Tuesday, May 21, 2013
The East Brunswick Township Council did not advance a vote on an agreement with the Eisenreich Family Foundation following Monday's Whispering Woods hearing.
Despite an ultimatum from the legal team of the Eisenreich Family Foundation to withdraw from an agreement regarding the proposed location of a township charter school, the East Brunswick Township Council failed to vote to allow the school to open on Lexington Avenue. The council held a public hearing at Monday's meeting over a consent order negotiated between the town and the foundation regarding a lawsuit filed by the foundation. According to the consent order, Hatikvah International Academy Charter School would be permitted to open a new and expanded school at 7 Lexington Ave. if they made a number of changes to the property to better accommodate students. The proposed location is in an area zoned for industrial buildings. After the …
Sunday, May 19, 2013
The public is invited to chime in with their thoughts on a lawsuit between the Eisenreich Family Foundation and the East Brunswick Township Council.
Members of the public are invited to submit their comments regarding a lawsuit between the landowners of the proposed location for Hatikvah International Academy Charter School and the township at a public hearing scheduled for Monday night. The council and the Eisenreich Family Foundation have reached an agreement regarding a lawsuit filed by the foundation after the council overturned a zoning board decision that would permit the charter school to relocate to a building owned by the foundation. However, the terms of the agreement will not be in effect until Monday night's meeting, if the council votes to finalize it. According to the consent order between the two, Hatikvah will be permitted to open in the Eisenreich Family Foundation's …
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
The Highland Park Borough Council passed a resolution on April 16 in support of the East Brunswick Township Council's overturning of a zoning variance that would have permitted the school to open on Lexington Avenue.
The Highland Park Borough Council has publicly voiced its support for the East Brunswick's council's decision to overturn a variance that would have allowed a township charter school to move to a new location in an industrial section of East Brunswick. Highland Park's governing body unanimously passed a resolution on April 16 that voiced support for the council's decision to reverse the zoning decision that would have permitted Hatikvah International Academy Charter School to open a new and expanded location in an industrial section of East Brunswick. "An industrial zone does not provide the safe and adequate learning environment in accordance with the high standards that East Brunswick, Highland Park, and the other fine school districts …
Thursday, March 7, 2013
A letter from the charter school to the NJ Department of Education and NJ Attorney General's Office claims tax dollars are being spent on a campaign against the charter school.
- SCHOOLS
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Thursday, March 7
Hatikvah International Academy Charter School has filed complaints with the state Department of Education and Attorney General's Office, claiming the township Board of Education is participating in a campaign against the school, according to a report on mycentraljersey.com. According to the report, the complaints were filed Monday with the state, claiming that school officials were conspiring against the school with township residents Christine Rampolla and Deborah Cornavaca. "The law clearly states that funding for our public schools must be spent on educating students," said Danna Nezaria, president of Hatikvah’s Board of Trustees, in a prepared statement. "Yet, East Brunswick schools officials, from a member of the board of education to…
Friday, February 22, 2013
The zoning board approved Hatikvah's student enrollment of 194.
The East Brunswick Zoning Board approved increased student numbers at Hatikvah International Academy Charter School, but not before giving the school a scolding for increasing their student population before getting permission. Hatikvah received a violation on Sept. 11 of last year, penalizing them for enrolling a larger number of students than what is permitted by a zoning variance approved in 20111. At the time, the school testified that its enrollment wouldn't go beyond 152 students due to space constraints. At Thursday's zoning board meeting, attorney Lawrence Sachs said the school currently enrolls 194 students. The 2011 variance contained guidelines for the school's permitted size, which was to increase one grade per year. However, …
Friday, February 15, 2013
The Eisenreich Family Foundation has filed a lawsuit against the township council.
The landowner for the new location of Hatikvah International Academy Charter School has filed a lawsuit against the East Brunswick Township Council. The Eisenreich Family Foundation owns property at 7 Lexington Ave., the intended spot for Hatikvah to open a new, expanded location in September. The school hit a road block last month when the council overturned a variance granted by the zoning board last July that would permit the school to renovate a warehouse into a space for the school. "The Eisenreich Family Foundation...has filed suit against the East Brunswick Township Council for violating its due process and tainting the application process through illegal coordination and illicit conflicts of interest," according to a press release…
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
A variance that would have allowed the school to renovate a warehouse into a new school was overturned by the Township Council, Monday.
The Township Council reversed a zoning board decision Monday that would have allowed the Hatikvah International Academy Charter School to open a school in a planned industrial area of the township. Before making its decision, council members said they were concerned about safety and with upholding current zoning and the Master Plan. “This has never been anything more than a land use issue for us and I am extremely confident that no member of this governing body has ever approached it in a way other than that,” said Council President James Wendell. “That being said, in regard to the land use, I feel that towns have zones for a reason and I do not see that this should be a permitted use for this zone.” The Zoning Board of Adjustment …
The school announced that it is immediately moving to file suit in Superior Court.
The Hatikvah International Charter School announced this morning that it will file a lawsuit against East Brunswick in response to its decision to overturn a zoning board variance on Monday. "As East Brunswick taxpayers, residents and voters, we are appalled that our elected officials chose to put politics ahead of common sense and their own agenda ahead of the laws which they have sworn to uphold. We are immediately moving to file suit in Superior Court to appeal the council's decision. We are certain that we will prevail, as we have prevailed every single time anyone has tried to let politics trump the needs and rights of our children to their education. We are confident we will be welcoming students to our brand new facility on …
Monday, January 14, 2013
The Township Council will continue hearing testimony Monday, at 8 p.m.
The Township Council will continue hearing testimony Monday, at 8 p.m., regarding an appeal to a variance granted to the Hatikvah International Academy Charter School. The variance allows the school to renovate a warehouse into a new school. In December, the council heard testimony regarding the challenge. At the time, some council members said they are leaning toward asking the Zoning Board of Adjustment to review the variance. The variance was granted unanimously in July by the Zoning Board of Adjustment and allows the school to renovate a warehouse into a school. The building, 7 Lexington Ave., is located in a planned industrial zone and a variance is needed to open a school in the zone. The warehouse is surrounded by similar warehouses…
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Writer says the proposal "violates both negative criteria used for granting the use variance."
- OPINION
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Wednesday, January 9
Dear Editor, The East Brunswick Township Council should overturn the use variance granted by the Zoning Board to Hatikvah Charter School that would allow it to relocate to a warehouse in an industrial zone. The school violates both negative criteria used for granting the use variance. The township will lose 55,000 square feet of warehouse space if the school occupies 7 Lexington Court. The warehouse is located in an area zoned for industrial use owned, until August 2013, by Plumrose USA, a meat manufacturer with production facilities in Mississippi, Indiana, Vermont and Iowa that used the warehouse to distribute its products in our region. Industrial property generates tax revenues that help relieve the tax burden on EB tax-paying …
Unhappy Taxpayer
10:54 pm on Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Thank you JTR for the clarification. I removed that post to avoid confusion. more ›