Green: Over 10 Hours of Public Comment Heard on Catena Issue

The war over allowing car dealerships in Manalapan Township will continue to wage tonight at the Planning Board meeting at 8 p.m. at , but that didn't stop Committeeman Ryan Green, township residents, and Ray Catena's attorney Gerald Sonnenblick from speaking up about the issue at last night's Township Committee meeting.

During his committee report, Green, a member of the Planning Board, clarified the reason why the public was unable to speak at the Planning Board meetings in January. Green said that there had been some insinuation that the Planning Board had not taken public comment and he said he wanted to explain that that intimation was false.

The Planning Board has heard public comment from residents since the original amendment to the Master Plan was brought in front of the Planning Board in mid-October of 2011. Public comment was heard at three meetings following that. Once the Planning Board asked Township Planner Richard Cramer to expand his analysis to include all of the appropriate zones on Rt. 33 and Rt. 9.

According to the state's Municipal Land Use Law, public comment cannot be heard until at least 10 days have passed since the report has been on file. Since Cramer's report was not filed until Jan. 26, public comment could not be heard on the Master Plan amendment issue at the Planning Board meetings on Jan. 12 or on Jan. 26, Green reiterated to the public.

During public comment at the Township Committee meeting, Manalapan resident David Finkelstein addressed Green's comments saying that the residents were disappointed that they were unable to speak at the January Planning Board meetings, but never insinuated that the residents did not get a chance to be heard.

"We appreciate the patience and the time that has been spent listening to us," Finkelstein said as a voice of the resident objectors to the proposed amendment to the Master Plan. 

Sonnenblick also addressed the Township Committee on the Master Plan issue. Although the Township Committee has no bearing on the decision the Planning Board makes, Sonnenblick said that the Planning Board can merely recommend the change to the Master Plan and it is up to the Township Committee to approve the change or kill it - if the Planning Board recommends the change.

"The comments were made by Mr. Green that certainly there was enough time for everybody to speak, and everybody did speak," Sonnenblick said. "The objectors were well organized and put out there problems - traffic, noise, test drives, and the same."

Over 10 hours of public comment from residents have been heard as recorded public testimony at the Planning Board meetings on this issue, Green said, and more testimony will be heard tonight as the public hearing continues in the courtroom of the at 8 p.m.