WHO’S WHO

CRANFORD DEVELOPMENT
FROM 2007 TO PRESENT
IN 2005 MAYOR JORN, DEPUTY MAYOR ASCHENBACH & COMMISSIONER MCDONOUGH (all democrats) VOTED AGAINST CRANFORD OBTAINING COAH
CERTIFICATION WHICH RESULTED IN THE 2 BUILDER’S REMEDY LAWSUITS BELOW AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO THE TAXPAYERS FIGHTING THE
DEVELOPERS CLICK HERE TO READ ARTICLE
215 & 235 BIRCHWOOD AVENUE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT
BUILDER’S REMEDY LAWSUIT
360 APARTMENTS AND PARKING GARAGE
ANNE ESTABROOK/ELBERON DEVELOPMENT 2007: ALONG WITH WOODMONT PROPERTIES (A DEVELOPER) APPLIED TO
HAVE ZONING CHANGED TO RESIDENTIAL.
WOODMONT PROPERTIES 2007: PRESENTED AN APPLICATION BEFORE THE CRANFORD PLANNING
BOARD TO CHANGE THE BIRCHWOOD PROPERTIES ZONING TO RESIDENTIAL.
WITHDREW THE APPLICATION.
STEPHEN SANTOLA, GENERAL COUNSEL FOR WOODMONT 2007: BEFORE JOINING WOODMONT, HE WAS A PARTNER IN THE LAW FIRM
PROPERTIES FOUNDED BY ANNE ESTABROOK’S LATE HUSBAND.
HEKEMIAN/CRANFORD DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATIES/CRANFORD 2008: PURCHASED THE PROPERTIES FROM ANNE ESTABROOK AND ARE THE
REDEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATES PRESENT OWNERS. SUBSEQUENTLY BROUGHT A BUILDER’S REMEDY
LAWSUIT AGAINST CRANFORD IN ORDER TO DEVELOP THE PROPERTIES AS
MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL—360 APARTMENTS AND A PARKING GARAGE.
STEPHEN EISDORFER, ATTORNEY FOR HEKEMIAN LAWYER REPRESENTING HEKEMIAN (CRANFORD DEVELOPMENT
PARTNER WITH HALL WALLACK LAW FIRM ASSOCIATES/CRANFORD REDEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATES) IN THE BUILDER’S
REMEDY LAWSUIT AGAINST CRANFORD TO BUILD 360 APARTMENTS AND A
PARKING GARAGE
JUDGE CHRYSTAL UNION COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE HEARING AND DECIDING ON ALL OF
THE ASPECTS OF THE BUILDER’S REMEDY LAWSUIT FOR BOTH THE
BIRCHWOOD AVENUE PROPERTIES AND 555 SOUTH AVENUE. STATE SENATOR
RAYMOND LESNIAK RECOMMENDED HER TO BECOME A JUDGE IN 2000. HE IS
ALSO A PARTNER IN THE LAW FIRM WHICH REPRESENTED LEHIGH
ACQUISITION CORP BEFORE JUDGE CHRYSTAL.
SPECIAL HEARING OFFICER WOLFSON AUGUST 2012: APPOINTED BY JUDGE CHRYSTAL. HEARD THE SITE PLAN
SITE PLAN HEARINGS IN AUGUST 2012 HEARINGS FOR BIRCHWOOD AVENUE AND 555 SOUTH AVENUE. MADE
RECOMMENDATIONS TO JUDGE CHRYSTAL
SPECIAL MASTER ELIZABETH MCKENZIE APPOINTED SPECIAL MASTER BY JUDGE CHRYSTAL. SUBMITS
RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT CRANFORD’S FAIR SHARE HOUSING AND AIDED
IN THE SITE PLAN HEARINGS IN AUGUST 2012. THESE RECOMMENDATIONS
WERE FORWARDED TO JUDGE CHRYSTAL.
CARL WOODWARD, ATTORNEY FOR CRANFORD 2008-2012: LAWYER REPRESENTING CRANFORD IN DEFENSE AGAINST
PARTNER WITH CARELLA, BYRNE, CECCHI, OLSTEIN, HEKEMIAN (CRANFORD DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATES/CRANFORD
BRODY & AGNELLO LAW FIRM REDEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATES) BUILDER’S REMEDY LAWSUIT AS WELL AS
THE BUILDER REMEDY’S LAWSUIT FOR 555 SOUTH AVENUE.
PHIL MORIN, ATTORNEY FOR WOODMONT 2007 2007: LAWYER REPRESENTING WOODMONT PROPERTIES BEFORE TOWNSHIP
ATTORNEY FOR CRANFORD 2012-2013 TO HAVE ZONING CHANGED TO RESIDENTIAL. ALSO THE UNION COUNTY
PARTNER WITH FLORIO, PERRUCCI, STEINHARDT & REPUBLICAN CHAIRMAN. APPLICATION WAS WITHDRAWN BEFORE DECISION
FADER LAW FIRM REACHED.
2012-13: CRANFORD’S TOWNSHIP ATTORNEY AND CRANFORD’S ATTORNEY IN
DEFENSE AGAINST HEKEMIAN (CRANFORD DEVELOPMENT
ASSOCIATES/CRANFORD REDEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATES).
CRANFORD TOWNSHIP PURCHASES BIRCHWOOD:225 APARTMENTS click here to read article
 555 SOUTH AVENUE
BUILDER’S REMEDY LAWSUIT
163 APARTMENTS
LEHIGH ACQUISTION CORP OWNER OF THE PROPERTY
WEINER LESNIAK, ATTORNEYS FOR LEHIGH ACQUISITION REPRESENTED LEHIGH IN BUILDER REMEDY LAWSUIT BEFORE JUDGE
CORP CHRYSTAL AGAINST CRANFORD. STATE SENATOR RAYMOND LESNIAK IS A
PARTNER IN THE LAW FIRM. HE RECOMMENDED JUDGE CHRYSTAL TO
BECOME A JUDGE IN 2000.
JUDGE CHRYSTAL UNION COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE HEARING AND DECIDING ON ALL
OF THE ASPECTS OF THE BUILDER’S REMEDY LAWSUIT FOR BOTH THE
BIRCHWOOD AVENUE PROPERTIES AND 555 SOUTH AVENUE. SENATOR
RAYMOND LESNIAK RECOMMENDED HER TO BECOME A JUDGE. HE IS
ALSO A PARTNER IN THE LAW FIRM WHICH REPRESENTED LEHIGH
ACQUISITION CORP AGAINST CRANFORD BEFORE JUDGE CHRYSTAL.
SPECIAL HEARING OFFICER WOLFSON AUGUST 2012: APPOINTED BY JUDGE CHRYSTAL. HEARD THE SITE PLAN
SITE PLAN HEARINGS IN AUGUST 2012 HEARINGS FOR BIRCHWOOD AVENUE AND 555 SOUTH AVENUE. MADE
RECOMMENDATIONS TO JUDGE CHRYSTAL
SPECIAL MASTER ELIZABETH MCKENZIE APPOINTED SPECIAL MASTER BY JUDGE CHRYSTAL. SUBMITS
RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT CRANFORD’S FAIR SHARE HOUSING AND
AIDED IN THE SITE PLAN HEARINGS IN AUGUST 2012. THESE
RECOMMENDATIONS WERE FORWARDED TO JUDGE CHRYSTAL.
CARL WOODWARD, ATTORNEY FOR CRANFORD 2008-2012: LAWYER REPRESENTING CRANFORD IN DEFENSE AGAINST
PARTNER WITH CARELLA, BYRNE, CECCHI, OLSTEIN, HEKEMIAN (CRANFORD DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATES/CRANFORD
BRODY & AGNELLO LAW FIRM REDEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATES) BUILDER’S REMEDY LAWSUIT AS WELL
AS THE BUILDER’S REMEDY LAWSUIT FOR 555 SOUTH AVENUE.
MAYOR MARK SMITH SIGNED THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENT WITH LEHIGH ACQUISITION CORP
IN 2010 FOR 163 APARTMENTS

RIVERFRONT ON SOUTH AVENUE (across from the RR Station)

127 APARTMENTS AND RETAIL SPACE
S. HEKEMIAN GROUP (same developer for Birchwood Avenue Proposal) 2006 & 2007: TRIED TO REACH AN AGREEMENT FOR THE RIVERFRONT
REDEVELOPMENT AREA WITH CRANFORD. BOTH ATTEMPTS FAILED.
GARDEN HOMES 2008: SIGNED AN AGREEMENT WITH CRANFORD
MAYOR PUHAK, COMMISSIONERS SMITH & GARCIA DISSOLVED THE INTERIM AGREEMENT WITH HEKEMIAN AND SIGNED AN
AGREEMENT WITH GARDEN HOMES IN 2008.
TONY GIOVANNI, DEVELOPMENT PARTNER WITH GARDEN PRESENTED THE GARDEN HOMES PROPOSAL TO THE TOWNSHIP
HOMES COMMITTEE AND TO THE PUBLIC ON TV35.
MAYOR ASCHENBACH, COMMISSIONERS O’MALLEY & 2011: ADDED ANOTHER FLOOR TO THE PROJECT FOR AN ADDITIONAL
CAMPBELL 21APARTMENTS
FRANK CAPECE, ATTORNEY REPRESENTED THE HOLT FAMILY (majority owner of property in the
redevelopment area) AND ALSO REPRESENTED THE MACK FAMILY (owner of a
home on the fringe of the development) IN THE NEGOTIATIONS TO SELL THEIR
PROPERTIES TO GARDEN HOMES
 CRANFORD ADDITIONAL DEVELPMENT
2016 -
JOSEPH TRIARSI, Attorney with Cranford Office, Westfield 20 APARTMENTS APPROVED BY ZONING BOARD AT 310 CENTENNIAL AVENUE, MAY
2016 (owned by 310 Centennial Avenue LLC, Gehane Triarsi & Partners--click here for
Home tv35 video)

DARYL & BRIELLE BOFFARD, KILKENNY BAR/RESTAURANT 24 APARTMENTS ON WALNUT AVE ACROSS FROM THE JUMBLE STORE & YVETTE'S
RUMORED TO LEASE 1ST FLOOR OF 24 APARTMENTS DANCE STUDIO APPROVED BY ZONING BOARD (owned by Daryl & Brielle Boffard)
click here to watch on tv35

1/10/2018: CRANFORD PLANNING BOARD (democrat majority) CLICK HERE TO READ ARTICLE IN WESTFIELD LEADER ABOUT THE LACK
PRESENTS NORTH AVENUE REDEVELOPMENT STUDY OF TRANSPARENCY (read further down in the article)
WITH EMINENT DOMAIN INCLUDING THE “DIVE”
BAR/ESTAURANT AS STATED IN ORDINANCE #2017-188E
page 4 FROM THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE (democrat
majority) AND THE PLANNING BOARD ITSELF (also
democrat majority)