@DevinLoring

MANALAPAN – Real estate developer Vito Cardinale said he has a vision for the future of living in New Jersey, and it doesn't involve a backyard or a white picket fence.

A tract of 123 acres of farmland in Manalapan at the corner of Route 33 and Millhurst Road is perfect for his vision, bringing a downtown to the middle of suburban sprawl. Apartments above stores and restaurants, a brain research facility and even an amphitheater that doubles as a skating rink in the winter is what he sees, likening it to Pier Village in Long Branch.

"You can come down (from your apartment) and walk to the dry cleaner, walk to cafes. ... They want that life," said Cardinale of Cardinale Enterprises.

"They" in this case refers the community's targets of millennials – people from ages of 20 to 35 who don't have children – or empty nesters who are looking for more convenience as they get older.

The development, Manalapan Crossing, has proposed 900 residential apartments, 20 restaurants, approximately 30 retail locations and 100 additional residences that would meet Manalapan's affordable housing requirement, Cardinale said.

But don't start sweating, the project has yet to be formally introduced, let alone approved by township officials.

Presenting the idea

Cardinale presented his plan during an informal "town hall meeting" April 8 to gauge reactions residents and Township Committee members.

"It was their (Cardinale Enterprises) first opportunity to come before the (town hall) committee and say what they'd like to do," said Manalapan mayor Jack McNaboe.

The mayor said reactions were mixed.

"Parts of the project are terrific, but parts I think everyone has a little trouble with," he said.

The main concern seemed to be the residential component. "As it (The Manalapan Crossing) sits right now, it's probably too much, but I can't speak for my other colleagues," McNaboe said. "It seems like a whole lot but leaves some negotiating room, and that's where we are."

McNaboe said next steps for the developer include applying to have the land rezoned. Currently, the location is zoned for 500,000 square feet of retail space. It is not zoned for any residential apartments, but Cardinale said the amount of retail space proposed for his project would be around 500,000 square feet.

McNaboe said its uncertain how long potentially rezoning the land to include a residential component would take. It could take months or longer, if the town even decides to move forward with the project.

Cardinale said he's being proactive, and is taking his presentation on the road. "It's nice the town did that (the town hall meeting). They've been very cooperative," Cardinale said.

He said he's now taking his idea to the land's neighboring 55-and-over communities to get their feedback. He called the process a "give and take."

Amphitheater, restaurants

An open-air amphitheater acts as a central point to the development. In the winter, it would convert to an ice-skating rink. Restaurants, each with their own international flair, would encircle the amphitheater. Residential units would be located above the restaurants.

The roadways inside this area of the development would not be suitable for heavy traffic, Cardinale said, so a golf cart system would allow for transportation.

Cardinale said he foresees the golf cart system to run like a taxi service. Available with a phone call, club golf carts could pick people up and take them out to restaurants. He also has considered getting approval from the Department of Transportation and the county to allow neighboring communities to drive their personal golf carts into the Manalapan Crossing.

Buildings set back from the center of the development would include a brain research facility that would contribute to the curing of neurological diseases, specifically multiple sclerosis. Cardinale said he's very involved in support the fight to cure MS, having recently lost his wife to the disease.

"There is limited research being done on the brain," he said. "This is not only about the development. There's something more going on here."

The living quarters above the brain research facility would be reserved for MS or neurological disease patients, who would be able to donate their brains to the facility after their passing. "All of us, as we age, we'd appreciate and welcome that (facility) to this area," McNaboe said.

In addition to the brain research facility, a separate wellness center would be committed to helping and housing wounded warriors.

Cardinale said the apartments above the brain research facility and wellness center would fulfill Manalapan's affordable housing requirements. McNaboe said one in six homes in Manalapan must be affordable.

"I'm converting a farm field and building housing up, rather than taking down 123 acres of trees," Cardinale said. "Manalapan will have a downtown. It doesn't have one now."

Additional features include a design center and executive offices, a supermarket, an arts and exhibition center, a hotel and banquet hall, solar energy and changes to Route 33.

Adjustments to the U-turn, stoplights and lanes would be privately funded at about $10 million, Cardinale said. A bus stop creating public access to the New Jersey Turnpike and New York City, and additional commuter parking would also be installed.

Jackson, Barnegat developments

Cardinale Enterprises' track record includes the Jackson Crossing retail facility at 21 South Hope Road in Jackson and Barnegat Crossing – also a combination retail and residential project – that is currently under construction.

The entire Manalapan Crossing project would be privately funded, and valued at about $250 million, Cardinale said, with the community funding the brain research facility.

Cardinale said he has not considered any Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) programs.

He anticipates the development will create approximately 1,151 permanent jobs, $5,452,950 in annual tax revenue, and a revenue surplus of $3,540,470.

Additionally, a private report indicated only 67 children would be added to the school district, which has been dropping in enrollment.

"This is smart growth, that's the future," Cardinale said. "We'd like to break ground as quickly as possible."

"We're actually putting a commission together with a mix of residents and professionals to actually get all these ideas and sort through them," McNaboe said. "Some ideas are great, some won't be allowed and then we'll move from there. ... This would be the biggest project to ever hit Manalapan, but it's far, far, from being (approved)."

Have you seen a construction project in Monmouth or Ocean counties and wanted to know what was going there? Contact staff writer Devin Loring at 732-643-4035 or dloring@gannettnj.com, and she will look into it for a future column. For previous stories, visit www.app.com/whatsthere.

MANALAPAN CROSSING BY THE NUMBERS

Number of apartments: 900

Number of restaurants: 20

Number of retail locations: 30

Permanent job creation: 1,151

Annual tax revenue: $5,452,950

Annual revenue surplus: $3,540,470

Source: Cardinale Enterprises

MANALAPAN – The Manalapan Planning Board has granted final approval to developer Vito Cardinale and signed off on his plan to build the Manalapan Crossing project at Route 33 and Millhurst Road.

Board members voted 6-3 during a meeting on Sept. 12 to grant final major subdivision and site plan approval for the mixed use commercial and residential project.

Voting “yes” on a motion to grant final approval were board members John Castronovo, David Kane, Alan Ginsberg, Barry Fisher, Township Committeeman Barry Jacobson and Deputy Mayor Jack McNaboe.

Voting “no” on the motion were the board’s chairwoman, Kathryn Kwaak, the board’s vice chairman, Todd Brown, and Daria D’Agostino. The three board members expressed concern over the architecture of the proposed buildings.

Cardinale and Associates, LLC, has proposed developing Manalapan Crossing with a 280-home Four Seasons at Manalapan Crossing 55-and-over community, retail space, medical office space, a bank, a convenience store with a gas station, and 58 non-age restricted one-bedroom apartments designated as affordable housing and/or housing for individuals who have special needs.

Attorney Salvatore Alfieri represents the applicant. He opened the evening’s proceedings by reporting that the state Department of Transportation (DOT) has approved the creation of a third travel lane on Route 33 from Millhurst Road to Crossing Lane, which will be one of the entrances to Manalapan Crossing.

During previous hearings on the application, Planning Board members asked the developer to provide a third lane on the highway between Millhurst Road and Crossing Lane.

Alfieri said the DOT has also approved a waiver that will allow Cardinale to construct a traffic signal on Route 33, about 1,600 feet west of Millhurst Road. The new traffic signal will allow motorists heading east on Route 33 to turn left into Manalapan Crossing and motorists exiting Manalapan Crossing to turn left onto Route 33 east.

The attorney said up to 24 of the 58 affordable housing units at Manalapan Crossing would be homes for people who have special needs, possibly disabled veterans or individuals who have multiple sclerosis. Alfieri said there would be employment opportunities at the development’s business for the residents of the affordable housing.

Alfieri identified Amboy Bank as a commercial tenant. He said no other tenants could be publicly identified at this time.

McNaboe asked if the tenants would include a supermarket, saying, “The only thing we have ever asked for is some type of food” at Manalapan Crossing.

“Mr. Cardinale knows that,” Alfieri told the deputy mayor.

Ian Borden, a licensed planner, was the first witness called by Alfieri. Borden said no substantive changes have been made to the plan since the board granted preliminary approval in January.

Borden said bicycle racks and benches would be provided at Manalapan Crossing, a missing piece of sidewalk near one building would be constructed and bollards to provide pedestrian safety would be installed at several locations.

Borden clarified several points regarding refuse collection, he said fire hydrants would be relocated to conform to the wishes of the fire bureau and he confirmed that the conversion of garage space space to living space would be prohibited in the Manalapan Crossing adult community.

Nicholas Verderese, a senior principal/founder of Dynamic Traffic, reviewed the improvements the developer will make at the intersection of Route 33 and Millhurst Road (additional lanes), at the intersection of Route 33 and Sweetmans Lane (additional lanes) and to a jughandle that leads from Route 33 west to Millhurst Road (shifting the jughandle to accommodate additional vehicles).

He confirmed a traffic signal would be constructed at the intersection of Millhurst Road and Whitlock Court. The new signalized intersection will be another access point for Manalapan Crossing.

Verderese reviewed the plan for the construction of the traffic light at Route 33 and Crossing Lane and told board members that U turns would not be permitted at that location.

“Traffic is a major aspect of this application and Monmouth County and the state have been receptive to what has been proposed thus far,” said Brian Boccanfuso, the board’s engineer.

David Fisher, vice president of governmental affairs for K. Hovnanian, reviewed final plans for the 280-home adult community. He said the 7,100-square-foot clubhouse would include numerous amenities for residents of the adult community.

After Fisher initially proposed constructing the clubhouse in stages, it was agreed the entire clubhouse would be constructed as one project. Amenities will include an outdoor pool and a covered patio.

When the meeting was opened to public comment, residents George Berger and Tamar Gens asked about items including tree removal, construction access, vehicle movement in the project area and a proposed detention basin, but they did not object to the proposed development.

A motion was made to grant Manalapan Crossing final approval and a roll call produced the 6-3 vote that marked the end of the application process and gave Cardinale the final nod to move forward with a plan that has been on the table in one form or another for almost two decades.

Only four months after receiving an anterior hip replacement, Arabella D., 23, of Middlesex County, climbed and reached the summit of multiple Icelandic peaks – a feat which previously was impossible for her.

Arabella’s surgeon, Bert Parcells, MD, describes her progress as “a remarkable transformation for someone who struggled to walk only a few blocks just months earlier.” Arabella suffered a severe hip fracture when she was 12 years old. To stabilize her injury, her hip was pinned emergently the very next day. Though this procedure was necessary, over the next 10 years Arabella experienced progressive arthritic changes as a direct result. She maintained an active lifestyle despite her injury; however, she was greatly limited by the pain she experienced on a daily basis.

In November 2018, she decided she was ready to break through her disability. After undergoing anterior hip replacement with Dr. Parcells, in less than four months, Arabella felt strong enough to travel to Iceland. She climbed mountains and reached the summit of many peaks and promontories, such as Dyrhólaey.

Arabella even got engaged to her boyfriend during the same trip.

When asked why she wanted to hike Iceland’s rugged terrain, Arabella said, “I see my trip to Iceland as a test of my will, my recovery and my determination. Before the surgery, I couldn’t sit without being uncomfortable. I couldn’t drive and couldn’t hike. Before the surgery, I would have said no I wouldn’t have been able to do this. Once I had the surgery, I felt like I could do anything.”

Dr. Parcells, of Seaview Orthopaedic and Medical Associates, is one of the busiest anterior hip replacement surgeons at both Monmouth Medical Center and Ocean Medical Center. He performs more than 95% of his hip replacements through the anterior approach because of the excellent outcomes. Medical studies have shown that the anterior approach allows for a faster recovery and decreased pain medication requirements.

According to Dr. Parcells, “Anterior hip replacement allows for improved recovery because it is minimally invasive, meaning surgeons are able to reach the arthritic hip using the natural planes between muscles, as opposed to the traditional approach which splits and cuts muscles.”

Arabella acknowledged it is rare for a 23-year-old to have had a hip replacement. She thanked Dr. Parcells for understanding that her quality of life was suffering and for providing the best option with the best possible outcome.

Seaview Orthopaedic & Medical Associates provides compassionate musculoskeletal care in Monmouth, Middlesex and Ocean counties. Seaview offers a full suite of orthopedic specialties including joint replacement, sports medicine, pain management and pediatric orthopaedics.

This month, Seaview will open a new office location in Holmdel.

SOUTH BRUNSWICK – Now in its sixth year of operation, Bentley Community Services (BCS) has been helping families in financial crisis regain self-sufficiency by providing a full range of high quality grocery provisions and more each week, supplementing income and offsetting grocery bills.

BCS is an alternative food bank/pantry, specifically addressing the needs of families, individuals and seniors who, though perhaps employed, do not receive traditional assistances and are challenged making ends meet.

BCS has distributed more than 1.36 million pounds to date, according to Executive Director Dorothy Stearns-Holmes. As the main grocer, Bentley creates access to healthy foods, facilitating healthy diets and nutrition so families benefit weekly from full shopping carts, feeding their families healthy and nutritious foods from the major food groups and more.

The crucial monies that families save are applied toward paying their monthly bills and expenses, reducing debt, medical bills or making needed repairs as these families work toward financial stability and security, according to the statement.

Bentley also offers educational and informational workshops throughout the year facilitated by professionals.

BCS operated for two years and then outgrew its origins in Belle Mead, and is now located at 4064 Route 1 north in the Monmouth Junction section of South Brunswick, where it serves clientele families that come from the entire Central New Jersey region.

Donations of perishable, non-perishable foods and toiletries are accepted throughout the year. Or, visit the website and donate via PayPal, or mail a donation by check to Bentley Community Services, P.O. Box 1093, Belle Mead 08502.

There are also volunteer opportunities available.

For more information or to inquire about eligibility, call 908-227-0684 or visit www.bentleycommunityservices.org or Facebook.

The hearing on the application is now scheduled for July 15.

OLD BRIDGE – Fountains at Old Bridge LLC is returning to the township zoning board for final major site plan approval to construct 58 age-restricted residential units near Route 34.

The project would be constructed on 6.46 acres in the township's R-20 Residential Zoning District at 3 Old Mill Road and 90 Spring Mill Road. The site is bounded by Old Mill Road and Route 34 to the north, Spring Hill Road to the west, and residential and commercial uses to the south and east.

The age-restricted units would be constructed in two, two-story townhouse buildings each consisting of 29 residential units, along with associated site improvements, which may include a clubhouse and pool area with related amenities, associated internal driveways, parking areas, stormwater management improvements, open space, lighting, landscaping, and other site improvements typical for a project of this size and scope.

Fountains at Old Bridge also is seeking a variance to permit a sign area of 40 square feet, where 20 square feet is permitted.

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Fountains at Old Bridge previously obtained use variance approval, which was memorialized by the board's resolution adopted Feb. 21, 2019. They also received preliminary major site plan approval, which was memorialized by the board's resolution adopted Oct.15.

The virtual hearing on the final portion of the bifurcated development application is scheduled to be held at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The property is generally wooded and unimproved, with building remnants on the site. Fountains plans to raze existing structures.

The project will be known as "Hanley Orchards at Old Bridge" and the proposed boulevard entrance to the project is anticipated to be known as "Hanley Farm Road" or a similar name with the "Hanley" family name incorporated.

A copy of the application and supporting documentation may be obtained by contacting Board Secretary Kim Silverman in the township's Community Development Department, 1 Old Bridge Plaza, at 732-721-5600, ext. 2355, or emailing ksilverman@oldbridge.com. The information may also be viewed at oldbridge.com/zoningboard.

Application materials also are available for review through applicant's attorney, Steven P. Gouin, by calling 732-741-3900 or emailing sgouin@ghclaw.com.

Information about accessing the meeting is available at bit.ly/34GOTE0.

Email: sloyer@gannettnj.com

Susan Loyer covers Middlesex County and more for MyCentralJersey.com. To get unlimited access to her work, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is Carl Phillips again, out at the Wilmuth farm, Grover’s Mill, New Jersey. Professor Pierson and myself made the 11 miles from Princeton in 10 minutes. Well, I—I hardly know where to begin to paint for you a word picture of the strange scene before my eyes, like something out of a modern Arabian Nights.”

“Well, I just got here. I haven’t had a chance to look around yet. I guess that’s it. Yes, I guess—that’s the thing, directly in front of me, half buried in a vast pit. Must have struck with terrific force. The ground is covered with splinters of a tree it must have struck on its way down. What I can see of the object itself doesn’t look very much like a meteor, at least not the meteors I have seen. It looks more like a huge cylinder.”

The words above were broadcast on the evening of October 30, 1938, as part of a radio drama adaptation of the H.G. Wells classic The War of the Worlds. The performance, presented by actor and filmmaker Orson Welles, consisted of simulated news bulletins reporting on the crash landing and subsequent invasion of Earth by Martians.

In an era before news and information could be quickly and easily verified, and in a country tense during the buildup to World War II, some listeners believed the fictional broadcast was of a real event. Although many stories of widespread panic and chaos have been debunked over the years, the broadcast did resonate with many Americans and some were legitimately afraid. The program was accused of being deceptive, leading to calls for stricter regulations to prevent similar scares from occurring in the future.

In 1988, the unincorporated community of Grover’s Mill—the very real town featured as the landing site of the very fictional Martian invasion—erected an eight-foot-high bronze monument to this unique event in broadcasting history. Inscribed with a description of the evening and a rendering of the alien craft from the story, the monument stands in a quiet location near a pond.

Know Before You Go

The monument is located in a field in Van Nest Park, on the south side of Cranbury Road just east of Clarksville Road. Interpretive signs in the park also tell the story of the broadcast.

hoaxes and pseudoscience radio science fiction aliens monuments

Community Contributors

The body recovered Sunday afternoon in a wooded area of Middlesex County was that of missing New Jersey woman Stephanie Parze, the Monmouth County prosecutor's office announced Monday, adding in a press conference that they have concluded that Parze's now-deceased ex-boyfriend was responsible for her death.

Parze's body was found off Route 9, south of Old Mill Road in Old Bridge, the county prosecutor's office said. It was one of the areas where volunteers searched for the 25-year-old. The county's medical examiner performed an autopsy Monday morning and confirmed the identity, prosecutors said.

Law enforcement sources told NBC New York the body was fairly decomposed, and that tattoos and dental records would be used to make the identification.

The manner and cause of death will be determined by the medical examiner's office.

In a press conference Monday, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni, who was joined by Parze's parents, said that at the time of Parze's disappearance the department launched what essentially were two different investigations: "one a missing person's investigation and the other, while not announced publicly at the time, a homicide investigation." He went on to say that Parze's parents knew about the investigations.

Gramiccioni said that during the investigation "over 50 search warrants" were executed "in 10 different locations across the region" and "canvassed hundreds of acres of land in Monmouth, Middlesex and Ocean counties as well as in Staten Island all in the search for Stephanie Parze, based on evidence we have gathered during our investigation."

1:56

Sources: Body of Missing Woman Possibly Found in NJ

Parze vanished the night before Halloween last year, after dropping her parents off at their house following a family night out.

Her car was still in the driveway, along with her phone, at her home in Freehold Township, roughly 25 minutes from where the body was found in Old Bridge.

In late November, John Ozbilgen, Parze's ex-boyfriend, was found dead by suicide in his home days after he was released from jail in an unrelated child pornography case. Monmouth County prosecutors also had just classified him as a person of interest in her disappearance.

Ozbilgen's residence was searched five times during the investigation, Grammiccioni revealed during the press conference.

"Today we announce that the now-deceased John Ozbilgen was responsible for the homicide of Stephanie Parze," Gramicioni said. "This is a finding we had suspected since early November but was only recently confirmed with further analysis of evidence that we have ceased during our investigation. The finding was confirmed, as well, soon after John Ozbilgen committed suicide."

Prosecutors said that after his suicide a number of items recovered from his home, including a note he left for his parents that apparently stated he had enough and couldn't do life in prison. The note also told his parents that what they would hear in the news was true, except for the accusation of child pornography. Ozbilgen also wrote that he had "dug himself a deep hole" and that "this was the only choice," the prosecutor added.

The note, according to prosecutors, did not disclose the location of Parze's remains. Gramiccioni said Monday the note confirmed the findings of investigators who had "accumulated a great deal of evidence that indicated he was responsible for her killing" and were working toward charging him.

"His suicide obviously cut that short," Gramiccioni said.

The search for Parze took investigators from the Monmouth County prosecutor’s office to Long Pond Park in Staten Island, only a few miles from where Ozbilgen used to live.

During their relationship, Parze accused Ozbilgen of abuse, filing a complaint for assault back in September.

Middlesex County Acting Prosecutor Christopher L.C. Kuberiet, who was also at the press conference, revealed that around 2:46 p.m., authorities received a phone call from two teens in Old Bridge walking along Route 9 to report the body.

Parze's father, who had been incredibly vocal on social media in the search for his missing daughter, thanked all who helped the family search for Parze.

“This is an extremely somber day for us. Our lives are never going to be the same," Ed Parze said, choking back tears. "Stephanie is home — she’s coming home, at last, where she belongs.”

"The community came together so much — from the donations, the food, running events, and so forth — it was just out of control," he went on to say. "We thank you all for that because without that we could have never gone through this."

He also thanked the two individuals who found Parze's body and everyone involved in the investigation.

"We are not going to stop our efforts, even though we know she is home," he said, adding that in the near future the family plans to start a foundation to bring awareness to victims of domestic violence and missing people.

"It's an epidemic. It's totally an epidemic," he said.