Toms
River: Reconstruction
and expansion of the dilapidated Dover Mall has, according to the
Asbury Park Press, "received strong support from the Dover Township
Council."
But
about forty neighborhood residents disagreed and said that open space
which would be zoned out of existence by the new plan should be
preserved and kept as potential recreation land.
Billionaire Donato D'Onofrio, corporate owner of dozens of bars,
restaurants and liquor stores, presented a plan to the council last
Tuesday that includes a new 87,000 square foot ShopRite supermarket on
land behind the Emerald Apartments off Route 166, a project also
apparently owned by D'Onofrio interests.
D'Onofrio Wants To Build On Eight Acres
Of Open Space In Order To Accommodate 300 Additional Parking Spaces
D'Onofrio, who has been the owner of the mall property for a long
time, and bears a fair share of the responsibility for the run-down
character of the current shopping center, also wants to pave
over about eight acres of open space which was dedicated and preserved
when the apartments were originally approved by the township.
he
open space was set aside for eventual recreation
use, and much of the property is wooded, and currently serves as a
buffer between the apartments and the Garden State Parkway northbound
entrance ramp.
Irony Is Council To Spend Millions For
More Open Space
Ironically, as council members were endorsing the destruction of the
open space parcel included the Dover Mall Project to facilitate the
construction of three hundred additional parking spaces desired by
D'Onofrio, the council is considering proposals to buy more open
space, including the Home Depot property on Fischer Boulevard.
Irony Lost On Inteso?
The
irony was apparently lost on Councilman Carmine Inteso, however.
Inteso was quoted by the press as unburdening himself of the following
obsequious little gem: "We should be able to move forward and
graciously work with you to make this project work."
McGuckin
Also Says D'Onofrio Proposal Should Be Approved
Council
President Gregory McGuckin, whose ward includes the mall property,
also apparently agreed the open space should be trashed in favor of
more parking spaces. "We would certainly like to proceed with an
ordinance for the rezoning as expeditiously as possible," McGuckin
said. Other council members also agreed the rezoning should go forward
as requested by D'Onofrio.
In Other
Republican News, Boss Clement Is Selected As New Republican Boss, But
No Press Release Is Sent Out
In
other Republican news, Richard C. Clement was selected as Chairman of
the Board of Trustees of the Dover Township Republican Club of Toms
River.
Clement's selection was made at a special Trustees meeting which
immediately followed the election of club officers. The election was
held nearly two weeks ago, but no press release was issued because
Clement and other Republican leaders don't want anybody to know who
the new officers are.
11,300
Registered Rank & File Republicans In The Dark Again?
So the 11,300
registered Republicans who are not members of the GOP GreedClub have
been left in the dark once again, as the "leaders" who are supposed to
be representing them refuse to share the most basic information about
the local Republican organization.
Boss Clement Has Nearly Total Power
Again
Boss
Clement's new office will give him nearly total power in the
Republican organization, because he had the club by-laws changed so he
could hang on to nearly total power. He had nearly total power before,
and now he has it again.
Clement Election Took Place At The Old
Time Tavern
Clement's election took place at the Old Time Tavern, one of the
restaurants owned by billionaire Donato D'Onofrio, owner of dozens of
bars, restaurants and liquor stores.
D'Onofrio reportedly did not attend the club meeting and Clement never
mentioned the Dover Mall rezoning.
Much, much more on these issues as time plods erratically forward on OceanCountyPolitics
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