Council Disagrees Over Lionsgate-Scientific Glass Project

At Monday's township council meeting, Councilman Nick Joanow strongly urged the council to put the brakes on a development project previously approved by the Planning Board, saying it would aggravate an already problematic situation in the township.

If given the go-ahead, the so-called Lion Gate-Scientific Glass project will construct 104 for-sale condominium units on an existing floodplain at 8 Lionsgate Drive (off Broad Street near Bay Avenue, at the old Scientific Glass site).  Once constructed, the building would be at serious risk of flooding, Joanow said, having been erected on wetlands.

Besides, he added, new families moving into the residential units would add 60 to 70 additional children to Bloomfield’s public schools, which are currently at full capacity. 

“That’s what I like about you Councilman, you never let the facts get in your way,” quipped Mayor McCarthy when Joanow was finished speaking. 

“You don’t have your numbers right.  Your facts are your opinions.  It’s the ‘Chicken Little’ thing again,” he added, referring to his observation, stated on several previous occasions, that the councilman had a tendency to erroneously forecast dangerous circumstances.

Councilman Bernard Hamilton addressed Joanow's concerns, saying, “I don’t disagree with the majority of the comments you make but this should be referred to the Planning Board.  If FEMA disagrees, they can deny the application.” 

“Volumes have been written on what we do and don’t do on flood plains,” Joanow protested, noting that the area in question has flooded twice before. “I call on the council to reject the proposal.”

At the vote, Joanow, along with council members Elias Chalet, Carlos Bernard and Michael Venezia, voted to reject the proposed Lionsgate proposal, while Hamilton, Peggy O’Boyle-Dunigan and McCarthy voted to support it.

In fact, said McCarthy after the meeting, the development project has been under consideration for twelve years or so but still hasn't been built, despite being approved by the Planning Board some five years ago.

“Then the market crashed and the developer went belly up,” said McCarthy.  After that, a “reputable developer,” Somerset, took over.

“The Planning Board sat down for a long time and approved the [existing] plan, with safeguards in place,” he said.  “There will be catch basins for the water [fallout] so it’s not going to run into the river.”

McCarthy also said it’s an incorrect assumption that the new development project would attract families with children.  Only two children moved into the Greenbrook Apartments (near Lionsgate Drive) when the 69-unit building was erected twelve years ago he said.  He added that, as a real estate appraiser, “I do this for a living.  I oversee condos.  Condos don’t have school-age kids."

Other business:

The council unanimously approved the appointments of five new fire captains: David Flanagan, Daniel Jacunski, John Katinsky, Gerard Lynch and Brian McDade.

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Michelle Davidson was sworn into a 5-year term as an officer of the Board of Trustees Cultural Commission. Davidson is also a member of the Bloomfield Bicentennial Committee.

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Bloomfield Middle School teachers and students were awarded certificates of merit from the township council for .  

“We’d like to commend and congratulate the winners of the Law Competition for their hard work and in-depth preparation,” said Mayor McCarthy.  “But without great leadership, great teachers can do nothing; they also have a great leader, Principal Sal Goncalves.”

Afte the presentation, Goncalves and teachers John Shanagher, Jose Sarmiento and Lauren Barton expressed pride in their students' accomplishments.

“We knew when the students came up with their ideas they were going to do well in the competition,” said BMS teacher Lauren Barton.  “It was a great idea.  It was well-written.  It was awesome.”