Five members, attorney retire from zoning board
Borough Council to appoint new zoning members Jan. 1
BY DANIEL HOWLEY Staff Writer

WEST LONG BRANCH - Five members of the borough's Zoning Board, as well as the board attorney, announced that they will be stepping down from their posts at the end of the year.

The resignations come in the aftermath of an approval by the board for an expansion of Monmouth University that was later challenged by the West Long Branch Borough Council and a group of borough residents.

The board members and the attorney submitted their letters of resignation at the Dec. 13 Zoning Board meeting, and the seats will be vacated as of Dec. 31.

Board Chairman Rocco Christopher read from a prepared statement at the meeting, "After more than 33 of service, it is with very mixed emotions that I write this letter of resignation from the West Long Branch Zoning Board of Adjustment.

"I can no longer continue on the board, because it has become a strain on both my family and myself," he said.

Christopher served on the board for more than three decades and acted as chairman for 15 of the 33 years.

In addition to Christopher, the other members to announce their resignation include Vice Chairwoman Judy Wortman, Secretary Irven Miller and board members Gordon Mast and Samuel Guidetti.

Longtime Board Attorney Thomas Klein also submitted a letter of resignation at the meeting.

Christopher gave a special thanks to Klein for "all of his expert legal assistance, informational e-mails, adding to our computer literacy, and flawless representation in courts.

"I don't know of any cases where any decisions we have made, other than two, have gone to court and were reversed," Christopher added.

In recent years, the board has had to defend its decision to allow Monmouth University to expand its campus and construct a dormitory residence and tennis courts in a residential area.

The Borough Council sued its own Zoning Board after it approved plans for the expansion project. The approval was upheld in court.

The West Long Branch Coalition of Neighbors went on to appeal the court decision, citing that several board members posed possible conflicts of interest and should have recused themselves from voting on any issues pertaining to the university.

The appeal was denied, and the group petitioned the state Supreme Court in an attempt to block the project.

The court denied the petition, and Monmouth University was given the green light to expand its campus.

"I have always felt that the board has served the borough with intelligence, honor, integrity and compassion for those applicants that came before it," Christopher said at the meeting.

"We have always tried to make decisions that would not adversely affect the zone plan and would still give relief to residents whenever possible.

"It is our practice to educate and explain, both to the applicants and members of the public, and not intimidate," he said.

Christopher said after the meeting that he wanted to leave without any hard feelings and did not have any comments further than what he had said in his speech during the meeting.

The Borough Council is expected to appoint new members to the eight-member board on Jan. 1 to fill the vacancies.

Both Miller and Mast said after the meeting that they had no further comments beyond what they had written in their formal resignations, which were not available by deadline Tuesday.

The letters can be obtained by members of the public at the Borough Clerk's Office.

Miller served on the board for 13 years and was secretary for seven of those years. Wortman served on the board for 23 years and was the first woman appointed to the board. Guidetti and Mast served 22 and 17 years on the board, respectively. Klein has been the board's attorney for 21 years.

"I would like to just thank Rocky for having faith in me for the past 20 to 21 years, and for his service even before I came on the board," Klein said at the meeting.

"The real reason [the board's decisions] weren't reversed was the quality of decisions made by the board. Judges do not reverse decisions when they are based on facts and the law," Klein said.