Rural U.F. talks about commercial development
Highway development zone may be eliminated
BY JANE MEGGITT Staff Writer

UPPER FREEHOLD — Residents presented some of their ideas about commercial zoning to the governing body on Aug. 7.

Stan Pierzhanowski, who lives on Route 539, across the street from the Matrix Development Corp. warehouse complex in Robbinsville, told the Township Committee that he feels Robbinsville destroyed the area by allowing warehouse development that brought in truck traffic, noise and pollution.

Only two of Matrix's proposed six warehouses have been built, he said. The other four, including a 1 million-squarefoot warehouse, have been approved, he said.

Pierzhanowski said a connector road would be constructed from the warehouses on Route 539 to West Manor Way. He said truck traffic would increase "1,400 percent" to 140-150 trucks per hour at peak times.

"To keep it as a residential area would be impossible," he said. "There's no way anybody would want to live there."

Pierzhanowski said he is pleased to see that the possible changes to the township's master plan include expanding the highway development zone to include Block 12, where he lives. He said that the Matrix development brought in gas lines, sewer lines and improved electric service, including Fios and DSL service, for such development.

"I'm not for development, but in this situation you have to entertain the thought of expanding highway development," Pierzhanowski told the Township Committee.

He suggested his area would be a good site for professional or medical office buildings.

Resident Al Trenton voiced concerns about commercial development along Route 537. He noted that the Monmouth County Park System owns parcels there that are used for hunting in the winter. The area also contains the Laurel Pond RV Resort, he said.

Trenton said putting a 27,000-squarefoot retail building with wetlands in the rear next to open space, parks and an RV resort is "just wrong." He said the township should maintain transition areas between preserved lands and developed sites. He suggested the township look into zoning for pet cemeteries in that area and said they would provide a commercial element along with open space.

Resident Walter Helfrecht said, "Highway development demands more infrastructure than Route 537 has at that point."

Mayor Steve Alexander said the township would hold a workshop discussion on ordinances affecting commercial development on Sept. 25. He also said that planner Charles Newcomb's recommendation is to change the Highway Development zone into a different kind of development zone.