Lucarelli Appalled By Zoning Meeting, Proposes Disbanding the Board

Arrogance and a condescending nature may become the demise of the Fair Haven zoning board.

Last Thursday night Councilman Lucarelli attended a zoning board meeting and was taken back by what he saw. “This was a very bad example of how the residents of Fair Haven are being treated,” said Lucarelli.

Lucarelli said he has been in the real estate business for over 20 years and after attending countless zoning board meetings all over the state, he had never seen applicants treated as poorly as in Fair Haven. “I was absolutely appalled by the arrogance and condescending nature of the zoning board. The way that the applicants were treated was unacceptable,” he said.

He was so upset with what he witnessed that he proposed getting rid of the board at the council meeting on May 9. “For this reason, I propose that we disband the zoning board and join it with the planning board.” Lucarelli also said that the board lacked common sense and that the zoning board attorney was not able to answer several direct questions.

Mayor Halfacre understood what Lucarelli was referring to saying that he often receives complaints about the zoning board. “It’s just a Byzantine process, and no matter how much I speak to people about it, it just doesn’t get any better.”

Halfacre said that he believes the board does not understand its duties to make adjustments to the laws. “The name is the zoning board of adjustment. It’s there to adjust things. It’s not the zoning board of denials,” he said. “And unfortunately, it becomes the zoning board of denials in Fair Haven.”

Jerry Wojcienhowski, a Fair Haven business owner, thanked the mayor and Councilman Lucarelli for "saying how it is." He said that his wife came home extremely upset after a zoning board meeting because of how she was treated on top of the denial of her request. 

The mayor also said that this is not the first time that this issue has been brought to the council. Three or four years ago, the board went as far as drawing up an ordinance to join the two boards said Salvatore Alfieri, the borough attorney. The issue was tabled due to multiple requests by members of the board.

One member of the zoning board was present at the meeting, “I think that you got the wrong impression,” said Susan O’Brian. O’Brian explained that Thursday’s meeting was unusual and encouraged the council member to attend another meeting.

She did acknowledge the fact that they are not easy to please, saying, “we push back because they’re asking for the moon and the stars.” However, she blames the laws created by the council for their action. “We have to go by the laws that are on the books,” she said. 

O'Brian said that she is open to discussion and agrees that the board needs to know if they are doing something wrong.

No action to disband the board was taken at the meeting. In order to hear all sides, Halfacre suggested a "summit" like meeting with representatives from all 3 boards to discuss the issues and concerns from the council and public before making any rash decisions.