Vote ‘above party’ in November, re-elect Fink

In baseball, it’s three strikes and you’re out. In land development, it seems that as long as there’s money to pay attorneys and other professionals, a developer can go on forever.

A plan to develop a $150 million town center in Middletown was recently rejected by the township’s Zoning Board. It was the third time a plan for a town center, submitted by The Mountain Hill Group, LLC, has been cut down by the municipality over the past three years.

Although the developer’s attorney has said the plan is compliant with township zoning, the township clearly disagrees.

After three years of submitting plans and having them rejected, maybe Mountain Hill should consider hiring someone who fully understands the township’s zoning to develop a truly compliant plan.

It is inconceivable that a corporation willing to spend $150 million to build a town center can’t find a professional who is capable of developing a compliant plan that must be approved by the township.

Mountain Hill’s attorney Gary Fox calls the latest township rejection of the plan frivolous and silly.

Either Fox’s claim is true or Mountain Hill keeps proposing town center plans that just don’t conform to Middletown’s zoning.

If Fox is right, then it might appear that there is a township conspiracy against Mountain Hill.

On the other hand, if Fox is wrong, it would appear that Mountain Hill and its professionals developing the plans are ignoring the township’s zoning laws and expecting special treatment from the township.

If that is the case, maybe Mountain Hill has bitten off more than it can chew. Building a 137-acre town center is a complicated endeavor that requires expertise from the planning to completion stages of the project.

If Mountain Hill cuts corners when it comes to conforming to basic municipal zoning laws, what’s going to happen if the project is eventually approved? Where else will the developer try to cut corners?

Martin V. Schneider

Holmdel