Details of Lucent plan raise some concerns
DiMaso: Developer didn't listen to community
BY ERIN O. STATTEL Staff Writer

HOLMDEL — The proposed plan for the redevelopment of the Bell Labs site on Crawfords Corner Road didn't go over well with township officials.

The Township Committee received an update on Somerset Development's preliminary proposed plan for the redevelopment of the Alcatel-Lucent property at the Nov. 6 meeting. Somerset is the contract purchaser of the property.

"My reaction is that it's clearly not what Holmdel Township wants or needs," Mayor Serena DiMaso said after the Township Committee heard an update on plans for the property on Nov. 6.

"It is fortunate that he told us early, but it is unfortunate that he didn't listen to the community."

Township Administrator and Chief Financial Officer Joseph Annecharico relayed information about the Lakewood-based development firm's plan for the 472-acre tract to the Township Committee after meeting with Somerset Development principal Ralph Zucker.

"On Oct. 28 I met with Somerset principal Ralph Zucker and he assured me that whatever is done with the site, there will be no more traffic on the surrounding roads than when Lucent was at full occupancy," Annecharico told the committee.

"He [Zucker] expressed to me that on the ring road is where the bulk of the development would occur, and he also said that they would like to use the existing building for a mixed use to include retail, a conference center with 300 rooms, a residential component consisting of highend apartment units, and office, university and lab space."

The committee members remained silent as Annecharico continued.

"In and around the ring road, Mr. Zucker said that his company would like to put in a number of condos or flats," Annecharico continued. "In all, there would be 284 townhome units and 620 residential units."

DiMaso pointed out that the number of units was more than double what had been proposed by a previous developer, which did not go forward with plans for the tract.

Home to Bell Labs for nearly half a century, the property was shuttered in July 2007 and listed for sale. The site is owned by Alcatel-Lucent, parent company of Bell Labs.

Somerset Development made an offer to purchase the property and signed a contract with Alcatel-Lucent in August.

Annecharico provided more details of Somerset's proposed plan.

"Outside the ring road, Mr. Zucker said that he would like to see the land preserved as open space and he would like to put solar panels or windmills to produce energy in a park-like setting," Annecharico said. "He [Zucker] said they would camouflage the wind turbines within a play area for children. He said within the redevelopment site, there would be public amenities such as a swimming pool, an ice skating rink, space for a Y [YMCA] program, a health club, and within the building there would be space for a library, municipal or board of education offices, and a spa."

Annecharico said that Zucker told him the company was awaiting the results of a structural study and was still determining costs and ratable calculations.

"Mr. Zucker said that it [a written plan] would probably be ready at the end of November," Annecharico said. "He also expressed that the residential units at the site would be age-restricted."

Committeeman Alan Bateman asked if all of the units would be age-restricted.

"That was unclear," Annecharico said. "He did say that around the ring road they were to be age-restricted."

Committeewoman Janet Berk asked Annecharico what the next step is in this process.

"He [Zucker] will furnish us with a written plan," he responded.

Principals in Somerset Development held a town hall-style meeting Sept. 24 to share ideas with and receive feedback from the community regarding the redevelopment of the site on Crawfords Corner Road.

In early October, Zucker said his company wanted to achieve several things by holding the forum in the Lucent building atrium area.

"We wanted to give the community some insight into our view from our side and let them see the challenges we face so we all understand the real issues," Zucker said. "We presented concepts, but we still have no plan yet, and we wanted to talk about the mixed-use concept and the reasons why we feel it is the best option."

Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen designed the main building at the former Bell Labs site. Worldrenowned landscape architect Sasaki, Walker and Associates designed the landscaping surrounding the 2 millionsquare foot mid-century modern building. The building was erected between 1959 and 1962 and was expanded in 1966 and 1985.

According to Preservation New Jersey, the site in Holmdel is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

Holmdel Township had previously appointed a Citizens Advisory Committee for the Lucent Property, which presented their report in early October to residents and representatives from Somerset.

Advisory committee Chairman Martin Pfleger and co-Chairman Ralph Blumenthal presented the committee's final report during the Oct. 2 Township Committee meeting held at the Senior/ Community Center.

They told residents and representatives from Somerset Development that the report calls for the township to engage a professional planner, designer, architect and engineer to plan the future of the site, a process that could take up to two years.

According to the presentation, there are a number of potential uses for the site."

There are a number of various uses for this site," Blumenthal said. "A conference center for one, or it could be left as open space and farmed. It could be used for government purposes, but that would not produce high ratables. It could be used for industrial. We don't endorse any of these uses, they are simply some of the uses we came up with."