The BERKELEY Times Vol. 30 - No. 32
In This Week’s Edition
JERSEYSHOREONLINE.COM
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
Condos Canceled; Woods To Stay As Woods
BREAKING NEWS @
Government Page 7
Community News Pages 8-11
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 12
Inside The Law Page 14
Council Wants More VA Workers
Photos by Chris Lundy This was the proposed layout for the development in 2021. Louis Avenue is at the bottom of the map. Ocean Gate Turnpike goes by on the bottom right.
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Today, the land where condos were proposed is quiet and serene. By Chris Lundy BERKELEY – If you walk down Louis Avenue today, you won’t see much but trees and won’t hear much except for some rustling in the underbrush and the distant drone of Route 9. And for now, that’s how it’s going to stay. A small condo complex has been stopped, as the application to build this development has been pulled. According to plans first reported in The Berkeley Times in 2021, “Dream Homes at the
Pines” was mapped out on 2.3 acres between Louis Avenue and Ocean Gate Turnpike. Two, three-story buildings would contain 17 homes. The development would have essentially wrapped around a single family home that is currently at the intersection of Louis and Ocean Gate Drive. A December 26, 2024 letter from Salvatore Alfieri, the attorney representing the developer, to the Berkeley Planning Board said “my client does not intend to proceed at this time and
February 1, 2025
therefore, I respectfully request that my client’s application be withdrawn without prejudice.” This doesn’t mean that the property won’t be developed in the future. It means that this particular plan is dead. The township zoned this property for multi-family homes years ago. Still, local residents and environmentalists are celebrating. “While there is still work to be done, today is a win worth celebrating thanks to the com(Condos - See Page 4)
By Chris Lundy BERKELEY – The Township Council passed a resolution asking for President Trump’s hiring freeze to skip Veterans Administration employees. Councilman James Byrnes said that he visited the VA clinic in Toms River and saw that it was understaffed. An official there told him it had to do with the federal hiring freeze that Trump declared on his first day in office. Byrnes said he was skeptical of this reasoning, because Trump only recently took office; it takes more than a week to become understaffed like this. The Toms River clinic opened last year, replacing the one in Brick which was too small for the large number of veterans in Ocean County. The Township Council’s resolution asked the president to exempt the VA from the hiring freeze. The hiring freeze, posted January 20 on the White House website, stops the hiring of all civilian employees throughout the executive branch. It does not apply to military personnel or positions related to immigration enforcement, national security or public safety. The language states that Social Security, Medicare, and veterans benefits will not be affected, but critics have stated that this is unclear. Within 90 days of January 20, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in consultation with the Director of (VA Workers - See Page 5)
County Leadership Joined By New Commissioners
Photo courtesy Ocean County Commissioner Robert Arace is sworn in by Manchester Business Administrator (and former Ocean County Clerk) Carl Block as his wife Deanna holds the Bible.
VETERAN &
FIRST RESPONDER
DISCOUNTS OFFERED
By Stephanie Faughnan TOMS RIVER - Ocean County Deputy Commissioner Director Frank Sadeghi led the board for a second time at its January 15 meeting, stepping in for Director Jack Kelly. Clerk of the Board Michelle I. Gunther announced Kelly’s absence was due to personal reasons. This is Sadeghi’s second year as a commissioner, albeit his first elected position. Director Jack Kelly and
Commissioner Virginia “Ginny” Haines are seasoned members of the board. All five members, including newly elected Commissioners Robert Arace and Jennifer Bacchione, are Republicans. Sadeghi was somewhat reserved at public meetings during his first year, although he became a familiar face at various events throughout the county in 2024. At the board’s most recent (Leadership - See Page 4)
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Photo by Stephanie Faughnan Former Berkeley Township Board of Education President Jennifer Bacchione (Left) joined the Ocean County Commissioners this year.
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