News-pourri

A two-story, 160,000-square-foot addition to Sentinel Datacenters building on Cottontail Lane and Pierce Street could bring 40 new jobs into the township, the Planning Board was told at its March 5 meeting. The company in 2009 converted what was a warehouse into a 168,000-square-foot data center, its attorney, Peter Lanfrit, told the board. He said the company had always planned …

The township Historic Preservation Advisory Commission held two informal hearings at its March 4 meeting, one of which dealt with a building raising and another which dealt with a proposed new home. Joachim Messing of Neuville Drive told the commission that he wants to tear down a garage on property he owns next to his house and build another home.

The Kingston Presbyterian Church on March 4 received the go-ahead from the Historic Preservation Advisory Commission to use “modern” materials in the restoration of the church steeple. That restoration also means that a church bell will once again ring from the steeple, the commission was told.

UPDATE 2: The Manville Causeway bridge is now closed,  according to a state Department of Transportation spokesman. Repairs to the Manville Causeway bridge and part of Route 518 will mean road closures and detours into the summer.

The Franklin Township Municipal Youth Services Commission was recently presented with a $5,000 grant for its Youth Council, Franklin Youth Prevention and Empowerment program and Boys Council. The ceremonial check was presented by Freeholder Peter Palmer to Youth Initiative coordinator Bruce Medley.

Two Somerset County projects that will close township bridges for several months this year and next are just about ready to go. The most immediate project will require the closing of part of Blackwells Mills Road from July through mid-September, while the second project will mean the closure of part of South Middlebush Road for 10 to 12 weeks, probably …

“Several” summonses for not obeying the township’s law regarding sidewalk cleanups after snow storms have been handed out by police since the Valentine’s Day weekend storms, a police spokesman said. Several storms spanning from Feb. 12 to Feb. 18 dumped as much as 20 inches of snow on Franklin Township, according to the New Jersey State Climatologist. The township’s ordinance …

The school district is still without an interim Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, apparently thanks to an outburst from an audience member at the Feb. 20 Board of Education meeting. The position was vacated when interim schools Superintendent Evany pagan was appointed at the end of last month.

Privatization of some positions and the search process for an interim schools Superintendent are among the topics to be discussed at a special meeting of the Board of Education set for 7:30 p.m. Feb. 17 at Franklin Middle School. The school board will discuss privatization of the district’s paraprofessionals and substitute teachers, and the interim superintendent’s search process, according to …

There will be a new home going up on Ray Street soon, but it won’t be what its developer initially envisioned. The Zoning Board at its Feb. 6 meeting made it clear that the plan for a four-bedroom, two-story home at 57 Ray Street wasn’t going to pass muster, so its developer – Diamond Investor & Builders – substituted plans …