The Courier-News from Bridgewater, New Jersey • Page 13

Town Crier B-2 ir Obituaries -B-3 hIOJIm(JI 'h: Vr I THE cduRIER-NEWSThufBday, December 13, 1984 eaion Town a plan, they'd tell us that the rules had changed. "It was the biggest waste of taxpayer's time and money the county has ever seen. Absolutely nothing good came out of it." Although there's nothing concrete to show after 11 years, Union Township Mayor Joseph V. Martin said he believes the project paved the way for Continued on Page B-3 place. It died of its own weight.

Oleniacz, one of the early proponents of the project, said local officials decided to take a Joint approach toward a regional sewer project as the best way to ensure state and federal funding. "We started out with good intentions, but we couldn't keep up with constant changes in state and federal regulations on sewer projects," he said. "Every time we were ready with ton townships. Once all nine have terminated the contract, it will be presented to the state for final notification that the pact is dissolved, according to Stanley Oleniacz, the former mayor of Glen Gardner who served as chairman throughout the project's history. "It's the only thing left for us to do," Oleniacz said.

"The plan was strangled by the very bureaucracy that suggested the project in the first tag to dissolve any ties with the project by the end of the year. Clinton became the most recent town to pull out when the Town Council unanimously passed an ordinance Tuesday night that terminated its participation. Other municipalities that have severed ties in recent weeks, or will do so by the end of the year, are Calif on, Hampton, High Bridge, Glen Gardner, Bethlehem, Union, Lebanon and Clin- project was conceived, many municipal officials saw it as a viable regional approach to meet much of the county's future needs for sewers along the busy Interstate 78 corridor. But constantly changing state and federal regulations, and the group's inability to choose between two proposals, made many municipal officials realize the project's days were numbered. All nine communities are scrambl- By TONY PHYRILLAS Courier-News Staff Writer To one official, it is an "idea ahead of its time." To another it Is the "biggest waste of time and taxpayers' money the county has ever seen." And to all nine Hunterdon County communities that joined a proposed regional sewer project in 1973, it is a project that ought to be laid to rest.

When the North Hunterdon-10 'Williamsburg' condominiums for Alexandria site proposed By MELANTE J. DAVIS Courier-News Writer RARITAN TOWNSHIP A Milford man's plan to create a "little Williamsburg" in Alexandria caught the fancy of the Hunterdon County Agriculture Development Board last night, although members suggested several changes. Wayne C. Miller, president of Early American Dwellings, said he plans a development that would recreate the look and feel of the small villages that were scattered throughout Hunterdon County in the 1700s. Miller, who will have to present his idea to the Alexandria Planning Board, said he addressed the Agriculture Board here last night because his plan involved the preservation of farmland, which is of great interest to the board.

"The idea is to cluster homes in a Williamsburg environment on 10 to 20 percent of a farm," Miller said. "It Developer, township may settle By CLIFFORD GLICKMAN Courier-News Staff Writer CLINTON TOWNSHIP A developer who is suing the township to allow him to build 26 homes off Herman Thau Road is considering a settlement in the case, according to his attorney. Les Ferrullo met Tuesday night with the Planning Board to determine whether the board would be receptive to his development plans and how quickly those plans could be presented, said his attorney, Roger Mahon of Flemington. Ferrullo and William Epstein are the principals in Timber Ridge Associates, a limited partnership that owns 170 acres straddling High Bridge and the township. Timber Ridge is suing the township for eliminating a provision that would have allowed them to build as many as 26 homes on 51 acres off Herman Thau Road.

In March, the Planning Board determined that the development qualified for lot-size reduction. Lot-size reduction allowed a developer in the township's least dense zoning area to build one home on every 2 acres instead of one on every 3.5 acres. To qualify, a builder had to pass 10 standards to ensure that his development would not cause environmental problems. But the Township Council eliminated the lot-size reduction provision in August, which scuttled the Timber Ridge development plans. The group sued, saying the township unfairly eliminated the provision.

The Township Council has offered to allow Timber Ridge to apply to the Planning Board for permission to build the development under the old provision that allowed lot-size reduction, Township Attorney Marc A. Vaidasaid. Mahon said the Planning Board meeting on Tuesday was "probably encouraging." But he added, "The key to it (the settlement), which was not established, was how quickly we could get a public hearing." Mahon wants the settlement to include when the board would hear the Timber Ridge application. So far a date has not been provided. Tewksbury talks expansion Officials say township needs a new, larger municipal building that you've done your homework." He suggested that Miller stuay tne board's past recommendations and build upon them.

Board member Julia Allen said Readington's overdeveloped state is an argument for the cluster idea, "I'm from Readington and we've experienced the pressure of developers operating under the the zoning as it stands," Allen said. "I can show you 2 to 3 miles of 2-acre lots; it's painful to see. This idea, is a breath of fresh air." The board members shared concern over the commonly owned farmland. They did not like Miller's idea of land management by an owners association. Instead, the board suggested allowing the farmer who sold the developers the land to lease back the rights to farm it.

The board agreed to meet again with Miller once he had studied other cluster proposals and strengthened his own. It mav take some time to move. even if two of the three committee members want to do so. There has been no vote to build a new municipal hall, so it may not happen at all. And it might take several years to do so, even if the committee moves, Heaney said.

The township bought land a number of years ago next to Old Turnpike School in mind to some day put a municipal building there, Heaney said. The township already has put aside $71,938 for a new building, and could bond for the rest, officials have suggested. But one commiteeman, Fred Kolbe, will have nothing to do with it. "I don't think the Township Com--mittee should issue a bond for a building," Kolbe said yesterday. "We're only a small community." "We don't have the bucks.

We could add to the current building," he said. It would "absolutely" be cheaper to add than to build a new hall, he asserted. A r'- ymA Courler-Newj Photo By Vlnct Kremw Don wouldn't be a subdivision; it's like a condominium where part of the land is for the owner's private use and the rest is commonly owned." Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia is a reconstruction of a town from the Revolutionary War period. Miller hopes to build 11 replicas of Colonial-style homes in the center of 80 acres on Stamets Road. He plans to sell the homes for $200,000 to $250,000 each.

Under Miller's plan, each homeowner would own his or her home and a small amount of land surrounding it. The ownership of the remaining land would be shared by all the homeowners. Although the specifics of Miller's plan are original, the concept of cluster housing is not, according to board member David Buchholz, who noted that the board has discussed the idea many times and advocates it. "I like the cluster concept," Buchholz told Miller, "but I don't feel almost another 25 percent by 1990, to 5,000, according to projections by the county Planning Board. But one factor that may affect expansion plans even more than the growth in population is the growth in the number of township employees who use the municipal building.

On Tuesday night, the committee hired a new tax assessor, Curtis Schick, who will work out of the building. The former assessor, Henry Barlow, who died several weeks ago, worked out of his home. In addition, the committee is planning on hiring a full-time secretary Jan. 1. That would put the number of employees in the two-room municipal building at four, including a township clerk and a tax collector.

One room of the one-floor building measures about 30 feet by 18 feet; the other is about 12 feet by 18 feet, Township Clerk Harlan Welsh said. A wing for the Police Department was added onto the building since the township moved in, Welsh said. jr5 A Happy birthday, Courier-Newt Photo By Ed Pasllarlnl Cream Heaven in Hillsborough in Amwell Center. The scene these days, despite reports that urroughs-backed plant Warren Twp. computer screen company created a year ago By TOM NUTILE Courier-News Staff Writer TEWKSBURY This hilly, rural community is the richest per capita in Hunterdon County, but its municipal functions are carried out in a two-room school building built at the turn of the century.

Two of the three Township Committee members say it's time to build a larger building, possibly on township land next to Old Turnpike School on Route 517. "We've had growth over the last 10 years and we anticipate growth over the next 10 years," Committeeman Michael Heaney said yesterday. "It's only going to get worse. The town's growing, our staff is growing, our Police Department is growing." Like most communities in Hunterdon, Tewksbury grew at a near record pace in the 1970s and is expected to continue growing throughout the 1980s. The population increased by one-third during the 1970s, to 4,094 in 1980, and is expected to increase closes Plasma Graphics plant, Smith said, however, he knew of no prospective buyers.

The plant will remain open for about three months while a small staff oversees liquidation procedures, Gould said. Burroughs has hired a few of the laid-of workers, but of the employees, including Gould, have been left without jobs. Gould, 33, joined Burroughs in 1981 as special assistant to the vice chairman of strategic planning at the company's Detroit headquarters. He later became corporate director of strategic planning before he was named chairman of Plasma Graphics. "I have no plans at this point," he said, although he said he would try to stay in New Jersey.

development. In other action Tuesday night, the Planninff Board cave aonroval for construction of a foot building tor Hunterdon occupational Training Center on Minneakoning Road. The center, a private, non-profit organization that trains the handicapped, would use the building for a new kitchen and cafeteria for clients if. learn the food business. The board also approved two smaller buildings pole barns, which would be used for storage at the center.

stopped producing flat-panel display screens, its first and last product, on Nov. 19. The 4-inch-by-7-inch screens are only 1 V4 inches thick, but they portray the same amount of information as a 25-line, 80-character cathode ray tube that is 10 times thicker, according to Burroughs spokesman Mike Smith. The closing of the Mount Bethel Road facility leaves two facilities affiliated with Burroughs in Central Jersey, down from four at the start of 1983. Burroughs closed its Piscata-way plant early that year.

The company still operates a keyboard manufacturing plant in Raritan Township and an office and sales division in Springfield. Burroughs intends to sell the Christmas turn-on Carmine Lombardi, owner of Ice hanqs Christmas lights at his is a familiar one in Central Jersey bulbs may be in short supply. chairman and chief executive officer. Gould would not comment on how much money the company made or lost. Plasma Graphics was a joint venture between Burroughs Corp.

of Detroit, and Telex Computer Products Inc. of Tulsa, Okla. Burroughs owned 80 percent of the company and Telex owned 20 percent. Burroughs announced the formation of the company on Dec. 12, 1983, weeks before it was scheduled to close its 30-year-old display division facility on Mount Bethel Road and leave 400 workers without jobs.

Plasma Graphics retained about 140 of those workers when it started operations in January and employed 175 people at its peak, Gould said. It studying Hampton service to Hampton in March. The Hampton station has been closed less than a year. On Jan. 1, Transit closed the three western stops on the line Phil-llpsburg, Hampton and Glen Gardner.

The Borough Council passed a resolution on Monday supporting the proposed service, at the request of Peter Culleo, president of the coalition. Culleo said he will ask Washington Borough and Washington Township in Warren County and the boards of freeholders in Hunterdon, Somerset and Union counties to pass similar store By CLIFFORD GLICKMAN Courier-News Staff Writer WARREN Plasma Graphics a company that saved more than 150 jobs when it was created a year ago, has ceased operations at its Mount Bethel Road plant, according to the.company's chief executive The company, which produced flat-panel display screens for computers and electronic instruments, fell victim to low demand for its product and heavy price competition, company officials said. "We basically encountered a market situation in which demand for our product did not meet our expectations," said Peter G. Gould, company NJ Transit servicito HAMPTON NJ Transit is considering a citizens group's plan that would resume train service to the borough on the Raritan Valley Line. The Raritan Valley Commuters Coalition has proposed extending the line from its western terminus in High Bridge because the group feels that extensive bridge repair work on Interstate 287 would encourage more people to take the train.

"We are currently reviewing their request," NJ Transit spokeswoman Nancy Greenberg said, adding that no timetable for a decision has been set The coalition hopes to have NJ Transit resume Raritan Township OKs trade center RARITAN TOWNSHIP De- velopers are expected to begin work soon on the Flemington Trade Center, following final approval of the first phase by the township Planning Board, Chairman Roland Fry said. The center would be on 113 acres on Route 202 at the Church Street Extension. The first phase would include seven lots, totaling 23 acres. Developers of the project said they were able to give little information on the work at the time. The entire center would encompass 25 lots for commercial or indu'-rial Kindergartener Cara Giuliani, 5, enjoys a snack after helping Hillsborough's Sunnymead School students celebrate Donald Duck's 50th birthday at a program yesterday..