Monday, February 27, 2006
Halper Family Deserves Fair Price, Fair Treatment
Home News Tribune Online 02/27/06
Astate judge has ruled that Piscataway elected representatives must pay the Halper family the fair market value of their farm at the time it was taken in 2004. And a Middlesex County jury has determined the 2004 fair market value of the 75-acre farm to be $17.9 million. This amount, about $239,000 per acre — seems very low considering that in 2002 neighboring Edison Township purchased a 5-acre parcel of open space known as the Oak Tree Pond for $5.6 million — about $1 million per acre — and more than four times the Halper valuation.
The Halper valuation also seems low considering that in 2003, Union County purchased the 23-acre Terry-lou Zoo Farm in Scotch Plains for open space at $10 million — about $435,000 per acre — and nearly double the Halper valuation. And the 13-acre Esposito Farm in Clark was purchased for $5.45 million in 2003 — about $419,000 per acre.
Yet Piscataway elected representatives refuse to pay the Halpers the $18 million and say they will spend even more tax dollars to appeal the court order and valuation date. Nor will Piscataway officials negotiate with the Halpers for purchase of their development rights; which could save millions of tax dollars and preserve one of the state's last remaining horseback-riding academies and stables — and respect the property rights of the Halpers.
Purchasing a conservation easement from the Halpers would also prevent Piscataway officials from selling or swapping the farm for future development. Whereas the 1998 Open Space Agreement between Piscataway and Middlesex County (to purchase the farm) allows Piscataway to divert the Halper farm from public use for development purposes. And with Kelo vs. New London, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that a town can take your property and turn it over to a developer if it can make a profit on it.
Piscataway officials say they want to preserve open space — and curb traffic, sprawl, taxes, and prevent further school overcrowding. But while condemning the Halper property on the one hand, the past two Piscataway administrations have on the other hand encouraged new construction elsewhere — by granting aggressive zoning changes, variances, and demolition and tree-removal permits to developers of other large tracts — allowing important fragile wetlands, woodlands and historical resources to be destroyed, and more than 400 hundred new residences to be built.
And the Piscataway Township Council has recently spot-zoned several other large tracts to allow construction of hundreds more high-density residential units. These tracts include the Fairway Golf Center on Stelton Road, the Harris property on New Brunswick Road and Lakeview Avenue, the Geerlings site on Williams Street and North Randolphville Road, and the Rheometric site on Possumtown Road. In contrast, if the Halper property were developed, the zoning and environmental restrictions would allow only 150 or fewer homes on half-acre lots.
In addition, the Halpers have already contributed 25 acres of their farm to open space in Piscataway. These acres were taken from the family for the Ambrose-Doty's Brook County Park in 1975.
As if this isn't enough, Piscataway officials are now alleging groundwater contamination at the farm. But what's the evidence to support this? The groundwater at 200 feet could be contaminated throughout Piscataway — from years of settled pollutants from auto and industrial emissions; from decades of widespread use of synthetic lawn fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides throughout the town; and from contaminated road runoff. Couldn't the groundwater also be contaminated from the toxic waste sites here, including at Union Carbide, Georgia Pacific, the Chemsol site, and the Middlesex Sampling plant? And what about that mountain of dirt (rumored to be contaminated), that was used as fill along Centennial Avenue (near the farm) for construction of the Centennial Plaza Shopping Center?
The Halpers should be commended for their efforts to preserve their farm, which has been owned and worked by five generations of the family since 1922. We should be grateful they did not sell to the Realtor who offered them $21 million in the 1980s. The condemnation weakens our property rights and sets a dangerous precedent for open space. It is wrong and should be rescinded.
Ed Marsh is a resident of Piscataway.
Astate judge has ruled that Piscataway elected representatives must pay the Halper family the fair market value of their farm at the time it was taken in 2004. And a Middlesex County jury has determined the 2004 fair market value of the 75-acre farm to be $17.9 million. This amount, about $239,000 per acre — seems very low considering that in 2002 neighboring Edison Township purchased a 5-acre parcel of open space known as the Oak Tree Pond for $5.6 million — about $1 million per acre — and more than four times the Halper valuation.
The Halper valuation also seems low considering that in 2003, Union County purchased the 23-acre Terry-lou Zoo Farm in Scotch Plains for open space at $10 million — about $435,000 per acre — and nearly double the Halper valuation. And the 13-acre Esposito Farm in Clark was purchased for $5.45 million in 2003 — about $419,000 per acre.
Yet Piscataway elected representatives refuse to pay the Halpers the $18 million and say they will spend even more tax dollars to appeal the court order and valuation date. Nor will Piscataway officials negotiate with the Halpers for purchase of their development rights; which could save millions of tax dollars and preserve one of the state's last remaining horseback-riding academies and stables — and respect the property rights of the Halpers.
Purchasing a conservation easement from the Halpers would also prevent Piscataway officials from selling or swapping the farm for future development. Whereas the 1998 Open Space Agreement between Piscataway and Middlesex County (to purchase the farm) allows Piscataway to divert the Halper farm from public use for development purposes. And with Kelo vs. New London, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that a town can take your property and turn it over to a developer if it can make a profit on it.
Piscataway officials say they want to preserve open space — and curb traffic, sprawl, taxes, and prevent further school overcrowding. But while condemning the Halper property on the one hand, the past two Piscataway administrations have on the other hand encouraged new construction elsewhere — by granting aggressive zoning changes, variances, and demolition and tree-removal permits to developers of other large tracts — allowing important fragile wetlands, woodlands and historical resources to be destroyed, and more than 400 hundred new residences to be built.
And the Piscataway Township Council has recently spot-zoned several other large tracts to allow construction of hundreds more high-density residential units. These tracts include the Fairway Golf Center on Stelton Road, the Harris property on New Brunswick Road and Lakeview Avenue, the Geerlings site on Williams Street and North Randolphville Road, and the Rheometric site on Possumtown Road. In contrast, if the Halper property were developed, the zoning and environmental restrictions would allow only 150 or fewer homes on half-acre lots.
In addition, the Halpers have already contributed 25 acres of their farm to open space in Piscataway. These acres were taken from the family for the Ambrose-Doty's Brook County Park in 1975.
As if this isn't enough, Piscataway officials are now alleging groundwater contamination at the farm. But what's the evidence to support this? The groundwater at 200 feet could be contaminated throughout Piscataway — from years of settled pollutants from auto and industrial emissions; from decades of widespread use of synthetic lawn fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides throughout the town; and from contaminated road runoff. Couldn't the groundwater also be contaminated from the toxic waste sites here, including at Union Carbide, Georgia Pacific, the Chemsol site, and the Middlesex Sampling plant? And what about that mountain of dirt (rumored to be contaminated), that was used as fill along Centennial Avenue (near the farm) for construction of the Centennial Plaza Shopping Center?
The Halpers should be commended for their efforts to preserve their farm, which has been owned and worked by five generations of the family since 1922. We should be grateful they did not sell to the Realtor who offered them $21 million in the 1980s. The condemnation weakens our property rights and sets a dangerous precedent for open space. It is wrong and should be rescinded.
Ed Marsh is a resident of Piscataway.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
How much must we pay for Halper farm debacle?
Home News Tribune Online 02/23/06
It was amazing how during the fall elections the Democrats flaunted how much of our tax dollars they were saving us in Middlesex County. They wasted no time in raising the tax levy after they won. The election is over, and they still are trying to pull the wool over taxpayers' eyes.
The county's open-space fund is a tax no matter how you slice it, and we are all going to pay for it — in addition to the tax levy.
The Halper family does not want to sell its farm in Piscataway; they are willing to sell their development rights, provided they can stay on their land, and they will settle for a lot less than what Piscataway is offering to buy the land. They have presented that as a viable alternative to Piscataway Mayor Brian Wahler.
But Wahler adamantly refuses to consider any alternatives. Nothing will stop him, no matter how much it costs all of us.
In 36 years, no one could find the money in Piscataway to fix a faulty sound system that made it difficult for Township Council audiences to hear the responses of their elected officials, but the county freeholders have found millions for a hostile takeover of a farm.
If Piscataway didn't have the money for needed upgrades, why couldn't the freeholders have found the money for repairs? Renovations could have been made to the council chambers and then paid back, using the county money as a short-term loan.
That's pretty much what our freeholders are doing with the open-space fund. Piscataway doesn't have the money to buy the Halper farm, so the freeholders are giving it the money to take it. The only difference is, instead of Piscataway paying back the money, the residents of Middlesex County will be saddled with replenishing the open-space fund.
Piscataway officials were surprised when a judge ruled that $18 million is the going rate for purchase of the Halper property. Wahler now needs his father-in-law, Freeholder Director David Crabiel, to bail him out to save face.
Could it be there were more books about Niccolo Machiavelli in Piscataway than anywhere else in Middlesex County?
Joe Sinagra
It was amazing how during the fall elections the Democrats flaunted how much of our tax dollars they were saving us in Middlesex County. They wasted no time in raising the tax levy after they won. The election is over, and they still are trying to pull the wool over taxpayers' eyes.
The county's open-space fund is a tax no matter how you slice it, and we are all going to pay for it — in addition to the tax levy.
The Halper family does not want to sell its farm in Piscataway; they are willing to sell their development rights, provided they can stay on their land, and they will settle for a lot less than what Piscataway is offering to buy the land. They have presented that as a viable alternative to Piscataway Mayor Brian Wahler.
But Wahler adamantly refuses to consider any alternatives. Nothing will stop him, no matter how much it costs all of us.
In 36 years, no one could find the money in Piscataway to fix a faulty sound system that made it difficult for Township Council audiences to hear the responses of their elected officials, but the county freeholders have found millions for a hostile takeover of a farm.
If Piscataway didn't have the money for needed upgrades, why couldn't the freeholders have found the money for repairs? Renovations could have been made to the council chambers and then paid back, using the county money as a short-term loan.
That's pretty much what our freeholders are doing with the open-space fund. Piscataway doesn't have the money to buy the Halper farm, so the freeholders are giving it the money to take it. The only difference is, instead of Piscataway paying back the money, the residents of Middlesex County will be saddled with replenishing the open-space fund.
Piscataway officials were surprised when a judge ruled that $18 million is the going rate for purchase of the Halper property. Wahler now needs his father-in-law, Freeholder Director David Crabiel, to bail him out to save face.
Could it be there were more books about Niccolo Machiavelli in Piscataway than anywhere else in Middlesex County?
Joe Sinagra
Feathering The Nest in Piscataway
Home News Tribune Online 02/23/06
Conditions have gone from bad to worse in Piscataway. First, the courts ruled that our township owes the Halper family almost $18 million to complete the condemnation and seizure of their farm. Legal fees, relocation fees and grounds cleanup will push the expense well into the tens of millions.
The reason for the seizure, according to Mayor Brian Wahler and his fellow Democrats on the Township Council, is to protect open space. But a funny thing happened last month — the mayor and council approved not one, not two, but three new housing projects under the direction of Democratic Party donor Jack Morris. It seems overcrowding is only a concern if you don't donate to the right political party.
But don't fret for our mayor and council, they've taken care of themselves. Most residents probably have noticed their property taxes increased significantly on their new tax bills. The mayor and council increased our municipal tax by 11 percent (nearly four times the rate of inflation) this year alone, in part to give themselves raises for the great work they've done!
Joe Schilp
Conditions have gone from bad to worse in Piscataway. First, the courts ruled that our township owes the Halper family almost $18 million to complete the condemnation and seizure of their farm. Legal fees, relocation fees and grounds cleanup will push the expense well into the tens of millions.
The reason for the seizure, according to Mayor Brian Wahler and his fellow Democrats on the Township Council, is to protect open space. But a funny thing happened last month — the mayor and council approved not one, not two, but three new housing projects under the direction of Democratic Party donor Jack Morris. It seems overcrowding is only a concern if you don't donate to the right political party.
But don't fret for our mayor and council, they've taken care of themselves. Most residents probably have noticed their property taxes increased significantly on their new tax bills. The mayor and council increased our municipal tax by 11 percent (nearly four times the rate of inflation) this year alone, in part to give themselves raises for the great work they've done!
Joe Schilp
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Tom Kean, Jr @ PRO Regular Meeting
Tom Kean Jr. attending our last regular PRO meeting as a special guest. We wish him the best in his senate campaign.
Full photo gallery of the evening.
Full photo gallery of the evening.
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Quote of the Month
But there are advantages to being elected President. The day after I was elected, I had my high school grades classified Top Secret. - Ronald Reagan
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Primary Election Poll Workers Needed!
Deb Hopkins, PRO Poll Worker Coordinator, is currently recruiting Poll Workers for the Primary Election on June 6th. She is especially in need of Spanish speaking poll clerks. It pays $200.00 for the day. The hours are 5:15 am - 8:15 pm with a one hour break. Visit out poll worker page for more information.
Friday, February 03, 2006
Will we ever stop paying for farm?
Middlesex County taxpayers will soon be assessed a new political tax, thanks to the Democrat Party's gross mishandling of the Halper farm case. On Jan. 26, a jury said the Halper family is owed $18 million for its Piscataway farm — that's about five times as much as was originally predicted the property would cost.
Several years ago, the politicians told us they could get the farm for a mere $4 million. They miscalculated, badly.
Full story
Several years ago, the politicians told us they could get the farm for a mere $4 million. They miscalculated, badly.
Full story
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