Leaving an unhitched trailer on the street “at any time” would be prohibited by ordinance. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
At its semimonthly meeting Thursday night, the Red Bank council is expected to finalize its ban on “unhitched” trailers parked curbside throughout town.
John Venino at the RBR board meeting on September 11. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
Red Bank Regional High School board of ed member John Venino wound up with a black eye following a student altercation last week at a middle school where he works in Asbury Park, according to a TV news report Monday.
A Red Bank zoning board hearing on a plan for 32 new apartments at the train station has been postponed yet again.
The crime and arrest reports below were provided by the Red Bank Police Department for September, 2023. This information is unedited; see below for additional information.
CRIMES
Criminal Mischief: On 09/06/2023 a patrol unit reported graffiti. In the area of Shrewsbury Av., a building was tagged with black in color spray paint. Ptl. Preston Mellaci.
Theft: A patrol unit took a report of theft from a motor vehicle in the area of Leighton Av. On 09/09/2023 the victim reported a TD Bank Visa debit card and a black and white in color umbrella were stolen from a vehicle. Ptl. Grace Maggiulli.
Among the three is Monteverde NJ, planning to open at 45 North Bridge Avenue. (redbankgreen photo. Click to enlarge.)
See UPDATE below
By JOHN T. WARD
Red Bank’s new Cannabis Review Board has completed scrutiny of its first three applications, and was like totally cool with all of them.
That means three pot shops have cleared all the local licensing requirements, borough officials said Thursday night.
The library has been based in the former West Front Street home of Sigmund and Bertha Eisner since 1937. Below, the 1880 catalogue of the original Red Bank Mutual Library, started in a Broad Street clothing store, listed only 144 books. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
For years before it was given a magnificent home overlooking the Navesink River, and decades before it was “public,” Red Bank’s library was a hand-to-mouth membership operation kept alive by scrappy volunteers.
That changed 100 years ago next month, when borough voters approved a referendum to make the institution both a publicly owned asset and free to users. In the process, the town joined a wave in which access to information was being “democratized,” said Barbara Pickell, local history librarian and reference department head.
On November 10, the foundation that helps fund the library will kick off a yearlong celebration of the milestone with a reception.
Unhitched trailers, like this one in front of the house at 90 Bank Street, have been the subject of complaints. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
Responding to complaints, the Red Bank council plans to strengthen its law on work trailers left curbside.
The borough’s Washington Street Historic District, the location of many applications the HPC reviews, was created in 2009. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)
See UPDATE below
By JOHN T. WARD
After three months of inactivity, Red Bank’s Historic Preservation Commission is expected to get a re-start this week.
At its semimonthly meeting scheduled for Thursday night, the council plans to appoint new and returning members to the commission, Councilperson Kristina Bonatakis, said last week.
The council will also begin workshopping a revised historic preservation ordinance, she said.
The house at 211 River Street, above, is to be demolished and replaced with the structure below. (Photo by John T. Ward; rendering by Catherine Franco. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
A Red Bank bungalow would be replaced by a modern three-story home overlooking the Swimming River under a plan approved by the zoning board Thursday night.
Meanwhile, the owner of a postage-stamp-sized lot will have to wait to find out if a neighbor makes a purchase offer before he can proceed with his plans for a new house.
See CORRECTION below
Plans for two single-family homes, both needing variances, are scheduled for review by the Red Bank zoning board Thursday night.
Navesink Riverside Residences and Marina (formerly Riverview Towers), center, and the Atrium at Navesink Harbor, to its right, are in the waterfront zone. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
Red Bank’s planning board made quick work of approving two pending ordinances Monday night.
At a meeting that lasted just 13 minutes, the board found proposed changes to maximum building heights, and fees paid by developers in lieu of planting trees, did not conflict with the borough’s Master Plan.
After a four-and-a-half-month closure, the northern blocks of Broad Street in downtown Red Bank were reopened to vehicular traffic Monday.
Interim borough Manager Darren McConnell disputed the state’s claim that the borough is not cooperating. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
Red Bank is one of nine New Jersey municipalities that have failed to take action to prevent illegal sick leave and vacation payouts to departing employees, a state agency said Thursday.
In a press release, acting New Jersey Comptroller Kevin Walsh said the borough and eight other towns “are failing in their most basic responsibilities: To act as a fiduciary of taxpayer funds and to be transparent about how these funds are used.” They risk losing state funding if they don’t comply, he said.
But interim borough Manager Darren McConnell pushed back against some of Walsh’s assertions.
The council meets twice monthly at borough hall, 90 Monmouth Street. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
Salaries for Red Bank’s mayor and council, which haven’t risen in at least 15 years, will remain unchanged at least through the remainder of 2023, under an resolution up for a vote Thursday night.
But whomever the governing body selects to fill the new borough manager post will have the latitude to give them specified raises under a related ordinance that’s also up for a vote.
Here’s a quick look at the agenda:
Access to the boardwalk in Red Bank’s Riverside Gardens Park is temporarily closed this week.
After months of postponements, the Red Bank zoning board hearing on a plan for a four-story apartment building opposite the train station is scheduled to begin Thursday night.
UPDATE: Yet again, this hearing has been postponed. The borough website says the zoning board meeting has been cancelled and “all applications scheduled for this date will re-notice for a new hearing date.”
Dreamers Club executive committee members Selena Martinez-Santiago, Madelyn Sanchez-Berra and Bethzy Vera Varela looked on as president Edith Lozano Zane addressed the RBR board on September 11. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
UPDATE: Because of rain in the forecast, this Saturday’s Hispanic Heritage Celebration in Riverside Gardens Park has been rescheduled for September 30.
By JOHN T. WARD
Kicking off Hispanic Heritage Month, Red Bank’s mayor and council trained a spotlight on four young Latina students at Red Bank Regional High School last week.
The self-styled “Dream 4” were fresh off an emotional revival of a school club that advocates for Hispanic and Latinx students.
Evelina and Ennio Menna at Red Bank borough hall in January, 2017. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
Ennio Menna, father of former Red Bank Mayor Pasquale Menna, died at Riverview Medical Center Friday. He was 94 years old.
The crime and arrest reports below were provided by the Red Bank Police Department for August, 2023. This information is unedited; see below for additional information.
CRIMES
Theft: A patrol unit took a report of theft in the area of Shrewsbury Av. On 08/02/2023 the owner of a vehicle reported the theft of a catalytic converter which was valued between $1100.00 and $1800.00. Ptl Jeffrey Lewandowski.
Theft: In the area of Leighton Av, a patrol unit took a report of theft from a motor vehicle. On 08/02/2023 the owner of a vehicle reported the theft of a catalytic converter. The catalytic converter was valued at $600.00. Ptl. Jhonatan Quispe.
Theft: A patrol unit took a report of theft from a vehicle in the area of Hudson Av. On 08/02/2023 the owner of a vehicle reported the theft of a catalytic converter that was valued at $600.00. Ptl. Christopher Fuentes.
A view down South Street on August 3, above, and a century-old tree being removed Monday. (Photos by John T. Ward, above, and Kenny Katzgrau. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
The abrupt removal of nine trees along South Street in Red Bank this week was “unavoidable,” according to interim borough Manager Darren McConnell.
Residents, though, said they were in the dark about the plan until it was too late to change it.
Red Bank cops posing as pedestrians issued summonses to 30 motorists for safety violations earlier this week, Captain Mike Frazee announced Thursday.
The council meets twice monthly at borough hall, 90 Monmouth Street. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
Red Bank’s council would clear the way to give itself its first pay bump in at least 15 years under an ordinance up for introduction Thursday night.
It would also reset the maximum salaries for the top three unelected positions at borough hall, one of which is open.
Here’s a quick look at the agenda:
As part of a road repaving project, a crew began removing nine trees along South Street in Red Bank amid complaints from residents Wednesday morning.
redbankgreen plans to follow up with a story. (Video by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
Dreamers Club executive committee member Selena Martinez-Santiago delivers a petition in support of the group to RBR board president Patrick Noble. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
Reversing an action that sparked a civil rights complaint and community outrage, Red Bank Regional High School’s board of ed restored funding for an immigrants’ advocacy student group Monday night.
At special session in the Little Silver school’s cafeteria that drew a large crowd – including Red Bank’s entire governing body – speakers voiced support for the Dreamers Club while denouncing a lone board member’s vote that they said imperiled years of progress.
Red Bank Charter School third-graders sang “Remember You,” and Father John Lock, right, of Trinity Baptist Church spoke about remembering those lost as Red Bank marked the 22nd anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks that killed nearly 3,000. More →