The Timeline
Below you will find a timeline of events related to the proposed 280 unit apartment complex at Holy Family School. Each date is derived from documents obtained through two Open Public Records Act requests submitted by Vincent Solomeno. There are no opinions.
November 3, 2014: Sue Kiley accepts a $2,600 contribution from Maser Consulting (Sue Kiley ELEC Report)
November 4, 2014: Sue Kiley is elected to the Hazlet Township Committee.
January 3, 2015: Sue Kiley is sworn in as a member of the Hazlet Township Committee and votes to appoint Maser Consulting as the Township Planner. Realizing that their contribution was $2,300 more than allowed by Hazlet campaign finance limits, Maser quietly declines the appointment. (Township Re-Organization Minutes)
May 14, 2015: Holy Family Church and the Township meet with the developer Highview Homes, LLC to discuss plans for a 150 unit apartment complex at the Holy Family School site. Kiley attends the meeting. The Township Attorney has denied a public records request for the notes of that meeting. (Affidavit of Dennis Pino)
May 17, 2015: The developer e-mails his business partners about the meeting. He writes, “They have no planner … They like the project, want it to have an affordable housing component and say they will figure out how to do it.” (Deposition of John Abene, October 31, 2016)
June 1, 2015: Realizing that they never appointed a planner because the first one was disqualified due to the improper contribution to Kiley, the Township Committee finally appoints a planner to study the developer’s apartment complex proposal.
June 4, 2015: Kiley e-mails with Gail Gordon, a Republican lobbyist hired by the developer, about the apartment complex proposal. To date, the Township Attorney refuses to release the contents of all of their communications.
July 30, 2015: The developer submits revised plans for 180 apartment units at Holy Family School.
August 6, 2015: Kiley, Scott Aagre, and the Township Administrator meet privately with the developer.
August 12, 2015: The developer agrees to the township planner’s request that 1 in 10 of the units become low income housing.
October 5, 2015: The developer has a private lunch with Kiley. The Township Attorney refuses to release the details of what was discussed at this meeting.
(Deposition of John Abene, October 31, 2016)
November 10, 2015: The developer files a builders remedy lawsuit against Hazlet Township. The developer claims that the town has not met its affordable housing requirements. They now want permission to build a 280 unit apartment complex.
(Highview Homes Statement of Material Facts)
September 7, 2016: The developer and his partner e-mail about the Township Committee. They want to “give them cover” by adding affordable units. (Deposition of John Abene, October 31, 2016)
September 8, 2016: Holy Family Church joins the lawsuit and sues Hazlet Township. (Holy Family Statement of Material Facts)
February 18, 2016: The township planner presents a proposed housing plan. The Township Committee takes no action. (Township Committee Meeting Minutes)
October 31, 2016: The developer does not remember the details of his “luncheon with Sue Kiley.” (John Abene Deposition)
January 1, 2017: In a 3-1-1 vote, Sue Kiley is chosen by the Township Committee to serve as Hazlet Mayor. (Township Re-Organization Minutes)
October 3, 2017: Sue Kiley takes a job with the Catholic Diocese of Trenton. This creates a conflict of interest and she now has to recuse herself from all matters relating to the developer and the church’s lawsuit against the town. (Township Committee Meeting)
The case is ongoing.