Tuesday, September 9, 2008

COAH's Fear Factor

From Upper Freehold to Aberdeen Township, Richard Coppola has been spreading fear in the hearts of men and women. There are new COAH regulations and they are “scary”. They may force us to permit building applications with heretofore unacceptable building densities or in contravention of the town’s master plan. Fortunately, I have a solution. I call it “Delay and Do Nothing”.

First, let’s review the new COAH regulations:

  • A new 2.5% non-residential development fee (read state tax)
  • Elimination of Regional Contribution Agreements (RCAs)
  • 13% of COAH units restricted to “very low income” families
  • COAH obligation has changed from 1:8 homes and 1:25 new jobs to 1:4 homes and 1:16 new jobs
  • Only 25% can be age-restricted
  • COAH no longer recognizes “Vacant Land Adjustments”
Scary, indeed. Using Aberdeen’s 2006 submission as a basis, Coppola has estimated our COAH obligation is 440 units. Furthermore, it’s unlikely we’ll be able to reduce our COAH obligation through “inclusionary” development. If a 100-unit building set aside 25% for affordable housing, only six units would be counted towards our current obligation. (The first 19 units would merely cover the growth share obligation of the 75 market units.)

In other words, not only would all new development have to set aside 20% of the units for affordable housing (or pay the township to build them elsewhere), Aberdeen will have to acquire hundreds of units to fulfill our COAH obligation. (The rumor is the town council will use the new COAH requirements as a cover to approve the RCM –Cifelli developments on County Road and Rt. 34.)

But, it doesn’t have to be this way. Hence, my plan to “Delay and Do Nothing”.

Let’s take a second look at Coppola’s numbers. They’re based upon 2006 projections of 1,089 residential units and 457 jobs (page 10). That’s a lot of homes for a small town like ours. The North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) only projected 410 units and 310 jobs.

Why does Aberdeen project over 250% more residential units and nearly 50% more jobs than the NJTPA? “Aberdeen states that it anticipates an increased rate of construction for the third round period” (Page 8). Of the 1,089 units, 839 come from two developments – Aberdeen Forge and Anchor Glass, leaving only 250 for the rest of Aberdeen (Page 12).

By removing Aberdeen Forge (where there’s no recognized developer) and changing Anchor Glass to a commercial zone (we can always change it back later), our numbers would drop below the NJTPA’s, thereby substituting their projections for ours. With one stroke of the pen, we will have reduced our COAH obligations from 440 to 261.

A quarter of that 261 has already been satisfied by the senior housing development on Church St., leaving 196. We have a “poverty district” planned for Wilson Avenue with 68 COAH units, of which 57 will be for the very low income (Page 19). Since we get double credit for very low income housing units, we only have 71 units remaining.

Avalon paid the township $1,080.000 towards the Mount Laurel housing obligations (Page 10). The money was originally to be used towards purchasing 36 RCAs. Since that never happened, we can theoretically use it as seed money towards a rental unit rehabilitation project to create more COAH units.

In the end, we don’t actually need to anything. Our only goal is to submit a plan by end of the year to shield us from a “Builder’s Remedy” lawsuit. We don’t need a good plan – it can always be revised later – just a plan that passes first inspection.

If we do get hit with a Builder’s Remedy lawsuit, like Matawant did, it wouldn’t be the first time. Aberdeen got sued over 20 years ago, in 1984 (Page 2). In 1990, the court ordered the township to build 325 affordable housing units. Nearly twenty years later, we’re still working on it.

Meanwhile, the New Jersey League of Municipalities is suing the state to halt implementation of the new regulations and there’s a fair likelihood the regulations will be revised again within a couple of years.

Last December, I had urged the town council to purchase as many RCA's as the law allowed. Now, it's too late. Still, there’s no rush and nothing to fear. Just delay and do nothing. >>> Read more!

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

While many communities throughout New Jersey are fighting the states COAH decisions, we in Aberdeen are treated to the usual dog and pony show with Norman "The Ringmaster" Kauff, there to assign and command his clowns to spend and spend and spend the taxpayers moneys, to implement something every other community is fighting to help out his favored developers and his own pocket.

This circus is very similar to the Sprint Tower thing where Aberdeen spends tens of thousands of dollars to fight something they know they would lose from day one.

This is Kauff math 101. It is similar to e=MC2 except with Kauff you get TxpyrC+MeMiMo2, which simply means CASH FOR ME, MINE, and MORE.

That is Kauff's way of screwing us and having us think he is doing right by us. The only thing Kauff could do right would be to stop raping the taxpayers of Aberdeen.

F U Norman !

Anonymous said...

Kenny is right on our money. KennyCB for Mayor.

Anonymous said...

I love it! All Norman all the time. But do me one favor.

Leave a little time for Vinci.

Middlesex Jim

Anonymous said...

Vinci is the weakest link. oops sorry I meant missing link.

Anonymous said...

Vinny did his time for Vinny on the Planning Board - Yeah, that same Planning Board that Kauff runs by having his new Dem Party chair, Bill Stinkbomb Shenton chair. Yeah, the Aberdeen Dem Party Chair is also chair of the Planning Board. The same Board that found a way to justify Ciaglias mess and will now try to find a way to justify overbuilding by Centex on the Cifelli property on Route 34. The township planner and engineer will say anything that Kauff asks them to for the right price.

Anonymous said...

Planning Board and Planning Board it is all the same. Kauff's control needs to be exposed. Don't ask anymore questions here on the Aberdeener.

Let the public know and let them ask the questions.

The TRUTH shall free Aberdeen from Kauff.

Say AMEN brothers and sisters.

AMEN

Anonymous said...

Don't forget the Zoning Board too. Kauff gets all of the approvals, changes the zoning and cashes in.

Don't forget the County Rd. property they say Cifelli owns. Just a coincidence that Cappola's presentation comes just in time?

It is out of control in Aberdeen. Where's the law?

Anonymous said...

Home early and thought I would check in. Wow a new page in the Kauff manifesto. This man knows no shame.

All of these people who would be so easily led and be willing to march in step with such low life scum.

Anyone remember JONESTOWN. Drink the kool-aid Norm and save us all this angst and aggrivation.

Anonymous said...

Spoke with an investigator in Chris Christy's office again today. I gave him the web site info and asked him to monitor same. We shall see.

While I know others of us have contacted them,. this young man said there is not much that can be done with pay to play. He did say he was very interested in the Vinci stuff. The land deal items especially and the consulting payments. I am certain it will take time.

I did give him directions to Vinci's house and he said he was familiar with the area from the 'Merla thing'. His words not mine.

I can only hope.

By the way that is some nice building they have there. To say the least security is tight. I had a small and I mean small pen knife and I had to leave it with security. Go figure.

One other thing I did give them was info on the materials that come up when you google the name Norman Kauff. Very interesting he said.

God be praised if he can make them miserable like they make us.

By the way if I may say so on this site. To Ed Fitzgerald I lost your number and will stop by your house real soon for that paperwork we discussed at the last meeting.

Anonymous said...

Good for you MRHS. The best part of this whole thing is that Kauff and crew think they are untouchable.

Well if you spell untouchable with the letters I N V E S T I G A T I O N so be it.

Which one will turn first? My money is on Drapkin or Vinci.

Anonymous said...

I agree with the Aberdeener on stalling, but I also think we should join a class action suit with other municipalities. I would want to use their lawyers, since ours cannot seem to win a cell tower case. Maybe the Mayor is correct when he says, “Not all professionals are the same.”

On another topic, can I have a top three list from the posters of what to ask our officials at the next meeting? I have a few in mind, and I enjoy seeing them uneasy on the dais. I am willing to accept some special requests.

Anonymous said...

Ask them why the street and proposed parking area as well as the residents home right next to the park is stopped and who screwed up that one. Ask that question until you get an honest answer. Can you imagine living right next to the park with water collecting in large amounts right next to the park. They told my neighbor around the corner that they would give him a circular driveway for taking away his property. What did Aberdeen give them? A really big mess. Where is Councilman Vinci What do those signs cost that say DO NOT BLOCK INTERSECTION? I guess with the $800,000.00 they spent to keep a few cars off of his street there is no money left for the little people. Rat bastard politicians. They are all just self serving scum.
That is another question. How many signs like Vinci has to ensure his safe passage are placed in such a manner? How many intersections, crosswalks, handicapped ramps, school crossing zones and more have such signs placed, placed in close proximity. Not one sign but two signs placed to guard a one way street. Maybe they can give my neighbor the land across the street from him where they started to build the parking lot and then stopped. You see they started the project and then stopped because Aberdeen after the go ahead from the geniuses at C.M.E. Engineering of Parlin, N.J. it was found that Aberdeen does not own the property after all. Maybe Aberdeen needs Councilman Vinci and Councilwoman Grumbs to negotiate for Aberdeen. It is obvious they can make all kinds of sweet land deals for themselves. Ask about that C.M.E. screw up and what it cost the taxpayers as well as when they will finish my neighbors property and stop the swamp that develops every damn time it rains. Once again our stellar leadership have shown themselves for what they truly are. Idiots. Better find someone else to run in this area as Vinci is not too popular anymore.

Anonymous said...

Wow. That is one pissed off resident and he obviously deserves that level of frustration. Vinci is one councilman I have never seen as I am a new resident of Cliffwood. Maybe he will be at Aberdeen day. I will have a few questions for him regarding that intersection posted some time ago. I really hope the new manager shows up as I have a few questions for him also. For such a little town it has so many problems and such stellar examples of corruption.

When is Aberdeen day this year? I moved in just after it last year. One other thing what is with the flooding on 35 all of the time. Well I should say when it rains anyway.

Anonymous said...

Will they donate their salaries back to the Township? Ask each individually.

Anonymous said...

Yeah that is going to happen. I would say one thing for the town council they do spend an awful lot of time at meetings on business related to Aberdeen.

I mean there are all of the meetings with council members present at CME headquarters held in violation of the Sunshine Law. Those morning breakfast meetings at restaurants out of town held in violation of the Sunshine Law. And do not forget all those meetings that they used to have Norm's Law *more like broken law* office in Hazlet *in Vic Scudeiri's buildings of course* in violation of the Sushine law, of course.

Ask each and every one of them one simple question.

"Have you ever since being sworn into office attended or been invited to attend a meeting for any purpose , which would violate the ethics rules of assembly" of more than three presently serving council members in violation of the Sunshine Law.

You see such meetings, which most of them did in fact attend, would be highly unethical and illegal. This would also include any political meetings held with or to have been called by then Democratic hack Bob "What is in it for me" Axlerod.

Such meetings under the disguise of supposed democratic party business would also be illegal for more than three other council members to be present and to have discussed any town business in violation of the Sunshine Law.

Right Norm?

When they deny ask them if someone saw them at say a pancake house type restaurant would that person be a liar. Would any of them swear under oath and answer the same way in a court room?

Watch each and everyone of them squirm in their seats as you ask the questions the true answer to those questions each and every one of them. They know that deep down in their cold corrupt hearts, each and every one of them know that they have attended or more or less demanded to be present at such meetings on a continual basis.

Right Norm?

Miss you Norm.

Aberdeener said...

J section Ken,

Could you ask the town council the following question?

Mark Coren received $185/month reimbursement for a cell phone plan of 3,000 minutes. However, he only used 1,000 minutes a month. The other two thousand was used by a "friend" he added to the account. (He paid for the extra line but not the extra minutes.)

It would have only cost the town about $100 a month to get him a phone. The difference is around $1,000 a year. It sounds like the reimbursement scheme was designed to avoid taxes. Is this legal?

Anonymous said...

Mark Coren did something illegal? Next your going to tell me he paid for that $850,000.00 sailboat he
purchased just before retiring with none of his ill gotten gains. To say Coren enjoys his life only off of his retirement checks from his Aberdeen service years leaves me with many doubts. Explain the Hovnanian property on the water he supposedly purchased for the winters. Supposedly a property with enough docking space for the 75 foot sailboat.

This was no little boat folks. All this purchased on his retirement and savings we are supposed to believe. Right Norm? Who was his investment advisor? I am soon to retire and I would not mind a sailboat and water view retirement home. But of course I am only one of the taxpayers who paid and paid for Kauff and crew to live high on the hog. Right Norm?

Any truth to the report the name of the boat is

"THANKS TO CME" ?

Maybe it is named

"FOR MY CLOSE PERSONAL FRIENDS" Right Mayor?

Ask the council if any of them ever went down to the boat. Ask if any of them checked Coren's expense accounts for the every weekend getaways down south? Did he use any Aberdeen vehicles to go there? Did taxpayers foot the bill while our leadership looked the other way?

While it is all ancient history to the council it will give considerable background on the town council's total absence of leadership and control while Kauff and Coren ran the show. All the while as they unashamedly robbed the Aberdeen taxpayer's. All while the council sat there like the see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil monkeys.

I could say that you should not bother asking this council any questions about Mark Coren since Coren knows every illegal thing they all were involved in for all of those years. So of course any questions should really wait until they are all sworn under oath in a court of law. We can all be certain that all of those answers when posed will most certainly have to involve each and every one of them invoking their rights under their constitutionally protected fifth. Right Norm? Right present and former council members?

Coren was Norman Kauff's man for the money. Norm said give it to me and Coren just asked how much do you need this time.

Why do you think Norm pushed so hard for Coren to get a consulting agreement for the Anchor project and proposed development project in Aberdeen? Wasn't that what they all claimed was Stuart Brown's expertise when they hired him.

To have unashamedly created a position just to give Coren input on any development was of course only done to make sure the right lawyers were used and that the law firm of Senator Lezniak, which is of course the infamous Werner -Lezniak politically controlling law firm and close personal friend of Norm could of course get their rumored $1,000.00 per unit shakedown fee along with the usual monies for Kauff and crew. Right Norm?

Just like the apartments on Lower main Street. Right Norm? Just like you tried to get out of the Senior housing on Church Street in the parking lot of town hall. Right Norm? Just like the Freneau development. Right Norm? Just like the train station development. Right Norm?

Norm make me stop, make me stop.

So much money for Norm and his friends to split for so little work. It is so simple and looks so legal. Just get Kauff and Coren to change the density, zoning, and it is time to build. Right Norm?

Pay to play it is called by the politicians in New jersey. In Aberdeen it was and is still called "pay Kauff and Coren". Right Norm? Share and share alike. Right Norm?

And people wonder why Stuart Brown is gone? He would not play the game. Right Norm?

Try the truth Norm just once Norm. I am sure it will be something completely new to you. Right Norm.

THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE NORM.

Miss you Norm?

Anonymous said...

Mr. Anonymous is known to me and he is a liar. That is what defense lawyers like him do for a living. Just keep throwing things in front of a jury and hope for the best. I am a former council member and all of your assertions are completely laughable.

Many of us are attacked and yet there are no proofs. Not one spec of proof is offered up on which to base an investigation. Stop already with the defaming of public servants.

Just stop slamming the good work that is done on behalf of the citizens by your elected officials.

Anonymous said...

Proud2haveserved wants proof.

$3.5 million dollars to CME Engineering in less than three years.

Self service rather than public service.

Shakedowns in the parking lot by the former Town Attorney. Not the first time. Right Norm?

Contempt shown to the public each and every day.

Repeated violations of the Sunshine Law by elected officials and appointed ones as well.

Preferential treatment and illegal acts routinely committed on behalf of politically connected developers that cost our taxpayers and schools millions of dollars in lost revenue.

The list goes on and on so do not dare to tell us of your dedicated public service. You are a liar and like those who sit on the council now are deserved of scorn and contempt.

Political control of the Planning Board and Zoning Boards, which are supposed to be impartial by law.

The list goes on and on and on.

Respect is something you earn. Not something you are entitled to just because you were once elected to serve the people, and chose to serve Norman Kauff instead.

What do you see when you close your eyes?

Anonymous said...

To set the record straight.

Mr. Anonymous is in fact an Attorney. He does not defend clients as suggested. He is a real estate lawyer only. So get the story straight.

Thank you very much.

Aberdeener said...

Prd2haveserved,

With all due respect, I don't which I find more incredible - that someone would come to this blog and claim there's "not one spec of proof" or that such a claim would come from a former council member.

This site has documented numerous violations of the public trust and I am certain any former council member would have witnessed far more.

Anonymous said...

I agree with the Aberdeener so stir it up. They know what they have done and they hate the fact that we know what they have done and they hate the fact that we tell people.

Tell everyone you know.

Anonymous said...

Just a few dare to step up and defend these scum.

I hope they think that will keep them in office since THE TRUTH is about to be exposed in a VERY PUBLIC WAY. Right UC.

Anonymous said...

Maybe it's time to have Cristie and Valentine talk to Stuart Brown! That might be a good start! I believe his 'gag' order has run out.

Anonymous said...

I am again amazed at the topics which receive the most response and suggested and proven corruption that is going on in Aberdeen.

One would think that with all of the moneys spent in the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office why is it that they do no have access to check out the Aberdeener or to Google the name Norman Kauff, Just for the chance to see what comes up about him.

You see Kauff's conduct and actions much of which occurs in violation of his sworn status as well as, or in direct contrast to his supposed legal,ethical and moral conduct. Conduct all of which is officially reviewable. But somehow our Norm seems to come in under the radar.

I do realize that the words *legal and ethics* when it comes to the Lawyers is of course an oxymoron.

Maybe the county bought their computers at Vic Scudeiri's world famous I.E.I. AKA Interstate Electronics Incorporated located in the well known den of evil that houses the Democratic stronghold of Monmouth County.

I mean Congressman Pallone and his* specially designed McGreevey closet* are there. Norman Kauff's close personal friends who just so happen to be the Aberdeen accountants Fallon and Fallon and you can be sure that Kauff gets his cut from these too long in place as the Township of Aberdeen Accountants. It also houses the Aberdeen Public Defender and the same man who handles the tax appeals for Aberdeen. Better known to most as a slave to Norman Kauff, who it should be stated would not have a job if it wasn't for Norman Kauff. The man known as Mark *anything you say Norman* Shram.

Before we forget F U Norm.

Anonymous said...

C O A H stands for *cash out and haul*.

Guess who gets to cash in and haul ass aptly timed with the developmental opportunities recently presented by Norman Kauff's *close personal friends* the Cifellis? You cannot make this stuff up.

Right Norm?