RED BANK: BOARD OKS CANNABIS SITING PLAN

Map indicates areas of town that would be off-limits for cannabis operations and sales with cross-hatching outlined in red. (Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

A plan to accommodate all levels of cannabis businesses – from growth to retailing – advanced in Red Bank Monday night.

The borough planning board, meeting in person for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, gave the plan its seal of approval, finding no conflicts with the town’s Master Plan.

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August 3, 2021 - 7:58 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: CRIME & ARREST REPORTS

The crime and arrest reports below were provided by the Red Bank Police Department for June, 2021. This information is unedited; see below for additional information.

CRIMES

Theft: In the area of Broad St on 07/12/2021 a report of theft was taken.
Victim stated an undisclosed amount of US currency was taken from a vehicle. Ptl Gary Watson.

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August 2, 2021 - 2:08 pm | Comments ()

RED BANK: COUNCIL TO HOSE FIREWORKS

“If you can hear it, and you can see it over the trees in your backyard, it’s not permitted,” said Fire Marshal Tommy Welsh. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Days after a booming Fourth of July weekend, Red Bank officials said they’re ready to enforce a ban on unauthorized fireworks.

At their monthly workshop session Wednesday night, Mayor Pasquale Menna and council members outlined a proposed ordinance aimed at boosting enforcement of state law.

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July 8, 2021 - 7:55 am | Comments ()

FAIR HAVEN: MARINA, TOWN SETTLE LAWSUIT

Fair Haven Yacht Works owner Jim Cerruti in November, 2019, with the disputed dock visible in the distance. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

A six-year battle between Fair Haven’s government and one of the town’s oldest businesses has been settled, the two sides announced late Thursday.

The pact requires Fair Haven Yacht Works to relocate boat slips from a thin slice of the Navesink River it had used without challenge for 90 years.

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July 2, 2021 - 7:40 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: CRIME & ARREST REPORTS

The crime and arrest reports below were provided by the Red Bank Police Department for June, 2021. This information is unedited; see below for additional information.

CRIMES
Theft: On 06/03/2021 in the area of Evergreen Terrace a report of theft was taken. Victim stated a CD music collection valued at $800.00, a framed picture valued at $600.00, various items of clothing valued at $700.00, and $75.00 US Currency was taken from a residence. Ptl. Froilan Hernandez.

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July 1, 2021 - 1:31 pm | Comments ()

RED BANK: AGENCY APPOINTEE SILENT

Cherron Rountree, bottom left, during the agency’s meeting Tuesday. (Zoom screengrab. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

The prospective new manager of the Red Bank Redevelopment Agency appeared onscreen without introduction during its monthly meeting Tuesday evening.

Cherron Rountree, who now serves as township administrator in Holmdel, also did not speak, even as former council member Cindy Burnham said her appointment should be halted by a pending sexual harassment lawsuit in which Rountree is a defendant.

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June 23, 2021 - 7:58 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: TOWN TO ZONE FOR CANNABIS

By JOHN T. WARD

Red Bank will move quickly to set zoning rules on the growth, distribution and retail sale of cannabis, the council informally agreed Wednesday night.

The decision will enable the borough to dictate where cannabis commerce can occur, and eventually generate some tax revenue.

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June 11, 2021 - 7:57 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: POLICE CAMERAS COMING SOON

Body cameras could be fully deployed by September, says Chief Darren McConnell. (2016 photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

As they will across New Jersey, police-worn body cams will soon be the norm in Red Bank, officials said.

But state funding for the devices and related data storage will only cover about a third of the cost, said police chief and acting borough administrator Darren McConnell.

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June 3, 2021 - 3:20 pm | Comments ()

RED BANK: CRIME & ARREST REPORTS

The crime and arrest reports below were provided by the Red Bank Police Department for May, 2021. This information is unedited; see below for additional information.

CRIMES

Theft: In the area of Riverview Plaza on 05/12/2021 a theft of a wallet was
reported. The victim stated a wallet valued at $80.00 was missing containing $20.00 US currency, a NJ driver’s license, a debit card, and multiple credit cards. Ptl Michael Zadlock.

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June 1, 2021 - 1:15 pm | Comments ()

RED BANK: ‘RE-ENTRY’ THROUGH THE KITCHEN

State Senators Declan O’Scanlon, left, and Vin Gopal flank ex-Governor Jim McGreevey as he speaks with Re-Entry participants at Soul Kitchen Thursday. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

“Nobody should be defined by their worst decision,” former New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey said on a visit to Red Bank Thursday.

That’s particularly true for ex-felons who may never have learned the basic skills needed to become self-sufficient members of society, he said.

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May 28, 2021 - 7:58 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: AGENCY CALLS FOR $9.3M YARD

A Google Maps satellite view of the public works yard and adjoining property to the east, roughly outlined in red. (Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

Red Bank should move quickly to bond for an overhauled public works facility, according to a recommendation adopted by the Redevelopment Agency Tuesday evening.

Estimated cost, including the acquisition of property adjacent to the Chestnut Street site: $9.3 million.

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May 26, 2021 - 7:45 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: MASTER PLAN UPDATE BEGINS

A southward view of Broad Street from 2012. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Red Bank embarked on a full-scale rewriting of its Master Plan for the first time in 25 years Monday night.

At a meeting via Zoom that lasted less than 12 minutes, the planning board initiated what could be a two-year process of rethinking the town’s zoning for the next generation.

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May 18, 2021 - 7:52 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: CAR BURGLARIES, THEFT REPORTED

Car burglars were busy on the East Side of Red Bank early Monday morning.

In one case, they took the whole vehicle.

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May 17, 2021 - 4:45 pm | Comments ()

FAIR HAVEN: FINE-TUNING FOR TWO PROJECTS

Architect Margaret DeSantis describing the design of the proposed new police station, at right, and storage facility at left. (Concept by the Goldstein Partnership. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Fair Haven moved to the fine-tuning stage on two major redevelopment projects Monday night, offering residents yet another chance to influence the looks of a new police station and a new public works yard.

Both, located in residential areas, continued to draw praise for fitting in.

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May 11, 2021 - 7:56 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: FOURTH ARREST ALLEGES ASSAULT

By JOHN T. WARD

Red Bank police arrested a borough man four times in April, most recently on charges related to his alleged harassment of and physical contact with a woman downtown, police said Monday.

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May 10, 2021 - 2:00 pm | Comments ()

RED BANK: CRIME & ARREST REPORTS

The crime and arrest reports below were provided by the Red Bank Police Department for April, 2021. This information is unedited; see below for additional information.

CRIMES

Theft: On 04/02/2021 in the area of Monmouth St a theft from a motor vehicle was reported. Victim stated multiple credit cards, an identification card, and $150.00 cash was taken from an unlocked motor vehicle. Ptl. Shane Dengel.

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May 10, 2021 - 12:30 pm | Comments ()

RED BANK: COUNCIL INITIATES REBUILD

The Senior Center occupies a stand-alone building on Shrewsbury Avenue. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

The Red Bank council moved to jumpstart repairs to water-damaged Senior Center Wednesday night, one day after a recommendation by the Redevelopment Agency that it do so.

But even enroute to a unanimous vote, the measure churned up bitterness among the all-Democratic governing body.

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April 29, 2021 - 7:59 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: SENIOR CENTER FIX-UP ADVANCES

The backyard of the mothballed Senior Center overlooking the upper Navesink River. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

A proposal to repair Red Bank’s mothballed Senior Center without adding any new facilities won a Redevelopment Agency endorsement Tuesday evening.

The action could defuse one of the hottest issues in a contested Democratic race for two council seats just six weeks before a primary vote.

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April 27, 2021 - 6:50 pm | Comments ()

FAIR HAVEN: LOADS OF PRAISE FOR DPW PLAN

A view from the northwest of the proposed DPW garage and offices. Recycling compactors would be concealed by a fence. (Concept by the Goldstein Partnership. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Fair Haven planning board members and residents heaped truckloads of “love” Tuesday night on a revised plan to overhaul the town’s public works yard. Read More »

April 21, 2021 - 7:50 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: BALLARD DECRIES ‘TRAGEDY’

Councilman Michael Ballard during a council meeting in May, 2020. (Photo from Zoom. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Red Bank Councilman Michael Ballard spoke with anguish Wednesday night about the police killing of a Minnesota man earlier this week.

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April 15, 2021 - 3:15 pm | Comments ()

RED BANK: CHIEF REBUTS ABUSE CLAIM

Screengrab from a post by Nina Ferrante on the Red Bank New Jersey Facebook page Sunday. (Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Red Bank’s police chief disputed a claim of excessive force posted on Facebook Sunday, telling redbankgreen that there was “no physical contact at all” when officers encountered a couple on New Jersey Transit property Saturday night.

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April 12, 2021 - 10:00 am | Comments ()

MIDDLETOWN: PEDESTRIAN STRUCK & KILLED

A pedestrian was struck and killed by a vehicle Tuesday night on Route 35 in lower Middletown, township police said.

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April 7, 2021 - 11:45 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: CRIME & ARREST REPORTS

The crime and arrest reports below were provided by the Red Bank Police Department for March, 2021. This information is unedited; see below for additional information.

CRIMES

Criminal Mischief: Sometime on 03/08/2021 in the area of W. Front St it was reported white spray was used on the exterior of a brick building. Ptl Gary Watson.

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April 6, 2021 - 11:30 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: MARIJUANA GROW SITE PROPOSED

The operation would be housed in a warehouse on East Leonard Street, indicated by a star above. (Image from Google Maps. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Jumping in on New Jersey’s legalization of adult-use marijuana, a local homebuilder hopes to win approval for a growing facility in Red Bank, redbankgreen has learned.

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March 31, 2021 - 11:45 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: PAY ATTENTION WHILE DRIVING

Put down the cellphone and pay attention: that’s the message Red Bank police hope to get across to motorists as they conduct a special distracted-driving enforcement detail in April.

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March 30, 2021 - 11:30 am | Comments ()