RED BANK: COUNCIL VOWS HPC RESTART

Aug 25, 2023

Historic Preservation Commission attorney Michele Donato addressing the council Thursday night. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

Red Bank’s Historic Preservation Commission will be reconstituted, Mayor Billy Portman and other council members informally agreed Thursday night.

But the council will first have to adopt design standards to establish which types of renovation work require HPC perusal and which can be fast-tracked, Portman said.

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August 25, 2023 - 8:24 am |

RED BANK: PRESERVATION PANEL ON AGENDA

Aug 23, 2023

Historic Preservation Commission attorney Michele Donato, left, with Chairman Chris Fabricant in March. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

The future of Red Bank’s Historic Preservation Commission may come into focus when the borough council meets Thursday night.

Also on the agenda: proposed height limits on new construction along the Navesink River waterfront, and the settlement of a lawsuit over a parking lot issue. More →

August 23, 2023 - 8:45 am |

RED BANK: ‘CLINICIAN’ ON COUNCIL AGENDA

Aug 9, 2023

A resolution calls for using grant money to pay for a police department social worker. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

An idea “spitballed” at the new Red Bank council’s first business session last month is up for adoption Thursday night: adding a “clinician” to the police department.

Here’s a quick overview of the agenda.

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August 9, 2023 - 8:25 am |

RED BANK: SMELL OF SMOKE EMPTIES TRAIN

Jul 31, 2023

A New Jersey Transit crew evacuated dozens of riders from a train at the Red Bank station Sunday over concern about a possible fire in the undercarriage Sunday afternoon.

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July 31, 2023 - 6:20 am |

RED BANK: PARKS AND MORE ON AGENDA

Jul 27, 2023

An update on plans for Marine Park is on the agenda. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

The agenda for the Red Bank council session Thursday night includes a presentation on the status of planned changes at the Marine Park.

It also includes minutes of the most recent session, which for the first time, are available for public review prior to formal acceptance.

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July 27, 2023 - 8:25 am |

RED BANK: NOVEMBER ELECTIONS ADVANCE

Jul 14, 2023

Municipal elections would revert to a November schedule if approved by the council later this month. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

Two months after their victory in the May 9 election, Red Bank’s new mayor and council moved to restore future elections to November Thursday night.

At its first regular meeting, the freshly reorganized government also “spitballed” a suggestion to add a social worker to the police department.

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July 14, 2023 - 8:45 am |

RED BANK: LOTTERY SETS NEW COUNCIL TERMS

Jul 7, 2023

Councilwoman and Deputy Mayor Kate Triggiano at Thursday’s meeting. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

Two key drivers of the overhaul of Red Bank’s government that began this week will get to serve on the borough council for four years, following a lottery held Thursday night.

Councilmembers Kate Triggiano and Nancy Facey-Blackwood drew terms twice as long as their four council colleagues.

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July 7, 2023 - 8:57 am |

RED BANK: CANNON TO RETURN AS ATTORNEY

Jul 6, 2023

Attorney Greg Cannon at Red Bank borough hall in 2017. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

One year after he was unceremoniously dumped as Red Bank’s borough attorney, Greg Cannon appears set to regain the influential post Thursday night.

That’s when the newly reconstituted government led by Mayor Billy Portman is scheduled to get down to business at a special meeting to kick off the “council-manager” era.

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July 6, 2023 - 8:57 am |

RED BANK: MASTER PLAN’S USE DEBATED

Feb 7, 2023

An illustration from the Master Plan section on affordable housing. (Image by BFJ Planning. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Concluding a 14-month process, the Red Bank planning board adopted the borough’s first new Master Plan in 28 years Monday night.

The unanimous vote followed spirited debate about whether the many recommendations in the 166-page document should be prioritized for council action.

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February 7, 2023 - 7:57 am |

RED BANK: MASTER PLAN GETS WALK-THROUGH

Jan 24, 2023

Master Plan consultant Susan Favate addressing attendees Monday night. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

A proposed new Master Plan for Red Bank drew little criticism in its public debut Monday night.

If adopted, as expected, the next challenge will be in prioritizing the many recommendations in the 166-page document, planning board members said.

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January 24, 2023 - 11:00 am |

RED BANK: MASTER PLAN DRAFT ON AGENDA

Jan 20, 2023

Two long-dormant gas stations would be razed to create a roundabout at the northern gateway into Red Bank under one of many suggested changes included in a new draft Master Plan.

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January 20, 2023 - 6:40 am |

RED BANK: TAXI FARE HIKE APPROVED

Nov 24, 2022

After idling for 12 years, taxi fares in Red Bank are about to increase, following action by the borough council this week.

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November 24, 2022 - 7:20 am |

RED BANK: TWO MORE FOUR-WAY STOPS OK’D

Oct 13, 2022

The intersection of Chestnut and Pearl streets may finally get long-discussed four-way stop signs. (2009 photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

Two Red Bank intersections may soon be getting four-way stops, if the borough council follows through on plans it greenlighted informally Wednesday night.

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October 13, 2022 - 7:57 am |

RED BANK: RAIL BRIDGE EXERCISE PLANNED

Sep 22, 2022

New Jersey Transit police and other law enforcement agencies plan to conduct an emergency training exercise on North Jersey Coast Line bridge that crosses the Navesink River Saturday, the agency reported this week.

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September 22, 2022 - 7:57 am |

RED BANK: RAILFANS SAVOR FREIGHT CHANGE

Sep 12, 2022

Railfan Donny Fortunato videorecords as a freight engine crosses Drs. Parker Boulevard on August 26. (Video by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Once or twice a week in recent months, commuters stuck at a rail crossing in Red Bank might have seen something that struck them as odd: small clusters of camera-wielding observers savoring the movements of a giant freight engine.

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September 12, 2022 - 6:00 am |

RED BANK: SPRING STREET PROJECT ADVANCING

Aug 29, 2022

Parking is prohibited this week on the southern half of Spring Street in Red Bank as “minor concrete work and fire hydrant replacement” is scheduled to begin Monday, acting borough administrator and police Chief Darren McConnell tells redbankgreen.

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August 29, 2022 - 7:10 am |

FAIR HAVEN: FAIR TO CLOSE OUT SUMMER

Aug 26, 2022

Squeezing summer for every last minute of open-air fun, the Fair Haven Firemen’s Fair returns with eight nights of rides, seafood, 50-50 drawings and more starting Friday.

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August 26, 2022 - 5:41 am |

RED BANK: ZIPPRICH LEADS ATTORNEY FIRING

Jul 14, 2022

Attorney Greg Cannon at borough hall last November. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

It was another night of political fireworks, this time punctuated by Cannon fire, as the Red Bank council terminated borough attorney Greg Cannon without explanation Wednesday night.

The abrupt action created a vacancy Mayor Pasquale Menna angrily refused to fill when Councilman Ed Zipprich nominated a lawyer who recently “exonerated” him of impropriety.

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July 14, 2022 - 7:59 am |

RED BANK: MAN DIES ON STATION PLATFORM

Jun 1, 2022

Police on scene at the train station Tuesday.(Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

A 27-year-old Red Bank man died on a boarding platform at the borough train station Tuesday, police said.

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June 1, 2022 - 6:23 am |

RED BANK: TESLA TRYOUT UPDATED

Apr 21, 2022

The borough-owned Tesla gets recharged at a station intended for public use. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Red Bank’s borough government is not yet ready to pull the plug on a donated Tesla sedan, even though keeping the vehicle charged up has been a challenge, interim Business Administrator Darren McConnell tells redbankgreen.

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April 21, 2022 - 7:45 am |

RED BANK: DENHOLTZ PLANS MASSIVE PROJECT

Mar 18, 2022

Denholtz’s plan would cover several NJ Transit parking lots, as well as company-owned sites. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Denholtz Properties is negotiating to create a massive new development at the Red Bank train station, redbankgreen has learned.

The company’s plan is dependent on the borough designating a swath of sites around the station as redevelopment area, CEO Steve Denholtz said in an interview this week.

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March 18, 2022 - 3:30 pm |

RED BANK: MAN SURVIVES FALL ONTO TRACK

Feb 13, 2022

A 2016 view of the station platform. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

A “highly intoxicated” man survived a fall onto the North Jersey Coast Line tracks just as a train was pulling into the Red Bank station Saturday night, police said.

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February 13, 2022 - 1:04 pm |

RED BANK: BOROUGH MAY GET USED TESLA

Dec 14, 2021

Nancy and Phil Blackwood with the car they’ve offered to the town. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

A fire-engine red Tesla sedan may become part of the Red Bank municipal fleet this week, pending the acceptance of a proposed donation by a borough couple.

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December 14, 2021 - 7:50 am |

RED BANK: JUVENILE KILLED BY TRAIN ENGINE

Dec 6, 2021

A view of the crossing at Drs. James Parker Boulevard. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

See UPDATE below

An unidentified juvenile was struck and killed by a train engine in Red Bank Saturday morning, according to New Jersey Transit.

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December 6, 2021 - 6:15 am |

RED BANK: EBANKS OFFERS PLANNING PRIMER

Oct 15, 2021

Community planning director Shawna Ebanks speaking at the library Thursday night. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

About 15 Red Bank residents got a brief seminar in municipal planning and zoning at the public library Thursday night.

But presenter Shawna Ebanks, the borough’s director of community development, steered clear of third-rail issues such as tax abatements.

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October 15, 2021 - 7:57 am |