Planning Board names its new leaders

BY JOSH DAVIDSON
Staff Writer

ABERDEEN — The township Planning Board began the year with a new chairman and vice chairman.

The board made new appointments at its reorganization meeting on Jan. 7.

William Shenton was named to replace Wilhelmina Gumbs as planning board chairman. Gumbs was elected to her first seat on Township Council in November.

"It’s an honor," Shenton said.

As chair, Shenton will keep meetings organized and take testimony from applicants, he said.

The main issues for the board this year will be Mirror Lake and Horizons at Aberdeen Forge, he said.

The Mirror Lake application by Greenwood Holdings, LLC, Holmdel consists of 234 age-restricted senior housing units made up of 94 townhouses and 140 apartments in three-story buildings on Greenwood and Ticetown roads. Aberdeen Forge calls for the construction of 389 age-restricted townhouses and multifamily buildings on Route 516 and Wilson Avenue.

Shenton is unsure about the direction the board will take on the Aberdeen-Matawan train station, he said. At this point, the Township Council will guide the board on its role for that project, he said.

Aberdeen, which owns 60 acres of land at the train station, applied in March for $99 million in federal aid to begin a possible $750 million road improvement program for the train station’s surrounding area. The application was filed on behalf of the township and Matawan, which owns 40 acres of land there.

"The Township Council applied to the federal government and we hope to hear back by the middle of this year," said Mayor David Sobel. "(The federal funds) would be used to improve 11 intersections and roads feeding into the train station. The council won’t contemplate doing anything at the train station until we have those funds in hand. I think it would be irresponsible to do otherwise."

Newcomer Pedro Mirabal was appointed to fill the remaining two years of Gumbs’ seat as a board member.

Anthony Tomasello was re-appointed to a four-year board seat and was named vice chairman.

Tomasello said he felt great that the board chose him.

"I’m happy to serve the people of Aberdeen," Tomasello said.

Tomasello, a former township zoning board member, replaced former Planning Board Chair Mark Kaplan, who moved out of the township last year.

As vice chairman, he will fill Shenton’s role, when Shenton is absent.

In the immediate future, the board’s major action will involve Aberdeen Forge and Mirror Lake, Tomasello said.

"I look forward to working with our board again and I look forward to serving the people of Aberdeen," he said. "The board is made up of a real good bunch of people."

The board is mostly made up of longtime township residents, he said. Living in Aberdeen a long time gives its members the perspective and desire to care about what they are voting on and they want to take part in moving Aberdeen forward, he said.

Michael Leckstein remains as the board attorney. Maxine Rescorl remains as planning board secretary. Timothy Gillen, of CME Associates, Parlin, remains as engineer. The firm Coppola & Coppola, Princeton Junction, will stay on as township planner.

Councilman Vincent Vinci was re-appointed to a one-year term by the council as its board liaison, and Irwin Katz was appointed to his first, four-year term by the board.

The board passed a resolution at the meeting setting its attendance requirements. Any member who misses three consecutive meetings or four non-consecutive meetings during the year without a justifiable excuse will be removed from the board, according to the resolution.

The board’s next regular meeting is Jan. 21.