This is a legal notice that was posted in the Press of Atlantic City that I thought would interest readers of this site and wondered if anyone knew where this location is on the Pike.
http://www.publicnoticeads.com/NJ/search/view.asp?T=PN&id=982\9092009_10920532.HTM
LEGAL NOTICE
TAKE NOTICE THAT JOSEPH BOCCELLA HAS APPLIED TO THE NEW JERSEY PINELANDS COMMISSION FOR A LETTER OF INTERPRETATION RELATED TO THE POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OF A REHABILITATION FACILITY / HALFWAY HOUSE ON BLOCK 10103, LOT 2 LOCATED ON THE WHITE HORSE PIKE (US ROUTE 30) IN MULLICA TOWNSHIP, ATLANTIC COUNTY. THE LETTER OF INTERPRETATION CONCERNS THE PROJECT'S COMPLIANCE WITH SEVERAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND USE STANDARDS INCLUDING:
- USE WITHIN A FOREST DISTRICT
- WETLANDS PROTECTION
- WATER QUALITY
- RARE SPECIES AND CULTURAL
RESOURCE PROTECTION
THE APPLICATION IS ON FILE AND AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION BY APPOINTMENT AT THE PINELANDS COMMISSION OFFICE. INTERESTED PERSONS MAY COMMENT TO THE PINELANDS COMMISSION WITHIN TEN (10) DAYS OF THE DATE OF THIS NOTICE. COMMENTS SHOULD BE SENT TO THE PINELANDS COMMISSION, PO BOX 7, NEW LISBON, NEW JERSEY 08064, PHONE (609) 894-7300.
Prepared By:
Adams, Rehmann & Heggan
Associates, Inc.
850 South White Horse Pike
Hammonton, NJ 08037
Printer Fee: $27.36
#0090540249
Pub Date: September 10, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Recent legal notice in the Press
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26 comments:
The two words that bother me in this article are "halfway house".
My interpretation of this would be a facility that brings in criminals or drug abusers for rehabilitation with minimal security.
It seems that the danger and risks to the people of Mullica should be considered before the endangered plant species.
A halfway house is different than a group home, of which Mullica has several. A halfway house typically is a place where the state sends convicts before releasing them back into society and where some type of training is provided. Halfway house facilities usually are much larger than group homes, which normally house only a few individuals living in a family-type setting and are permitted in Mullica. Because of Pinelands' environmental regulations, I would think that it would be very difficult to get permission to house a large number of people on one building lot in Mullica, even if the potential danger and risk to the residents was not a factor in the decision.
I don't think anyone in Mullica would like to live next door to this type of facility. Does the town have a right to refuse permits for this?
I did a google search on Joseph Boccella. I think I've found some answers. On "Buyowner.com"he has his property listed.
$550,000,13 acres,20,000 sq.'building,600' frontage on Rt 30
Zoned agricultural,can be used for warehouse,office complex,or retail business.
The pictures on the site can easily be identified as what we know as the abandoned Devonshire Inn. It is the empty cement building with the arches and stone work front on Rt. 30.
It seems that this might be the place where Mr. Boccella wants to start a halfway house for criminals or drug abusers. It is 1.51 miles from Mullica Twp. middle school.
The uses mentioned for the zoning does not include this type of venture.
Not too long ago, Cathy Chasey wanted the Pinelands to include all the land on the Pike up to and including the Devonshire Inn, to the Elwood Village. Is she still planning to rezone our town for her "friends" and their criminals?
Ms. Chasey has been pushing to rezone the unfinished "Devonshire Inn" site to become part of the Elwood Village Center ever since she also began pushing to rezone the EVC to six homes per acre.
Re: 11:42 post "Does the town have a right to refuse permits for this?" Yes, it does, but it all depends upon who is appointed to the Planning Board by the new Mayor next year and the makeup of the committee. Elections have consequences.
This is yet another instance of one helping out a "friend" before fully considering the potential negative impact on the community, an attitude which unfortunately is still entrenched in Mullica politics. Old habits die hard and a leopard can't change its spots. Its time for Kathy to go.
This is another hair-brain scheme that will go nowhere once it sees the light of day.
Mr. Boccella must have gotten some encouragement for his project from some town official that the zoning could be changed for him.
Normally, someone would go to the town first to see if their proposed use would fit into existing laws.
This reeks of the same methods that Chasey used to keep the Garbage rail transfer station a secret from the public. It was discovered that she knew almost a year before the story leaked to the people.
It would not surprise me if Mr. Boccella and Chasey have been having private chats.
Re 11:38
I think this already went beyond a hair-brained scheme.
This man has hired lawyers,submitted a request for interpretation to the Pinelands Commission and obviously has spoken to the County or State about his plans for a halfway house.
The State or County must agree with him that there is a need for such a facility or else he wouldn't be spending his money trying to get this approved.
The plan for this just didn't pop up overnight. This project must been in the planning stage for a long,long time.
It would not be a surprise that Chasey and Forman were holding private meetings with Mr. Bocella. They are always in the market to take care of people they know, especially those friends from OUTSIDE OF MULLICA, BEFORE the residents of this town.
Chasey will go on to say that this will be a "clean ratable" for Mullica. THIS IS ANOTHER OF HER NUMEROUS LIES!!! A facility such as this will be run by a non-profit holding company that WILL PAY NO PROPERTY TAXES TO MULLICA. Mullica will get all of the riff-raff and top that off with no new tax revenue.
Next, the police will need to hire another officer because of the risk associated with this facility.
So, let me get this straight:
No new tax revenue, risky new residents and higher taxes in the form of new police services.
Another great move by Chasey and Forman to sell out Mullica...
re 2:01 pm
You brought up some excellent points.
Its reassuring to see Gadfly readers are alerting the town to some serious issues. Of all possible uses for the Devonshire Inn site its being proposed as a "halfway house?"
I agree with some posts that with the money being spent by the applicant for engineers and lawyers there is a strong suspicion of talks with some parties in the township before he went to Pinelands.When one reads this and remembers it was only a few days ago in a Gadfly post that a comment appeared in response to "throwing the public servants out of office". The responding comment was "servant to no one". That bold in your face statement was another way of saying the public be damned and explains a lot. Chasey and her running mate cant dodge that one!
Sounds like someone is trying to do an end run around the township (again).
If anyone is going to respond to the Pinelands Commission about this,you have 4 days left.
Pinelands Commission
PO Box 7
New Lisbon,N.J. 08064
Phone 1-609-894-7300
I'm so glad that this came out now.
People will have time to think of the consequences of not voting or voting Chasey and Crowe back into office.
They were for the Garbage Rail Transfer Station and the rezoning of the Elwood Village Center. As stated in the other comments, Chasey has already asked that the Devonshire Inn be included in the EVC.
I don't believe for a minute that Chasey doesn't know Boccella or about his plans to bring a "Halfway House" to Mullica.
The minute I read this application, the first thought that came to my mind was that Chasey called Boccella and screamed at him that he should have waited until after Nov. 3 to make his plans public.
KFC must have privately encouraged the land owner with his plan. Otherwise, he would not have spent so much money pursuing it if he didn't feel that he had the votes to push it through.
re 12:59pm
I'm inclined to agree with you. Boccella is just the type of rich person that Forman and Chasey would bend over backwards for and think nothing of the damage to the town they would cause.
It is a safe assumption the applicant got the "green light" from some members of committee otherwise he's a complete fool. The fact that the KFC team has refused to share anything with the Mullica Green members of committee and supposedly meets with various parties on various issues w/o them has been a pattern of abuse and arrogance throughout the past year. They refuse to concede that the Democrats were elected by the resident voters and to deny them a voice is to deny the voice of the people. I suppose this application wasnt meant to see the light of day and never took into account someone might have the brains to read this in the Press and figure it out. The KFC team certainly cant say the Democrats were the ones who met with him since like everything else they were kept from getting any information. Yes, it does reek of the trash transfer station episode and remember that property is still in Mr. Waszens hands.
A disreputable trash hauler uses an influential engineering firm to promote a 140-townhouse development on 20-acres, requiring the rezoning of Elwood.(The current zoning is one house per two acres.) Cathy Chasey touts its benefits to the community, while spending tens of thousands of the taxpayers' dollars to assist him.
Now another landowner hires an engineering firm to apply for a halfway house, which also would first require extending and rezoning Elwood for higher density.What information does he have that the public doesn't? Does he expect a Republican sweep in Mullica this November and clear sailing?
If you don't want a halfway house in our community,don't vote for Chasey and Crowe. Instead, elect Gabris and Polk for honest, open government that respects the residents and to keep detrimental projects like this one from happening in Mullica.
KFC aren't working for Boccella. There's somebody else behind the scene who they're working for. Just like Waszen. It was someone else. Its the buyer, not the seller, who they ultimately want to help.
Re 10:00 am
Now you are making me think that this is all about Chasey wanting to help out her County friends again at our expense.
We know from the past how the garbage rail tranfer station would have helped the County get rid of their trash. There was big money lost when that fell through and Chasey used our tax dollars to find a way to make in up to Waszen.
I'm wondering if she made a deal with some of the County people to approve this "halfway house" for criminals to make up for the failed transfer station plans.
I just have this bad feeling that something else is going on behind the backs of the public again.
44 days till election day!
I am thinking that this was one of the reasons that Chasey wanted no one to be able to hand out literature at the dump. She was extremely upset about the pamphlet the the Pinelands wrote about the rezoning.
Get ready "Concerned Citizens" of Mullica. It looks like we will have to be active again.
Thanks to KMG we still have the right of freedom of speech that Chasey wanted to take from us.
I don't want a risky facility like this and I doubt if anyone else wants it in their back yard either.
what a shame. who the hell wants a place like this near them or near a school..... doesn't the cousel have a right to deny this because it is so close to a school?
9:38am post
"doesn't the cousel have a right to deny this because it is so close to a school?"
It depends who's appointed to the planning board and who's sitting on committee next year. Just like the transfer station and rezoning Elwood for more homes, there are outside political supporters who are pressuring some of Mullica's local representatives to consider their buddies' business interests over those interests of the community. Think county, state and federal levels and you won't be very far from the truth.
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