New Time: Lucent Plan Public Hearing Moved to 1pm Tuesday

The public hearing on the Alcatel-Lucent Redevelopment Plan ordinance has been scheduled for 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 20, Holmdel Township Clerk Maureen Doloughty announced today.

Township Committee meetings are typically held at 7 p.m. But because Monday is the first night of Hanukkah, the meeting has been moved to lunchtime. 

Jews celebrate the first of eight nights of Hanukkah with the lighting of candles at dusk. This week, darkness falls at 4:17 p.m.

Business Administrator Andy Katz informed elected township officials today that several people had alerted him to the potential conflict. An effort to move the public hearing to another night did not work out because of the availability of the township professionals, he said. 

"It was a balance between availability, time, and the rising holiday. It may end up being imperfect, but there was a rationale," said Katz.

Mayor Patrick Impreveduto said finding a date during the Christmas and Hanukkah season had been difficult to work out with township's attorney, planner and engineer. "We had chosen Dec. 20 specifically because that was the one date all of our professionals could make it," he said.

The Alcatel-Lucent Redevelopment Plan is a vision statement for what the township would like to see developed on the 473-acre parcel, which is currently up for sale by its owner.

At a meeting Monday night hosted by the Citizens for Informed Land Use attended by more than 45 people, planning expert Clinton Andrews urged citizens to speak their mind at the township public hearing on Dec. 20 because it is one of their few opportunities to influence the plan's direction. (See the full story.)

Citizens wishing to be heard, but who cannot make it to the meeting, may submit comments to the Township Clerk Maureen Doloughty, at Holmdel Town Hall, 4 Crawfords Corner Road in Holmdel. The office will also take comment by email at info@holmdeltownship-nj.com. The comments will be distributed to the five Township Committee members prior to the public hearing for their review, and entered into the official record, according to the clerk's office.