, which fell within the purview of the county health department, revealed that following that session, he had met with the management and ownership of the CHEGG “to discuss ways they could be a good neighbor with the community.”

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Saturday, July 20, 2024

comment, they could.

But Gardner continued in claiming that “a lot” of those in the audience can probably afford to pay more taxes, but there are a lot of people in the town that can’t.

He then went on to allege that one member of the audience previously suggested building warehouses in Sunbury Village (a troubled, impoverished community), causing Detrick to cut it off, saying, “OK, OK, OK … hang on Donovan.“ (Later in the meeting, this exchange led to another intense one in which the person who was alleged to have made the remark came forward, contending that Gardner portrayed it as a “dirty” remark when she was saying that as a missionary, she learned transportation was needed for the Sunbury residents and thought by warehouses being built near Sunbury, it would lead to the necessary public transportation being established.)

In response to Gardner, a man then shouted from his seat that in a few more months, “You’re a** is out the door!” The two then got into an ugly shouting match, with Gardner contending the resident was beginning to learn “the real facts!”

Detrick, however, then seemingly egged the man on, quipping, “You are going to run, right?”

“What is your other plan?” the man responded. “All you want to do is tear up another farm! … You don’t have no other plan! That is all you know how to do, rip up a farm to build houses!”

Democratic Councilwoman Elisabeth McCartney, who was on the phone, only appeared to further inflame tensions by suggesting there are over 30,000 residents who live in the town, many of whom are not present in the room. She also came to the defense of Hornickel, claiming he is “dedicated to the town,” provoking jeers from the crowd.

“There are farmers who want to sell their land, so who are we to say they can’t sell their land,” she further declared.

It led the man to shout again, “There are county properties in town, why don’t you take some of that?”, in referring to the abandoned former college property and correctional facility “sitting there empty.”

“You just sign a paper and now I own it?” Detrick asked the man. “Is that how

you think it works?”

And that all was just the first 20 minutes of the wild session.

Public comment went on for over an hour, and at times, some of the officials c ou ld b e s e en sm i rk i ng at c iti z en comments, which only angered some in the crowd further.

There was also a moment when the man who shouted got up to make his comments during the official public comment, raising his voice for several minutes with his demands that Hornickel be fired.

“Who does the hiring and firing of the business administrator?” the man asked.

“How long are you going to wait until you fire him?”

The man pointed to the “$400,000 debt when it comes to the trash,” charging Hornickel “just let it be known weeks ago.”

“He is the ‘business’ administrator,” the man said. “Why do you let him continue down the road with bills like that, not being paid? Why is it coming to light now?”

The man continued “all these things on Facebook and (yard) signs” about “investigations” entailing “the mayor,” before asking, “What about him?” in pointing to the business administrator.

“He has got to go!” the man shouted.

“You are terrible at your job, dude. You got to go!”

The man then demanded to know “Where do you live?”, with Hornickel retorting, “I would not buy a house next to you!”

“Where do you live, what town?” the man pressed, and when he got no answer, “You don’t live in Pemberton Township, now do you!”

“How much longer are you going to continue with a business administrator that is not doing his job?!” the man asked.

“You won’t fire him! A complete stare – you won’t give an answer!”

The man chided various council people for not answering his question.

In retur ning to Gardner’s earlier comment about “wanting to raise tax money,” the man pointed to several of the Democratic members of council being on it for at least three or four years, before declaring, “You haven’t done nothing – nothing!”

“Now you want to build warehouses

and houses?” the man asked. “And that is your big answer to getting ‘tax money!’ For what? To grow the government a little bit bigger up here, so you can hire more people and do whatever! All these abandoned houses around town, you can’t get them sold. I guess you can’t get the money collected on them, because you can’t do that job! You got to go man, seriously!”

The man added he “doesn’t know how you can continue to be up on that board and let him not do his job!”

But before leaving the microphone, the man also pointed to Township Clerk Amy Cosnoski, maintaining, “I have not heard nothing out of you – really – you have to go, too!”

“I mean, you are going to go!” with the man listing off certain individuals running for elected office in this year’s municipal election.

After adding that in a few more months, “you are gone,” Cosnoski corrected the man, pointing out she is only the “township clerk.” It elicited an apology from the man.

But it also led the man to declare that she should not be “tied” to “these people,” adding, “I’d be ashamed to sit up there with them.”

“This is my job,” Cosnoski responded.

“It has been my job for 29 years.”

W h e n t h e m a n a ske d i f it wa s “embarrassing” what has been playing out, Cosnoski responded, “It has been frustrating.”

The audience then applauded.

Ultimately, the council voted to pass the warehouse-related items, which just before and after the actions taken, led to sustained shouting from the audience for minutes, at times drowning out the proceedings. Police ultimately appeared, with Gardner publicly asking one audience member to repeat an alleged gesture he evidently perceived as a threat, in the presence of the police.

Dewey came up short in getting a second to his motion to begin a broad investigation of administration (a separate investigation over a termination was authorized, however – see separate story), with Hornickel declaring before the vote, “It’s a witch-hunt!”

“From the onset, they were ver y receptive and appreciative of the meeting and willing to make accommodations,” he contended.

Encouraged by that response, Miller said he then “came up with a couple of strategies to help reduce the noise,” one being “to turn it down, which seems pretty obvious, and the second to redirect the speakers away from residential areas.”

The chief also confirmed that police cars had indeed been assigned to gauge the subsequent decibel levels emanating from the eatery, and “we found out there was compliance,” indicated by the fact that the volume was at first very high but was then immediately reduced to a more acceptable level.

“We’re going to continue to monitor it through the nice weather just to make sure it doesn’t creep back up again,” said Miller, adding that can only be determined by having officers out monitoring the area, “which they’ll continue to do,” and by having residents report apparent violations.

“So, if there are any noise issues, please contact us and we’ll take appropriate action,” he told those in attendance.

Reinforcing that message was Mayor Jaclyn “Jackie” Veasy, who likewise claimed that “the owner has expressed an interest in being a good community partner,” and said she hoped neighborhood residents would now continue to be comfortable with the situation. Veasy also thanked Miller for his efforts in facilitating that, as did Councilwoman Heather Cooper, who said she knew the chief was doing everything he could to “mitigate the sound issues.”

(Another concern Ventura expressed about the outdoor entertainment having continued despite thunderstorms was one the chief said was strictly up to management, with the police department having no ability to dictate when it could and couldn’t go on.)

Concerns about the safety of the Tomlinson Mill Road crosswalk had been raised at both the May and June council meetings by Briarwood resident

Robert Rinaldi, who while acknowledging attempts by township officials to correct the problem last month, maintained the mitigation efforts had little actual practical effect and that crossing the road there had remained as hazardous a proposition as ever.

“What has to transpire before our community acts to reinstate busing?”

Rinaldi asked at that session, asserting that “if and when an accident occurs, it will not be a minor one” and posing the question, “What will be the lasting effect of a child struck or who sees the crossing guard or one of their classmates struck?”

Rinaldi also told the council on that occasion that he saw “no hope” of the board changing its decision to cancel the local bus route, with his inquiries to school officials having elicited “canned answers” and council members having likewise failed to get much of a response.

Miller, however, apparently had more success in making the case for reinstating See INTERVENTION/ Page 11

Saturday, July 20, 2024

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the bus route, contending that as a result of a meeting he and other members of his department had with school officials at which “safety concerns” were discussed, the latter “understood the position of the township and they agreed to resume busing (in that neighborhood) for the upcoming school year.”

While that “could be revisited at a future date,” he added, “we do appreciate the school district meeting with us and discussing that and coming to a resolution.”

Miller subsequently emailed the Pine Barrens Tribune, in response to an inquiry, that the arrangement had been approved

by School Superintendent Dr. Justin Smith and that “as of now,” it is considered to be a permanent one “unless engineering improvements can be made that would allow a re-evaluation.”

If those announcements served to ease some of the tensions that have plagued Evesham residents in recent weeks, however, the vandalizing of the pride flags along Main Street, for which no perpetrator had yet been identified or apprehended by this newspaper’s deadline time on July 17, despite the fact surveillance videos in the area were reportedly being scrutinized by authorities, was a development that was particularly upsetting to Evesham officials who had hoped the flags would help reinforce an atmosphere of tolerance they would like to foster for different lifestyles and cultures.

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INTERVENTION

Trinity Episcopal Church

Maintaining that “our diversity is our strength,” Veasy said she was first told what had taken place while on vacation in England and found the news to be “very disheartening” because she had hoped the community would be accepting of the somewhat controversial banners, which she claimed to have “gotten many compliments on” during the three weeks they were displayed.

But the mayor, who acknowledged that “we are not a bubble,” expressed the opinion that the destruction of the banners “is not a reflection of our community,” but rather “was a one-off “ from which “we can go forward.”

Also weighing in on the vandalism was Deputy Mayor GinaMarie Espinoza, who said she “was shocked” by the incident, wh ich she c onsidere d “c omplet ely unacceptable” and declared “cannot be tolerated.”

“The pride flag represents inclusivity and equality for all,” Espinoza asserted, adding, “Those are the values that we appreciate here in Evesham.”

Although one of the biggest boosters of the pr ide flag s, Cou nc i lwom a n Patrician Hansen, was not present at the meeting, she described herself in a June 23 Facebook posting, which was quoted on a Philadelphia FOX 29 newscast, as being “disappointed and heartbroken” over the destruction of the multi-colored banners, on which was displayed the slogan, “Love is love.”

I n ot h e r c ou n c i l b u s i n e s s , t h e $45,812,296 municipal budget introduced at the previous meeting, which calls for a monthly property tax increase of $2.24 for

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an average homeowner in the township was passed on second reading 4-0, as was a bond ordinance appropriating $5,000,000 for the completion of various capital improvements and the acquisition of capital equipment.

Also passed 4-0 on second reading was the $2,237,445 bond ordinance for “various open space and recreational improvements” that will be used to fund the construction of long-awaited pickleball courts in front of the Gibson House—a measure that drew additional praise from one enthusiast of the increasingly popular sport, Joan Sobocinski, who told the council members, “We have a number of people who really want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being engaged, listening and working with everyone in the community to put together what we think is going to be a phenomenal pickleball facility,” and “are totally dedicated to helping and assisting” with the project.

But another local resident, Eugene Friedman, inquired whether the emphasis on pickleball might be delaying the implementation of other recreational projects. Friedman said that while he thinks pickleball is “a great idea,” funding for the courts “should be coming from the general capital budget, not the open space budget,” which he believed should be used for things like the development of the Beagle Club property as a municipal preserve, and asked what the current timeline was for that project “if there is one.”

This led Mayor Veasy to call on Chief Financial Officer Amy Sauls to clarify

that “the open space fund can also be used for recreational improvements,” and on Community Development Director Kevin Rijs to explain the progress being made in the conversion of the Beagle Club property.

Rijs noted that in addition to the 50 percent match that Green Acres has contributed to the initial cost of just over $5 million, an additional grant of more than $100,000 had been awarded to help cover ongoing costs, along with $250,000 in initial stewardship funds for invasive species removal and some trail and amenities improvements, including benches and kiosk signs.

“Once that project is designed, shovels in the ground would occur then,” Rijs contended, adding that among the things that had to be done to get the property to this point was to get a “wetlands ver i fic at ion” lett er from the st at e Department of Environmental Protection, which took over a year to obtain.

“So, things have been happening,” he said in summing up the progress to date.

Rijs also was asked to explain the significance of a proposed new ordinance amending the municipal zoning code that was passed 4-0 on first reading, which he said would better define the types of personal services that are permitted but not specified under the existing ordinance.

The amended measure, he said, would thus provide would-be landlords and potential buyers of property with answers to questions they often ask by “making designations more user friendly and clear.”

Page 12 ♦

LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

WAREHOUSE (Continued from Page 5)

“We don’t need all these warehouses, especially these empty warehouses,” Cantara declared.

Erline Alexander, a resident of Pemberton who grew up in North Jersey, recalled having moved to Pemberton to get away from “concrete,” “bricks,” and “people packed up against each other,” but described that when she missed her turn for a local store the other day, “I don’t see the woods anymore,” causing her to become upset.

Pat Guthrie, of the Birmingham section of Pemberton, in pointing to as many as 12 warehouses proposed for the vicinity of the Birmingham neighborhood, which up until an initial warehouse was built a few years ago, was surrounded completely by forest and farmland, declared, “Here I am living, in Birmingham, I have a U(-shape) of 12 warehouses being built around my house.”

“You tell me how anyone in this town would appreciate something like that happening to them,” she declared in becoming emotional. “…We should not have to pay taxes with what you have done to our community.”

Local physician and co-founder of the non-profit Rancocas Conservancy, Dr. Mark Thomas, told the council “we are witnessing a time in which human communities are being affected by economic forces that can’t be resisted because we have laid the groundwork for it to happen.”

“Now, what we are experiencing is the real human tragedy of communities disappearing,” he added in pointing to Guthrie’s predicament. “How can you not

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acknowledge the pain and suffering some people are going through?”

He also declared one is witnessing “almost human tragedy,” noting that it is “what it feels like to a lot of people.”

“You have to find another way,” Thomas emphasized to the council in recollecting the comments of another person. “You have to figure out a new model, and they are out there, to proceed in order for us to save the best of what we have and to develop new sources of revenue to build on something that is not typical.”

But Gardner asked whether the Joint Insurance Fund (JIF), which the township participates in, would cover any insurance claim ‘“for breach of contract”’ should the council disapprove of the pair of resolutions, to which Hornickel replied that the agency would not.

Republican Councilman Joshua Ward, however, declared “they too violated the redevelopment agreement,” contending the agreements called for the township to be given 2-acres of land around each of the farmhouses that are preserved through the agreements, but then at a Planning Board session, alleged the redevelopers said the township would be only getting 3,000 square-feet of land.

“These people come in and they push the towns around until they get what they want, and they build it,” Ward said. “Then we can’t do anything about it.”

Ward also “appreciated” the “farmland” concerns of the public, he maintained.

“I ran a year-and-a-half ago alongside Mr. (Dan) Dewey and the mayor (Jack Tompkins) and our signs said, ‘No warehouses,’ and I will do my due diligence to keep that promise,” declared Ward, noting he also disagreed with potential sewer money going to another

township versus Pemberton, though he recognized the difficulty of connecting to the further away Pemberton system.

Democratic Councilwoman Elisabeth McCartney, who became a key swing vote on the Rockefeller issue, initially in 2023 having sided with the two Republicans to oppose the redevelopment agreements, before having a change in heart and siding with her Democratic colleagues in passing the agreements that made the warehouse project possible, repeated what she said after she moved in a different direction: the township should not be telling farmers who they can sell their land to.

But Dewey, in declaring that he was voting “no” to approve the TWAs, contended there was a letter from the township to the county, sent “five years ago.” maintaining that it would not be moving to preserve farmlands, and it caused the township to lose preservation funds that could have been given to the farmers. That led Gardner to maintain that “grants aren’t forever” and one should never base budgets on grants for that reason.

“Tax revenues are forever,” Gardner declared.

But Dewey ultimately shot back, “In today’s standards, a farmer will get more money from the county, state and federal government to preserve their farm than they will from any developer.”

“And had that letter not been sent, these farms could have been preserved,” maintained Dewey, contending the farmers could have earned “big bucks” and then could make additional money by “leasing” the properties.

(Dewey later told this newspaper that one local farmer got $38,000 per acre to preserve his farmland.)

Saturday, July 20, 2024 Dewey called the purported sent letter as part of alleged “shenanigans” that went on prior to him and Ward serving on council, though he contended he doesn’t know “who was involved,” but that is why he is “calling for an investigation” (see separate story).

McCartney, who became a pivotal vote on this night as well, announced she would be voting “yes” on the pair of resolutions, but in doing so, pointed out that the council recently “set limitations” on further warehouse development, but that the Rockefeller project was already under contract by that point.

“I agree that we have to limit future warehouses,” she said. “… Moving forward, I don’t want more warehouses.”

Detr ick, in siding w ith Gardner and McCartney, pointed out that the redevelopers of the Rockefeller properties “already have their approvals.” This is when the sustained shouting lasting for minutes from the audience began (see separate story).

“The situation is as it is now,” Detrick declared. “I am going to do what I think is in the best interest of the township.”

As the shouting went on, Detrick declared, “There appears there is going to be a warehouse and I want to make it the best for Pemberton Township – that is where I am coming from.”

And in the midst of the shouting and chants of “table it – table it,” McCartney asked, “What happens if we say ‘no,’” to which Hornickel responded, “I can only say hypothetically, if I had a crystal ball, that the developer is going to sue the township for the cost incurred not only in getting the engineering for the treatment works from the Mount Holly MUA, but See WAREHOUSE/ Page 13 Photos By Tom Valentino

97th Annual Captain Carranza Memorial Service On July 13, the American Legion Mount Holly Post 11 hosted the 97th Annual Captain Emilio Carranza Memorial Service in Tabernacle Township. Captain Carranza had been commissioned by his country to reciprocate a goodwill flight to the United States, after Charles Lindbergh's goodwill flight to Mexico City. Unfortunately, a July 12, 1928 lightning storm caused his plane to crash over the Pine Barrens area.

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WAREHOUSE (Continued from Page 12)

they will also sue the township most likely for the cost to redesign an on-site septic system. And the only people that will make out beside the engineers are the lawyers.”

The pair of TWA resolutions passed 3-2, along party lines, causing absolute pandemonium with people yelling at the top of their lungs. Gardner can be heard on tape

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asking Hornickel to call the police because “I have just been threatened right now,” with Hornickel responding, “I just contacted the chief.” Police ultimately responded.

The Master Redevelopment Agreement, the third item listed on the agenda for July 10, was tabled until it can be reviewed by the new township Agricultural Advisory Board.

“The third resolution proposed was for a Master Redevelopment Agreement with the Panattoni Group, which filed applications with the Planning Board

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sometime around May 2023 to construct warehouses across the street from one another at the intersection of Birmingham and N. Pemberton Roads,” Hornickel later told this newspaper. “The draft agreement has three primary details – it would require the developer to construct a roundabout at that intersection as a traffic calming measure, would permit the county to construct a portion of a regional trail on or along the boundary of one of the properties, and requires the developer to

permanently preserve for farming what is presently a radio antenna farm (Bl. 779, 6.01) when the lease for that use expires in five years. I have been told the area intended for preservation encompasses 50 or so acres. At the special meeting, council referred the draft agreement to the Pemberton Township Agricultural Advisory Committee for comment.”

When Hornickel mentioned a “traffic circle” on July 10 being in the offing, it led to surprise and immediate angst.

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BUSINESS DIRECTORY

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BUSINESS DIRECTORY ♦ Page 15

Local BUSINESS & SERVICE DIRECTORY

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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

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Saturday, July 20, 2024