Fighting to Preserve Neighborhoods

I have been in contact with a number of people in reference to this thread and the topic contained in it.

The following post is related to the topic of this thread. Everything I am writing is based on documents in my possession. All are related to the grocery and bakery in question. For the purpose of erring on the side of caution, I will not be providing names, just incidents and facts relevant to the incidents.

There are a lot of problems here. Rose colored glasses, anyone?

June 17th 2007 @ 1 AM ..... Police responded to location for a 911 call. Police observed 50-60 people inside and outside the bakery consuming alcohol. This was a private party held by person who had rented the space. There was a band playing music. Coors light beer was being stored on premises.

Borough Code enforcement had been aware of problems at this location and were dispatched to assist the police. Several drunk party attendees antagonized the police. Police informed the party promoter that the party had to be shut down by 1:30 am.

By 2 am police observed more people going into the party with no attempts at the party being shut down. People were still openly drinking Coors light beer and carrying packaged goods.

Reports are that the partyers were drunk, arguing with one another and attempting to coax patrols into physical altercations.

By 3 am the party was still going. People were still fighting and failed to comply with police to leave the area.

After all was done, the police had offered numerous warnings to disperse and shut the party down. One person was arrested for an outstanding warrant for attempted murder. Others received charges for disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, obstructing the administration of law and noise violations.

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January 19 2008 @ 11 PM

It was found that the same location was the site of a large party with about 200 guests. It was found that this location was being used on a weekly basis as a night club where alcohol has been sold.

On this date, police were dispatched for a fire alarm. The front glass of the establishment was taped up to prevent anyone from seeing what was inside. On the front door was a sign with admission charges for twenty dollars for men and ten dollars for ladies. The sign was in Spanish. There were people inside collecting money from guests. The front door was staffed with private security officers who stated that a smoke machine from the live band had set off the fire alarms.

Inside there was plenty of music, dancing and drinking of alcohol.

The fire department did respond, and the head of Code enforcement requested that the party be shut down for fire safety violations.

The police did start to shut the party down. People became belligerent to them.

It was noted that many people in the crowd were displaying the colors of known gang members. These gang members were the ones giving the police the hardest time.

Among charges filed this night were borough ordinance violations, ABC laws, and maintaining a nuisance.

Good article, very important to pay attention to this:

newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2009/1104/front_page/002.html

Owner proposes to move grocery to new location
2 homes on Throckmorton St., Freehold, would be demolished
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer
An application to move a Freehold Borough business that serves as a grocery, deli and warehouse distribution center from its present location in the Boro Plaza shopping center on Broad Street to a property on Throckmorton Street was heard by the Freehold Borough Planning Board on Oct. 28.

The applicant, Atanasio Munoz, is proposing to demolish two homes on Throckmorton Street and to use an existing building that is set back from Throckmorton Street as the location of the grocery, deli and warehouse distribution center.

The homes to be demolished are owned by the attorney and engineer who are representing Munoz before the Planning Board.

Some nearby property owners have raised issues of parking, vehicle traffic, pedestrian traffic and the generation of trash at the site.

The property lies between Throckmorton and Court streets.



Attorney Leonard Coates, of Hightstown, presented the application to the board on behalf of Munoz. A site plan approval with parking waivers is being sought for the business that would be known as Market 75.

Planner Michael Geller, testifying on behalf of the applicant, said the first floor of the grocery store totals 6,385 square feet. Of that total, 3,372 square feet would be used for the grocery store and deli, and the remainder would be used as a warehouse.

Geller said the building Munoz wants to use for the grocery was previously used to sell computers and also served as a distribution center for computers. He said the building has been vacant for some time.

The plan calls for a paved area to be located in front of the building.

There is also a dry basement, which will be used for storage, Geller said. A 6-foot-high solid fence will be placed around the building.

Geller said the plan "conforms to and further advances the goals of the borough's master plan and looks better than what is there now. This is a good example of what Freehold Borough should have in the B2A zone, and eliminate non-conforming uses."

Landscaping and lighting will be provided on the site by the applicant.

Coates said 80 percent of the store's customers will walk to the business. He expects there to be three or four employees, in addition to Munoz, operating the business. Deliveries will be made during the day and trucks will not be parked overnight on the property.

The applicant is applying for a parking waiver because the borough ordinance requires 34 parking spaces and the plan is proposing 17 parking spaces (16 standard spaces and one handicapped space).

Coates said, if necessary, Munoz may ask his employees to park in public parking areas.

Jeff Friedman, a rental property manager whose business is nearby at the corner of Broad and Court streets, said he is concerned about trash from the grocery-deli and also long-term issues such as how the business will impact the area.

"We already have a stray-cat problem here. This will only make it worse and serve to reduce our property values. This is not what the borough needs," Friedman said. "The traffic is definitely a serious problem and they don't have enough parking for their customers.

"Overall, the borough has spent a great deal of effort in the downtown redevelopment trying to revitalize the town, and a project like this doesn't draw visitors or prospective residents to the town. It is not a long-term positive redevelopment project," Friedman said.

The public hearing on the Market 75 application will resume at a special meeting of the Planning Board to be held at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 30 at Borough Hall.

I am a bit confused after reading this thread, and I am hoping someone can clear this up for me.

One issue is what's confusing me, the police reports about parties and the location being used as a night club by the owner. My first question is simple...is the owner who is currently trying to move the business to Throckmorton St. the same owner who was throwing these "parties" and using the building as a night club?

My next question is what ever happened to the owner of the establishment when these parties were discovered? There is mention of alcohol being present...was it being sold without a license? There is mention of the Boro's code enforcement being present with the police...did they take any action against the owner?

How about the Fire Department? Were they ever called in to check on the maximum capacity of the establishment to be sure there was no overcrowding? There is mention of fire alarms going off...but no mention of anything else.

Just some questions to help clear up the issue a bit.

I do not know anything more than what was found in the police reports. I have no idea what the outcome was in the courts.

This is the same guy who is trying to open up on Throckmorton.

This building sat vacant and unused for over 10 years, WHY had this building been unused for soooo long? One could postulate that there is little hardship on the part of the current owners since they had made little effort too find either a tenant or buyer only till recently.

About the parking issue, as I testified last night, there is borough Master plan and a vision study that both concur....,Freehold Borough's Downtown needs MORE parking not less parking, so by the Planning-Zoning board to approve the requested parking waver, will only contradict the Master plan and Downtown Vision Study.

If the parking waver was to be issued...., there would be a hardship imposed on future downtown development . This 47 parking space waver, will have further limited the amount of parking for any future owner of this property (any future owner other than the current prospective buyer), thus limiting the prospective value and type of business that would consider buying or renting this specific commercial space with a seriously "limited parking" wave attached to it.

what I forgot to mention last night, but have been saying for the last several months..., Can the current property owners look to find a more suitable buyer, a prospective business that fills a REAL need, a business that will help build up our Downtown Business district, a business that will serve our entire community, not a hand full of "possible" pedestrians customers, what about a new location for our much needed BOROUGH POST OFFICE? OK, you can not tell a property owner who you can , or can not sell to, but...,

IMHO, if I was the current property owner, looking to liquidate this property from my inventory of commercial property holdings, I would be looking at ways to appease the community and absolve ownership of the property that has not been used in over 10 years..., I am sure that there is a creative way to resolve the sale of 75 Throckmorton street commercial property, and resolve the pending loss of our "temporary" post office trailers.

I think we can all agree we need a Freehold Borough Post Office more than we need a "Market 75", it is just a matter of vision and action to make this happen!

zoning issues, and would require a variance. Also this is in the SIDS zone. good commercial use would be preferable at this location..