UPPER FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP, NJ (MONMOUTH)–The National Weather Service Mount Holly has determined that tornadoes hit the Crosswicks, Allentown-Cream Ridge areas during the storms of April 1, 2023. The National Weather Service determined them to be in the EF-1 range with an estimated maximum of 90 MPH. Further details will be are yet to be determined such as path and width of the tornados. Check back for updates.

Allentown-Cream Ridge Tornado…

Rating: EF-1Estimated Peak Wind: 110 mphPath Length /statute/: 4.0 milesPath Width /maximum/: 550 yardsFatalities: 0Injuries: 0

Start Date: April 1, 2023Start Time: 7:14 PM EDTStart Location: Allentown / Monmouth County / NJStart Lat/Lon: 40.1541 / -74.5715

End Date: April 1, 2023End Time: 7:17 PM EDTEnd Location: Upper Freehold Twp / Monmouth County / NJEnd Lat/Lon: 40.1484 / -74.4965

A new QLCS tornado developed just west of a neighborhood on Walnford Road southeast of Allentown. The most significant damage from the tornado occurred to properties within the neighborhood, especially those along an open field to the southeast. The tornadowas also near its widest point in this area. Numerous trees were uprooted or snapped within the neighborhood. A few homes sustainedremoval of roofing material, siding removal, windows blown out, and a couple garage doors blown out. Damage in this area was consistent with wind speeds estimated to be near 110 mph. An irrigation pivot was blown into a fence separating the neighborhood and the field where it was toppled over, partially into some residential yards.

The tornado continued eastward across the field toward Allentown Davis Station Road where another shorter irrigation pivot was overturned. Along the road, several trees were snapped or uprootednear and northwest of the intersection with Polhemustown Road andHolmesmill Road. A wooden power pole was also leaning in the direction of the tornado’s motion. The tornado continued east along Allentown Davis Station Road where more mainly minor tree damage occurred. At the traffic circle intersection with Sharon Station Road, several road signs were blown down in various directions. The tornado moved east-southeastward into a field justsouth of a farmstead and north of Davis Station Road. The tornadoentered another wooded residential area near the intersection of Davis Station Road ans Harvey Road where more significant tree damage occurred and the tornadic circulation widened. The tornado moved east across Meirs Road where numerous trees were snapped or uprooted on residential properties, once of which fell onto power lines.

The tornado moved east toward a residential neighborhood along Long Acre Drive where some additional tree damage occurred. The tornado moved east of the residential area across a tree line and then dissipated in an open field along Emleys Hill-Prospertown Road.

Crosswicks-Hamilton Twp NJ Tornado…

Rating: EF-1Estimated Peak Wind: 100 mphPath Length /statute/: 2.8 milesPath Width /maximum/: 300 yardsFatalities: 0Injuries: 0

Start Date: April 1, 2023Start Time: 7:08 PM EDTStart Location: Crosswicks / Burlington County / NJStart Lat/Lon: 40.1525 / -74.6461

End Date: April 1, 2023End Time: 7:11 PM EDTEnd Location: Upper Freehold Twp / Monmouth County / NJEnd Lat/Lon: 40.1550 / -74.5945

After a straight line wind event upstream toward Bordentown alongWard Avenue, a QLCS tornado developed in the village of Crosswicks around 7:08 PM EDT. Much of the damage in Crosswicks was primarily tree damage with numerous trees uprooted or snapped.Additional straight line wind damage occurred south of the village that was not directly related to the tornadic circulation.The tornado moved east out of the village just north of EllisdaleRoad where fairly significant tree damage continued on residential properties. The tornado moved into an inaccessible wooded area along Crosswicks Creek where it crossed into Hamilton Twp in Mercer County. It emerged along a tree line near the back of the Sawmill YMCA property where it continued east toward the intersection of Sawmill Road and Iron Bridge Road. Near this intersection, several trees were uprooted.

The tornado continued east along Sawmill Road toward Extonville Road Where additional trees were uprooted. The tornado dissipated in a field around 7:11 PM EDT east of Extonville Road where it crossed just over the Monmouth County boarder into Upper Freehold Twp. No additional tornadic damage was observed east of this fieldacross Ellisdale Road until the next tornado began near Walnford Road.

Storm damage from the April 1, 2023 storm as seen on April 2, 2023.

No matter the discipline, equine competitions rely on volunteers. Without them, such events would cease to function. Events at the Horse Park of New Jersey depend on volunteers, and Nancy Frenick is this year’s park Volunteer of the Year.

Since the horse park opened in 1987, Frenick, who lives in Upper Freehold, New Jersey, has shown horses, sponsored show classes, and donated needed items and her professional services as a graphic designer.

Volunteering has always been an exciting, educational, and wide-ranging experience for her, Frenick said. She has also served as ring steward, jump starter, jump judge, dressage scribe, and show assistant for organizations such as:

“Every equestrian event, no matter how small or large, absolutely cannot run without volunteers, and usually a lot of them are needed,” Frenick said recently. There are generally so many jobs to be done that most shows couldn’t afford to pay for full- or part-time employees to do it all, she said.

For Frenick, giving back to organizations that provide equestrians with opportunities to gather, compete, enjoy their horses, meet new people, gain confidence, and achieve goals is a wonderful thing. “Spending time around these wonderful animals is always inspirational,” she said.

How to attract volunteers? Frenick advises any group managing equestrian events to spread the word through social media, and contact trainers, local farms, Pony Clubs, 4-H clubs, trail clubs, and any other groups in their area.

“I find that many equine enthusiasts don’t realize how many volunteer opportunities there are in their area. It doesn’t hurt to just ask for help,” Frenick said.

When asked about her favorite show or venue, Frenick demurred. “I love them all.”

A confessed “horse addict,” Frenick was on a pony at 2, and to this day horses play a major role in her life. She and her husband, Dan, own and operate Runaround Farm, where she’s had many horses that allow her to experience a wide variety of equine activities, including hunting and jumping, sidesaddle, dressage, cross country clinics, hunt clinics, hunter paces, Western pleasure, trail riding, and carriage driving.

Her first horse was a Standardbred trotter named Merrylegs, whose sire, Blaze Hanover, won the 1960 Hambletonian Stakes. Merrylegs was trained by Hall of Famer Stanley Dancer, but unfortunately never made it to the racetrack. He lived on Frenick’s farm until he was 31 years old.

Currently, Frenick is the volunteer sponsorship coordinator for the horse park and is working toward obtaining highly visible corporate sponsors to learn and support the Park with much needed funding.

Monmouth County wants to buy a Revolutionary War site in Upper Freehold now slated for warehouses and has asked the developer if he wants to sell it.

The county’s move is the latest effort by officials to buy and preserve land where developers plan to build warehouses, plans that have outraged residents who warn about increased traffic and other environmental concerns.

The county wrote to the developer, Active Acquisitions, last month, asking whether it is interested in talking about selling the land, said County Commissioner Ross Licitra. The company had not yet responded, Licitra said Monday.

“We have sent a letter to the owner of the property from the Monmouth County Parks system, asking them if they would consider the option of selling the property to the county for preservation,” Licitra told NJ Spotlight News. “The county definitely has an interest in that piece of property, and we are moving forward and exploring the steps to possibly preserve this property.”

Historic site of British campground

The 55-acre parcel on the township’s border with historic Allentown was a campground for as many as 10,000 British soldiers as they retreated from Philadelphia in June 1778, a few days before the Battle of Monmouth, which helped to turn the tide of the war in favor of the colonists.

The county’s interest in preserving the site is heightened by the approaching 250th anniversary of American independence in 2026, and by its concern about truck traffic, air pollution and the loss of open space in a rural neighborhood, Licitra said.

‘We are not anti-warehouse. These things are popping up all over the place, and there is a need and a place for them. This piece of property does not seem like it’s the right place for a warehouse.’ — Monmouth County Commissioner Ross Licitra

The New Jersey Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, which commemorates the actions of early American patriots, urged Upper Freehold Township to preserve the land where the warehouse would be built.

“The land in question witnessed clashes that, while perhaps forgotten by some, remains a poignant reminder of the struggles and courage exhibited by our forebears. It stands as a testament to the values they held dear and the battles they fought to secure a better future — for themselves and for us, their posterity,” the group wrote to the township’s planning board on Aug. 9.

The warehouse application is being evaluated by the township’s engineer to ensure compliance with zoning regulations, an Upper Freehold official said in early August.

Not the right place?

If built, two warehouses would cover about 500,000 square feet in what is now a soybean field, a development that would “adversely affect” the fabric of Allentown, one of the county’s most historic towns, Licitra said.

Seth Gerszberg, founder of Active Acquisitions, declined to comment on the county’s letter. Gerszberg earlier told NJ Spotlight News that he had spent about $20 million on the property, including $15 million to buy the land.

Business, Energy & Environment

If the developer is willing to discuss a sale, Monmouth County would consider buying the property itself, or doing so jointly with nearby municipalities or nonprofit groups, Licitra said.

“There’s a lot of different ways we could do this. The county could do it all by itself, or the county could partner with a lot of people that are willing to come to the table and participate; maybe a joint effort with the municipality and historic groups,” the commissioner said.

The county could also acquire the parcel through eminent domain, as could the municipality or the state, he said.

Licitra said the board of county commissioners is not opposed to warehouses but wants them to be built where their environmental and social effects are minimized.

“We are not anti-warehouse,” he said. “These things are popping up all over the place, and there is a need and a place for them. This piece of property does not seem like it’s the right place for a warehouse.”

Other warehouse battles

In West Windsor, Mercer County, critics of a massive 5.5 million square-foot warehouse project urged township officials to seek county funds to buy the land but no such request was ever made to the county, said its spokeswoman, Julie Willmot. Local planners approved that project in June 2022 but the application at the county level remains incomplete, Willmot said.

In Hamilton, another Mercer County township, officials said in June they are seeking to buy a 10-acre parcel currently slated for warehouse development, and preserving it as open space. Two years ago, Hillsborough Township in Somerset County agreed to spend $14 million to preserve 423 acres where a natural gas-fired power plant was once proposed, and which could have been developed for warehouses or housing.

State officials have rejected calls by critics of warehouse “sprawl” to regulate the industry, saying that land-use authority rests with municipalities in a state with a strong tradition of home rule.

In Upper Freehold, critics fear the addition of thousands of square feet of paved surface will pollute a nearby creek, and even Allentown’s drinking water supply, with runoff.

Micah Rasmussen, a Rider University professor who led a successful community campaign against an earlier warehouse plan in Upper Freehold, welcomed the Monmouth County plan.

“If the owner is willing to be realistic and work with the county and impacted communities, it is indeed good news,” Rasmussen said, referring to the county’s proposal. “The flooding and wastewater challenges at this site were always going to prove difficult for any developer, which is precisely why it has not been built on yet. If he has not yet come to the conclusion that historical-minded preservation would be a mutually beneficial solution for everyone, I am sure he will.”

Sue Kozel, an Upper Freehold resident who opposes the warehouse project, said the Monmouth County commissioners have shown “leadership” in their proposal to buy the historic site. “Together, we can do something very special to preserve the wetlands, the Revolutionary War site, and to preserve farming,” she said.

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ALLENTOWN BATTLE OF MONMOUTH FLOODING MONMOUTH COUNTY REVOLUTIONARY WAR ROSS LICITRA SUE KOZEL UPPER FREEHOLD WAREHOUSE SPRAWL WASTEWATER WEST WINDSOR

The members of the Upper Freehold Regional School District Board of Education have adopted a $43.6 million budget that will fund the operation of the district during the 2022-23 school year.

Residential and commercial property owners in Allentown and Upper Freehold Township will pay a $28.6 million local tax levy to support the budget.

The budget that was adopted on May 2 includes $38.4 million in operating expenses, $4.24 million to be paid as debt service and $953,830 in special revenue.

Of the $38.4 million that has been budgeted for operating expenses, $11.4 million (29.6%) will be spent on regular program instruction, which includes salaries and supplies. The second most costly item is employee benefits at $7.25 million (18.9%), according to budget information posted on the school district’s website.

Upper Freehold Regional consists of three schools: the Newell Elementary School, the Stone Bridge Middle School and Allentown High School. The schools are attended by students who reside in Upper Freehold Township and in Allentown.

Residential and commercial property owners will share the cost of the $28.6 million tax levy for 2022-23. Upper Freehold property owners will pay 88% of the tax levy and Allentown property owners will pay 12% of the tax levy.

Students of high school age who reside in Millstone Township attend Allentown High School through a send-receive relationship between Upper Freehold Regional and the Millstone Township K-8 School District. Millstone Township pays tuition for each student it sends to Allentown High School.

The tuition rate per student is expected to be $13,600 during the 2022-23 school year. As recently as the 2020-21 school year, the tuition rate was $14,315 per student, according to a budget presentation.

There are expected to be 464 students from Millstone Township attending Allentown High School during the 2022-23 school year; a decrease of one student from the current academic year, according to a budget presentation.

In 2021-22, the school tax rate in Upper Freehold was about $1.86 per $100 of assessed valuation. The owner of a home assessed at $547,100 paid about $10,176 in school taxes.

In 2022-23, the school tax rate in Upper Freehold is projected to decrease to about $1.71 per $100 of assessed valuation.

However, even though the tax rate is decreasing, that does not mean an Upper Freehold property owner’s school tax will decrease in the upcoming year.

The current assessed value of an individual’s home or property will, in part, determine the school tax to be paid. If, for example, the assessed value of a home and/or property is $600,000, the school tax would be about $10,260.

In 2021-22, the school tax rate in Allentown was about $1.83 per $100 of assessed valuation. The average home in the borough was assessed at $292,860 and the owner of that home paid about $5,358 in school taxes.

In 2022-23, the school tax rate in Allentown is projected to decrease to about $1.81 per $100 of assessed valuation. The average home in the borough is now assessed at $293,116 and the owner of that home will pay about $5,305 in school taxes.

A decrease in the tax rate does not necessarily mean an Allentown property owner will pay less in school taxes.

School taxes are one item on a property owner’s tax bill, which also includes municipal taxes and Monmouth County taxes.

The amount of taxes a property owner pays is determined by the assessed value of the individual’s home and/or property and the tax rate that is set by each taxing entity.

Upper Freehold Regional’s 2021-22 budget totaled $43.1 million and was supported by a tax levy of $28.1 million. From 2021-22 to 2022-23, the total budget is increasing by $500,000 and the tax levy is also increasing by about $500,000.

For the 2021-22 school year, Upper Freehold Regional’s budget was supported by the receipt of $4.75 million in state aid.

For the 2022-23 school year, Upper Freehold Regional’s budget is expected to be supported by the receipt of $4.33 million in state aid, a decrease of $420,000.

Upper Freehold Regional’s state aid has decreased each year since the enactment of state legislation known as S-2 in 2018.

The budget presentation lists numerous highlights of the budget for the upcoming school year, including:

• Creates a full-time security position at Stone Bridge Middle School;

• Brings landscape program in house with the hiring of an additional full-time staff;

• Maintains a full-time assistant principal at Newell Elementary (change from part-time to full-time);

• Provides for a new special education teacher at Stone Bridge Middle School;

• Replaces Chromebook laptop computers for students in grades 1, 5 and 9;

• Curriculum updates and enhancements in math, science, social studies, world language, technology, and visual and performing arts;

“We are happy the budget has been approved by the Monmouth County (executive superintendent) and by the Board of Education,” Superintendent of Schools Mark Guterl said.

“The budget process is always labor intensive, especially because of the continued loss of state aid due to the S-2 funding formula. This year, we did not have the enormous impact on staff, but still had a few cuts, which are always difficult to take.

“We are, however, grateful to all of the people involved in the budget process and thankful we have talented, creative and smart minds on our team to overcome the burden of S-2,” Guterl said.

UPPER FREEHOLD – To comply with a state mandate that requires them to provide opportunities for the development of affordable housing, officials in Upper Freehold Township have designated four zones where affordable housing would be permitted.

Affordable housing is defined as housing that is sold or rented at below market prices to individuals and families whose income meets certain guidelines.

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According to municipal officials, Upper Freehold’s affordable housing obligation is four units. The township was initially required to provide 193 affordable housing units, but because there is no sewer infrastructure in the township, the obligation was reduced to four units.

Upper Freehold will seek to satisfy its obligation through a market rate to affordable housing program through which officials will deed restrict current market rate housing and provide the homeowner with money for the deed restriction, according to municipal officials.

The plan, as approved in state Superior Court, calls for the construction of no new market rate housing unless a developer gains access to a public sewer infrastructure system, according to Upper Freehold officials.

On July 11, Township Committee members adopted four ordinances that amend the municipal code and create four affordable housing zoning districts:

• District 1 will include three lots on Old York Road;

• District 2 will include one lot on New Canton-Stone Tavern Road (Route 524) near the intersection with Imlaystown-Hightstown Road;

• District 3 will include one lot on New Canton-Stone Tavern Road (Route 524);

• District 4 will include five lots on Allyson Way.

According to the ordinances, apartments and townhomes will be the principal permitted and required uses in the four affordable housing districts. For-sale housing is specifically prohibited in District 4 on Allyson Way.

Of the three lots on Old York Road in District 1, 11 dwelling units per acre for rental housing and/or six dwelling units per acre for for-sale housing are the maximum densities on a 12-acre lot; 10 dwelling units per acre for rental housing and/or seven dwelling units per acre for for-sale housing are the maximum densities on another lot that is 48 acres; and the third lot, which is 6 acres, will permit 10 dwelling units per acre for rental housing and/or six dwelling units per acre for for-sale housing, according to the ordinance.

Permitted in District 2 and District 3 on Route 524 are maximum densities of 10 dwelling units per acre for rental housing and/or six dwelling units per acre for for-sale housing. The lot size in District 2 is 37 acres and the lot size in District 3 is 11 acres.

In District 4, a maximum density of 10 dwelling units per acre for rental housing only is permitted on Allyson Way, according to the ordinance. The five lots in District 4 are 2 acres, 2 acres, 4 acres, 2 acres and 1 acre.

According to the ordinances, at least 15 percent of all rental units will be set aside for affordable housing in each district. At least 50 percent of the affordable housing units will be affordable to very low and low income households, with a unit being a very low or low income unit if it is the only affordable housing unit created in a project. Of the total number of affordable rental units, at least 13 percent will be affordable to very low income households.

Each ordinance states that no principal townhouse or apartment building in all four affordable housing districts is permitted to exceed 35 feet in height and 2.5 stories.

In addition to the four ordinances which establish the affordable housing zoning districts, committee members adopted an ordinance implementing Upper Freehold’s affordable housing plan, which was created through a settlement agreement with the Fair Share Housing Center, Cherry Hill.

The Fair Share Housing Center advocates for the creation of affordable housing throughout New Jersey.

Municipal officials said on the chance there is sewer infrastructure available in Upper Freehold, the overlay zoning on the four sites in the settlement agreement could generate between 580 and 772 market rate units. The number of units generated would depend upon whether the proposed affordable housing was for sale or for rent.