Candidates see township growth as top issue in U.F. Marc Covitz Traffic, commercial development among other campaign topics BY JANE MEGGITT & JENNIFER KOHLHEPP Staff Writers Two candidates will vie for the Upper Freehold Township Committee seat currently held by David Horsnall. Democratic candidate Marc Covitz and Republican candidate David Reed are both making their first bid for the governing body. The election will take place on Nov. 8. Covitz, 41, of Burlington Path in the Cream Ridge section of the township, has a master of science in nursing from Pace University’s Pleasantville, N.Y., campus in Westchester County. He is currently employed by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc. as a medical science liaison. David Reed Covitz has lived in the township for 4 1/2 years. He and his wife, Kathleen, have two children, Bianca, 11, and Lucas, 4. When asked why he decided to run for office, Covitz said, “I decided to run for office because soon after I moved to Upper Freehold Township, the town started to change rapidly.” Covitz said he attended Planning Board and Township Committee meetings and “soon realized that the decisions being made in these meetings were detrimental to the town.” Covitz said, “I also realized that the decisions being made at the governmental level in the township are being made by a certain group of people for a certain group of people.” Covitz alleged that “large landowners, developers, political hacks and people that have a vested financial interest fill township boards and committees.” “All of the residents of Upper Freehold,” he said, “need a voice and need to be represented fairly and equally.” Reed, 37, has lived in the township for 20 years. He and his wife, Linda, have three children, Billy, 11, Kylie, 3, and Jake, 2. Reed has a bachelor of science degree from the University of Delaware, Newark. He is the managing director of the Reed Sod Farm, located in Upper Freehold. When asked why he decided to run for Township Committee, Reed said, “I was intrigued by the unity theme emphasized in last year’s Township Committee election of new residents reaching out to longtime farm families like mine and saying, let’s try a civil approach to addressing the difficult problem of managing growth by not ignoring landowners’ equity concerns.” Reed said he wants to continue with the follow-through and hard work being done by officials this year to develop a basis for fair decision making. “I decided to run for office now because I want to do more for Upper Freehold Township,” Reed said. “I believe the way to do that is not by command and control by government edict, but by consensus and representing everyone’s interests in a fair and balanced way.” When asked why he thinks he makes a good candidate for Township Committee, Covitz said he has a plan to control township growth and to maintain the township’s country code and rural character. To control growth, Covitz said, the township needs to adopt a zoning change to a minimum of 6 acres, and replace those with a vested financial interest on the township’s Planning Board, Zoning Board and Environmental Advisory Committee with citizens who have no vested interest in keeping the township’s master plan the way that it is. Covitz said the township also needs to strengthen other ordinances and building codes to make it less desirable for developers to do business in the township. In addition, he said if development has to occur, officials should make sure it is done in an environmentally responsible and safe way so it does not affect the quality of life of current Upper Freehold residents. “This includes looking at charging developer impact fees, having developers build parks and contribute to our schools and to road maintenance, and ensuring that development fits in with the area,” Covitz said. “For instance,” he said, “if the traffic cannot be accommodated on our roads and bridges as they are currently designed, then the development should be rejected.” With regard to controlling township growth, Reed said, “Voters need to ask which candidate is better qualified to sit with farmers and large landowners, and convince them of the benefits of farmland preservation in order to manage growth. “Someone who has done it,” Reed said, “or someone who advocates uniform, 6-acre zoning that arbitrarily strips their land value without knowing the tax savings or net environmental benefit gained by the community?” Reed said all township residents “need to share in the cost of preserving our rural character and quality of life in the township. “The gain by one group should not be at the expense of the other,” Reed said. “Planning needs to take into account environmental priorities, existing roadways and landowner equity by implementing a well thought-out, planned density transfer program.” When asked why he decided to run for election, Reed said, “I expect hard decisions will be made in 2006 that will set Upper Freehold’s course for years to come. “I want to be part of that process,” he said. “I can make a difference.” Reed said he understands the issues and concerns facing longtime farmers and landowners in today’s local economy, as well as the growth concerns of newer residents. “As a parent of young children ranging in age from toddler to middle-school age,” Reed said, “I too, do not want my children to attend overcrowded schools, have limited access to athletic and recreation facilities [and] ride on overcrowded local roads that compromise their safety, nor do I want them to breathe unclean air from backed-up traffic. “However,” he said, “there needs to be a balance of interests and fairness.” Reed said he decided to run for office to make decisions that represent the interests of all people in Upper Freehold Township. “Common to all residents, we shouldn’t be forced to pay higher taxes that could result from unmanaged growth,” Reed said. “As a local resident and a local business owner, I am very aware and concerned about local decision making that impacts our tax bills.” Covitz said he has already started to try to preserve the township’s rural character both as a member of the township’s Vision/Scenic Byways Committee (V/SBC) and as the township’s regular representative of the Crosswicks Creek/Doctors Creek (CC/DC) Greenway Group. “Recently, the V/SBC was able to craft a vision statement that was adopted into our master plan,” Covitz said. “The vision statement speaks to how we can best maintain our rural character and country code. [But] unfortunately, it has yet to be implemented by our Township Committee.” Covitz said the CC/DC Greenway Group is attempting to preserve water quality, stream corridors, steep slopes and scenic vistas within the CC/DC watershed, where about 75 percent of Upper Freehold is. “Currently,” Covitz said, “we are working on a greenway that would connect the Washington Town Center (near Matrix Business Park) with Historic Walnford, and another greenway that would connect the Doctors Creek to Assunpink.” Reed said his family has farmed in the township for more than 45 years. “The longtime residents have known my family and me for a very long time,” Reed said. “They know I understand and respect their values.” Reed said he also has hands-on knowledge and understanding of the economic realities farmers are facing. “[Farmers] know I understand their problems through life experience, not newspaper articles or the Internet,” Reed said. Reed said his family chose to place 1,000 acres of its farmland in preservation. Reed said, “We preserved scenic vistas, reduced the potential for overcrowding in schools, parks, recreation facilities and roadways; reduced pollution; and saved our community from increased taxes that would have resulted had we opted to develop our land.” Both candidates feel that the township needs to pursue more commercial development. Covitz said that if elected, he would work on bringing in commercial development that fits in with the township’s rural character, scenic beauty and country code. “We don’t need 30-acre outlet malls like what we will see at Cox’s Corner,” Covitz said. “We don’t need drive-through Dunkin’ Donut stores. We don’t need warehouses plopped in the middle of wetlands on Breza Road. We don’t need large commercial or residential development along the Route 537/Provinceline Road corridor.” Covitz said the township needs “small plazas” that will fit into its rural character in terms of size and architecture. “We need to use our environment to our advantage,” Covitz said, “The Breza Road tract should be developed as a vacation spot, which could include golf, tennis, hiking, a pool, fishing, horseback riding and mountain biking. “In the winter,” he said, “cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling could be done.” Covitz added that the area could also be developed with a health club, cabins, chalets and/or small town homes. “This would be a money maker for the town like it has never seen,” Covitz said. Reed said he would pursue commercial development consistent with the township’s agricultural/nursery and equine-related base. He said such development would “address local service and social needs.” He said he would use the newly generated tax revenues for land acquisition and expansion of recreation facilities. “The newer residents know my family and me because we are active in local athletic and recreation leagues and [in] community/family social events,” Reed said. “My commitment to coaching is how I will pursue working on the Township Committee. I will give it my all.” Covets said that if elected, he would also work to acquire more active and passive recreational space. Reed said if elected, he would strive to maintain local control over roadway issues. “I would oppose the westerly bypass because of dangers posed by the roadway next to the school and park grounds,” Reed said. Reed said he would also seek implementation and demonstration of regional improvements promised by the Monmouth County engineer to lessen traffic impacts near the existing school complex and in the borough of Allentown.