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Archived
News:
Proposed Sports Complex: At the March
2006 Neighborhood Meeting in Lincroft Mayor Hall confirmed
that the Township Committee is considering building a Sports
Complex, primarily for Pop Warner Football, in Lincroft at
the Gilligan Tract along Middletown-Lincroft Road. The
Gilligan Tract and the adjoining property across from Molzons
Nursery were purchased by the township under the Green Acres
Plan. The tract is currently undeveloped and contains a significant
amount of wetlands. A local neighborhood group, with
the support of the LVGA, are actively opposed to the building
of the sports complex at that site. Consequently, the LVGA
wrote a letter in opposition to the proposal which can be
read here.
Mayor Hall sent us a statement in October 2006 regarding this
issue called 'Just
the Facts' and made a statement at the November 20, 2006,
Middletown Township Committee meeting that there are no plans
for a football field. (Asbury Park Press article from December
6, 2006)
Press coverage:
Two River Times: July
14, 2006 "Lincroft Residents Oppose Sports
Field on Middletown-Lincroft Road"
Asbury Park Press: August
1, 2006 "Residents oppose recreation facility"
Asbury Park Press: August
9, 2006 "Future of Lincroft parcel hotly debated"
The Independent: August
9, 2006 "Residents oppose 'Sports Complex'
at Lincroft site"
Two River Times: August
11, 2006 "Talk of Sports Complex Draws Ire of Lincroft
Residents"
Asbury Park Press: December
6, 2006 "Mayor: No plans for sports complex"
Letters to the Editor: The Independent: July
5, 2006 "Falsehoods circulating about football fields"
August
2, 2006 "Lincroft field proposal exemplifies
how Township Committee makes decisions before consulting the
public"
Republic Services (Marpal)
Expansion rejected by Monmouth County Freeholders:
On July 27, 2006 the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders
unanimously rejected the expansion application of Republic
Services (Marpal). Read more>
April 2003
ANNUAL MEETING
Mark your calendars for May 22 at 7:30 PM at the St. Leo's
Cafeteria for our annual meeting. A guest speaker from
Brookdale College, Vincent Gorman, Executive Vice President,
will give a presentation on Brookdale's role in the Lincroft
community. A question and answer period will follow.
If any of you have questions, concerns or recommendations
regarding Brookdale that you would like addressed, please
send them to Lincroftvillage@aol.com.
By having the questions ahead of time, we give Mr. Gorman
the chance to get answers from the Brookdale Board of Trustees.
It is very important that all of you attend this meeting.
It's your chance to get informed and involved about issues
that directly impact your safety and quality of life.
Elections will be held and general business will be discussed
including an update on the county's current plans for Newman
Springs Road.
***Please support our community by attending this very important
meeting. Extend the invitation to neighbors and friends. The
more support we show the stronger we become!***
MIDDLETOWN MASTER PLAN
The Board of Directors of the LVGA commends the Middletown
Planning Board for their unanimous approval of the township
Master Plan recommending the preservation and enhancement
of the 12 villages of Middletown. The plan recognizes Lincroft
as one of these villages and calls for the preservation of
our existing roadways and advises against new development
that will unduly overburden these existing roadways. However,
as Route 520 (Newman Springs Rd.) is a county road and falls
under county jurisdiction, the Middletown Master Plan can't
stop the county from exercising their sovereign immunity over
the road.
NEWMAN SPRINGS ROAD
The recommendations released in the Orth-Rodgers report
one year ago called for widening the road in front of the
Lincroft School and for widening Middletown/ Lincroft Road
and realigning Swimming River Road near the intersection with
520. These plans were widely opposed by Lincroft residents.
After last year’s hearing where over 350 people opposed the
widenings, the county Freeholders allocated an additional
$66,000 to Orth-Rodgers to create a new report, a draft of
which was presented to two members of the Township Committee
in March. So far, we have not been given any information about
these new proposed recommendations, nor have we been involved
in the process. We are told that the county engineer will
meet with us soon. Hopefully, we will have some information
in time for the May 22nd meeting. Our concerns for the Village of Lincroft remain
the same including lowering speed limits, preventing road
widenings, consolidating the commercial parking lots, creating
rear access to shopping centers, and improving pedestrian
safety.
LEEDSVILLE DRIVE
The LVGA has identified Leedsville Drive as a candidate for
a potential traffic calming pilot project subject to township
approval and funding. Mark Mastroberti is holding a meeting
at the St. Leo's Parish Center on April 23rd at 7:30 to discuss
the speeding problem on Leedsville Drive and various methods
to calm the traffic. Residents of Leedsville Drive and other
interested parties are urged to attend.
VILLAGE CENTER STREETSCAPE PROJECT
As of this writing, the benches and trash cans in the village
center along Newman Springs Road are being repositioned beyond
the sidewalks. Originally, the consultant placed them in the
sidewalk itself creating a hazard to walkers. The rest of
the streetscape plans such as new crosswalks, street trees,
and planters are on hold pending the county's decision on
road changes.
520 MEDIAN AT THE NAVY ROAD
The LVGA has secured county approval for landscaping the median
on 520 near the government railroad. A committee is in the
process of meeting with county officials to discuss the overall
design plans for this median. Because of safety concerns,
the county officials won't allow community volunteers to help
with the planting. We hope the overall plan will include:
signage welcoming visitors to he Lincroft village, a lighted
flagpole and shrubs, trees and flowers. It will be a beautiful
gateway into Lincroft showing drivers that they are arriving
into the village center and sending a message for them to
ease up on the accelerator.
SPEED BUMPS AT LITTLE LEAGUE FIELD
We are in the process of negotiating the installation of speed
humps with the Township Committee and Little League officials.
The bumps would be located around the horseshoe driveway that
encircles fields seven and eight.
MOST RECENTLY COMPLETED PROJECTS
1. The LVGA was instrumental in securing a second bus shelter
for the south side of Newman Springs Road.
2. The LVGA was instrumental in the installation of the flashing
25MPH lights in front of Lincroft School.
April 2, 2001
Does the Lincroft Community Want two Jugs and a six Lane
Intersection at Brookdale?
County engineer, Ted Gianechini said the plan is to install
a jug handle on each side of the road at Brookdale and to
widen the road to 4 lanes plus 2 access lanes for a total
of 6 lanes at the light. The widening will begin gradually
on the north side of the road from the point opposite the
basketball courts to about an extra 30 feet at the intersection
then taper off until a point on the CBA property. The post
office will lose over 20 feet of frontage.
Ted Gianechini says the four lanes at Brookdale are needed
to get the most possible cars through the intersection to
eliminate delays caused by the light. He said the neck down
into two lanes isn't a problem because at the merge points
there are no lights and that the cars will merge peacefully
for the most part. When we pointed out the fact that people
dislike having to merge from 4 lanes into two lanes he said
that they have to build for the future, although he says the
county does not plan to widen the entire road.
The southern jug handle will contain a triangular shaped
*retention basin* in its center of about 200 ' by 150'. The
retention basin is required by the DEP because the large amount
of asphalt dictates that an artificial place must be created
for rain water to be absorbed into the ground. Currently rain
water is absorbed naturally.
The northern jug will be a triangle of about 200' by 90'.
Gianechini says this jug can be landscaped to reduce the visual
blight of the large amount of asphalt.
Between the four lanes at the Brookdale entrance will be
a long island about 20' by 300' which Gianechini says can
be landscaped with low shrubs but not trees (to protect those
speeding motorists who drive off the road onto the island.)
Mr. Gianechini volunteered the aesthetic improvements. The
question is: does the community of Lincroft need two jugs
and four lanes?
March 31, 2001
Freeholder Delivers Good News to Lincroft Parents
On Wednesday, March 21st, at the Township Committee's Lincroft
neighborhood meeting, Freeholder Amy Handlin announced to
the roughly 150 people present that the county will not widen
the road in front of the Lincroft School. This news was well
received by the parents present. Over 300 people had signed
a petition opposing the widening project.
"Nothing is written in stone," Dr Handlin said as a final
statement.
Mayor Joan Smith introduced various township department
heads such as Chief Pollinger, Lincroft first aid captain,
Ron Lanfranchi, the Lincroft Fire Chief, the Township CFO,
a representative from Parks and Recreation, a health department
representative, and assistant planner, Christine Nazarro.
January 31, 2001
County's Consultant Hears Concerns from Luftman Residents
Two transportation engineers from the Consulting firm, Orth-Rodgers,
met with about 60 residents from Luftman Towers and The Pavilion
yesterday to discuss the problem of transportation safety
and pedestrian access in the village. Many residents expressed
their complaint that they feel it's unsafe to cross Newman
Springs Rd to reach the NJ Transit bus on the other side.
A resident complained that the pedestrian control button was
inaccessible in the past few weeks because the snow wasn't
removed. Other residents asked about the status of a bus shelter.
Other subjects discussed were: lowering the speed limit; the
need for a complete sidewalk system linking to the library;
post office and other village locations; and enforcement of
the existing state law requiring motorists to yield to pedestrians
in a crosswalk.
Regarding, refuge islands in Newman Springs road that would
provide a safe waiting place for people who can't get across
in one light, the Orth-Rodgers consultant said that he is
opposed to them. The impression of one resident interviewed
after the meeting was that the Orth-Rodgers consultant is
not committed to improving the pedestrian environment in the
village.
Those present at the meeting were: Christine Navarro, Middletown
Township; Norman Dietch, Orth-Rodgers; Brian Stienkiss, Orth-Rodgers
and Luftman staff and residents.
January 17, 2001
By W. Scuteri
STATE PLAN PUBLIC HEARING
I attended a public hearing in Freehold held by members
of the State Planning Commission. This was one of 21 such
meetings to be held throughout the state in every county public
regarding the state plan.
Thomas Wright, Deputy Director, gave a slide presentation
on the plan and its objectives. He pointed out that New Jersey
needs this plan because we have a rising suburban population
and a declining urban population, farmland is disappearing
at an alarming rate, and we have the highest ratio of cars
to households in the nation and the state's population is
expected to grow 11% in twenty years. In Monmouth County,
the projections are even worse for population and household
growth. The purpose of the plan is to manage the growth intelligently.
A primary goal of the plan is to direct growth into centers
and to protect the surrounding environs better than in the
past. Development in centers can be directed upward with retail
on the first level, office space on the second level and residential
on the upper levels. By directing growth upward rather than
in a sprawled out fashion, land is protected and municipal
services are used more efficiently.
Regarding implementation, the plan is voluntary.
State Planning Commission chairman, Joseph J. Maraziti,
presided over the public comment portion of the meeting in
the packed meeting room. Among those in attendance were members
of the governing bodies of several Monmouth County municipalities:
Holmdel, Hazlet, Allentown and Milstone; Middletown assistant
planner, Christine Navarro; members of Concerned Citizens
of Middletown, several farmers, builders, real estate professionals,
the attorneys for Wall and Holmdel; some members of municipal
planning and zoning boards; a representative of Holmdel's
Citizens for Informed Land Use; and a number of citizens who
didn't identify themselves.
December 13, 2000
Last night, two of our members attended a meeting of the
Transportation Committee of the Monmouth County Planning Board
in Freehold. They heard a presentation given by Bill Feldman,
the NJOT Pedestrian and Bicycle Advocate from NJDOT "Bureau
of mobility Stategies." Mr Feldman and his associates, Rose
Anne Scotti and Elise Bremmer discussed the new policy of
the New Jersey State Department of Transportation to better
accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists. He spoke about Governor
Whitman's goal of 2,000 miles of bike and pedestrian routes.
He say that the state will soon be updating the bike/pedestrian
portion of the State Master Plan and that the DOT design manual
for roads has or has been updated to include 3 new chapters
on pedestrians, bikes, and traffic calming. He spoke of complex
and esoteric sources of funding for pedestrian and bike improvements
such as "scoping money" and "local aid for centers" The Lincroft
Village projects may qualify for the Local aid for centers.
He also spoke of new transportation lingo such as "contact
sensitive design" and "flexible design" creeping into (apparently)
the state guidelines for road building. What these terms are
supposed to mean, apparently, is that the road designers may
now consider the needs of the local community. It's unclear
if this consideration is required or if it's merely suggested.
The new state guidelines apparently don't apply to roads
like 520 which is a county road, although it's possible the
county engineers can be persuaded to take the state's lead.
There was a brief question and answer period after Mr. Feldman's
presentation. Most of the questions related to bicycle or
to shared use paths in Monmouth County. The question and answer
period ended before our members had an opportunity to ask
questions.
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