UPPER FREEHOLD – An application that proposes the construction of a warehouse on farmland on Route 524 in Upper Freehold Township is being met with concern as a result of its potential negative impact on the community.

Representatives of NP Freehold Industrial, LLC, appeared before the Upper Freehold Township Zoning Board of Adjustment on March 15 to seek approval for a warehouse at the site of Westhaven Farm, Route 524. Attorney Marc Policastro represented the applicant before the board.

No decision was made on the application by the board members that evening and the public hearing regarding the plan is scheduled to continue on April 19.

Representatives of NP Freehold Industrial (NorthPoint Development) are seeking a use variance from the zoning board so they may construct the building. A warehouse is not a permitted use in the Research, Office and Manufacturing (ROM) zone in which it is being proposed.

According to the applicant’s representatives, the 566,840-square-foot building would be constructed on a 117-acre lot.

The applicant is also seeking variances from local municipal standards that would permit the building to be 50 feet tall (the maximum permitted height in the ROM zone is 35 feet) and to provide 337 parking spaces (667 parking spaces are required).

A significant concern that was expressed by members of the zoning board during the meeting was that the application does not specify a user for the building.

“In my experience, we have never approved an application where we do not know the use,” said James Waskovich, the board’s chairman.

Policastro said in his experience, it is not unusual for the specific use of a structure to not be determined in the application.

Craig Wilde, the development manager of NorthPoint Development, said the Missouri-based company investigates areas in which to build speculative warehouses. The Westhaven Farm property was identified as a site for a potential warehouse, he said, because of its proximity to populated areas in northern New Jersey.

Wilde testified that no specific user is pursuing the proposed facility, but he said NorthPoint Development typically does business with companies on the Fortune 500 list. He said only one user is anticipated for the building, although he acknowledged that more than one user could occupy the space.

Engineer Josh Seewald, representing the applicant, testified that NorthPoint Development did not anticipate a distributor using the warehouse.

Nevertheless, the board’s planner, Jennifer Beahm, cautioned the applicant that without providing specific information, it would be difficult for its representatives to demonstrate how the building would not cause a negative impact that would outweigh the positive aspects of permitting the facility to be constructed.

“A lot of things here are based on expectations,” Beahm said. “There is no information on employees, shifts and cars coming out. It is going to be extremely hard to overcome the negative criteria” associated with requesting a variance.

During the meeting, which was conducted in a remote manner during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, residents of Upper Freehold Township, Allentown and Millstone Township expressed concern about the building’s potential impact on their way of life.

Many residents who addressed the zoning board and the applicant spoke about the possible truck traffic that could be generated by a building of this size and said the area is ill-suited for a large volume of vehicles.

Resident Sean Milczeski, who identified himself as a truck driver, said there is no rest area nearby to accommodate trucks. He said trucks would all leave the site the same way, take up parking spaces in nearby locations with food and/or restroom facilities, and park on the side of local roads if the driver needs to rest.

He said a convenience store in the vicinity has effectively become a truck stop.

“We don’t have an area set up for trucks and they are going to be everywhere,” Milczeski said.

In response, Seewald said the property would have 130 trailer spaces for truck drivers to stay in and he said the drivers would be permitted to use the building’s restroom facilities. The building may have a lunch and/or break room for the drivers.

Some residents who are objecting to the NorthPoint Development application are represented by attorney Michele Donato. She did not present her case on March 15 because the applicant has not concluded its presentation. The objecting parties will be permitted to present their case after the applicant concludes its presentation.

The Millstone Township K-8 School District and the Upper Freehold Regional School District will both see the amount of financial assistance they receive from the state reduced for the 2022-23 academic year.

Earlier this month, Gov. Phil Murphy unveiled his Fiscal Year 2023 budget, which includes proposed funding for New Jersey’s public school districts during 2022-23.

According to information provided by the New Jersey Department of Education, the two local school districts will see the following year-to-year changes in their state aid:

• Millstone Township K-8 School District: The district will see a decrease of $470,000 from $3.53 million in 2021-22 to $3.06 million in 2022-23;

• Upper Freehold Regional School District: The district will see a decrease of $420,000 from $4.75 million in 2021-22 to $4.33 million in 2022-23.

The administrative staff and the volunteer school board members who serve each district are currently in the process of developing a budget for the upcoming academic year. A budget must be adopted by the end of April.

The Millstone Township K-8 School District serves school-age residents of Millstone Township.

The district has a central administrative staff and three schools: the Millstone Township Primary School, the Millstone Township Elementary School and the Millstone Township Middle School.

The Upper Freehold Regional School District serves school-age residents of Upper Freehold Township and Allentown. High school-age residents of Millstone Township attend Allentown High School through a send-receive relationship between Upper Freehold Regional and Millstone Township.

The UFRSD has a central administrative staff and three schools: the Newell Elementary School, the Stone Bridge Middle School and Allentown High School.

In terms of state aid, some school districts will see an increase in their financial support from Trenton, while some school districts will see their state aid continue to decrease, and others will have no change in their state aid.

The amount of state aid a school district receives helps to determine the amount of taxes a school board must raise from a municipality’s residential and commercial property owners to support the operation of a school district during the academic year.

For school districts that will receive less state aid in 2022-23 than they are receiving in 2021-22, the impact of the reduction will become clear when school board members introduce the budget for the upcoming academic year and administrators explain how the loss of state aid will be accommodated in the budget.

State aid to Millstone Township and to Upper Freehold Regional has decreased each year since the enactment of state legislation known as S-2 in 2018. The reduction in state aid is scheduled to continue through the 2024-25 school year under the terms of S-2.

Princeton University is no longer requiring mandatory masking in most areas of campus as the university has moved forward with loosening some of its COVID-19 restrictions.

The loosening of restrictions arrives as new guidance has been issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and a decrease across the state in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations from Omicron.

The university announced the changes on March 2. As of March 14, masks are no longer mandatory except in certain settings. According to the university, the certain instances where individuals would still need a mask would be where masks are still required by state and local agencies such as McCosh Health Center and TigerTransit; when people are instructed to do so by University Health Services following a recent positive test for COVID-19 or having been confirmed as a close contact; and when faculty or staff of classes, labs, or gatherings require those participating to wear a mask.

The university is currently on spring recess, which is set to conclude on March 19.

“Following spring break, we will implement a testing-in protocol for undergraduates,” Provost Deborah Prentice and Executive Vice President Treby Williams wrote in a letter to the university community. “All undergraduates will be required to submit a test within 24 hours of returning to campus, or within 24 hours of March 14 for those undergraduates who have remained on campus during break, and to wear a mask until they have received a negative test result.”

They added that undergraduates who receive a positive test result would be provided with isolation and masking instructions.

A changing in testing preceded the mask-optional approach that recently went into effect. Those who are up-to-date on on vaccinations and boosters won’t have to test weekly; instead that will change to monthly testing. This change went into effect on March 7.

However, those not fully vaccinated or boosted will have to still test weekly, according to the university.

“With this shift in testing, the asymptomatic testing program will be used primarily as a monitoring tool that will track the profile of the virus and its presence on our campus by testing a portion of all students, faculty and staff each week,” they wrote.

The university, on March 15, announced that the Princeton University community is 98% vaccinated and indicated that positive cases on campus have been mild.

Princeton will also no longer be utilizing the positivity rates as the primary metric for monitoring.

The COVID-19 dashboard the university has had available has been updated to included the booster vaccine rates on campus, campus case severity rating, total positive cases for symptomatic and asymptomatic cases.

FREEHOLD — In partnership with DowntownFreehold.com, United Way of Monmouth and Ocean Counties will host the United for Impact Food Truck Festival on April 24 from noon to 6 p.m. on West Main Street in Freehold Borough.

The event will be held rain or shine, according to a press release.

Guests will enjoy food, beer, vendors and live music while supporting United Way’s work in the community. Music entertainment includes the Joe Baracata Band, the Eddie Testa Band and Step Aside.

A suggested donation of $5 per person will help advance United Way’s mission to bridge the gaps to education, financial stability and health for every person in the community, according to the press release.

“DowntownFreehold.com is excited to be working with United Way to host a great day for the community, which will also raise awareness and support,” said Jeff Friedman, executive director of DowntownFreehold.com.

“United Way has wonderful programs and supply drives that help those in need throughout Monmouth and Ocean counties, including many residents of Freehold Borough,” he said.

United Way thanked event sponsors New Jersey Natural Gas, NJM Insurance Group, LoPresti State Farm Agency and OceanFirst Bank.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available and volunteers are also needed for the event. For more information, contact Patti Harvey at 848-206-2035 or pharvey@uwmoc.org

For a full list of food trucks and vendors, visit uwmoc.org/food-truck-festival

ALLENTOWN — Following a disagreement with a member of the Upper Freehold Township Committee, Hope Fire Company Chief George Stillwell has temporarily relinquished his post, and fire company officials are taking steps to potentially identify a temporary replacement, Deputy Chief Steve Gomba said.

“There have been issues with questioning the authority of the chief,” said Gomba, now the department’s acting chief, reached by phone on Sunday.

According to Gomba, Stillwell informed the Upper Freehold Township governing body and the shift supervisor for the paid firefighters at the predominately volunteer Hope Fire Company organization last week that personal protective gear would be removed from a few of the volunteer firefighters who had failed to complete state-mandated training.

“A few of the members missed our training, and their gear was to be removed for their own protection so they do not wind up in a situation where they could harm themselves,” Gomba said. “One of the committee members informed George (Stillwell) that he could not remove any gear or touch any equipment without the township’s approval.”

“He insinuated that George (Stillwell) and I were endangering the safety of residents,” Gomba continued.

Gomba said that Stillwell stepped down after receiving the criticism from the committee member, and plans to step aside from his post until the matter is resolved.

Stillwell, also reached by phone Sunday, said that the remarks came from Deputy Mayor Stephen Alexander, also a member of the committee.

He said he stepped back from his role as chief to remedy the public safety issue that Alexander spoke of.

“Basically, when somebody says I am putting the public at risk, in my mind the best idea is to remove myself to remove the risk,” said Stillwell, who said he plans to resolve the issue and return to the unpaid post. “I am planning on working this out, and being back.”

He said that one of his main concerns came from Alexander’s message that he did not have authority, as chief, to remove the equipment and enforce compliance with state-mandated training.

“I have yet to come across a fire company where the chief does not run the fire company,” he said.

Gomba said the trainings involved refresher courses required of all members, including programs focusing on blood-borne pathogens and right-to-know information.

He also said the company hosted an open house Saturday evening to provide information about the ongoing issue to the public and help garner support.

Company officers and paid firefighters were scheduled to meet with township officials Sunday evening to discuss the matter, Gomba said.

“We haven’t determined yet how to proceed further,” Gomba said. “Depending on what happens at that meeting, Hope Fire Company is going to have a special meeting later in the week to determine what actions will be taken.”

The fire company, founded in 1818, is a predominately volunteer company and a private non-profit organization that provides fire protection and response services to Allentown Borough and Upper Freehold Township, Gomba said. The company raises roughly half of its annual operating budget through donations, with the remaining funds coming from the two municipalities.

Upper Freehold Township Mayor Stanley Moslowski Jr. could not be reached for comment Sunday.

Contact David Karas at dkaras@njtimes.com.

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If you love getting in the car and heading out to explore New Jersey, then I want you to take a look at this latest day trip suggestion I have for you and it's right here in Monmouth County, New Jersey.

This destination is one I have never visited before and it's right in Upper Freehold Township in Cream Ridge, Monmouth County. It's part of the Monmouth County Park System. Historic Walnford is a little spot with lots of history for you to take in.

Historic Walnford is on the National Register of Historic Places in America. You can visit the Waln Farm including the family home, stables, and grist mill. The Waln home dates back to 1773 along with the 19th-century Grist Mill. The site is open 8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. It was fascinating to walk through the home and see various rooms and contents from over the years in this 250-year-old mansion. The stables were also very interesting as they contained an antique sled and carriage that is on display. In the Grist Mill, you can see where grains were processed and how the machinery of the day worked hundreds of years ago. Fascinating for any history buff.

We did ask the tour guide from the parks department if there were any ghost sightings but she said to the best of her knowledge there have been no ghost reports. "Either we have no ghosts or they are very content".

I am adding this to my series "Hiking NJ" because there are places to walk if you'd like to get maybe a 2-mile hike in. There are the grounds and there is also a nice country road that runs in and out of the park that will give you about a mile if you do it in both directions. So although it's not your typical park to hike, you can get a bit of a walk-in at Historic Walnford.

Here is my "Ultra Mega Photo Gallery" for you to check out and see all that is available to see at Historic Walnford, definitely glad we made a visit to this historic part of the Monmouth County Parks System.

If you love getting in the car and heading out to explore New Jersey, then I want you to take a look at this latest day trip suggestion I have for you and it's right here in Monmouth County, New Jersey.

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This destination is one I have never visited before and it's right in Upper Freehold Township in Cream Ridge, Monmouth County. It's part of the Monmouth County Park System. Historic Walnford is a little spot with lots of history for you to take in.

Historic Walnford is on the National Register of Historic Places in America. You can visit the Waln Farm including the family home, stables, and grist mill. The Waln home dates back to 1773 along with the 19th-century Grist Mill. The site is open 8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. It was fascinating to walk through the home and see various rooms and contents from over the years in this 250-year-old mansion. The stables were also very interesting as they contained an antique sled and carriage that is on display. In the Grist Mill, you can see where grains were processed and how the machinery of the day worked hundreds of years ago. Fascinating for any history buff.

We did ask the tour guide from the parks department if there were any ghost sightings but she said to the best of her knowledge there have been no ghost reports. "Either we have no ghosts or they are very content".

I am adding this to my series "Hiking NJ" because there are places to walk if you'd like to get maybe a 2-mile hike in. There are the grounds and there is also a nice country road that runs in and out of the park that will give you about a mile if you do it in both directions. So although it's not your typical park to hike, you can get a bit of a walk-in at Historic Walnford.

Here is my "Ultra Mega Photo Gallery" for you to check out and see all that is available to see at Historic Walnford, definitely glad we made a visit to this historic part of the Monmouth County Parks System.