Tag Archives: East Milton Avenue

City Council

Obvious who developers support in Dem primary

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A quick look around town will show you who developers are supporting in next week’s Democratic primary. Campaign signs appear in the windows and on the buildings of several properties owned by developers: the sales office of SkyView at Carriage City Plaza (above) and the former Dornoch offices (still owned by Dornoch) at 1513 Main St. (right).

and the building on the corner of East Milton Avenue and Main Street (below), purchased in 2008 by Landmark Companies, which is building Park Square, the 159-unit rental project at Elizabeth Avenue and Irving Street. CORRECTION: I’ve been told the space the corner of East Milton and Main was rented by the Proctor campaign and is not an endorsement by Landmark.

The June 8 primary will be the city’s first contested primary in about 20 years. City Health Officer Rick Proctor, also a county freeholder and the municipal Democratic chairman, got the backing of the local party, while former Housing Authority chairwoman Renee Thrash is running off the line. Three at-large council seats are up, with incumbents James Baker, Sal Mione and Nancy Saliga challenged by Yvonne Wesley, Lynn Parker and Grace Jacquet. The Republican primary is uncontested, with local GOP chairman Patrick Cassio running for mayor with council at-large candidates James Grady, Kevin Retcho and Jeff Spatola.

Mayor James Kennedy, a Democrat, decided not to seek re-election this year after five, four-year terms. He plans to remain as unpaid executive director of the nonprofit Rahway Arts District, which now receives funding generated by the Special Improvement District (SID).

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Apartments, Carriage City Plaza, Condos, Downtown, hotels

A year after settlement, city & Carriage City in talks

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City officials met with representatives of Silcon/Carriage City Properties (CCP) early this month to discuss money owed the Redevelopment Agency, a year after approving a settlement agreement with the developer.

Continue reading A year after settlement, city & Carriage City in talks →

hotels, motels

Home2 Suites instead of Candlewood Suites

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For at least the third time in about five years, a new hotel brand is line for the corner of East Milton Avenue near Lennington Street and Routes 1/9. Home2 Suites by Hilton will replace Candlewood Suites, a Holiday Inn brand, as the extended stay hotel planned for the site. The Planning Board on Tuesday night approved an amendment to a previous preliminary and final site plan that was granted in the spring.

Home2 Suites by Hilton is a mid-tier, extended stay brand by Hilton hotels, launched in January 2008. A representative of Hilton told the Planning Board that Home2 Suites is a higher-end brand than previously was approved and has higher rates and deeper market penetration. About 55 have been approved nationwide and another 50 are expected in the next year if the economy gets better, he said.

There were few changes to the site plan that gained approval in March, according to Christopher Armstrong, attorney for applicant Family Hospitality Inc. The primary difference is an indoor pool, a requirement of Hilton, he added. The previous site plan called for a 93-unit, four-story structure and prior to that the plan was to build a Sleep Inn.

While the Planning Board approved the plans Tuesday night, city planning officials still must approve specifics, including exterior colors and materials, among other things.

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Uncategorized

Cops apply for red light cameras

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The Police Department received approval from the state for a red light camera pilot program at Routes 1/9 and East Milton Avenue and also will seek cameras for East Grand Avenue.

City Council discussed the proposal during a meeting earlier this summer. Requests for Proposals (RFP) will go out after the pilot gets approval and vendors will vie to install the cameras. But tn 18 months since the state program started, none have been installed yet because of court battles, according to Police Chief John Rodger. “I’m sure there will be test cases played out in the courts on this,” he said.

Rahway is in the second cycle of approvals by the state Department of Transportation and towns that were in the first cycle are not yet installed. “We will continue to pursue it until it gets done,” he said.

A survey by the Police Department indicated as many as 60 violations per hour at Routes 1/9-East Milton Avenue. Eight summonses issued per hour would project a total of almost 200 a day, or 70,000 per year. By comparison, an average motor vehicle stop takes 20 minutes so one officer could theoretically complete three an hour — if assigned to nothing but traffic enforcement, Rodger said. The department averages between 10,000 and 12,000 violations per year, he added, with about 6,100 this year through mid-August.

Revenue from the fines, which are doubled because the area is a state-designated “Safe Corridor,” is shared between the state, county and town, according to Rodger.

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hotels, Planning Board, Routes 1/9

Candlewood Suites gets final OK

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The Planning Board last night unanimously gave preliminary major and final site plan approval for a Candlewood Suites at East Milton Avenue and Routes 1/9, next to the Best Western.

Continue reading Candlewood Suites gets final OK →

library

New library tenants may need more parking

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The new owners of the office space above the library told city officials they may need more parking, judging by the interest from potential tenants.

 

Continue reading New library tenants may need more parking →

Uncategorized

Ice rink planned in front of City Hall

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A temporary, artificial ice rink will be installed in front of City Hall and will be available for several weeks after the tree lighting ceremony on Friday. The synthetic surface allows the use of regular ice skates.

The rink came up during a discussion at the last Redevelopment Agency meeting about the property along Augusta Street and East Milton Avenue, which probably will be used for parking for at least two years.

Landmark Companies will let the city use the parcel for parking until it obtains other parts of the block, City Administrator and Redevelopment Director Peter Pelissier said.

Landmark has purchased several parcels along Main Street, including the Wenson Associates building on the corner of East Milton.

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