Task force in talks for ballpark complex
Negotiations ongoing with property owners on Rte. 33 in Monroe
BY SETH MANDEL
Staff Writer

A Monroe task force is considering four properties for the future siting of a minor league ballpark, residential housing, retail establishments and other amenities.

The Route 33 Land Development Task Force, assembled by Mayor Richard Pucci and headed by township Environmental Protection Manager Joe Montanti, has been looking into future development possibilities along the state corridor in light of the idea that a ballpark will be built there. The task force has also been negotiating with the affected property owners and developers.

The four properties under consideration are as follows:

• An 89-acre parcel, beginning about 1,500 feet west of Perrineville Road and running to Bentley Road, near Applegarth Road. The property is owned by the Punia family, but developer Anatole Hiller has a development option on the land. This land, Montanti said, would be ideal for the ballpark, which includes plans for a park-and-ride and possibly a performing arts center.

• A 112-acre parcel to the immediate west of the first property. This land is owned by Peter Visceglia, of Federal Business Centers. Developer Edgewood Properties has an option on this property, which would include retail establishments as part of a village mall, and condominium housing.

• A 100-acre parcel west of the previous property that is owned by the Punia family, on which Edgewood Properties has an option.

• A 52-acre parcel to the east, on which Edgewood Properties also has an option.

Montanti said that Visceglia owns another large parcel, but intends to construct two warehouses, each comprising 1 million square feet, something Montanti called a “no-brainer” due to the tax revenue it would bring to the town, and its minimal impact on traffic.

Hiller also has an option on a 37-acre property at the corner of Butcher Road and Route 33 that is owned by William Warren. But Hiller has proposed retail establishments and rental units on the site, something Montanti said the township would not consider.

Montanti said there are too many downsides to rentals, as renters tend not to put down any roots in a town and do not spend much time there. He said the rentals would also be taxed at a much lower rate than would a condominium of equal size.

“We don’t think that’s in anybody’s best interest,” Montanti said. “We basically told him, ‘If that’s all you want to discuss, the discussions are over.’ ”

Although the township would not consider allowing the construction of rental units, Montanti said officials would consider condominiums as part of the residential development in the area.

But, he said, the developer must prove that the condos, which would likely be in the $400,000-$500,000 range, would not add schoolchildren, something that could increase property taxes.

“The mayor and most of the committee think the ballpark is a great idea, and think it would be a great benefit to the town,” Montanti said. “However, we’re not going to do a ballpark if it’s going to mean creating housing that’s going to cause a hit to the school system. That’s just not going to happen.”

Montanti said that the presumption that the condos would not add children to the schools is understandable. He questioned why a couple with young children would move into a $500,000 condominium.

“You can find single-family housing in that price range that will give you the amenities of a home as opposed to a condo,” Montanti said. “And it does make sense. However, the mayor, myself and other members of the committee are somewhat skeptical. We want to see some real data that shows that.”

The task force was set up in May in anticipation of water and sewer connections along Route 33 that were previously unavailable to the area.

“The task given to us was to try to come up with a plan for Route 33 that would be an all-encompassing plan, so it doesn’t get done haphazardly, so it gets done with some theme, and some integration, and that will generate a lot of tax revenue,” Montanti said.

The panel also includes Councilman Henry Miller, Township Engineer Ernest Feist, Planning Board Chairman David DeMarco and Affordable Housing Officer Helga Stoessler.

Business Administrator Wayne Hamilton and Municipal Utilities Authority Executive Director Michael Rogers are advisers to the committee.

Local officials are encouraged by the success of minor league teams in Trenton and Bridgewater, among others, and they have said that township land along Route 33 would be a prime location for a ballpark.

Last year, Steve Calafer, co-owner of the Somerset Patriots baseball team, commissioned a feasibility study with the Middlesex County Improvement Authority to determine the possible success, if any, of a team in Monroe Township. The study found that a 6,000-seat stadium would likely be a success in the area.

Montanti said the ballpark could be part of a complex that will encompass an uninterrupted two-mile stretch with internal, interconnecting roads, and that it may include a new performing arts center.

The township currently has the Richard P. Marasco Performing Arts Center at the high school, but Montanti said the facility’s parking and seating are limited.

Montanti said the stadium’s parking area could also be used for a park-and-ride facility, which would help ease traffic in town. He said many commuters cut through Monroe on their way to the New Jersey Turnpike entrance in Jamesburg and the park-and-ride on Route 130 in South Brunswick.

“We would make use of the parking for the ballpark as a daytime park-and-ride area, which will help generate revenue, and will also hopefully cut down on a lot of people cutting through Monroe to get to the park-and-ride on Route 130,” Montanti said.

The addition of the park-and-ride could also help the township to court high-end retail establishments.

Montanti said many retail proprietors who consider their establishments “high-class” prefer to be in the company of other “high-class” establishments. Such establishments, Montanti said, are not usually found in outdoor malls.

“The better retailers are really looking for something that is a step above those little mall-type things,” Montanti said. “They’re looking for something that’s more of a destination.”

The ballpark complex, with all its planned amenities, would be much more attractive to retailers, he added.

“When you have something like a park-and-ride, when you have a ballpark, and when you have upscale residential condominiums, then the retail becomes much more of a destination,” he said.

The Punia family also owns about 500 of the 700-plus acres near the Millstone River that the township is hoping to designate as a conservation area, Montanti said. The state Green Acres program is interested in purchasing the property, he said, and intends to do so regardless of local or county funds to supplement its own purchasing power.

“So we would be able, if we could work this all out, in one fell swoop, to add 450, 500 acres,” Montanti said. “It’s a good picture if we can pull this off.”

But there is an additional obstacle, Montanti said, noting that Manalapan Township has plans to construct a village mall similar to the one envisioned as part of the ballpark complex in Monroe. Demographics show that the area would not support two such projects within a few miles of each other, he said.

“So there is some sense of ‘Let’s get this done,’ because if this project doesn’t happen, Route 33 will eventually get developed,” Montanti said. “But instead of being developed with a plan, it’ll get developed kind of haphazardly, and instead of a better-looking, more upscale retail, we’ll probably end up with what you’ll see on Route 9,” which, he added, would be more costly and time-consuming.

That sense of urgency may lead to a move on the part of the township that Montanti called a “last resort.”

If negotiations stall, he said, the township may move to condemn property.

“The only thing on this property would be things for public use — a ballpark, a performing arts center, and a park-and-ride,” Montanti said. “But to be realistic, if we don’t do something, 33 gets developed in a haphazard fashion. So if this is going to stand in the way of that happening, we’ll consider condemnation on that property.”

Montanti said members of the task force understand that many people would like the Route 33 corridor to remain open space, but that is not realistic.

“What we’ve all been struggling with is, putting all of our biases aside and stepping way back and trying to look at the whole picture, to figure out what really would benefit the town the most,” he said.

And the town’s residents will have their say.

The entire project will be subject to public scrutiny and public meetings, both at the Township Council and Planning Board levels, Montanti said.

The task force will meet again July 27, and the committee hopes to have a report on the negotiations within a week of that meeting.

Montanti said the township is very optimistic about the future of the project.

“There’s a lot that needs to fall into place, but there’s no show-stopper here,” Montanti said. “All of the things that need to fall into place very well could.”