Planning Board takes up Muhlenberg ER tonight

Final site plans for relocating the SED to Kenyon House
will be reviewed by the Planning Board tonight.

Plainfield's Planning Board takes up JFK's plan for relocating the Satellite Emergency Department at Muhlenberg to Kenyon House tonight. The meeting begins at 7:00 PM in the City Hall Library and the public will have two opportunities to speak.

There are actually two Muhlenberg-related items that will be taken up on tonight's agenda --

• A minor subdivision of the plot 38.03 (the Snyder School of Nursing) to correct an error in the maps; and
  
  
• The final site plan review (under 'New Business') of the modification of Kenyon House for the relocated Satellite Emergency Department.

Approval of the site plan will mean that once the work is completed, JFK will have positioned itself for the development of the remainder of the former Muhlenberg Hospital site.

There is one other item of business tonight regarding an applicant renovating a mixed-use project in the North Avenue Historic District that is on the agenda before the Muhlenberg items.

Other items of interest on tonight's agenda include --

• A discussion on the 'Complete Streets' program, which is concerned with making streets safe and friendly to all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists and those with special needs (see a related story about the Trenton program here); and
  
  
• A review and discussion of Police Division capital project needs for the 2015-2020 planning period.

Parking is available in the City Hall parking lot.

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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Ray, Goodman and Brown concert bumped to Thursday

Tonight's concert has been bumped to Thursday evening.

Plainfield's perennially popular free summer concert by Ray, Goodman and Brown has been bumped from tonight to tomorrow (Thursday), beginning at 6:00 PM at Plainwood Square Park. Likely rain this evening is the cause for the shift.

Produced by Pat Fields, and sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, the concert draws throngs to the South Avenue venue, where blues and pop fans fill the park with their lawn chairs to enjoy a summer treat.

Parking available in the C-Town lot across the street.

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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Park Avenue road work to start Thursday

Union County will begin milling and paving of Park Avenue Thursday.

 
Heads up, Plainfielders! Union County is expected to start milling and paving of Park Avenue (County Route 531) between 9th Street and Front Street this Thursday.

The work is expected to take three days and there will be, according to the county, 'full road closure' from 6:30 AM to 5:00 PM each day.

The project will be a major headache for patrons of the Plainfield Public Library, who will have to fiddle with getting across Park Avenue and then using College Place to approach the library itself.

At the end, Park Avenue will have been done all the way from Front Street to the South Plainfield line. That will be nice.

About the same time, work on Plainfield Avenue should begin. That project, to resurface the road from West 5th Street to Front Street was noted in a previous post (see here).

In the meantime, as Premier Khrushchev used to say, 'You can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs'.

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National Night Out celebration tonight

Then-Councilor Linda Carter (l.) and Assistant Union County Prosecutor
Tiffany Wilson (r.) coordinated the national award-winning 2007 celebration.

Plainfield observes National Night Out this evening with two celebrations -- the official event at City Hall (getting under way at 6:30 PM) and a neighborhood observance jointly sponsored by Netherwood Neighbors and FOSH.

The City Hall observance, which is being coordinated by Councilor Vera Greaves will include a basketball contest, a performance by the PHS Drill Team, T-shirts, safety information packets and refreshments.

The Netherwood Neighbors-FOSH observance begins at 6:00 PM at the Netherwood Station with a march to the Leland Avenue Playground where participants will enjoy a community BBQ (scheduled for 6:30 PM).

Plainfield has been a participating community in NNO activities for nearly thirty years, mostly under the leadership of various City Council members.

Events have included highlights such as a cavalcade of cars led one year during Mayor Al McWilliams' administration and organized by Councilor Liz Urquhart. It went from Rushmore Park on a meandering route to City Hall, where a monster BBQ was held in the City Hall parking lot.

Perhaps the most ambitious program ever was the 2007 celebration coordinated by then-Councilor (now Freeholder) Linda Carter and Tiffany Wilson of the Union County Prosecutor's Office. That year, the committee put together a week-long series of community-building 'challenges' in each ward leading up to the citywide celebration at City Hall (see my post here).

For that effort, Plainfield was recognized by the national organization as a winner in the 15,000-50,000 population category (see story here).

NOTE: This post was corrected on 8/6/14 to reflect Ms. Urquhart's contribution.

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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PSEG project overshadows Housing Authority plans

What is going on at West Second and Madison Avenue?

 

Activity at the vacant lot at West Second Street and Madison Avenue caught my attention this past week. What was going on?

The lot is one of two parcels involved in the Plainfield Housing Authority's scheme to funnel the properties to unnamed developers (though folks think they know who is involved) by way of a conveyance by the city which has been fast-tracked by a Council majority.

When I saw a large tree on the lot being cut down early in the week, my curiosity was piqued.

Then on Thursday a front-end loader and other equipment materialized, along with a large pile of earth where the former grass had been obliterated and piles of large corrugated piping.

Hmmm...

Turns out the lot was leased -- after some negotiations -- this past March to PSEG to use as a staging area for the upgrade of the substation between the Bilingual Day Care and the Sutphen House.

Frank Cretella of Landmark Developers had once proposed moving the Sutphen House, which is landmarked, to this vacant lot. No moves were ever made publicly to carry this out.

Then the Housing Authority of Plainfield involved itself in an imbroglio over a proposed ordinance intended to convey the vacant lot and Public Lot 9 at Central and West Second to itself to pass along to developers.

That ordinance is slated for second reading and adoption at the August business meeting of the Plainfield City Council.

Whether or not the property is conveyed as planned, PSEG is in place through at least March of 2015, overshadowing any plans the Housing Authority or the unnamed developer may have.

But the city will benefit from the approximately $35,000 rent it negotiated plus some street repairs in the area that PSEG has promised.

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Charges against Passaic rec director eerily familiar

Up to $140,000 may have been extorted in unauthorized fees
for use of soccer field at Rushmore Playground.

The charges against Passaic's recreation director, who was arrested Friday on allegations of official misconduct, extortion and theft, may sound eerily familiar to Plainfield Today readers.

One of the methods the fired director, Eddie Carrero, is alleged to have used is charging teams and parents extra and unauthorized fees to participate in city-run teams and leagues (see the Record story here).

In July 2012, rumors of financial hanky-panky in Plainfield's Parks and Recreation Division came to a head (see my post here, which includes links to posts by Councilor Williams and Olddoc).

Among the allegations at the time were the extorting of unauthorized cash fees from soccer teams in order to play on the Rushmore Playground site -- possibly to the tune of $140,000.

At the time that then-director Wynn resigned in 2012 (see my post here), there were other allegations of hiring abuses -- including keeping seasonal employees on staff past the legal limit and paying stipends for seasonal coaches who had no signups for their teams.

Since then, I have learned of other allegations that unauthorized fees were routinely extorted from vendors at the annual July 4th Parade. One can only wonder how long that went on and how much was extorted.

With the announcement by Mayor Adrian Mapp at Thursday's Town Hall meeting that the city was preparing for a forensic audit of several years' finances, the taxpaying public may be closer than ever to answers to these questions.

And the culprits closer than ever to prosecution.

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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Signs of the Times: Plainfield Senior Center

Spotted in the restroom at the Plainfield Senior Center.

The above sign was spotted in a restroom at the Plainfield Senior Center the night of Mayor Mapp's Town Hall meeting.

No comment.

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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Packed house hears Mapp team's mid-year report

The Senior Center was jam-packed for Mayor Mapp's Town Hall.
Image courtesy Councilor Rebecca Williams -- see her report here.

Plainfield's Senior Center was jam-packed for Thursday evening's Town Meeting presentation by Mayor Adrian Mapp and his administrative team. In fact, there were so many people that I was worried we exceeded the legal limit. Thankfully, no one blew the whistle.

There wasn't a parking space to be found between Roosevelt and Richmond, and attendees also parked on Sandford Avenue and in the Bank of America lot. Olddoc notes he was unable to attend because he couldn't find parking within a walkable distance. This is not a good venue for such a large crowd.

Slated for two hours and starting on time, it was going on ten o'clock when the last comment was made by an audience member.

Mrs. Anna Booker (who noted she is 89 years young) kicked off the evening by making an impassioned plea for civility, saying 'we can disagree without being disagreeable'. In the event, the audience was well-behaved indeed, paying close attention to the presentations and being respectfully passionate during the comments period.

Mayor Mapp welcomed the audience and introduced his team -- City Administrator Rick Smiley, Public Affairs and Safety Director Carl Riley, Administration & Finance Director Ron West, Economic Development Director Carlos Sanchez and newest member (and longtime Plainfield resident) Corporation Counsel Vernita Sias-Hill.

The department heads moved through a review of achievements (and outstanding issues) in their respective bailiwicks -- with Mr. Smiley reporting for Public Works and Urban Development, of which he is acting director pending the appointment of a new director. (On that score, Smiley noted that interviews are being conducted with an eye to replacing Eric Jackson -- who was elected mayor of Trenton -- shortly.)

PowerPoint is often abused by presenters who read from the slides as if they were their scripts. Not so this time around -- the PowerPoint presentation was a minimalist outline, giving each department head an opportunity to fill in the details in their own words. Now that's the way PowerPoint should be used!

Unspoken last night was whether the backup materials from which the department heads quoted would be put online along with the PowerPoint presentation. It should be. Let's hope plans to do that are in the works.

Mr. Smiley had perhaps the toughest row to hoe, since the Public Works report covered two items about which residents perpetually complain -- how quickly snow events are handled (we had six this past winter) and potholes (the City rented a special pothole filler and is considering purchasing this expensive piece of equipment).

No fault of John Louise and crew, but the city's streets are still a mess and bone-jarring potholes must still be negotiated carefully citywide. In response to one resident's query as to why we can't just do all the roads at once, Mayor Mapp pointed out that the cost would be estimated at around $100 million -- a sum that the taxpayers would find beyond the realm of possibility.

Mr. Riley noted that violent crimes in the first six months were down 32 percent from the levels in the same period last year. He noted that his management efforts have included daily and weekly data analysis and improved management practices which have had a positive effect on morale. He was particularly proud of the summer Youth Mentoring Academy, which had 21 enrolees between ages 10 and 17. Hopes are to roll the program out on an annual basis.

Mr. Sanchez gave an overview of economic development activity citywide -- including the West End, which has often been overlooked. He noted the new Dunkin' Donuts rising at West Front and Clinton, and concluded his review with mention of interest in a supermarket at a new location -- which drew murmurs of approval from the audience.

Mr. West gave a lively presentation of what could be dull business -- the business of the city's numbers -- tax collections, property liens, inspection issues, a review of PILOTs and more. West brought the house down when he suggested the audience might be able to help him explain why the city had so few dogs and cats -- based on licensing numbers.

Wrapping up the presentations, Mayor Mapp added that the administration is ramping up for a forensic audit of the past several years of the city's finances.

In attendance were Councilors Rebecca Williams, Cory Storch, Bill Reid and Tracey Brown. Mayor Mapp conveyed regrets from Council President Bridget Rivers that she had a conflict and could not attend.

About a dozen or so residents came to the mike to ask questions or make comments. Most were on issues of long standing and importance to residents generally -- street conditions, Muhlenberg Hospital, PMUA rates, and street sweeps.

There were also some expressions of frustration -- one person who was caught in an overlong firearms permit process, several who complained of noise and loud music in various neighborhoods, and one parent asking about recreation programs for children and adults with special needs.

Mayor Mapp took one on the chin when a resident of Leland Gardens came to the mike and expressed his disappointment that after he had given materials on the conditions of streets in Leland Gardens to the mayor's chief of staff -- who promised to get back to the resident -- he never heard back from the mayor's representative. Mayor Mapp took the hit and promised the resident his administration would try to do better.

One extremely frustrated woman, who seemed to be a condo owner from the Monarch, said she had moved to Plainfield about four years ago and felt she had been let down across the board -- the quality of shops, the quality of the schools, and more. The audience, most of whom might share some of her concerns (or even top them), was not receptive and a chant of 'Go, go, go' erupted from many in the rear of the room.

The sense of that interchange seemed to be that however frustrating conditions and the pace of change may be in Plainfield, residents love their town and are committed to it -- through thick and thin.

And that is a pretty good way to end a Town Hall.

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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No ringy-dingys with City Hall phone system

Comedian Lily Tomlin's Ernestine the telephone operator would count
the ringy-dingys on calls she placed. At least hers got through.
View some of her classic routines on YouTube here.

For the third time this year, I was unable to complete phone calls to Plainfield City Hall offices. I wouldn't even get a ring or an error message -- just silence after dialing.

I have heard complaints from employees that the system is highly unreliable and plagued with other difficulties besides leaving callers in the lurch. Some say they have have problems retrieving voicemails also.

On top of that, there is word that the city is being billed thousands of dollars for unused phone lines in a dispute with its supplier.

This is the 21st century. Shouldn't we be able to get at least 20th century phone service?

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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Mayor Mapp's Town Hall set for Thursday

Official seal of the City of Plainfield.

Mayor Adrian Mapp has set a 'mid-year review' Town Hall meeting for this Thursday evening, 7 PM to 9 PM, at the Plainfield Senior Center, 400 East Front Street.

We can probably expect a review of the progress to date on the mayor's agenda as set forth in his Transition Report (see the report online here), but there will also be an opportunity for residents to discuss issues that may concern their neighborhood in particular.

Parking is an issue at the Senior Center. Plan on using Front Street and not the lot behind the Monarch, which is mostly for resident parking.

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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Registry of vacant and abandoned homes for Plainfield?

This abandoned property on East 6th Street is an eyesore
on a block that has been otherwise totally refurbished.

Would a registry of vacant, abandoned and foreclosed homes help Plainfield get a better handle on this problem?

There's not a neighborhood in the city that is without a vacant, abandoned or foreclosed home. You can often spot them with boarded windows, but sometimes the banks don't board them up -- but leave the yards for long periods without having the grass cut.

Just between 8th Street and Randolph Road on Arlington/Kenyon, there are three properties that can be spotted.

Sometimes it's not clear whether a home is in foreclosure. Take 1401 Chetwynd, for example. This tidy little ranch was the home of one of Plainfield's grand dames, Miss Peggy Thomas, niece of an early Plainfield mayor and herself the founding secretary of the Plainfield Symphony as a teenager in 1919.

The discreet and impeccable little home came on the market several years ago after Miss Thomas died with no close family.

It was bought and its new owners removed all the landscaping and showed every sign of a major makeover. Then work stopped, the yard became overgrown and the house appeared abandoned -- much to the dismay and annoyance of neighbors.

What can be done?

Several communities in South Jersey have fought back -- Cherry Hill, Paulsboro and Westwood among them. Now, Woodbury is proposing to join the movement with an ordinance that is under consideration (see South Jersey Times story here).

The proposed ordinance would compel owners of vacant, abandoned and foreclosed properties to pay an annual fee of $1,000 and be put on a registry maintained by the municipality.

What I think is potentially helpful is that such an ordinance could generate a registry that the city could make public -- thereby enlisting the entire community in keeping an eye on the problem.

As things stand now, we only hear something if a neighbor makes a fuss, or if the DPW goes in to cut the grass and there is a resolution placing a lien on the property that comes before the Council.

The last time there was an effort to inventory vacant and abandoned properties was under the administration of Mayor Al McWilliams, when a team of Rutgers students conducted a survey and made a list of 148 properties.

I am sure that list would be dwarfed today, with hundreds of homes in foreclosure as a result of the burst real estate bubble of the early 2000s.

What do you think -- would a registry of vacant, abandoned and foreclosed properties be useful in Plainfield?

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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What happened in Plainfield in 1809?

Established in 1809?

 

What happened in Plainfield in 1809? My attention was caught by the decorative Plainfield seal used on the car magnets for officials riding in the July 4th Parade.

In the decorative scroll on which the seal was set were the words 'EST. 1809'.

1809?

I've heard a lot of dates concerning important mileposts in Plainfield's history, but I was stumped by this one. What happened in 1809?

At dinner with several Plainfield history-minded friends this past week I raised the question.

Folks were puzzled.

1869? Plainfield's charter of incorporation was adopted. 1684? The first European settlers took up residence in what is now Plainfield. 1847? Plainfield Township was created. 1809? Hmmmm.

I noted that in former years, the scrollwork always referenced the 1869 date, but during the administration of the previous mayor the 1809 mysteriously appeared.

Maybe it's just a typo that no one corrected, one of my dinner mates mused.

Hmmmm.

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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Homeownership Fair Saturday

The conversion of this property to affordable condos
is among the projects undertaken by Faith, Bricks & Mortar.

Faith, Bricks & Mortar, Plainfield's HUD-approved housing counseling agency, is offering a Homeownership Fair on Saturday at the Washington Community School from 10 AM to 2 PM.

A letter sent to Plainfield residents by the group's executive director Horace Baldwin notes --

Homeownership continues to be a challenge for many residents in our community. For some the issue is qualifying for a mortgage and whether or not it's appropriate to buy at all. For others, it's keeping up with mortgage payments after experiencing financial hardships.

The Fair will feature presentations on the following topics --

• The pros and cons of owning versus renting a home
• Understanding the home buying process
• The legal environment of home ownership
• Mortgages and financing options
• Foreclosure prevention strategies

The event is jointly sponsored by Faith, Bricks & Mortar, the City of Plainfield, and the Plainfield Public Schools.

Representatives of Chase and M&T banks will be among the presenters.

The event is free and open to the public. No registration is required. At Washington Community School, 427 Darrow Avenue (parking available in the Spooner Avenue lot).

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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Foiled by failed FiOS router

The culprit?

 

We live in an age where we are at the mercy of technology and Plainfield Today is no exception.

Wednesday night our FIOS internet connection went down without warning. The customer service rep thought it was the router and promised a new one would be here by sometime Friday.

Thus no Plainfield Today or CLIPS posts on Thursday -- and without a connection, no way to tell the world.

But my partner is a techie and a tinkerer and announced last night that the problem was fixed -- sans new Verizon gear.

So we're up and running again -- until the next time.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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Four house, garage and art sales this weekend

Sale of the contents of The Pillars headlines
four shopping opportunities this weekend.

Sales of the contents of The Pillars, Plainfield's only Bed & Breakfast Inn, is the headline event of a group of four special sales this weekend.

THE PILLARS

Nancy and Lamont are shutting down Plainfield's only B&B, and the contents will be available for sale this weekend. The Pillars is at 922 Central Avenue.

Here's the schedule--

• Thursday (July 24), 10 AM - Noon
• Friday (July 25), 10 AM - 3 PM
• Saturday (July 26), 10 AM - 3 PM

512 STELLE AVENUE

Van Wyck Brooks Historic District members Gayle and Al are having a garage sale as follows --

Friday (July 25), 1 PM - 6 PM (Preview)
Saturday (July 26), 8 AM - 4 PM

423 WEST EIGHTH STREET

This garage sale at the Rectory of Grace Episcopal Church will offer housewares, china and silver, cooking utensils, jewelry, decorative accessories, children's clothing and more. All proceeds benefit the ministries and community outreach of the parish.

Saturday (July 26), 9 AM - 3 PM

609 WEST EIGHTH STREET

Karen Torian is offering framed and unframed African and African-American prints, African masks, Black memorabilia and figurines, Ornamental plates and Jazz prints. Cash only.

Saturday (July 26), 10 AM - 3 PM

Put on your shopping shoes!

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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Signs of the times: Commercial Real Estate

Rival ERA Reed offers former C21 Campbell building for rent.

Paramount Properties is popping up everywhere,
as here at the corner of West Front Street and Clinton Avenue.

 

Change is popping up all over Plainfield, but some recent signs (literally) in the commercial real estate market have caught my eye.

I was startled on Monday to notice a 'For Rent' sign on Park Avenue across from the Plainfield High School auditorium entrance. Not the fact that office space is for rent but whose and by whom.

The sign is on the former offices of Century 21 John Campbell and is being offered for rent by ERA Reed Realty.

Those of us who were in the real estate business back in the days of the Plainfield Area Board of Realtors (are you reading this, Anne?) will recall the mostly friendly rivalry between the two brokers.

After Lydia Flagg moved her ERA Queen City to Scotch Plains and the Willard Agency and Centruy 21 J.J. Schwartz closed their doors, Reed and Campbell became the bedrock of the Plainfield real estate scene.

When John Campbell gave up the Century 21 franchise and bought the smaller brick building (once a doctor's office) further down Park Avenue, 967 sat empty, the Century 21 sign over the door gone. All that looks to change now.

The other startling sight is at the corner of West Front Street and Clinton Avenue. While checking out the progress of the new 7-Eleven Dunkin' Donuts being built there, I noticed a sign on the side of the corner building across from the Anchor Bar saying 'Crown Chicken Coming Soon'.

Turning the corner revealed that Crown will take the corner space, next to Mi Ranchito Viejo (one of three restaurants owned by my next door neighbor). And the vacant store on the other side displayed the now-ubiquitous red and white sign of Paramount Properties.

Paramount, which began a number of years ago, by acquiring the East Front Street retail and commercial properties of the Pittis Estate, has become absolutely dominant in Plainfield retail buildings.

They also are putting the finishing touches on the building next to the former King's Temple church on New Street.

The only place we haven't seen them active is in the East Second Street business district about which Councilor Reid has complained recently. Could it be next?

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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Welcome to Plainfield Area Sports blog

Plainfield High's Cardinal is featured as the logo
of Neol Pyne's sports blog.

 

Plainfield's blogging scene has a new addition. Longtime Plainfield sports enthusiast and chronicler Noel Pyne sent word via Facebook of his latest effort -- the Plainfield Area Local Sports blog (see here).

The most recent post is a coup -- an interview with Plainfield High's new head football coach Jason Glezman.

Noel was one of the more prolific contributors to the former Plainfield Sports News blog begun by Augustine Dashiell. That blog, which covered Plainfield and New Jersey sports, has since been merged into another covering the greater New York area.

Pyne, a longtime resident and self-declared Plainfield sports fanatic since the mid-1970s also blogs about Cardinals football (see here) and basketball (see here).

As he says, 'I love getting the word out about the good news of Plainfield youth'. You can't beat that for boosting the community.

I'll be following the blog on CLIPS, where its handle will be 'PALS'.

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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YWCA dangling?

No one from the YWCA seems to notice the dangling sign.

 

Plainfield's historic YWCA, though having declared bankruptcy, is still operating, though we don't hear much about its activities.

I noticed the other day that the sign on the Front Street side of the building was dangling precariously.

Seems like no one who works there checks the outside to see what's going on.

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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Annual duCret student show at Swain's opens today

'Waiting in the Wings', by Vicki Hicks,
the 2014 Finck Award winner for portraiture.

 

Twenty-three students at Plainfield's renowned duCret School of Art will be on exhibit at the annual show at Swain Galleries, which opens with a reception from 5 - 7 PM today.

Hailing from as far as Cape May and Morristown, the students are all winners in the school's annual juried art show.

Works are presented in photography, drawing in pencil, charcoal and ink; painting in oils, acrylics and watercolors; portraiture, ceramics, collage, mixed media, stained glass and jewelry.

Honors include the Louis Lanzafama Alumni Award for landscapes, the Walter Swain Award for representational style, Alumni Awards for 2D and 3D design, the Anne and Dudley duCret Award, and the highly coveted Furman J. Finck Award for portraiture.

Finck taught and served as dean at duCret for 27 years. Among his commissions were portraits of such celebrities as Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th president of the US, and actresses Helen Hayes and Julie Harris.

The gallery and the school have partnered for more than twenty-five years to produce the show, according to Ann Swain, fourth-generation owner of the gallery.

Swain Galleries is at 703 Watchung Avenue (corner of East 7th Street, parking off Watchung Avenue). Hours are: Tuesday through Friday, 10 AM - 5 PM; Saturday, 9:30 AM - 4 PM. More info at (908) 756-1707 or www.swaingalleries.com/.

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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