|
Council President Backs Mayor's Fight For Wal-Mart
By Keith Hagarty
Another chapter was written last week in the ongoing saga over the fate of the Wal-Mart project on Route 37 West, as the township council plans to take an official stance encouraging the state to allow for the construction of the megastore.
Bordering 25 acres along both Manchester and Toms River, plans for the construction of a 200,000 square foot Wal-Mart gained approval from both towns' planning boards early last year and seemed well on its way. However those plans hit a snag when the discovery of the endangered pine snake was discovered on the site, prompting the New Jersey Environmental Protection Agency (DEP) to halt the project in its tracks months ago.
Since that time landowners Jaylin Properties LLC mounted a public relations counterattack, including a petition-drive acquiring over 7,000 signatures from residents pleading with the state to move ahead with the plans, as well as the installation of a sign along the Route 37 property frontage asking for the public's help in getting the DEP decision overturned.
Estimated to be a $45 million tax ratable, with $323,000 in annual revenue for Manchester and another $341,000 for Toms River, proponents of the project believe the DEP has dragged their feet on the Wal-Mart plans.
With an outpouring of support for the construction of the Wal-Mart coming from residents, Mayor Michael Fressola, Toms River Mayor Paul Brush and approvals from both the Manchester and Toms River planning boards, Council President Kenneth Vanderziel to call upon for the Manchester Township Council to officially step up and give their full backing as well.
"It doesn't seem like in the papers or in the publicity that he (Fressola) is getting too much support (in his fight against the DEP's decision)," said Vanderziel, "and it's not that the support isn't there (from the town)."
To help in the mayor's cause, Vanderziel recommended the council develop a resolution officially supporting the construction of the Wal- Mart which would then be sent to Trenton.
"The council supports him full blast with the negotiations he's going through with the DEP," Vanderziel emphatically stated. "He's not alone, we're in full support."
Vanderziel and the council are hopeful that an official declaration by the town's governing body supporting the project could possibly put some pressure on the DEP to allow the project to move forward.
With environmental studies indicating that only one or two pine snakes were discovered on the site, Vanderziel questions the validity of the actual extent of the snake habitat found on the site.
"I've seen the (pine) snake all over this area (in Manchester)," he said. "I'm not sure if it's really that in danger."
The town further questions the DEP's handling of the Wal-Mart issue, citing the state agency's seemingly contradictory stance regarding environmental issues on the Heritage Mineral site in Manchester and the removal of contaminated soil for the construction of over 2,000 homes.
With the construction of an anticipated 2,500 homes on the Heritage Minerals site gaining the backing of the DEP, Township Business Administrator Connie Lauffer questioned the consistency of the state agency.
"There are 800,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil that needs to be addressed," Lauffer said of the ongoing progress at the Heritage Minerals site. "They (DEP) are taking what we think is a softer, easier (position) with this developer than they are taking with the Wal-Mart development. It's two sides of a similar coin."
"The mayor's position is the DEP has been inconsistent, that they are not behaving in a truly regulatory fashion and that they are tailoring regulations and their activities to the (Heritage Mineral site) owner," Lauffer explained.
With the pine snake situation proving to be a major stumbling block to the fate of the Wal- Mart plans, Lauffer offered a suggestion.
"There's 6,000 acres that the owner of Heritage is giving to the DEP for preservation purposes, so our thinking is why can't the snakes just be moved over there and allow this (Wal-Mart) project to move forward," said Township Administrator Connie Lauffer.
Lauffer and Fressola recently attended a meeting with DEP Commissioner Lisa Jackson to discuss the progress of the Wal-Mart plan, as well as the Heritage site.
"She listened. She said she appreciated the fact that we have these concerns, we told her what we'd like (the DEP) to do, and we will follow up with a letter and where it goes," said Lauffer.
Lauffer is confident that the revenue generated by the Wal-Mart superstore would have positive fiscal benefits for the community for years to come.
"It would be a wonderful asset to the community," Lauffer said.
| 
