Politics heats up with an­other meeting outburst Middletown mayor says public comment out of order By elaine van develde Staff Writer Middletown’s proposed affordable housing plan is adding fuel to the town center debate. At the heart of the heated discussion is the 1.7-million-square-foot town center. Proposed by a development group headed by family members of Assemblyman Joseph Azzolina (R-13), the town center will reportedly cost $150 million to build. Assemblyman Azzolina recently flared up at a Planning Board meeting on the matter, blasting fellow Republicans for not embracing his family’s plan. Planning Board Attorney Lawrence Carton asked Azzolina to publicly apologize for slandering the board officials at the June meeting. Azzolina called the board’s actions to rezone the property for another use "criminal." Azzolina’s attorney, Gary Fox, said in a letter that "no public apology will be forthcoming." He also promised that "my client has only just begun to express his dissatisfaction and disgust with the Planning Board and other appointed and elected officials." Azzolina followed through on that promise at the July 7 Township Committee meeting. Tempers flared again, but this time it was Azzolina’s attorney who was heated up. Azzolina was not in attendance. As the all-Republican Township Committee attempted to discuss a resolution supporting its affordable housing plan, Fox interrupted. The amended affordable housing plan will provide for the last 655 units out of the 1,655 the township is required to contribute in a 12-year period (beginning in 1994). The town center was slated to include 25 affordable housing units. It was eliminated from the township’s affordable housing plan, though, because town officials say the project has proved to be too uncertain. "It is no longer realistic to assume units from that zone [will be built]," township Planning Director Anthony Mercantante said. As discussion on the affordable housing plan ensued, Fox spoke out of turn. "Can I ask a question?" he said. Mayor Peters told Fox that "actually, there is no public comment at this point in the meeting. "The Planning Board already held a public hearing on this [housing plan]," she continued. "The Township Committee does not hold a public hearing (on the plan). We simply vote on a resolution tonight endorsing the plan or not." Fox was ruled out of order but persisted in questioning whether "this [affordable housing resolution] is an action item." The action was taken at the Planning Board meeting, and Fox’s comments were not welcome when a public hearing on the issue had already taken place, Peters said. He could, however, wait until the end of the meeting for the state-mandated public portion to say anything he wished on the record, she said. Not wanting to wait until the end, Fox persisted in questioning the committee’s action on the issue. "I’d like to make a comment and you’re denying me the opportunity," Fox said. "You had every opportunity to comment at the Planning Board’s public hearing on the issue. … You cannot come in [to this meeting] and just de­cide to take over," Peters said. "Mr. Fox, this is the Township Committee’s meeting, not yours." Township Attorney Bernard Reilly said told Fox it was not the time for public comment. "You’re an attorney. You’ve been ruled out of order," Reilly said. Committeeman Raymond O’Grady said poor politics was preventing Fox from speaking. O’Grady endorses the town center plan, which all of his col­leagues on the committee have said is too large. O’Grady was advised by Reilly to re­cuse himself from the vote on the af­fordable housing plan because O’Grady’s son has commented, on the record, against one component of the plan. An immediate family member hav­ing such a strong opinion could impose a conflict, Reilly said. Calling the resolution obscure, O’Grady refused to recuse himself. "The resolution says the Township Committee has reviewed and is aware and is committed [to the plan]. I’m not," he said. O’Grady said the resolution was just another way to impose "a subtle change to the town center and town center plan — trying to delete the 25 affordable rental units. The committee could use this probably as a basis to put that de­velopment back into more revisions and more site plans, costing the developer a lot more money. That’s one issue." The other, O’Grady said, was that the plan proposed converting commercial properties to residential on the town­ship’s main business corridors. The change could nix a chance to bring more tax ratables into town, he said. It could instead bring more school-age children to burden over-taxed schools, he said. Mercantante said the developments were predicted to bring more empty nesters and young couples and singles than children. Still, O’Grady voted against the reso­lution. Mayor Peters asked the township at­torney to request an ethical opinion on his ill-advised vote from the state Department of Community Affairs’ local finance board. Fox left the meeting before entering his comments on the record during the public portion.