FAIR HAVEN: DUNKIN’ GETS SPILLOVER CROWD

The shop would occupy newly renovated space formerly home to Laird’s stationery store. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

hot topic red bank nj Fair Haven residents steamed over the possibility of a Dunkin’ Donuts opening in town had to keep a lid on it Tuesday night.

Instead, a three-hour planning board hearing that required a change of venue to accommodate a spillover crowd was dominated by occasionally hostile cross-examination of a traffic consultant by lawyers representing two objectors.

February 20, 2019 - 9:00 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: GREEK FOOD, FLOWERS, ART & HAIR

Mayflowers of Red Bank took over half the Wharf Avenue space long used by Chetkin Framing, which remains next door. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

A new Greek restaurant opens in Red Bank Friday, joining a flower shop that made its debut last week.

This edition of redbankgreen‘s ever-trawling Retail Churn pops in on each for the story, while serving up a bouquet of news about more planned business openings. Read on for details.

February 8, 2019 - 7:30 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR FOR POT SHOP

The Galleria’s application indicated the business would be located in space now occupied by Siam Garden. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

hot topic red bank nj Three months after Red Bank changed its zoning laws to allow sales of medical marijuana, the borough has rejected its first application for a retail pot shop, officials said Wednesday night.

The denial appears to underscore one of the main problems such a business would have to navigate: limitations on their proximity to schools and parks.

February 7, 2019 - 1:20 pm | Comments ()

RED BANK: THREE NEW HOMES APPROVED

The new owner of a corner lot at West Westside Avenue and Clifford Place plans to demolish the existing house and build three new homes. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

hot topic red bank nj A proposal to build three new homes on an existing one-house lot won approval from the Red Bank planning board Monday night.

But not without some pushback over whether the builder was “squeezing in” too much development.

February 7, 2019 - 8:15 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: BOARD OKS RAZING OF VICTORIAN

Flanked by two office buildings also owned by Meridian, the Victorian home is the only one currently slated for demolition. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

hot topic red bank nj Over the objections of residents who pleaded that it be saved, the Red Bank planning board approved the demolition of a 118-year-old Victorian house owned by Riverview Medical Center Monday night.

Read More »

February 5, 2019 - 9:00 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: PASTRY, PIZZA AND MORE

Anthony Campitello, with daughters Cristina, left, and Angie, has opened Alfonso’s Pastry Shop in the Broad Street space that was formerly home to Carlo’s Bake Shop. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

Meet the new boss.

Quickly filling a retail space vacated by famed TV ‘Cake Boss’ Buddy Valastro, a new pastry shop opened in Red Bank Wednesday, offering creamy desserts… and some perhaps unexpected savory items. Read More »

January 31, 2019 - 9:15 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: PARKING REVENUE STILL ON TABLE

Councilman Michael Ballard, center, and Mayor Pasquale Menna on election night 2017. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

hot topic red bank nj Red Bank’s mayor and council say they’re “hopeful and optimistic” about implementing the recommendations of a bombshell parking study delivered this month.

The assertion was made Tuesday in an unusual press release that appeared to walk back comments made by Mayor Pasquale Menna and Councilman Michael Ballard to redbankgreen last week, when they termed a key recommendation in the report potentially “catastrophic” and a “terrible hit” for taxpayers.

January 29, 2019 - 11:30 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: VICTORIAN IN CROSSHAIRS

A prominent Victorian structure on East Front Street is on the agenda for the next Red Bank planning board meeting.

What’s Going On Here? Click ‘read more’ for the answer. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

Read More »

January 29, 2019 - 5:25 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: ‘WEANING’ FROM METERS UNLIKELY

Using meters to fund town operations leaves the parking utility “without adequate financial resources” for maintenance and upgrades, the report found. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

red bank taxes One of the key recommendations of a bombshell study of Red Bank parking appears unlikely to be adopted by borough officials anytime soon, redbankgreen has learned.

At issue: the council’s annual siphoning of the surplus generated by parking meters and kiosks in order to slow property tax increases. Ending the practice, says Mayor Pasquale Menna, would be “catastrophic” for taxpayers.

January 25, 2019 - 8:30 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: DOWNTOWN GETS FIRST TATTOOS

Michael Saunders inks a new tat for Red Bank resident Nick Goskowsky on opening day at Front Street Tattoo. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Just three months after the Red Bank council voted to allow tattoo parlors downtown, one has inked its first butterflies and skulls onto biceps and bellies.

January 17, 2019 - 5:10 pm | Comments ()

RED BANK: PLANS CLEARS HISTORICAL REVIEW

Architect Bob Van Remoortel shows the Historic Preservation Commission the revised proposal for a medical office building Wednesday night. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

hot topic red bank nj Following radical changes, a proposed office building in Red Bank’s Washington Street Historic District won endorsement from newly muscular Historic Preservation Commission Wednesday night. Read More »

January 17, 2019 - 9:10 am | Comments ()

FAIR HAVEN: CONCEPT PLANS UNVEILED

Fair Haven’s new borough hall could look like this, its architect said. The view is from the firehouse on the opposite side of River Road. (Rendering by Eli Goldstein. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Fair Haven officials rolled out a set of concept drawings Thursday night for a pair of new borough buildings at the heart of an ambitious consolidation plan.

They also unveiled a timetable for the proposal, which calls for a domino chain of real estate acquisition, construction and the sale of property to help fund it all.

January 11, 2019 - 12:20 pm | Comments ()

RED BANK: PARKING SYSTEM FOUND ‘BROKEN’

Carrie Krasnow, with study co-author Brian Bartholomew looking on, addresses the audience at the Red Bank Primary School Thursday night. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

hot topic red bank nj Red Bank might soon need another 220 or so parking spaces downtown, but it doesn’t need a parking garage just yet, a pair of experts say in a long-awaited study unwrapped Thursday night.

Instead, local officials first have to fix a “broken” parking management system, they said.

January 11, 2019 - 2:00 am | Comments ()

FAIR HAVEN: CURTAIN TO RISE ON BORO PLAN

Officials are negotiating a deal to buy the former Sunoco station site at 626 River Road, marked with the star above. (Image by Google. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

hot topic red bank nj Fair Haven residents are slated to get their first look Thursday night at a plan for a possible new borough hall and police station.

Here’s what to expect.

January 9, 2019 - 3:30 pm | Comments ()

RED BANK: PARKING STUDY UNBOXING SLATED

[Correction: Meeting to be held at primary school, not the middle school.]

More than a year after a push to redevelop Red Bank’s main parking facility ran into a wall, the results of a parking study will be unwrapped Thursday night. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

January 9, 2019 - 7:30 am | Comments ()

FAIR HAVEN: DUNKIN’ DONUTS BREWS DEBATE

Plans for the former Laird’s Stationery space in Fair Haven have borough residents abuzz. What’s Going On Here? Click ‘read more’ for the answer. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

January 8, 2019 - 12:45 pm | Comments ()

RED BANK: TACOHOLICS TO GET THEIR FIX

Tacoholics plans to covert the storefront at 90 Broad Street to a 27-seat restaurant. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Another eatery that got its start as a food truck won a green light from the Red Bank planning board Monday night.

January 8, 2019 - 6:30 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: DUNKIN’ PLAN RAISES CONCERNS

The Shell station at Newman Springs Road and Shrewsbury Avenue would be rebuilt with a Dunkin’ Donuts shop on site. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

hot topic red bank nj A bid to create a last-chance coffee stop in Red Bank for Parkway-bound commuters got underway at the zoning board Thursday night.

Among the issues: what if it’s really popular?

January 4, 2019 - 8:25 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: ZONERS OPEN WITH BIG AGENDA

Two new floors are proposed for the former Fameabilia building on Monmouth Street, where a microbrewery and restaurant are planned for the first floor. (Rendering by Larry C. Johnson. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

hot topic red bank nj Should a one-story building in downtown Red Bank be permitted to add two floors? Should a gas station at a busy corner be allowed to add a Dunkin’ Donuts shop to its site?

Those questions are scheduled to go before the borough zoning board at its first meeting of 2019 Thursday night.

January 3, 2019 - 6:45 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: DEMS GLIDE INTO NEW YEAR

Mayor Pasquale Menna prepares to swear in new fire Chief Wayne Hartman, center, and deputies Scott Calabrese and Bobby Holiday. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Red Bank’s government turned the calendar page to 2019 with a friction-free reorganization meeting Tuesday that kicked off the fourth term of Mayor Pasquale Menna and gave Democrats unfettered control of borough hall.

Here are some highlights:

Read More »

January 2, 2019 - 7:30 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: CORNER BUILDING SOLD

Vacant more than four years, 1 Broad Street has a new owner. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

This edition of redbankgreen‘s Retail Churn has news of a jewelry shop opening and a long-vacant, high-profile store space changing hands.

December 21, 2018 - 9:20 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: BUILDING DESIGN TO BE REVISED

Architect Brian Tracy shows the Historic Preservation Commission a revised proposal for a medical office building Wednesday night. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

hot topic red bank nj A modernist office building topped by what looked like an overturned laundry basket won’t be built in Red Bank’s Washington Street Historic District as proposed, an architect said Wednesday night.

But neither, it appears, will his replacement design, which Historic Preservation Commission members still found unacceptable.

December 20, 2018 - 10:20 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: STUDENTS RETHINK MONMOUTH ST.

Curtis McDaniel discussing the concept plan he co-created, showing an eastward view along Monmouth Street. Below, developer Todd Herman comments on a student pitch. (Photos by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Assignment: come up with new design concepts to enliven the stretch of Monmouth Street between the train station and borough hall in Red Bank.

The response: lots of new apartments, rooftop bars, hidden parking decks, pockets of greenery and even an amphitheater across the street from the Count Basie Center for the Performing Arts.

December 18, 2018 - 11:30 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: BANK CHURNS OUT, STATIONERY IN

Vicky Li’s new Mini Shop opened Saturday. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

A bank branch closes and two new businesses open in downtown Red Bank.

Read all about it in this edition of redbankgreen‘s Retail Churn.

December 14, 2018 - 9:16 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: FIRE BLAMED ON RIGGED HEATER

The portable heater and duct, visible at center, were removed from the porch before firefighters arrived, officials said. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

hot topic red bank nj The fire that destroyed a Red Bank house Wednesday was blamed on a portable heater, according to the borough’s top fire inspector.

The heater had been rigged to keep contractors warm while the house was undergoing illegal renovation work, redbankgreen has learned.

December 13, 2018 - 11:00 am | Comments ()

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Serving Red Bank and Greater Red Bank, NJ

FAIR HAVEN: DUNKIN’ GETS SPILLOVER CROWD

RED BANK: GREEK FOOD, FLOWERS, ART & HAIR

RED BANK: CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR FOR POT SHOP

RED BANK: THREE NEW HOMES APPROVED

RED BANK: BOARD OKS RAZING OF VICTORIAN

RED BANK: PASTRY, PIZZA AND MORE

RED BANK: PARKING REVENUE STILL ON TABLE

RED BANK: VICTORIAN IN CROSSHAIRS

RED BANK: ‘WEANING’ FROM METERS UNLIKELY

RED BANK: DOWNTOWN GETS FIRST TATTOOS

RED BANK: PLANS CLEARS HISTORICAL REVIEW

FAIR HAVEN: CONCEPT PLANS UNVEILED

RED BANK: PARKING SYSTEM FOUND ‘BROKEN’

FAIR HAVEN: CURTAIN TO RISE ON BORO PLAN

RED BANK: PARKING STUDY UNBOXING SLATED

FAIR HAVEN: DUNKIN’ DONUTS BREWS DEBATE

RED BANK: TACOHOLICS TO GET THEIR FIX

RED BANK: DUNKIN’ PLAN RAISES CONCERNS

RED BANK: ZONERS OPEN WITH BIG AGENDA

RED BANK: DEMS GLIDE INTO NEW YEAR

RED BANK: CORNER BUILDING SOLD

RED BANK: BUILDING DESIGN TO BE REVISED

RED BANK: STUDENTS RETHINK MONMOUTH ST.

RED BANK: BANK CHURNS OUT, STATIONERY IN

RED BANK: FIRE BLAMED ON RIGGED HEATER