Havens Cove project meeting hits new snag
BY PATRICIA A. MILLER
Staff Writer

BRICK TOWNSHIP - A public hearing on a controversial subdivision near Havens Cove Road has been postponed again.

The new date on the application by Danitom Development Inc. to put up 11 single-family homes is Feb. 28, said Planning Board Secretary Judith Fox-Nelson.

Developer Thomas Critelli originally wanted to build 15 homes on the 37.56-acre parcel, but scaled the number back after several board meetings.

Board Chairman Fred Underwood and board Vice Chairman Kevin Aiello both were unable to attend the Jan. 24 meeting. Nicholas Montenegro, Danitom's attorney, and Michelle Rosen, the attorney representing Save Barnegat Bay, which opposes the project, agreed to postpone the application until the full board was present, Fox-Nelson said.

Residents in the area contend that the area is too wet for development. They have said building the proposed homes would exacerbate existing flooding problems on the tract's wetlands and would damage the ecological balance.

Danitom wants to subdivide the property into 13 lots - 11 for 2.5-story, single-family homes and two lots that would be dedicated to the township for open space.

The application has been postponed five times since it was first presented to the Planning Board. The first three postponements were at the request of Save Barnegat Bay.

The application was scheduled again for Jan. 3. It was postponed again because of controversy over the new board appointments in the wake of former Mayor Joseph C. Scarpelli's sudden resignation. It was rescheduled to Jan. 24, then postponed again until the end of February.

The tract is owned by the Diocese of Trenton. The property has been on the township's open space wish list for years, but the diocese and township officials have never been able to agree on a price.