Planning Board - Regular Meeting

Welcome to the December 15, 2025 Township of Springfield Planning Board. Adequate notice has been given in accordance with the Sunshine Laws. Notice was published on December 5th in the Star Ledger, which is one of the official newspapers for the Township of Springfield for 2025. Also posted on the annex building December 5th, 2025. Let's do a salute to the flag. I aliance to the flag of the United States of America for it stands one nation under God indivisibley and justice for all

will our engineer/board secretary please uh do a roll call Alex Kaiser present mayor Rich Huber here Mr. Barnett here Mr. Lauer here. Mr. Cedarquist here. Mr. Mayo here. Mr. Wishna here. Vice Chairwoman Sharon Kessle here. Chairman Tiger here. We have a

That's awesome. Great. Okay. So, a couple things first. First, uh the meeting minutes at the last meeting um not meeting the meeting minutes for last meeting is going to be taken care of in January. Um our dates for next year were out there on the Zoom meeting. Please look at them. not official official, but just as a guide for you to see what's out there uh for the dates for next year. Um so we're going to go in executive session. Um Matt, do you want to discuss executive session real quick? Sure. Uh just for everyone's edification, the purpose of the executive session to go uh and discuss with the board uh matters of attorney client privilege related to pending or potential litigation.

Can I have So it'll be maybe 5 10 minutes max for the public's awareness. I have a motion. I'd like to make a motion to go into executive session. Second. Oh, everything's being seconded by Sharon today. Sharon, [laughter] second. All in favor? I. Anyone opposed? Okay, let's go in executive session. We'll come right back. Um, yeah.

All right. So, let the record reflect at 7:14 we're back from executive session. Can I have a motion to uh to enter into public portion? You did.

Oh, we did. Okay, great. I forgot. Okay, so let's get started. So, the first thing on the agenda is application 9-2024s, Congregation of Israel, Springfield, 339 Mountain Avenue, block 1801, lot 33 to 36 and 39, an amendment to the resolution. Counselor can come up and give us a very brief overview, kind of wherever you feel more comfortable with. Now, now Tamara, will will people on the Zoom Councelor, well, hold on one sec. So, hold on. So, you can't hear us at all. Zoom out.

You want me to say I can hear you, counselor? You want me to say something in the mic? Can you hear this? You can always hear Clara. [laughter] I know that without a mic. Wait one second. Counselor, I can hear you vaguely enough to carry on a conversation. Can you hear me talking on through the microphone? Okay. So, so I mean

Okay. Does it make it? So, why don't we just keep on moving it between the two? It's probably the best thing to do. So, um,

can you watch if we No, probably not. Let's let's give him Let's move this over to there and stay with me. Yes, absolutely. That was what she suggested. Go ahead. It's that town

YouTube. Google Township of Springfield YouTube. You don't have to subscribe.

No, you should.

Yeah. Yes. Thank you. Okay, we're going to get started. If if you somehow lose connectivity or interrupt us, just let interrupt us. So, if you can't hear counselor,

perfect counselor, if you can give us a brief overview of your letter.

Yes, thank you. Clara Herelic on behalf of Congregation Israel Springfield. As the board knows, I am requesting an administrative amendment to the portion of the resolution that involved 18 Pit Road and it had, as you know, 18 Pit Road is owned by Congregation Israel Springfield. We've owned it since July of 2022. I am not requesting an amendment to the site plan. I am not requesting an amendment to variances that were approved. I am requesting a minor change to a condition of the memorialized resolution and the resolution as it was written um placed certain conditions on 18 pit road specifically that 18 pit road cannot be developed in any way to create a driveway, a drive-thru, an access road, a roadway, a parking lot, a pass through or any other way to access the synagogue. It further stated that the only persons permitted to access the synagogue through 18 pit road are the residents of the home and their family. It's this condition, the residents of the home and their family as being the only ones permitted to access the synagogue through 18 pit road is what I find to be too restrictive. It prevents the owner's normal use of the property. Be advised that the amendment that's being requested is to modify that limitation on those persons being permitted to access to include invited guests of the home and those authorized through the applicant to park a vehicle in the driveway of 18 Pit Road, which only holds between three and five vehicles depending on the size of the vehicle. This modification fits appropriately with the normal use of the property. Invited guests would include someone visiting the home for a social reason or a business reason, someone

staying at the home overnight or just staying at the home for a period of time that does not involve an overnight stay. And further, there can be an invited guest to a home by the owner of the property, even if no one is residing in the home. The current language overreaches and takes away the owner's rights to its own property. We recognize totally the concerns of the neighbors of 18 pit road. Well, we have 18 pit road of pit road and that the property should not be used as a driveway or a sidewalk for the entire congregation to access the synagogue by avoiding traveling around the block. The proposed language change in no way would lead to such an outcome. The proposed change keeps in place the listed restrictions. We're not asking you to remove creating a driveway. Leave it there. A drive-thru, leave it there. Access road, leave it there. Roadway, leave it there. Parking lot, leave it there. But remove or consider it a carveout that it can't be limited to only a resident and their family that can use that 18 pit road and walk on the property that we own. And about authorizing the cars, three to five cars that would be in the driveway. Um, when we do this, the words pass through or any other way to access the synagogue um would not be included because that would be overly restrictive and vague. And you can use the language that I'm referring to that would then be tight. The proposed language change, as I said, in no way alters the intent of this condition to not allow this modification actually would unreasonably restrict the use of the property. Remember, both properties, the synagogue and 18 Pit Road are owned by the same entity, the synagogue. Um,

and frankly, you could never put a restriction like this on anyone else's property. The restrictions being asked to be modified should never have been placed in the first place, to be honest, um, by the township. And like I said, no such restriction could rightfully be placed on any other private property. Um, just so that you know, the resolution also required that we give notice to our congregants about not using the 18 bit road as a pass through. Um, as I stated in my letter, we put out a bulletin goes to 310 emails, our entire membership, and we complied with that portion of the resolution. We had um I brought s random samples, but just so that everyone knows, this is what our bulletin looks like. two pages usually and there's a box says notice and it specifically states please do not use the 18 pit road backyard as a shortcut to the shul synagogue and shul are synonymous. So in conclusion again we are not changing the way we're building the building. We are not changing the fact that you don't want to see a driveway, a walkway, a you know a parking lot. We have no intention um of tearing down or asking to tear down that single family home to make a parking lot. We already were before the board for a minor subdivision and consolidation of the lots that we needed to consolidate. We are not looking to consolidate uh 18 Pit Road into the synagogue property. It will remain a single family home on Pit Road. And for the reasons I stated, that is why I believe that this is um an administrative amendment, a minor change that did not require notice.

Thank you. Um counselor, can you just can you just go through the amendment issue where applicants come before us, whether it's requires notice, site plans, and so forth based upon your can use my microphone. So uh most applications have to go through a notice process where they go through the 200 foot uh they do a 200 foot notice at least 10 days before um there's a carve out under the MLUL that required that does not require that kind of notice on uh changes that are not significant uh that are not significant conditions um to a resolution of approval that was otherwise memorialized after a hearing that was properly used. Um and so for this uh application uh plan board we've reviewed that and we do not there was any uh notice issues with respect to this amend requested amendment.

Thank you councelor. Okay. Uh I always go to our professionals. Uh Mr. Mstrada I know you wrote a letter to the board uh dated today December 15th. If you could just synops summarize it for us and tell us your thoughts.

Sure. Um, I my office reviewed the application, the original application. We prepared a letter. I attended all the planning board meetings, listen to all of the testimony. Um, I've read uh the the letter from the attorney um requesting this minor modification and we conclude I conclude that we support the modification of the condition of the resolution as described in the letter. The modification of the condition of the resolutions in keeping with the planning objectives intended to be placed on the use of the existing residence located at 18 pit road and does not interrupt or substantially change the site plan application where the variance is granted by the planning board. The board was very careful that they wanted to carve out this piece of property, subdivide it, maintain it as a single family residence. This maintains that there's no improvements being proposed driveway parking lot impervious coverage or anything along those lines. So the intention in my opinion is continued then you could support

Mr. just go. I know that this is not an engineering issue. Any questions or concerns?

There there's no engineering issue here. I think the um where I would anticipate an issue is from a code enforcement perspective. Is it remaining a residential use? That's what has to be codified in some in some fashion. So I have people over my house and people in my driveway. It's still a single family use. So nobody should not have that ability. The question is, is the activity substituting for for that type of activity? Is does it becoming a parking lot or a cut through? That's what you you have to glean from the testimony and I imagine from questions that are yet to come or our thing parking lot.

Yeah. But councelor, what can you address um who's living there? What's the plan for someone living there if no one's living there? So forth. So that house was purchased back in 2022 to be the youth director/ass assistant rabbi house. Uh up until March of this year that has been the youth director house. Um we switched youth directors. Well actually the youth directors that were there they chose to leave and so that is the reason why the house became vacant. Um, with respect to this idea of it becoming a parking lot, I I assure you, I will put on the record, there's absolutely no intention of anything along those lines. We want it to stay a single family home. We want it to be the youth director house um or an assistant rabbi. Right now, it just happens that the people that are working as youth directors have their own house. That's why they're not living there, but they don't have a permanent contract. So accordingly, it will remain for the purpose that we originally purchased it. With regard to the use of the driveway, um the only people that are using the driveway are anybody that we authorize. This is not our parking lot that we tell people, oh, you know, if you can't find a parking space in uh 339 Mountain Avenue, drive around the block, we have an additional parking lot over there at 18 Pit Road. No, you have to understand that on the Sabbath and holidays, we're an Orthodox synagogue, so we don't ride. So, for several reasons, the use of that driveway would be pertinent to our religious concerns. If there was somebody, for example, that was visiting who can't walk a long distance, there's no reason why that person, if a they're staying at the house, or even b if they can drive, but they can't really walk a far distance, can use that access. Um, again, if we have a guest

lecturer who stays at that house, who's observant of the Sabbath or the holiday, they're staying in the house. There's no reason why they can't on their own property, on our property, walk out the front door, through the driveway, through the gate, and go to the synagogue. I mean, our intention is not that this become an access point for our entire synagogue. That's absurd, and it hasn't been. The truth of the matter is we've owned it since 2022, for three years. This has never been an issue until now.

Okay. councelor um councelor over there talked a little bit about that she felt like it was restrictive or against their use of their property. Can you provide the board a little bit of that?

Sure. Uh what what uh Mr. Relic is alluding to is that they have uh two properties that abut each other. Um and so the restriction that has been placed as far as the condition is concerned is is very specified as to only those who live within the property have access uh to two contiguous lots without um and they're contiguous in that they don't uh there's nothing in between the two lots. So synagogue owns both if I'm correct that is correct. Yes.

Owns both 18 pit and the synagogue property directly behind it. and the uh condition that was placed in the original resolution. Um uh what the applicant is saying is unreasonably restricts the ability to utilize both property properties as if if it was a regular two homes abuing each other or two properties abuing each other. They wouldn't have to go through the same process uh so to speak to to get around it. Um, so I think that's what the application is here before us

since March.

We have a I can't speak to the internal contract that we have with our youth director currently, but I can tell you that it's foreseen that a youth director will be residing in that house. Yes, we I can't say the dates because there's an open contract issue in terms of hiring, but what I can tell you is that we will have no intention of using that house um for you know it was it was said by in one of the letters from the attorney for Mr. appraiser like we're this is only phase one that we're looking to you know knock down the house and make it a parking lot. I will put on the record we have absolutely no intention of doing that. Um in addition to that it was stated that well this is going to become the access point for the entire congregation. For starters I as one who walks to synagogue every Saturday and holidays I I go Mountain Avenue. Most people go Mountain Avenue or South Springfield Avenue or Shunpike. Yes, there are people who belong to the synagogue that live on Pit Road, and there are some people that live on Fieldstone, but the majority do not live on those streets. It would make no sense for anybody that's coming down Mountain or coming down South Springfield or coming down Shunike to then walk up three houses, go through a backyard, go through a muddy, grassy, snowy whatever when you would just continue on a regular sidewalk or walkway. There's not even sidewalks over there on Pit Road. Um, a lot of people have a lot of children. That's one of the reasons why we came before the board that we needed to expand because there's over 200 kids in the synagogue. Nobody's taken strollers through this grassy gate of 18 pit road to try to get to the synagogue. And I've also heard that um,

you know, that oh, people are being dropped off there to cut through. If people are being dropped off, they'll be dropped off in front of the synagogue and just walk in the front door. There's no point in dropping someone off at 18 pit road. No, I understand.

Okay. So, seeing none, I'm gonna take this opportunity to open up to the public. But in this case, for the first public, we're gonna we have a someone on Zoom. We have counselor, if you can introduce yourself and tell us who you're representing and then open it up for questions. Tiger Larry Powers Hogan Longo Moran Dunston Ducas for Mitsy and Rob Prazner. They're uh the next door neighbors. They live next door to 18 Pit. Um just first from a procedural standpoint I because I need to I know I'm going to need to make my record here. I I think that what's being requested is a is a modification of a significant condition. I I really don't see how you can alter a condition significant or otherwise of of a resolution for an application that required public notice in the first instance without requiring public notice. This application wasn't even advertised. No public notice was posted. I mean to me this is a stealth application. And the only notice we had of it at all was Miss Herelic sent a letter on December 11th telling my client that well, we're not required to give you notice, but as a courtesy, we want to let you know that we'll be making an application for a modification of the conditions to the resolution of approval. Dan, tell us what the modification was. Notwithstanding the fact that the day before they had sent the letter of December 10, 2025, the planning board setting forth the, you know, the the type of modification to the the plan to the resolution conditions that they're looking for. And basically they wanted to be able to um allow people who were invitees of of whoever was living at 18 Pit Road um to

uh to use the gate to access the synagogue. Um I could tell you right now that that the reasons that they set forth number one is that they wanted invitees of 18 Pit Road to be able to use the gate. Well, nobody lives there. So there's no one who can have an inviteee. The only pure person who could invite someone to use the driveway and to park there to access the synagogue is the congregation. And that's not what was said in the application. In the initial application, Dr. Smileo said there's over 200 kids in the synagogue. The building's too small to accommodate the youth groups on Sabbath and holidays, and the children either leave the main synagogue to go to the playground on site dependent on weather, or they meet in existing houses on lots 33 and 34, which was great. The only problem is the houses on lots 3, 33, and 34 were demolished. So, they're not there anymore. So the overflow space that they were looking for 33 and 34, I mean they created their own hardship by demolishing those houses. Um he testified that the proposal for the synagogue expansion would create three new youth rooms on the lower level and four new youth rooms on the upper level. and the quote, "These new spaces would help create a distance from the sanctuary where services are sometimes disrupted due to the location of the youth rooms." This is like, "Yeah, the kids are too noisy when we're having a service. So, we'd like them to have a space of their own." Well, basically, they're sp they're going to have a space of their own. They just don't have a space of their own right now because because 33 pit and 34 pit have been demolished. And the reason for them wanting to use 18 pit, I think, is to is to replace the space loss for parking kids during services and events that was lost when those houses were

demolished. And they say, "Well, the kids disrupt the services." Well, they disrupt a lot of things. They discuss they disrupt the peace and quiet of my client's you use and enjoyment of their home. I have to tell you that I have a video, if we can do a little screen sharing, I have a video that was taken in late September that shows how this property is being used. When there's a service, when there's an event at the at the synagogue, the gate opens and kids pour through that gate and they come to the house and they play loud music at the house. They run around the yard. They run in and out of the house. Like in fact, it was almost ironic. The tape I'm going to have to to play for you, the video, the music playing is I don't care. You know, my client had to hear I don't care for 20 minutes with a bunch of kids running around next to his house that were not supposed to be there. The only people who were supposed to be there were the youth director and his family. And now, you know, Mr. else. It's like, well, you know, we we only want to use it for like some overflow parking and and you know, but only people who are authorized by the congregation. Well, they can authorize anybody. Anyone can use that. And that's not what the resolution originally said. So, if we can screen share, I'd like to be able I'd like to show you the video.

Let me do that. Try or does it I can do it. Uh host isn't allowing sharing for this meeting. So, you got to turn it on. Well, I Actually, as to this video, first of all, I don't know the authenticity of this video. I don't know anything about this video. I don't know the real date of this video. I I I have no idea whether the music that was playing, if this was on a Sabbath or this was on a holiday, that's not our music. We don't do that as an Orthodox synagogue. So, I don't I don't trust in the credibility of that video.

I watched the video because it was sent to me prior. It definitely is of of the home. It describes similar, you know, kids running around. I don't I obviously can't tell the date. It doesn't say the date. There is music playing, but I definitely can authenticate my opinion that it was 18 pit 16 pit, 20 pit, that that area. You could see it by the fence. So, I'm gonna I'm gonna let him play this video just so we can see it. I'm putting my objection on the record to that. And and I would Wait one second. Are you saying that you can't screen, you can't share it?

Zoom. You just have to

not a zoomer. And Mr. Chairman, I would like to be able to comment on his com and on that video as soon as we're done with this. While this is being done, who else from the public is here on this application? Just the two of you guys. I have it on my phone.

Yeah, just do that. See if that works. Why don't we try to Take off your take off your blur background. God, I wish people knew.

Just make them co-host. Put it right in front of his face. All right, there you go. You can't see. You can't do it.

We're just trying to let you share it. We can't see it right now. So, give us one second. I mean, from what I can see, there's like one kid that's running toward the synagogue. That's what I'm seeing. All right. Should be able to share it now.

Try to share it with us. Thank you very

No. We didn't We didn't see anything. We didn't see anything. You can also request to share.

See if it requ if you can request to share. But he's co-hosting. You're co-host, so you should be able sharing the right. Hold on. Now it looks like you're doing it. Probably not. Yeah, you probably Oh, that's cute. How about now? Yeah, we see it now.

Good. All right, that's it. All right, we didn't hear it, but we did see it. At least we're able to see it.

That's correct. I heard So that's clearly not what the the purpose of that building was. The purpose of that build house was to be as a residence for the youth director and the gate was supposed the use of the gate was supposed to be restricted to um him and his family accessing the synagogue. Now they have an a totally different use which is overflow space for the kids that that they can't be in the synagogue building proper because they disrupt services. So now they disrupt the the quiet peace and enjoyment of my client's property. I mean it's it's not right. I mean we didn't get any planning report from Miss Herellic. We only got Mr. uh Mreta's report like like two hours ago. We didn't have any opportunity to see what type of relief they'd be requesting. We had no opportunity to get our own planner to respond to this. And I think it's it's it's a modification of a significant condition because they're actually they're stealthily trying to implement a change of use of 18 pit under the guise of well, we just want access so that people can park there. only people that we allow to park there to to use the gate to get to the synagogue. And they said that well and the one of the problems is we lost a bunch of parking spaces because there's a you know there's a a trailer in the parking lot. Well, I thought the trailer was for um maybe construction, but it's not. And that's a trailer in the parking lot takes up seven spaces that is being used for as a class as classroom space. So again, I mean, they should have thought of that before they tore down 33 and 34 pit, but they didn't. So now my client has to suffer for it. I don't think it's fair.

That's okay. May I address this? Go ahead. One by one. First of all, the two houses had to be torn down in order to do the expansion project. Second of all, you couldn't be more wrong about the use of the trailer. We don't have classes. We don't have a Hebrew school. We don't have anything like that. The trailer has three big rooms for the children. So that on the Sabbath, since we don't have the two houses anymore, that's where the kids are in that trailer.

I'm not done. That's where they are on holidays as well. I don't know about your video, but I can tell you with certainty that on a Saturday or a holiday, there is no way that there was music blasting out of 18 Pit Road for an Orthodox synagogue for any children to be there. I will further note that the fence that exists on the synagogue property that we installed that has been there all along which has a gate if if a kid had gone through or two kids had gone through that is not actually the same as this idea that people cannot pull up in front of pit road on 18 pit road and start using 18 pit road to come through and make their way over to the synagogue. Um, couple of the other things that you said which are not accurate at all. And by the way, the trailer wasn't meant for construction. The trailer was always put there for the children. And in terms of when it went there, the trailer has been there since the end of Russia, which are high holidays, and it was intended to be there before the high holidays, but it was a delay on the part of the trailer. So, in the event that there might have been any children in that yard, um there would have been a youth director there, too. And like I said when I started this, just because no one's living there. We own it. That doesn't mean that we can't say the youth director can go in the house and and go in the backyard. So, that's completely false and inaccurate. And the idea that we didn't plan well enough, there's no way to expand the synagogue without tearing down the two houses. No way. And that was all approved by this board. As was the minor subdivision, as was the consolidation of those lots, which were all done properly and with the approval of Mike Disco, the engineer, who

reviewed every meets and bounds, every legal description, and every piece of that. So everything has been done in accordance with the memorialized resolution to a tea, including the notice about the the backyard. Look, if somebody walks through your backyard as a private person in trespasses, it happens sometimes. You can't control it. We're doing everything we can to have controlled the situation. If a straight person goes through and we know about it, we talk to them. But the idea that we are changing the use of 18 pit road to be a daycare center to be a Hebrew school to be any of these things to be the overflow of our children is completely inaccurate.

Any other members of the a regular basis your kids running through the yard and and in the house? Mr. Powers. Mr. Powers, we're we're not going to do a back and forth. Sorry. I would time I would just like to add one comment, but all right, but the gate is not on his side of the property. It's on the other side.

There's other members of the public. I want to give them opportunity to speak. Any other members of the public wish to speak on this modification of 9-20s? One at a time. One at a time. One at a time. You could talk and then Is that what you want to do? Is it on? It's on. No, it is on. Do we have to state like our name? State your name.

Uh Tracy and Adam Glazner, 24 Bit Road. were also were the other neighbors of 18 pit. Um I mean we don't really have any specifics the I mean we're the only concern that we would have is you know right now there you know the request for this amendment is happening now and what's going to happen down the line are there going to be more requests for amendments for the property change you know to the for the use to change how the how it's going to be used. Um, I don't know. This we were we stood up here about a year ago with concerns about it and and it took a year for this to to come up all of a sudden. Um, and now that's just what our concern is like. What going forward? What's it what's it going to be next? Um, that's kind of basically where we, you know, where where our concern is. We don't having people, you know, cutting through and using the property to to get to the synagogue because it's shorter. Um, that's not what the property should be used for. Um, it's under our impression that it's going to be a residence, which is which is fine. It's a residential area and we have no problem with that. When it's going to be a residence for somebody, who knows? Nobody nobody could doesn't seem like that information is being shared with anybody. So, that's kind of where our concern is. Has the property really going to be used going forward? And I'm Adam Glazer from 24 Pit Road. Uh I will state the same that it's just like, okay, you're bending rules. You're bending rules. You know, when does that stop, right? Our request has always just been res just be respectful, right? And and I've had this conversation with some of the congregants before about being disrespectful, right? You guys have properties here in in town, too. How would you like it if people are going

back and forth, you know, across properties, you know, constantly, right? It's it's one of those where you see them come in, you see them come out, you hear the cars. I don't live next to a 7-Eleven, right? I live next to a residence and I expect it to be used like a residence like I use mine and it's not being used like that. While I don't have the videos, I see this and hear the same things that that praise nurse, right? I see the kids running through. I see all kinds of things happening even during the holiday, you know, during the weekends and during the high holidays. It's not limited to to, you know, whatever. It's happening all the time, right? And and and I've had conversations with with Dr. Smileo in terms of what people are doing and I feel like I've been lied to, right? He's telling me I've had a conversation with him over the phone where he's telling me people will park there, right, as a guest. They walk down the street and walk around, right? Some of them do do that. Some of them are respectful enough to do that, but others are not. Some of them are parking there and walking through and you see constantly hear it, right? You see it. They're constant and then they argue with me, right? They argue with me and it's against what was told to me, right? It's against, right, what we knew the resolution said, which is it shouldn't be a cutthrough. So now there's this little bending of it, right? this little bending of it and then it's going to become more our concern is it becomes more and more and more. Right? We worked hard for what we have in our property and where we live, right? And it seems like that's being taken advantage of. You know, we we're we're okay with the building us. We understand what the congregation is trying to do, right? But be respectful of us, right? We're supposed to be part of a community and we feel like all these little things are going to add up. Okay? I feel like six months from now, a year from now, we're going to be back here with another little bend of the rule and then another bend of the rule and before you know it, what's the property next to me? What becomes of my

property? Right? That's a concern of ours. We just ask you guys to be respectful and there's not that respect at this time. I feel like we're being disrespected over and over again. Thank you. I would like to be able to comment to that. One second. Any other members of the public wish to speak on application 9- sure. My name is Robert. Go ahead.

My name is Robert Prazner. I live at 14 Pit Road. Okay. Uh few things. Uh it's not just the three or four cars that she mentioned that park in the driveway. People park in front of my house and then they walk to that house and go through. They don't go and walk around. So, it's not just when she says quote unquote, "Oh, it's just the people that go through the driveway." No, they park on both sides of the street and then they walk through. I know the glazers there, not to get off topic, but she they walk on her property. I've had people walk through my gate by accident. No problem. No big deal. But people from the temple come here from other towns. They don't know which gate where to Oh. Oh, I had a guy ask me the other day, uh, is this the gate to the temple? I said, no, you got to walk around. So, there's other people that come here and you and I don't know where they come from, but they use the congregation and they don't know the rules and they walk right through my gate. So, that's the problem, too. Okay. And they're not these kids. I don't care what you say. They are not they're not being attended by. How it works is the older kids take care of the younger kids. There is no youth director in there. Okay? They're all over the place. And the issue of of the resolution never mentioned we never said anything about a parking lot or being turned into a parking lot. Our our whole resolution was we do not want people walking through the yard. It wasn't a parking lot. It wasn't a driveway. It wasn't try to build a daycare. That had nothing to do with the resolution. If you read the resolution, it says no trespassing through, meaning walking through. I'm

not saying you're going to turn it into a parking lot. She mentioned that like five times. I don't know what that means. I never said anything about a parking lot. All I'm saying is no trespassing through the gate. That gate was put up the minute the house was sold, which was no permit pulled, no survey done. Okay. So, I'd like to see all that information because that date was never approved. That date was never there. I've lived here. I know the neighbor next door. They're great people. Okay. That date was never there. that was put in the immediate minute that they bought the house without permits, no survey, nothing. And again, I'll reiterate, it's not just the people that park in the driveway. I get what she's saying. She can do that. That's fine. I'm okay with that. But then she uses the loose term of invited guests. Well, technically, if you belong to a church or a congregation, everybody's invited, right? So, that means anybody can come through. So, I don't want to hear that like, oh, it's well, they're invited. So, how am I supposed to stand out there and go, "Are you invited? Are you invited? Are you invited? Are you invited?" Come on. It's just I'm telling you, it's going to get worse. And I apologize for my, you know, my tension, but things have happened and I see it every day. And it's just going to get worse. And that's all I'm

We got We got it, Rob. Yep. I'll leave it at that. All right. [clears throat] Sorry. Go ahead. I'll mute my mic. Now, can I address Thank you. both comments. One second. Well, thank thank you. Uh, yes.

I'll start with the comments from the Glazner family. When they talk about seeing something happening there and it's constant, it's constant. We have no Hebrew school. We have no daycare center. We have no nursery school. Our secretary is there during the day. Nothing's going on during the day except early morning prayers and late prayers in the afternoon evening. The amount of people that come to that clearly fit in the parking lot. We did lose seven parking spaces to the trailer. That is true. And that is part of a justification why if we authorize someone to park in the driveway, it's because we did lose seven spots, but we own the property. If you wanted to tell somebody, "Yeah, you can park in my driveway." Can the town come in and say, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa." You can't tell them they can park in your driveway. You can't do that. And we as the owners of the property, if we invite somebody to stay at the house, they have every right to use the property, to walk on the driveway, to walk through the gate, to walk in the backyard. And as to permits, we did get permits for everything that was done at the synagogue, including the fence. It's our fence on the back lot of the synagogue. If we want to have a gate on the fence and we own two properties that are a bunch uh you know uh contiguous, we can put a gate. Now, as to the kids not being supervised, that couldn't be further from the truth. That's why we have a youth director. And it's fact, we don't just have one youth director. We always hire a couple as the youth directors. So, that's two supervising adults. And he is correct. We do have older children. I'm not talking like little 12 year olds and 13 year olds. We're talking mature children who also assist

with the children. So in that regard, that's just all grossly exaggerated. As to your resolution, page 34 of page 39 of the resolution, there's 39 total pages. It most certainly did say, and this was the intent. This is a direct reading of it. Lot 39, also known as 18 Pit Road, will not be developed to be utilized in any way to create a driveway, drive-thru, access road, roadway, parking lot, pass through, is the language in there, or any other way to access. And it specifically states, "The only persons permitted to access the synagogue through lot 39 are the residents of the single family home of lot 39 currently occupied, which is true at the time, by the youth director and their family who through testimony have the access. We're not in any way taking any of that away. We're not trying to change the use of this as a single family home, but let us use it as a single family home. If the township came to any of you or the Glazers or the praisers and said, "You know what? We're not going to let you have your guests go through your backyard, even if your backyard neighbor says it's okay to go through." I mean, I know lots of families who their their kids, they're all friends. They go through the various backyards because they say, "You have my permission. You could go through the yard. Why is the synagogue single familyowned home being singled out, no pun intended, as having these unreasonable restrictions which are truly taking away the rights of the use of the property. This is normal use of property. And this idea that it's vacant, that wasn't our plan. Our youth director left. It happens. happens in any congregation, any church, any anything

that an employee may leave. It is not our long-term plan to keep this empty. In fact, just the opposite. Um, we're dealing with that issue internally with the synagogue now in terms of, you know, future of the youth directors. However, if I own a property and it's empty, I have every right to say my best friend can go stay there. You can go stay there. I own the property. This idea that because no one's residing there at the time means nobody can step foot in the property is absurd. And lastly, you know, if anybody was disrespectful, I will apologize on their behalf. I don't know what's happened there. I don't know about that. Um, overall, I've been in that synagogue since I was a little kid, and it's been my experience that it's a very respectful synagogue. We've been certainly respectful of the community of Springfield and you know, no ill will to the neighbors. Again, that's why I'm saying keep in all your other restrictions, but the one that takes away our rights to use the property in a normal way, that should be gone.

Thank you, council. So, I think we the board have to decide and I want counselor to appine. I think one more person from the public wanted to talk. Oh, okay. Sorry. Any members of the public?

Josh Smileo, 57 Redwood Road. Uh, I'm the president of the synagogue. I just want to address one point. They keep on using the word constant. The only time cars are parked there are on a Friday night for our services in the driveway. We can't move them till Saturday night. No one touches the cars. Cars are never parked in front of Mr. Prazer's property. And everybody knows who Mr. Prazer's property is in our temple. You can't leave a car parked overnight. There's only two people that drive to our shel on a weekly basis. One is 100 years old who was moved to a home unfortunately and one guy has been a member for over 20 years. He parks right in front of the stop sign and he goes into our glass doors, the front doors every week. There is no one that parks in front of Mr. Prazers or Mr. Glazner's house and everyone in our sh knows where 18 is. So they don't touch these cars or go into the driveway. And we're only using them pre-shabas and post shabas. I'm sorry, Sabbath. That's the only time during the week that this is used. So I don't understand where constant is. No one during the week is used because nothing's going on in our temple during the week except for times for prayer in the morning and the afternoon and we have our parking lot for that. That's all that that is. I just want to address that one point. Thank you. I just have to clarify something that was said by Dr. Smileo. It is not completely accurate that nobody has parked in front of Mr. Praer's house or Glazer. If there is, for example, a special event, um, a bris, uh, something along those lines and there is not enough parking, anybody can park on a public street and then walk around the block like they do and go. I mean, funeral today, I was at a funeral in our synagogue. There may have been overflow onto Pit today. I don't know. Um but those are the times that yes, it's true. There may be something

going on at the synagogue that there's overflow. Like I since where I live, if I can't get a spot, I'll park on Mountain Avenue. If it turns out that there's a special event or something that our parking lot is full, but that's that's an overflow on a public street, an event that has nothing to do with 18 Pit Road. Yeah. You just can't park between 2 and 6 a.m. Well, and nobody does. And that's the other reason because on the Sabbath and holidays, you can't move the cars, hence the three to five cars in the driveway.

Okay. Um, any other members of the public? Seeing none, I'm going to close this matter of the public and I want to have a discussion with the attorney and have the board. So are we if we don't remove this condition are we taking away their rights from from this my question or is are we hurting like give us some idea to kind of help make the decision. Any questions? Committee Kaiser Huber. Richard,

someone talking. I think she's saying that they don't know what's going to happen over time. I mean, this is now Richard, Mr. Barnett, um can you just remind us again what you said earlier about um the minor minor change

to it? So, we didn't notice obviously mentioned something about why why I'm not going to challenge the ML provides on an application that had been memorialized previously. Resolution notice a substantial.

So mostly what we need to consider is is this or not? And then we're was substantial change and then obviously okay. So we're not done with

counselor Yeah, we've already and and that's part of the record and just address the letters that we received. Yeah. All the letters that we received are going to be put in the record with our board secretary and the video. Yes, she has the video via email. Check with her.

So, um, it comes down to, you know, whether we feel like we should allow this change or we don't allow this change. Is it going to cause, you know, are we taking away from their rights? Are we hurting their rights? You know, who polices this? You know, ultimately it can't be this board. That's why we have a code enforcement officer that will eventually step in if there's a problem in the future. And that will be the case for the temple and for any of the residents that there's anything going forward. Whatever the board decides goes to Bob Herbert through the township. Um we would have to decide as a board whether you know I believe it's a it's a minor condition. We do things minor conditions all the time. Some of which this one was enough to make sure because of the sensitivity. Mr. disco takes conditions off all the time whether it's trees or whether it's landscaping or signage whatever those decisions are made in field but this one we wanted to bring before the board um and the good news is we were able to get both residents here to be able to hear and hear their concerns and what their comments were so I'll just pull the board starting with Mr. Chris is do you feel that we should loosen the condition to allow the driveway to for invited guest that cut through and if anyone's parked on the street it's a public street to be able to utilize the back gate if they

that's not what I wasn't proposing that was not proposing you're proposing just yes only the driveway the three to five cars I wasn't proposing people could park on the street and go through the gate okay so the three to five cars what she's asking. You have to what? You asked for a poll. No, I as a poll. What did they I wanted to hear what everyone Okay. Okay. Go ahead. Entertain a motion to approve that condition.

Hey, Sharon wants a second. Second. Okay. I was just going to get a start. Can I have a roll call, please? We had discussion. We got asked. We did get asked. Everybody had a comment that a comment said something. We've had a comment. I mean, what else can we say? He made a motion and it was seconded. We have a roll call, please. Mr. Cedquist. Yes. Vice Chair Kessle. Yes. Mayor Huber. Yes. Mini Kaiser. Yes. Mr. Barnett. Yes. Mr. Lauer.

Yes. Mr. Mayo. Yes. Mr. Mr. Tiger. Yes. Mr. Wishna. Yes. Okay. So, you just see Jen's Miss Law is not here tonight, but if you emailed Miss Miss Law when the M meetings get when the meeting minutes get published, she'll send copies of everything. And it's a video. The video will be on YouTube tonight anyway, so you'll have a copy of it anyway.

Okay. So, the last Thank you. Thank you. So, the final application is Yeah. Let's just take a one minute, two minute recess and then we'll bring up the final application.

Mayor, we're back on. Okay, we're we're we're back on the record. Let the record re show at 818. We're rejoining. We're going to hear application 9-2025s. It says you dumpling. I thought it was the ugly dumpling, but you dumpling Springfield, New Jersey, LLC, 40, US 22, block 3105, lots one and two. This is the old Fridays for preliminary and final site plan conditional use for a restaurant. Go ahead, council.

Chairman and board members, thank you for coming out this evening and uh and it's exciting reuse of the property. I mean, it's I I look back on the prior approval and I think in 20some years ago, I appeared before this board for the TGI Fridays. Oh, really?

Joe Stiger from Dynamic and we're laughing. We looked at the old resolution, but no, it's a it's a great uh reuse of this property. I think you'll be excited. I don't know if any anyone's been I've been to the Ugly Dumpling down in Lynen and uh it's a really uh sharp operation. and they're going to spruce up the uh facility. And just want to um again, we have received and I Mr. Chairman mentioned this. We've received uh Mr. Disco's report and we've received Mike Mr's report and we'll confirm when we have our testimony of our our engineer. No problem complying with any of those terms and conditions. Really just and I think you'll be impressed also with the aesthetic improvements they're going to make. So, first what I'd like to do is or witness uh

Sean we this this is a conditional use to be clear. Correct. And we meet all the conditions. You meet all the conditions. That's what I want on the record. You're agreeing to all the correct conditions in the letter except one will add in about a full landscaping plan approval of the engineer. So I think you can give a very brief overview because it's a I was going to keep it under like two or three hours. Yeah. [laughter] I did that. I did that. We have an important thing after after you're done. So, we got to be sworn in. Uh Sean Hu of Ugly Dumpling. Can you raise it right now?

Uh you swear affirm that the test of you just say your name. Can you do it again? Spell your last name. Yeah. Sean Hi. S E N. Last name H UI. All right. Mr. We um obviously uh I've been to your location in Lynen, but just give the board just a brief background on Ugly Dumpling and then what you propose for this site.

Yeah. So, um I'm the construction manager for the Ugly Dumpling, New York, Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, the East Coast. We're expanding fairly quickly. Um so, this proposed location, we intend to continue the same concept with made to order. Um, a lot of Chinese um, our typical hours of operations would be Sunday through Thursday 11:00 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays we'll have an extended 30 minute into the evening ending at 10:30. Um, our number employees um to start would be 60 to 70, but after attrition we would have 40 full-time employees. Um, 50 to 60 total employees.

But they're not there. all at the same time. Of course not. Yeah, that would just be over the course like morning shift later shifts.

Um deliveries would be in the rear of the building. Um two recurses in the back behind the building that will be used for loading and deliveries. Um we expect food deliveries and um kitchen wares delivery wear items every two to three days. Um depending on the vendor most likely be placed in the morning. Some vendors come later in the evening. Um deliver vehicles be box trucks, no trailers, no semis and trash picks will be conducted by a private company. Okay. And on behalf of ownership, just to confirm and I know that uh Mr. Dwit will testify as the site engineer, you've had an opportunity to review the Harbor Consultants report and the MDO associates report. any problem complying with any of those terms and conditions?

Good. And uh again, you're going to be making not only landscaping improvements to the property, but aesthetic improvements to the building. Correct. Okay. And I know we have some renderings to show. So, right. No further questions, Mr. Chairman. Perfect. Any uh questions from the board on this witness? No. Seeing none, take your seat. Okay. Um let's the uh engineer to kind of talk to the parking lot. repaved some of the landscaping will take facade the sign and then I think we'll be good. We could share just

Yeah. Go ahead.

I do. Okay. Sure. It's Matthew Dwit Dwit TT. All right. And Mr. Dwit, if you could please give the board briefly your credentials, area of expertise, license you hold, and whether you've been accepted as a professional engineer before the boards or courts of the state of New Jersey.

First, I am a professional engineer. Um, licensed in the state of New Jersey. Uh, my license is current and valid. Um, I've testified before, uh, Union, Piscatoaway, New Providence, Somerville, um, similar boards in the area. Um, worked on the Chick-fil-A right on the same island on two on 22. Um, specializing in land development site civil engineering. Probably shouldn't. [laughter] Just be clear, but it's okay. Uh, anyone concerned? I I think we can accept him as a qualified witness. Right. Great. All right. So, if you could take the board through and again, sure.

Additional use, confirm we meet all the conditions, which I think Mike and Mike and Mike already uh indicated that, but then just touch on the improvements that are going to be made to the existing site.

Great. Um, yes. So, as previously mentioned, this is the former TGI Fridays um restaurant site right in between the uh eastbound and westbound lanes on Route 22. Um, for the record, the address is 42 Route 22, um, in Springfield, New Jersey, block 3105, lots one and two. So, it is a combined uh, property consisting of both lots. Uh, the total area is 87,323 square ft, which is 2.01 acres. Um, we are located in the HC highway commercial zone district. Um and as previously mentioned, restaurants are a conditional use um which the applicant will be uh complying with all conditions of that use. Um under the proposed condition, we are we are planning to utilize the site as it exists today as far as its layout, number of parking spaces, uh zoning criteria, signage. They're going to rebrand the same two pylon signs that are on the east and westbound lanes. um as well as a wall sign as you as you saw in um exhibit I guess we'll call that A1 um which depicts how the um you know facade of the building will be will be improved.

Do all the signs fit within the same height and width. Yes, correct variances. Yep. Once one thing with the pylon sign, one of the things we've been trying to do as a board is use like nice brick around it in order to we just did it with staples. done it on Mars Avenue. One of the things which I'd like to discuss is we allow you to take keep the same height changing bar. So it would be Mr. Disco can work with you guys on that. Um I don't have a picture of Route 22, but Mike maybe you can describe the sign how they made a nice brick.

Is it like landscaping kind of on the base? We essentially took I'll call them metal or steel pylon supports and wrapped them with landscaping block to remove what would be a rusted thing or potentially rust in the future with landscape block that matched. I mean I think they think is I understand that they're going to show us something on the pylon sign. We could react to it then. Okay. But certainly I I understand the mission to meet up like more uniformly on 22. Yeah, it sounds like the applicant is is agreeable to work with. You didn't submit this, correct? This is A1. A1. This is A1.

So, we're agreeable to work with the board professionals on some some additional improvements to that sign. Perfect. You can keep the same height. If it has to come down to put up a nice sign, I'm sure the board would be comfortable with the same height, but we would make it like more uniform. You look on Staples on Route 22 or the Got it. Okay. Bottle King. Bottle King. When you leave here, you go right on Mars Avenue, Mars, and Mountain. There's a shopping center, General Green. That was something similar to kind of make it more uniform.

Okay, got it. Um, as far as site improvements, I mean, really the idea is to just freshen everything up. We're going to mill and repave the parking lot, new striping. Um, we're going to rebuild the um, accessible ADA parking out in front of the restaurant, which in today's uh, condition is not compliant. So, we're going to dig that up and replace it. Same number of stalls. Um, but besides that, it's all going to be mill and repaved for the rest of the site. Um, the same 154 parking spaces will remain in the proposed condition. um drainage, lighting. You putting EV currently that's not proposed.

Do they have to put EV? Just because there's no we're not putting any additional parking. So technically so it's not a new parking lot. They're not adding any parking spaces. They're obviously milling and repaving it. So the the EV standards called the uniform standards talk about new parking lots and then of course phasing in future. So, I mean, I think Mike has a different opinion. I certainly respect it. I think they could certainly offer to phase in EV in the spirit of what they're they're doing as you go forward. I understand they weren't proposing anything now. I don't think again

154 there's no parking issue. So adding EV is not going to in any way have a negative impact. So how many EV would they need for 150 spots required? There's a on parking lots over a certain size. They have a percentage. The percentage is pretty small. I think you're talking about under 10 here. I don't have this committed to memory. It's always been our understanding, yeah,

that if you're not adding parking spaces, you don't need to install them. It's And if we were at 50 parking spaces, adding another 50. Okay. But we can we can look into that and review it with uh Mr. Disco, but right now it's not part of the part of the plan. Anyone? Yeah, keep going. We'll worry about that at the end.

Continue. Okay. Um the directional signage will be replaced as well because I I believe a lot of you know the stop signs do not enters have all faded with the reflectivity. Um so the intent is to replace those as well to bring them up to a new a new standard. Um landscaping the plan we submitted did have a landscape schedule. Um, we are basically we're we're planning to kind of fill in the gaps around the perimeter of the site that have, you know, the last 20 years have disappeared or for whatever reason. Um, so the intent is to freshen up basically all the landscape areas. um with shrubs, flowers. Um we're actually the current plan proposes 104 total evergreen shrubs, 160 deciduous shrubs, um 76 various types of ground cover, 14 perennials, and 86 um individual potted like ornamental grasses throughout the whole landscape. Um so the intent is to freshen up the site. Um we're going to use the same the intent is to use the same uh lighting that exists today. Currently that lighting's off. So the applicant has agreed to, you know, when it gets energized kind of evaluate its condition. Um but the intent is to utilize the same lighting scheme that was originally approved and update if there's a bulb out or some, you know, something's deficient, we'll replace it. Um drainage stays the same. Um there is one manhole um that we noted. It's the original like storm scepter inlet on the east side of the site and that's the last junction structure before it leaves to go into the um the U-turn lane on two uh 22. Um we are proposing to right now it's a solid manhole cover. We're going

to replace that with a slotted grate just to allow for some additional uh drainage from the parking lot to to get into the storm system. Uh but besides that, [snorts]

utilities remain the same, storm water remains the same. Um you know, really this the intent is just to kind of freshen up the property, bring it up to standard. Um and then, uh lastly, what was just passed around is the architectural rendering um that was prepared by Ugly Dumpling. um which basically consists of the building will be painted and the red awnings will be um red fabric awnings over the bu over the windows which I believe is pretty similar to what exists today. Um there'll be three facade signs that we just discussed um same size as what was with the Fridays um as well as the pylon sign area. Um, and as I said, we're willing to work with the board professionals on any additional um, you know, facade or or or plantings around that sign.

Mr. Disco, anything? No, the A1 that we all are looking at now, the signs are compliant. They don't exceed 5 foot height. They don't exceed the lot or area percentages. They're consistent with what TGI Fridays have. You're limited to one facing each street. So here there's three U-turn technically is a street. So three is what TGI Fridays had. Three is what you're getting. You could conrue it to be compliant one on each eastbound westbound. Would you be willing to work with them on the pylon to Absolutely.

And one additional thing for the record um that I believe came up in one of the letters was lot coverage. Um we are not proposing any additional lot coverage. So based on our calculation I know 85% was approved back in 2002. Um our calculation shows 80% exist today and we're planning 80% for proposed um Mr. Ma just with the clarification that there's no increase in coverage. Correct. my letter misread a note on your plans. That was one of our comments.

I I saw that and yeah, I must have been a typo of some sort because we we are not proposing any additional. It'll stay at 80%. Perfect. Mr. Chairman, not to interrupt, the upper right of A1 shows pylon sign. So again, that support we would certainly look to beautify anyway without compromising sites. And if they have to start from scratch or they choose to start from scratch, they assume this board would not have any issues with sounds like they're going to work. Perfect. Mr. proceed with.

Yeah, I'm I'm not aware if there's a system today. Um, currently I don't believe so. Well, so we have when I believe they have a two they have to maintain two years. You'll expect two years. So if it's not they'll have to replace two years in a day and it's on they're still going to want to maintain money they're putting into this building.

Okay. I'm going basically utilizing that was there which is a TGI geometrically pleasing You can keep the same height you have. We're not getting nods in the back. That's a good idea.

I did like the jack. Anything further?

No questions. Mayor.

Yes. Getting a yes. Committee Kaiser new think Friday. But I think not only is it dead, but it's kind of like

it's been gone for

this has been closed for two years. January closed the Yeah. So even somebody discovered on the really stand out.

I just want to add that landscape have landscape companies that they hire to maintain their locations and stay on top of making sure they they look great. Okay, nothing. Any members of the public? Anything further? No, nothing further. Any members of the public wish to speak on 9-25s ugly dumpling Springfield?

Seeing none, I'm going to close it to the public and remand it back to the board. Uh, seems straightforward. Um, I think the the the other conditions is that all the site work has to be done prior to a seal unless feels like there could be like a bond or something posted so that way they can open. If it's winter, they can't plant pave so forth. We can leave that to you to work out, but needs to be something to make sure it gets done. Uh the pylon sign, I think that was a great uh indication. Let's what Scott said. If you start from scratch, we'll you can use the same height and area. Make it better.

Yeah, make it better. It's ugly right now. So maybe that was your intention. Ugly. Kind of on brand. Yeah. [laughter] It wasn't when I appeared here in 2002. Okay. Um, any other conditions I'm missing? No. Agree to all the letters that were that were repaving the lot. They are. Yes, they're repaving. So, I just But but if they end up opening because it's April and it's winter and they need to pave a different time, Mr. Disco will work that out. I don't want to hold as long as that's in the and strip striping hair pin striping. I think we're going to pass the EV since they're not putting any additional things. Great. Okay. Um Sharon, go ahead.

I'd like to make a motion to approve 9-2025-s for preliminary and final site plan uh and in incorporate the conditions as stated by the chair. Second roll call. Vice Chair Kessle. Yes. Mayor Huber. Yes. Committeeman Kaiser. Yes. Mr. Barnett. Yes, Mr. Laer. Yes, Mr. Cedarquist. Yes, Miss Tamo. Yes, Mr. Wishna. Yes. And Chair Tiger. Yes. One last thing. When are they opening?

He's hungry. Yeah, my kids like the soup dumpling. So, Aprilish. April. All right. Good. Good luck. See you soon. Thank. All right. Thank you. Thank you very much. Okay. The enjoy and a safe holiday season. Thank you. Happy and healthy holiday. It'll be adopted in January. Okay. Before we go, we have something very important. So, Miss Kessle's been on the board for over two decades, longer than me. David is she's longer than you, too, right? This board. Yes. Rich. Oh, Rich. Rich. Well, Rich is a fixture, so whatever. The only ones have been on here long.

Yeah. I And I've been I'm Next year's my 20th year, so that's a long time you've been on here. So, I remember the first time I met Sharon. I was sitting like how Ken was sitting out there watching the board because he was going to join, I was going to join and you know Sharon was going through many different things with whether it was auto land and other things and I got an opportunity to speak to her and it was really the first time that I enjoyed being on the board with her for almost two decades. Uh you've been a pleasure. Um and she hasn't enjoyed it though. She had to [laughter] sit next to me. She had to sit next to me. So I I can't thank you enough for your service. on behalf of the board, we we bought you these nice flowers. Thank you. These nice flowers. Thank you.

And I know the mayor and council, the town also [applause] on the board. When when we're zooming with you, we want to be able to see that in the background. That's right. That's right. That in the background that has my name on the back so you don't forget. [laughter] Well, I'm going to check. I couldn't get it off. No, Shannon. We appreciate all, you know, all service. for us all these years. Well, thank you very much. It has been a pleasure, an honor. And um who was the president when you started? Oh, geez. George W. Bush. She looked that up.

I did. I did. But you know, I remember the first year that I was on the board, Rich and I were on the board. The entire year we did the Skyline Ridge um application. One application. One application. We sometimes twice a week. Yep. And it failed and they would go till 11:00 at night. Yes. But it has been just a a wonderful experience here and I mean nobody works harder than Chairman Tiger. [laughter] So and and that is you know it's been a pleasure to work with you and you know David is the voice of reason.

So um I'll miss you guys. I'm still I'm still going to be in New Jersey, just not in Springfield. And um thank you. It's good luck to you. It's been wonderful. [applause] Thank you, Sharon. So, why doesn't Sharon close us out? Not yet. Not yet. She make a motion to adjurnn. Make a motion. Like to make a motion to adjurnn. Second. Second. All in favor. All right. Have a happy and healthy new year. See you in January. January 12. Everybody.