Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Township Committee voted 4-1 in favor of rezoning company's global headquarters earlier this month.
- GOVERNMENT
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Wednesday, October 17, 2012
A Morris Township resident opposed to the recent committee vote that would allow Honeywell to develop its 147-acre campus said he is considering filing a lawsuit against the township to reverse their approval, according to an NJ.com article. Robert Burke, who has expressed his disapproval of the proposed project throughout its lengthy process, cited among concerns that Peter Manahan, chairman of a new township ethics committee that has investigated complaints against the now-approved rezoning, owns stock in Honeywell and therefore cannot be tasked with overseeing an ethics committee against them, according to the article. Township Committee members voted 4-1 on Oct. 1 to approve the rezoning which would let Honeywell bring in 235 …
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Morris Township Committee votes 4-1 in favor at conclusion of more than six-hour meeting.
After several months, five public hearings and hours of discussion among township officials, experts and the public since the zoning ordinance to allow Honeywell to redevelop its corporate headquarters was introduced, the ordinance was approved by the Township Committee on Monday night. In a meeting that lasted more than six hours, the committee voted 4-1, with lone Democrat Jeff Grayzel with the one 'no' vote, on the ordinance that would let Honeywell bring in 235 townhouses and expanded office and lab space on its 147-acre property. The process to redevelop the Fortune-100 company's global headquarters has been going on for more than two years, but it wasn't until June that the township planning board unanimously approved the master plan…
Sunday, September 30, 2012
All experts will attend Monday's meeting as public continues to provide input on zoning ordinance.
As the public hearings on the ordinance for Honeywell to redevelop its property for mixed-use move into October, the township committee could vote on the plan as soon as the next hearing on Monday. The fifth hearing that will begin at 7 p.m. Monday at the Morris Township Municipal Building will continue with more public input and questions about the proposed ordinance to allow the Fortune 100 company add townhomes and office and lab space on its 147-acre site. Mayor Peter Mancuso said that while it is possible for the township committee to vote this week, nothing will be certain until more input is heard from experts and residents. "It just all depends on what our experts have to say, if they have more commentary," he said. "It's just a …
Friday, September 28, 2012
Portion of Bruce Sisler's hour-long discussion with man recorded, posted on YouTube.
One Morris Township resident claims Deputy Mayor Bruce Sisler called him after midnight on Aug. 3 and harrased him over conflicts involving Honeywell's rezoning ordinance. Resident Lee Goldberg—who has been vocal throughout the whole Honeywell process—posted about 12 minutes of the phone call on YouTube earlier this month and said it caused a "disturbance in the household." Sisler said Goldberg's complaints about the phone call have been referred to the Township Ethics Committee, which only first convened two weeks ago with its newly appointed members. The committee is currently reviewing the matter to determine if any action needs to be taken. Sisler released a statement via e-mail Thursday apologizing for the late call, and said he only …
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Community planner for opposition group testified Thursday the ordinance is 'premature' and there's 'no rush.'
The community planning consultant for a group of residents opposed to a proposed ordinance that would change the zoning of the 147-acre Honeywell property to allow the construction of 235 townhomes on the site in addition to expanded office use, testified Thursday night that there are too many loose ends with the proposal in its current form. The planner, Peter G. Steck, said the governing body, if the proposal is approved, will not be able to make changes to the zone district once a development application is filed, so it's important to get it right the first time. Among the concerns Steck raised were that the proposal only would require the developer to make a good faith effort to create a quiet zone at a railroad crossing at the site, …
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Project's environmental, financial impact among issues raised during third public hearing.
More presentations were made and additional questions were raised Wednesday night regarding the impacts of redeveloping Honeywell's property. Community members who attended the third public hearing Wedneday night on the ordinance that would let the Fortune-100 company redevelop its headquarters for residential and office space still find problems with the plan, even after over two years of deliberations and recently hearing the environmental, traffic and environment experts present their analyses. But before the public got to make their statements, a legal matter—one that had previously delayed the hearings—was addressed. The resolution prepared by Township Attorney John Mills that supports his legal decision to reinstate recused …
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Two meetings scheduled for this week, attorney to cite cases supporting legal decision to reinstate recused committee members.
Hearings on the ordinance to rezone Honeywell International's property will continue with meetings on Wednesday and Thursday, with input from the land use planners for both the township and the Citizens for Better Planning in Morris Township group. The Township Committee will first on Wednesday hold a regular public meeting where Acting Chief of Police John McGuinness will be sworn in as chief. Once the hearing starts, it will include statements from Paul Phillips, the township's land use planner, and then the public will be able to comment or question the plan that calls for 235 townhouses and office and lab space on Honeywell's 147-acre property. Mayor Peter Mancuso said the experts will be in attendance on Wednesday night to answer any …
Monday, September 17, 2012
The Citizens for Better Planning's president gives five reasons why you should attend this week's meetings.
- OPINION
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Monday, September 17, 2012
Dear Morris Township Residents: The Public Hearings continue this week. The township is rushing and has scheduled meetings on Wednesday, Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. and Thursday, Sept. 20 at 8 p.m. This coming Wednesday fiscal, environmental and traffic experts will continue to be questioned by the public. On Thursday, Sept. 20 Paul Phillips, Land Use Planner for Morris Township, will discuss and defend the ordinance. Your attendance at both meetings will make a difference. Here is a "Top 5" list of reasons to come and points that must be made by the residents of the Township. 1. They are continuing to move forward with hearings after having reinstated all the recused committeemen after citing- without a formal written legal opinion- the …
Thursday, September 13, 2012
EDA approves incentive to keep Fortune-100 company's headquarters in Morris Township.
- GOVERNMENT
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Thursday, September 13, 2012
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority board approved a $40 million award on Thursday for Honeywell to keep its headquarters in Morris Township, njbiz.com reports. The tax credits, received under the Grow New Jersey Program, has provided the Fortune-100 company with an incentive to stay after it recently considered relocating to Pennsylvania. The $38 billion company applied for the credits in June, as it considered moving because of rising redevelopment costs. But after the grant was awarded on Thursday, it appears the company will not be going anywhere soon, as it is in the midst of a two-plus year redevelopment process that would add 235 townhomes and about 900,000 square feet of office and lab space on the property. The proposed …
Contaminated ground water one of main concerns of company's property, traffic issues also discussed at second public hearing.
The next phase of the Honeywell redevelopment process continued Wednesday night with input from experts about the environmental and traffic impacts if the company were to build out its property for mixed-use. The experts presented their analyses to the planning board back in December, but this was the first time they went before the township committee and it followed with public comment. The meeting—which was the second public hearing after last week's meeting that focused on the financial analysis—started with the environmental impacts with a presentation by Marie Raser, a consultant for the independent environmental consulting firm EcolSciences. One of the main areas of concern on the company's 147-acre property, Raser said, is the …
Rob Burke
7:37 pm on Thursday, October 18, 2012
And then check out all the money Honeywell donated to the Buccos... more ›