Wednesday: Library Board, Planning Board Meetings

Two meetings of public interest are being held Wednesday, Jan. 17, at roughly the same time.  

The Middletown Township Library Board of Trustees will meet at 7 p.m. at the main library for their Reorganization and to conduct business. Talk of closing the Navesink, Lincroft and Bayshore branch libraries is in the air, residents with petitions to keep the libraries open, or make other comments, plan to be present. A letter from Library Director Susan Oneal says the branches could be closed by Jan. 25.  Meeting starts at 7 pm at the library, 55 New Monmouth Road. 

Over at Town Hall at 6:30 pm., the Middletown Planning Board will hear continuing testimony about the proposed townhouse development at Taylor Lane, off Route 35 across the street from Target, which is being greeted with some dismay by residents in the area concerned about overdevelopment and traffic. American Properties at Middletown, LLC is seeking preliminary and final site major subdivision, and preliminary & final major site plan approval to construct 196 townhomes and 49 affordable units, along with a 3,600 foot clubhouse and a pool. Meeting starts at 6:30 p.m.

Also at the meeting, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center is scheduled to come before the board for preliminary and final major site plan to contruct a 19,870 foot addition to the vacant Lucent building, located on Red Hill Road, which could employ 300 medical professionals and contribute tax ratables to the township.