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WON’T LET IT GO!

The Seaman Avenue property *Photo by Carolyn Maxwell

The Seaman Avenue property
*Photo by Carolyn Maxwell

PERTH AMBOY – Several residents came up to speak at the 3/24 and 3/26 Caucus/Council Meeting. As in the past, two issues came up again. One was properties formerly owned by developers that were sold to the City or other entities within the City were questioned. Insurance fraud was also a topic.

Former Council President Kenneth Balut continued to hammer away at Council Member Fernando Irizarry. Irizarry was the chair of the Buildings and Grounds Committee when the Board of Education purchased property on Seaman Avenue. This property was purchased in 1997 to build another school. The property still has not been developed and is still an empty lot and an eyesore.

Board Member Kenneth Gonzalez has also been attacked because he had been on the Board of Education when Francis X. Gartland committed insurance fraud involving teachers health benefits.

Councilwoman Lisa Nanton

Councilwoman Lisa Nanton

Councilwoman Lisa Nanton finally responded to Balut’s accusations. Talking directly to Balut Nanton commented, “You keep attacking Councilman Gonzalez about his tenure as a Board of Education Member when the insurance fraud took place. Remember, Perth Amboy was one of several town’s when this insurance fraud was committed. For you to continuously attack Councilman Gonzalez is ridiculous.”

Another property in question is owned by City Resident and Developer Barry Rosengarten. This is the former General Cable Property located across from Middlesex County Vocational School on Washington Street.

This property was bought by the County Freeholders to be turned into a County Park when the City of Perth Amboy didn’t have funds to purchase it.

Rosengarten paid for a bond to have a re-mediation done on the property to check for contaminants.

At the Caucus Meeting Business Administrator Greg Fehrnebach said that the property on Washington Street was described as being cleaned meaning no contaminants.

Council President Joel Pabon was confused and wondered how it could go from being clean in 1996 to contaminated now.

Fehrenbach said “We are now operating under the year 2011 regulations. ECO Science turned over all results to the County when the City decided not to purchase the property.”

Balut said, “The value of the property will go down when housing cannot be built on it. I’m afraid that a park will not be built and the land will go back to the developer. This is a tangled web. History is repeating itself. The County should not have paid $5 million dollars for that land.”

Resident Alan Silber said a press release by the County did not give specifics about who bought or owned the park.

The B.A. answered back, “The Anchor Marine Property might be part of the park. We are in the process of foreclosing on that property but he foreclosing process is not complete. The Mayor wants to see a park there and an expansion of the marina.”

The Washington Street Property owned by Rosengarten was still on Silber’s mind. “This property had an $1.4 million assessment. If this is supposed to be a County Park, it would not be open to all. It should be for leagues and not necessarily just for City Residents.”

For months resident Stanley Sierakowski has been questioning the Washington Street property. He has constantly come to meetings, papers in hand, with information he has gathered and handed over to the Business Administrator and City Attorney.

Sierakowski has mentioned that he has turned over information to State Agencies. Sierakowski wanted to know if the environmental reports on the Rosengarten Property were available. “Will I have to do an OPRA request to get them?”

B.A. Fehrenbach replied, “Reports are available thru OPRA and the City does not have jurisdiction over any matters that concerns that property.”

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