Residents Peeved By Portable Toilet in Holiday Park

Manalapan residents who live across from Holiday Park baseball field are not happy about the recently delivered Johnny on the Spot bathroom that is visible from their homes.

Two residents of Arthurs Court, Bob Kanner and Dominick Piccininni, said they are fed up and had some strong words for the Township Committee during a meeting on Wednesday, April 13.

One year ago, the News Transcript reported that Kanner had appeared before the Township Committee and specifically requested that portable restrooms not be placed at the field. 

Kanner had raised objections about leasing a “pocket park” located in the residential neighborhood, also known as Holiday Park.

Litter, traffic congestion, and noise are all results of the parks creation, according to Kanner and Piccininni. The porta-john just adds to the list of the residents' complaints.

“I want to see something done on that porta-john -- moved and hidden under shrubbery or something, so that no one can see it on the street,” Kanner said.

Prior to public comment, Committeeman Jordan Maskowitz, the liaison to the Recreation Department, reported that the facility had been delivered and that Alan Spector, the head of the Department of Public Works, as well as Township Administrator Tara Lovrich, had inspected it.  Maskowitz said that a fence had been constructed around the facility and it was “decorated tastefully”. 

Piccininni said he can see the portable toilet from his living room window.“I take exception to the gentleman’s comment that the porta-potty or ‘crap-house’ was ‘decorated tastefully’. I’d like it to be decorated tastefully in front of your house,” Piccininni said to Maskowitz. 

Piccininni also commented that he does not like the yellow tubing that was put around the baseball diamond's fence.

Maskowitz responded that the baseball league is trying to provide a proper facility for the kids and accommodate the needs of families that come out to see the games, including  grandparents that can’t walk far to a restroom.

Furthermore, the baseball association is responsible for the cost of the wooden fence around the porta-john and the township has a say in that location; this location seemed appropriate.

The angry residents tried to respond to Maskowitz, but the rules of the public meeting prevented a dialogue and Township Attorney Roger McLaughlin reminded the men not to interrupt. 

Committeewoman Michelle Roth sympathized with the residents and agreed with Kanner that the facility should be moved, perhaps to the Pease Road side of the field, between the parking lot and the electrical boxes.

On Feb. 23, Roth warned of this exact problem when the Township Committee voted to reapprove the land leasing ordinance with the football, soccer, and baseball/softball associations. According to an article in News Transcript, the baseball and softball association’s lease was approved for five years- April 15, 2010 to April 15, 2015 - in the ordinance.

Roth had expressed concern about the restroom facilities mentioned in the changed language of the baseball lease.

“While I understand the needs from the baseball perspective, I am very concerned about the residents in that area,” Roth had said.

She said Mayor Lucas knew of this concern, yet it remained in the lease. She urged the governing body to reconsider the language and consulted Township Attorney Roger McLaughlin.

“I’ll just point out, Mr. McLaughlin, that nowhere in the lease does it indicate that the Township will be fencing,” said Roth on Feb. 23.

McLaughlin said the concerns were addressed with the baseball association. A location would be agreed upon and the baseball association would pay for a wooden fence that would “protect the residents that live around there”, said McLaughlin.

Roth voted along with the rest of the Township Committee to approve the leases which had already been negotiated at that point.

Now that the problem has resurfaced, Roth said she’d like to see the porta-john moved.

“I happen to agree. And I’d like some consideration to moving it; I think in my opinion that makes the most sense,” said Roth.

However, Committeeman Donald Holland, liaison to the Department of Public Works, feels the location of the porta-john was necessary for sanitation and safety reasons. Visitors of Scout Park can also use the facility.

“You have several hundred children running around,” said Holland. “Are you going to permit them to use your yard? Do you want them to go in the woods?”  These questions were rhetorical since public comment had ended.

When the residents tried to respond, they were again reminded that they were interrupting the Committeemen and could discuss the matter later.  

Roger McLaughlin said that some of the Kanner’s previous concerns were incorporated, including spacing between games to alleviate traffic; he invited him to obtain a copy of the new lease.

After the Township Committee meeting was adjourned, Piccininni and Kanner entered a private meeting with some of the officials including Mayor Lucas and Maskowitz.

“We were happy to meet with the residents of Arthurs Court, listen to their concerns and will work on ways to address those concerns,” said Lucas in an email to Patch regarding the outcome.

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