Dem Candidates Angry Over Apartment Complex Issue

Saying they oppose a proposed project that would add 700 apartments on New Brunswick Avenue, two Democrat candidates accused their opponents of "lying" at Monday night's council meeting.

Michael English, who is running for mayor, and John Sorrentino, who is running for council, angrily said they do not support the proposed complex, this despite the fact that their party had tried to push the project through in December.

At the meeting, both candidates angrily defended what they said were "attacks on their reputations."  In response, GOP council members declined to respond, saying "politics" had no place at a council meeting.

English and Sorrentino were referring to an article in a local South Plainfield newspaper submitted by their Republican opponents. In the article GOP candidates detailed their opposition to two recent building projects, the Tingley Rubber project, which will add multi-family housing by Route 287, and a 700-unit apartment complex that was slated for New Brunswick Avenue.

According to English, he objected to two sentences in the article, which he says misstated his position. The first was attributed to Councilman Tim McConville. McConville said he was "afraid the Democrats [would] try to ram through this complex [meaning the 700 apartments] if they take back the Council majority.”

English also objected to a second sentence, in which Council President Matt Anesh, who is running for mayor, says "[t]he Democrats have not stood up for our town when it comes to these huge housing complexes, but we have, and we pledge to continue to do so if elected in November.”

When contacted, Councilman Rob Bengivenga stood by the article and said English's comments ignored what the article actually said.

"In the article the Democrats were challenged to state their position, something they've never done," Bengivenga told 07080 in an e-mail. “English’s anger makes no sense. How could anyone be mischaracterizing his position if the article criticizes him and his running mates for not taking one?”

Bengivenga cited several quotes from the article to support his position. The article quotes Anesh as saying that the "Democrats pushed this plan earlier this year, yet oddly their candidates for mayor and council have been missing in action when it comes to commenting on it.” In addition, McConville is quoted as saying “English, Williams and Sorrentino have failed to take a position. Their party was pushing it. So, that begs the question: Do they support it too?”

Still, English says the article misstates his position, rather than challenges him and his running mates to take one. In an e-mail to 07080, he made the following statement:

"In the article the Republicans said '[t]he Democrats have not stood up for our town when it comes to these huge housing complexes.' That is a lie. That is not true of my record on the Council or as Mayor. And you find the article factual? If you write an article confirming what the Republicans stated then you will be repeating a lie. Mr. McConville said that the Democrats will try to ram through this complex if they take back the council majority. That is another lie."

Bengivenga believes English is missing the point: "He forgets that Democrats passed the Tingley rezoning despite GOP opposition and that Democrat leaders on the planning board like Party Chairman Dan Gallagher and Mayor Charles Butrico voted to remove age restrictions on the Tingley project, clearing the way for several hundred units. He also forgets that it was Republicans who derailed the 700 apartments in December. I don't remember English or Sorrentino objecting when their party did these things. Where were they? Did they object at the meetings? Did they write letters to the paper? English keeps talking about 40 years ago. Nobody is talking about that.”

English disagrees: “Mr. Anesh states that Democrats have not stood up for our town when it comes to these hug[e] housing complexes - that refers to many complexes not just the one at Tingley.”