Nicole Aulicino

Somerset County

Alexis Tarrazi

New York City Metropolitan Area

Basking Ridge

New Jersey

Jamie Gatlin

Warren

Bernardsville-Bedminster

Bridgewater

Watchung-Green Brook

Morris County

 Jack Slocum

Morris Township-Morris Plains

Mendham-Chester

Chatham

Middlesex County

Middlesex

Morristown

Madison

[words] Bookstore

Join us for an instore event on Sunday, November 1st with Brenda Williams, she will be reading and book signing her new childrens book.This event is free to the public.

Local Event: Brenda Williams,  Author reading and book signing

Brenda Williams,  Author reading and book signing

Join us for an instore event on Sunday, November 1st with Brenda Williams, she will be reading and book signing her new...

Bottle King is hiring across New Jersey.
We are looking for dependable, friendly people interested in retail, cashier, stocking and leadership positions. Whether you are looking for your first job, part time work or your next opportunity, we would like to hear from you.
Openings may be available in Livingston, Morris Plains, Glen Rock, Hillsdale, Ramsey, Wayne, Hillsborough, Mansfield, Glen Ridge, Ledgewood, Chatham, Middletown, Dumont, East Windsor, Princeton and Springfield.
No resume is required.
<a href="https://forms.gle/QiTsMKGTP2wSby5N8" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Apply here</a>

Must be 21 or older for select roles. Bottle King is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Essex County

Eric Kiefer

Livingston

Bottle King Is Hiring Across New Jersey

Bottle King is hiring across New Jersey....

<img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/7ecb56_d2743facdc3244d191e6953971a3b84e~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_681,h_571,al_c,q_90,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/7ecb56_d2743facdc3244d191e6953971a3b84e~mv2.png">I am Paul Humbert, running for Bernards Township&nbsp;Committee, and I support responsible redevelopment. I do not support using redevelopment as an&nbsp;excuse to dramatically increase residential density where it does not belong, which is&nbsp;why I oppose the proposed townhouse development at 131 Morristown Road on Route&nbsp;202.




The property currently contains a largely vacant office complex near Interstate 287. The&nbsp;developer is seeking approval to replace it with a large age-restricted townhouse&nbsp;community. Because the property is not currently zoned for this use, the application&nbsp;requires significant zoning variances in addition to site-plan approval.




THE DENSITY IS TOO GREAT

The proposal has changed repeatedly. It began at 119 homes, increased to 131, and&nbsp;has now been reduced to 125 following concerns raised during the approval process,&nbsp;but reducing the project by a handful of homes does not solve the fundamental problem.


This is still a large residential development proposed for a property that is not zoned for&nbsp;this use. Zoning exists so communities can determine where different types and&nbsp;intensities of development belong.



<blockquote>In my view, this proposal asks too much of this site.</blockquote>

THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT MATTERS

Under the 131-unit version of the plan, testimony identified approximately 437,814&nbsp;square feet of impervious coverage. That is a substantial amount of rooftops, pavement&nbsp;and other surfaces that do not naturally absorb water. Stormwater, drainage and&nbsp;environmental impacts matter. Once a property is intensely developed, that decision is&nbsp;very difficult to reverse.





&ldquo;SENIOR HOUSING&rdquo; DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY MAKE A PROJECT APPROPRIATE


I support housing choices that allow older residents to remain in Bernards Township, but&nbsp;every age-restricted development still needs to fit the property, the surrounding area&nbsp;and the character of the community.



Calling a project &ldquo;senior housing&rdquo; does not answer legitimate questions about density,&nbsp;traffic, design and infrastructure.


TRAFFIC CANNOT BE DISMISSED

This property sits directly on Route 202 near the Interstate 287 interchange. The&nbsp;applicant has argued that the residential development would generate less peak-hour&nbsp;traffic than a fully occupied office complex.



But residents live with the actual conditions on Route 202 every day and a residential&nbsp;development brings residents, visitors, deliveries, service vehicles and other traffic&nbsp;throughout the day and week. The real question is whether this level of residential&nbsp;density makes sense at this particular location.




I don&rsquo;t believe it does.

BERNARDS DOES NOT NEED THIS PROJECT TO MEET ITS CURRENT AFFORDABLE-HOUSING OBLIGATION


Bernards Township&rsquo;s adopted Fourth Round housing plan states that the projects&nbsp;already selected satisfy the Township&rsquo;s affordable-housing obligation and that additional&nbsp;sites are not currently needed. The Township specifically considered a much larger&nbsp;proposal at 131 Morristown Road and did not select it for inclusion in that plan.




Township representatives also reiterated at the September hearing that Bernards has&nbsp;already met its current Fourth Round obligation, meaning this project should be judged&nbsp;on whether it is actually good for Bernards, not treated as something the Township must&nbsp;accept.




VACANT OFFICE SPACE SHOULD NOT BECOME A BLANK CHECK FOR HOUSING


Bernards should absolutely look for productive new uses for struggling commercial&nbsp;properties, but converting commercial land into dense residential development should&nbsp;not become the automatic answer every time an office building becomes difficult to&nbsp;lease.




We should pursue redevelopment that strengthens our tax base, protects our&nbsp;infrastructure and respects the character of our community.


WE CAN SAY NO

Bernards can&rsquo;t stop every change, nor should it. Responsible planning requires the&nbsp;willingness to reject projects that ask too much of a property. I believe this one does.

I oppose the proposed development at 131 Morristown Road.&nbsp;Reducing the number of units from 131 to 125 does not change my conclusion.&nbsp;Bernards Township should remain a community where zoning matters,&nbsp;development is carefully planned, and preserving the character of our town&nbsp;comes before maximizing density. Vote for me, Paul Humbert, for Bernards Township Committee! Learn more at <a href="http://www.HumbertForBernards.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">www.HumbertForBernards.com</a>

ROUTE 202 OVERDEVELOPMENT: This Project is...

I am Paul Humbert, running for Bernards Township Committee, and I support responsible redevelopment. I do not support using redevelopment as an...

ROUTE 202 OVERDEVELOPMENT: This Project is Wrong For Bernards

By Paul Humbert

People choose Bernards Township for a reason. Our neighborhoods, schools, open spaces, and sense of community make this a special place to live. Protecting those things takes leadership willing to question decisions that put them at risk.

I believe two of the greatest threats to our future are the relentless demand for more taxpayer dollars and a state-driven approach to housing that gives too little consideration to the communities expected to absorb it.

We need leaders willing to push back on both.

<h2>Taxpayers deserve accountability</h2>

New Jersey families work hard, save, build businesses and invest in their homes. Government should respect that effort. Success should never become an excuse to demand more money without answering basic questions about how it will be spent.

Before asking taxpayers for another dollar, government should explain: What are we accomplishing with the money we already collect? Are programs working? Where can we reduce costs? Who is accountable when spending fails to deliver?

Good intentions do not excuse poor results. A program should be judged by whether it works and whether we can afford it. As a common-sense fiscal conservative, I believe living within our means should be a basic expectation of government.

<h2>Our neighborhoods deserve a voice</h2>

Housing decisions shape a community for generations. They affect traffic, schools, infrastructure, municipal finances and the daily lives of the people who already live here. Those consequences deserve serious consideration before a project moves forward.

I support responsible redevelopment, but a proposal must make sense for its location, surrounding neighborhoods and the long-term character of Bernards. A property&rsquo;s need for a new use does not make every proposed use appropriate.

That is why I oppose the Allen Road Project. It is also why I believe we must challenge housing mandates that fail to account for local conditions.

New Jersey&rsquo;s tradition of home rule deserves respect. Residents and local officials should have a meaningful voice in decisions that will change their town.

<h2>Disagreement should come with respect</h2>

We can debate taxes, housing and government spending without insulting one another. We can listen carefully to our neighbors while standing firmly on principle.

I want a return to practical government: living within our means, respecting different views and making decisions based on their consequences. Extremism on either side does not help us solve the problems facing our community.

My opponents and I offer different approaches. I will speak plainly when I believe policies coming from Trenton or Somerset County threaten Bernards&rsquo; affordability or character. I will question those policies, challenge their assumptions and advocate for our residents.

<h2>My commitment to Bernards</h2>

Neighbors and neighborhoods matter. Affordability matters. Preserving the character of our town matters. These principles will guide my decisions. I will work collaboratively where we can find agreement and stand firm when a proposal is wrong for Bernards.

When you vote, choose someone willing to protect what brought you here and what makes you want to stay.

I&rsquo;m asking for your vote to help keep Bernards the town you chose. Vote for me, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.humbertforbernards.com/about" rel="noopener nofollow">Paul Humbert</a>, for Bernards Township Committee. Learn more:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.HumbertForBernards.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">www.HumbertForBernards.com</a>

Keeping Bernards the Town You Chose

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Brenda Williams, Author reading and book signing

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ROUTE 202 OVERDEVELOPMENT: This Project is Wrong For Bernards

Keeping Bernards the Town You Chose