The BERKELEY Times Vol. 31 - No. 40
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
JERSEYSHOREONLINE.COM
Seaside Park Council To Vote On Annexing Berkeley Land
Veterans Helped At Fundraising Train Show
In This Week’s Edition
BREAKING NEWS @
jerseyshoreonline.com
Letters Page 6
Community News Pages 8-11
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 14
Inside The Law Page 17
Photo by Mark Bator Ocean County Society of Model Railroaders club members Jim Sanderson (left), and club president Ted Bertiger. By Mark Bator JERSEY SHORE The history of model trains may go back to the latter part of the Nineteenth Century, but the link between one Ocean County or-
ganization’s charitable efforts towards Monmouth County veterans is closing in on almost a full decade. For years, the Ocean C ou nt y So ciet y of Model R ai l roa de r s
(OCSMR) has generously volunteered their time, efforts, and finances towards supporting local veterans in nearby Manalapan by participating in their annual train show. Organized
by the Manalapan Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee (MVAAC), the event takes place at the township’s Community Center on Route 33 each year. (Train - See Page 4)
Traffic Light, Electronic Signs Planned
By Chris Lundy BERKELEY – Some digital signage and a new traffic light is expected to be seen in the future as you drive around Bayville. The intersection of Veeder Lane, Mill Creek Road, and Ocean Gate Drive can be a tricky one, as anyone who frequents the area will tell you. There’s the entrance to Berkeley Shores, the borough
of Ocean Gate, and more in the high-traffic area. The H&M Potter School and the ShopRite are nearby, as well as multi-family housing. All three of these roads are county roads, so the Township Council executed an agreement with the county to install a traffic signal there. The Township Council also recently author ized
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competitive contracting for digital signs. Mayor John Bacchione said the State Department of Transportation approved the locations. One will be run by the township, and it will be at Veterans Park, Business Administrator Jay Delaney said. The other three will be on Route 9: Block 824, Lot 1.04, (northbound Route 9); Block
824, Lot 1.05, (northbound Route 9); Block 939, Lot 4, (southbound Route 9). Financial News The council also authorized the township engineer to apply for a grant on behalf of the Berkeley Historical Society. They will be submitting a Community Development (Traffic - See Page 5)
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By Chris Lundy BERKELEY – The Seaside Park Council will vote on whether to annex a neighboring portion on Berkeley Township on Monday, March 30. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the Borough Council meeting room at Sixth & Central Avenues. Expecting a large crowd, the borough will post instructions at seasideparknj. org/ on how to watch the meeting from home. For many years, a group of South Seaside Park residents have been trying to leave Berkeley. They feel that since they live in the area between Seaside Park and Island Beach State Park, that they have more in common with that area. Plus, they have said that a majority of Berkeley’s resources go toward the mainland residents. The courts ultimately decided that SSP has a right to leave, and allowed them to petition their neighbor to take them in. Seaside Park hired Government Strategy Group to create an impact study. This group also held a meeting to elicit feedback from residents. Two-thirds of the Borough Council members would have to agree to the annexation, said Jean Cipriani, the spe-
cial legal counsel retained by the borough. The vote is expected at the council meeting. At 7 p.m., the workshop meeting begins, which is when officials discuss the issues they are going to vote on. It is immediately followed by the regular meeting. All of this is open to the public. According to estimated tax bills provided by Government Strategy Group, the average homeowner in Seaside Park would see a decrease in the amount of 8-9% if South Seaside Park was annexed. There are many caveats with this figure, however. The impact study is 293 pages. A quote from this document was picked up by The Asbury Park Press and then shared by NJ.com: “If annexation proceeds, Seaside Park residents may see an average tax decrease of 40 -51% depending on property class, while South Seaside Park residents would see similar reductions. However, this outcome assumes $8.98M in debt assumption (recommended scenario), $670K i n one -t i me transition costs, and hiring 13 new employees over 12-18 months, and is impacted by (Land - See Page 5)
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