Politics & Government
Middletown Council Approves 'Media Diner' Sign, Cracks Down on ATVs
Councilman Mark Kirchgasser said illegal ATV use will be punished to "the full extent of the law."
The Middletown Township Council approved the zoning application of the new Media Diner on 8 South New Middletown Road at its meeting Monday night.
The diner, which celebrated its opening night as the board issued the decision, was given permission to replace the non-conforming "Denny's" sign of the previous tenant with a non-conforming "Media Diner" sign of its own.
In other business, at-large council member Mark Kirchgasser explained that the township will be taking a harder line against the use of ATVs on its property. The township will vote at the next general meeting to allow its two constables to issue citations for ATV use. Kirchgasser said the council hopes to punish trespassers to the fullest extent the law allows.
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The fine will be up to $600 per violation.
Later in the meeting, in welcome contrast to recent national headlines, Township Manager Bruce Clark delivered some good financial news: Middletown, that afternoon, received a $54,000 check from Delaware County.
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The money was a partial refund of a $300,000 contribution the township made towards the purchase of the Mineral Hill track in November 2010—the county received additional grant monies from the state, and so returned the excess funds. Clark said the money originally came from the Parks and Facilities Fund, and will be returned there to be used for future preservation and open space projects.
The council also awarded two contracts: one for the collection of recyclables and yard waste, the second for the providing of road salt for de-icing roads in the winter. They each went to the lowest bidder and were less expensive than the contracts they replaced. The salt contract was won by Oceanport LLC while the recyclable and yard waste contract stayed with Republic.
The council also announced that due to the shortage of items on the agenda, the Aug. 22 meeting has been cancelled. Its lone agenda item will be taken up September 26.
There will also be a special meeting at 7 p.m. on Aug. 30 to discuss revisions the developers have made regarding the Franklin Mint project.
