UPDATED: Twp. Committee Abandons Plan to Give Road Ownership to Ridge Oak

After already having come twice before the Planning Board and Township Committee, the proposal to give up the township's ownership of part of East Oak Street and the undeveloped Great Swamp Road seemed ready Tuesday night for the Township Committee's quick approval.

But not so fast. Tuesday's meeting was the first time that neighbors, about two dozen, turned out to persuade the Township Committee to abandon the idea.

The Township Committee then declined to introduce the ordinance, in effect tabling the proposal.

Bonnie Kelly, executive director of Ridge Oak Senior Housing, first urged the Township Committee to move forward with an ordinance to relinquish ownership of all of Great Swamp Road, covered with brush and grass, and the part of East Oak Street that dead ends by barns owned by Ridge Oak.

UPDATED: On Thursday morning, Kelly added that she believes that neighbors of the property were left with unfortunate misconceptions about the property, and the Township Committee did not clear up those misconceptions. Moreover, she said she had offered to answer any questions for the committee or public.

Kelly said Ridge Oak has no plans for redeveloping the single-family home the organization purchased in January 2010, which she said now is occupied by a caretaker and his family. Ridge Oak could decide to sell the property at a later date. The township's boards and officials would need to closely review and approve any plans for additional affordable housing for senior citizens if such a proposal were made in the future, she said.

On Tuesday, speakers from the Willowbrook Farm Association, representing about 80 homes on Manchester Drive and surrounding streets, got up and told the committee they fear giving the road sections to Ridge Oak would pave the way for further expansion of multi-family housing in their neighborhood.

A two-acre lot owned by the Ridge Oak development is separated from the rest of the housing complex by Great Swamp Road, technically known as a "paper street," township officials confirmed.

"If they weren't going to build the units, they wouldn't have bought the land," said John Pankuch, a resident on Tanglewood Lane.

Glenn Alsopp of East Lewis Street and others said they fear the construction of another multi-story, multi-family building such as the one behind Lindbergh Lane. The residents said they feel their neighborhood of single-family homes has enough multi-family affordable housing.

"If it's a financial benefit, I will cut the grass," Ed Gerdts of Manchester Drive told the Township Committee. He said the multi-story building off Lindbergh Lane resembles a nursing home.

Other residents said they fear an increase in traffic created by employees and visitors heading to the Ridge Oak development.

UPDATED: Kelly said Ridge Oak recognizes concerns of the neighbors, and tries to maintain good relations.

During her initial comments, Kelly said she realizes that Ridge Oak, founded by six local churches, would be subject to approvals from the Planning Board and Township Committee for any plans for the property. "This gives us no rights whatsoever with adjacent parcels of land we own," Kelly told the Township Committee.

Kelly said Ridge Oak already mows and maintains the right-of-way for Great Swamp Road. She also said on Thursday that the senior housing complex always has invited neighbors to view any planned projects at the 34-year-old development.

Kelly on Thursday added that any development plans at 95 Manchester Drive would not be affected by ownership of the paper street anyway, since the house already has access to Manchester Drive. But she said she is sure the township would not allow — and Ridge Oak would not propose — a concrete building in the midst of single-family homes anyway.

The proposed ordinance was based on earlier recommendations from township planners that the roads do not serve the public, and so the public should give up responsibility for the roads, including liability and the obligation to provide maintenance.

The Township Committee had been prepared to vote on the proposed change on Dec. 28, when it was discovered that not all property owners within the required distance had been properly notified, township officials said. Township Clerk Denise Szabo said all property owners within 200 feet should have received notice of the potential Township Committee vote on vacating the streets, but had not.

Due to the procedural slip-up late last year, the township Planning Board in January repeated to the Township Committee to give up public ownership of East Oak Street and Great Swamp Road.

David Schley, the township's acting planner, again told the Planning Board in January that the dead end section of East Oak Street basically serves as a driveway for thedevelopment.

A vote to relinquish public ownership of that portion of the street means the township would no longer have to pay for such maintenance improvements as drainage projects, Schley told the board.

He said of Great Swamp Road, a "I suppose you can look it as a liability to the township. No public interest is served there."

However, Ridge Oak owns property in that vicinity that could conceivably be used for housing in the future, Schley said the Planning Board last month.

As in December, the Planning Board approved the recommendation. Szabo said the measure would come again before the Township Committee in February because the proposed ordinance from Dec. 28 could not carry over into the following year.

The proposal approved by the Planning Board in January was the same as in December, Schley said.

Schley told the board in December that without the township vacating ownership of  Great Swamp Road, "There is no future development potential for Ridge Oak. This parcel will remain zoned for one-acre single family housing and there is nothing that can be done except one-acre single family housing." The lot has a driveway onto Manchester Drive.

Planning Board members said in December they wanted to make sure there is no potential for a land-locked lot that would occur from vacating the right-of-way and that no damage would occur to the homeowners in the development.

Township Administrator Bruce McArthur said at this week's Township Committee meeting that the township has been selling off small parcels of property, deemed not to serve the public, identified three years ago by Peter Messina, retired township engineer and planner.

On Monday night, Township Committeewoman Carolyn Gaziano made a motion to deny the proposal. However, Mayor John Malay said the proper procedure was to simply not vote to introduce the ordinance.