Committeeman responds to deputy mayor’s remarks

It is amazing to me how the deputy mayor wants to recite the “facts” for the ills of Millstone Township. However, he should learn to get his so-called facts correct before putting them to print. In his letter he states the second-largest down-zoning (to 6 acres) was passed by a vote of three Democrats and two Republicans in 2001. As much as I would have welcomed three Democrats on the Township Committee in 2001, there were only two, myself and former Committeeman [Charles] Abate. The other three committeemen were Republicans [Cory] Wingerter, [Evan] Maltz, and [Bill] Kastning. Secondly, there was no zoning change to 6 acres in 2001; that came with the 2002/3 master plan package.

If Committeeman [Elias] Abilheira wants to tag a specific action to a specific party (“The largest down-zoning (to 10 acres) ever in Millstone was passed by a vote of three Democrats, and …) and get his facts correct, then he should also be looking at the makeup of the body that was responsible for drafting the “new master plan” that formulated the down-zoning (to 6 and 10 acres) in 2002/3. That body is the Planning Board, and he will learn that the majority making up the board at that time was Republican. Does this mean that it is the Republican majority taking people’s property rights? It appears Mr. Abilheira wants to count numbers that suit his purpose only, and to heck with how the democratic voting process works. Democrat, Republican, independent or whatever — in a township such as Millstone, we are elected to work together. It is OK to have a difference of opinion, but not to point fingers and insinuate blame or wrong-doing.

Mr. Abilheira was very vocal in 2003 about passing the ordinance to implement the master plan as quickly as possible and preferably without any amendments. Now he appears to be touting that passing/implementing the master plan with 6- and 10-acre zoning was a bad thing and taking people’s rights. I guess he was not concerned about people’s rights then, but now has “seen the light.” Simply amazing to me that a situation is good when he wants it to be and bad when he doesn’t.

As for his pressing for changes to the master plan to let people with 6- and 10-acre lots have the opportunity to subdivide their property, the only way they could do that was to not pass a master plan that created 6- and 10-acre zones. If they are in any zone other than 6 or 10 acres today, they still have their right to subdivide; nothing was taken away from those property owners. The only thing I heard from Mr. Abilheira was to adopt the master plan as is as quickly as possible. If he wanted people with 6- and 10-acre lots to get more lots, what is so wrong with an individual owning 50 acres in a 10-acre zone getting a couple more lots through the clustering provision provided? Is Mr. Abilheira being discriminatory if you happen to own parcels larger than 10 acres?

In addressing the eminent domain action on the Waters [property] in 2003, Committeeman Abilheira fails to mention that the property was already under contract with Orleans Builders and amicable negotiations had been attempted prior to the eminent domain action being instituted. As far as the action being reversed and amicably settled this year, he fails to acknowledge the reopening of a dialogue for a potential settlement was initiated by a Democratic committeeman late in 2003 and continued into 2004. Also, he fails to mention that he and Mayor [Nancy] Grbelja were brought up to speed during their November and December familiarization period (sitting in on executive and regular sessions) prior to taking their seats in January. They became part of a team that negotiated a settlement over a several month period from 2003 into 2004. Interestingly enough, there were rumors late in 2003 that the committee was trying to make a “deal” with the developer, when in fact a “settlement” that Mr. Abilheira appears to want to take exclusive credit for by stating in his letter “This year we reversed this taking …” was actually in the works. Who might that “we” be? Here we go again with Mr. Abilheira, another case of a situation being good when he wants it to be and bad when he doesn’t.

Let’s stop counting how many Democrats and how many Republicans we have and who did what to whom and when, and get on with the business of running the township. Expend the energy in getting something done for our residents. And before you say that you have done something, let me say yes, things have gotten done, but just think how much more could be getting done. You keep touting the great strides in earning more interest in our township financial investments. Well, let us get more out of the investment the residents have made in the committee persons they elected and give them a bigger return. It is not about me against you, us against them, Republican against Democrat, old against new; we are all in this together. In the end, we all swim or sink together. I know where I want to be, how about you?

William M. Nurko is a Millstone Township committeeman