Hamilton Mayor Kelly Yaede stands by as Ozzy, a 4-year-old Malinois from the town animal shelter, sits in the Mayor’s chair Nov. 10, 2015.
Hamilton Mayor Kelly Yaede stepped out of her office, a bundle of energy.
“You’re not on a schedule, Rob? Are you?”—and before I had a chance to answer—“No? Good. Let’s go for a ride.”
We stepped out of the municipal building and into the rain. Yaede unlocked her car, a black 2012 Chevy Tahoe she’s dubbed “the Mayor Mobile.” I climbed in the passenger side.
“I’m going to take you to our new animal shelter,” Yaede said. “We have a special guest who will be joining us there. You’re not going to believe it, Rob.”
Yaede was right—I did not expect what was to come next.
That “special guest” was Ozzy, a 4-year-old Malinois mix who recently had been surrendered to the Hamilton Animal Shelter. After we received a quick tour of the new expansion to the shelter at 2100 Sylvan Avenue, Yaede and I were off with Ozzy and a bag of dog treats in tow. For two hours Nov. 10, Yaede drove me around Hamilton Township, highlighting the development residents can expect to pop up early in her new term. Ozzy sat in the back, hardly making a noise.
“So, what questions do you have?” Yaede asked as she pulled out of the animal shelter’s parking lot.
“You won re-election a week ago, so what’s next for you?” I said.
“Without question, getting the energy receipts back to the taxpayers of Hamilton Township,” Yaede said. “It’s their tax dollars. That’s No. 1 priority. We’re holding our budget meetings. We want to hold spending down while attracting clean ratables into Hamilton. Working smarter, and continuing the trend of decreased crime.”
I was about to follow up on the energy receipts—it’s an issue that has hung around for nearly a decade now. In place of property taxes, utilities pay municipalities money called energy tax receipts for any property it has in that town—power lines, generators, you name it. The state collects this money and used to disburse it to the towns, until the state government figured out it could use this money to fill its budget gaps. On Nov. 5, Yaede sent a letter to Gov. Chris Christie demanding the state return that money to the towns. Had Yaede heard anything back?
The question hung on my lips when Yaede turned onto East State Street, and pointed out the Hamilton Civic Center.
“We brought the CYO here,” Yaede said. “We fed 29 students over the summer … On Friday, they were given a package of food to take home for the weekend.”
This road is a stretch of some importance to the township, a vein straight to the Grounds For Sculpture, the heart of Hamilton’s Arts and Culture District. During the campaign, Democratic mayoral candidate Amy Inman had dinged Yaede for abandoning the vision for this part of town, for letting it grow in a hodgepodge way that did not adhere to the district’s name.
There’s plenty going on in this area. Development and redevelopment has happened. Every property has some sort of sculpture on its lawn. But the tenants are undoubtedly more part of the district’s industrial past than its allegedly artistic future.
“This is new here, the Troil building is new,” Yaede said. “Princtel, he came in. He joined Grounds For Sculpture, loved the drive here and brought his company in.”
There’s a lull in the conversation, so I broach the energy receipts again. Had the township heard back from the Christie administration?
“No,” Yaede said, “I think Monday they were going to discuss.”
And, back to economic development.
“This Congoleum site, they are finalizing the details. It was sold. We’re having a meeting with them next Friday.”
The buyer of the massive lot across from the Hamilton train station on Sloan Avenue is not public. Neither are its plans. All Yaede would share is that the buyer is an investment group.
We reached the corner of Sloan Avenue and Quakerbridge Road. Yaede pointed across Quakerbridge Road, to the Flock Road side, at the current site of Laurenti’s Wines—better known as ShopRite Liquors.
“Here’s where you’re going to have a Wawa,” Yaede said. “Now, ShopRite Liquors is actually going to go back. There are some issues they’re discussing, but ShopRite Liquors will go back, and Wawa will be on the corner.”
This is one of three sites in the township where a Super Wawa gas station is planned. It is also one of three future Wawa sites in the township Yaede shows me on our drive.
As we turned right onto Quakerbridge Road, Yaede glanced quickly back at Ozzy. The dog hadn’t moved since Yaede put him in the car.
Yaede began talking about her 12-year-old dog, and about how she loves seeing houses under renovation during her travels around the township. Something in this line of conversation sparked another topic in her mind.
“I’ve been researching—and I can’t say too much—next year, after doing research, there will be a quality of life detail. I can’t say too much more. Quality of life.”
And as quickly as the topic came, it passed. Instead of following up on what she meant, I asked Yaede about fire consolidation. In October, she appealed to the state Department of Community Affairs to advise on the process as Hamilton’s nine fire districts consider reorganizing into one. The DCA accepted Yaede’s invitation. What progress, if any, had DCA and the municipal government made?
“I have a good working relationship with the lieutenant governor and the state,” Yaede started.
THUNK!
We had hit a bump, and Ozzy—who just decided to get comfortable—flopped off the backseat onto the floor.
“Are you OK, buddy?” Yaede asked. “He’s a good dog, isn’t he?”
Ozzy is a good dog, and a smart one, too. He chose to stay on the floor for the remainder of our ride.
At this point, we reached Wawa No. 2, at the former Patterson Chevrolet site on Route 33.
“Here’s where we’ll see, this will all be revitalized, reinvested,” Yaede said. “Everyone wants shiny and new, but to reinvest your dollars here speaks volumes about the community Hamilton Township is.”
We passed Hamilton Chrysler, which has been vacant for seven years now.
“How long this has been vacant,” Yaede said, in a hushed tone, before continuing to talk about the new Wawa location. “When we see revitalization like this and Suburban Plaza, that will attract new businesses.”
I pointed out that Levin Management started the process six years ago when it invested millions to rejuvenate Hamilton Plaza—across Route 33 from the Chrysler dealer—at a time when everything around it was declining. Now, the plaza has no vacancies.
“Yes, look at it now,” Yaede said.
Yaede made a right off of Route 33, and then a left onto Klockner Road. A large lot at the northwestern corner of Kuser and Klockner Roads had been cleared.
“Here, economic development continues,” Yaede said. “All cleared already.”
Plans were approved in 2011 to make this lot a four-story, 221,000-square-foot building with 195 apartment units. Ninety-six of the units will be independent living apartments, 75 will be assisted living apartments and 24 units will be for people suffering from dementia and other degenerative memory illnesses. At the time of the project’s approval, residents complained the development wouldn’t match its surroundings—wooded areas and single family, two-story homes.
Across the street, at the intersection’s southwestern corner, there is a field which will soon become a 339,500-square-foot warehouse.
Sandwiched between them is a home with a large American flag painted on its garage. For years, the house has been surrounded by woods. Now, its back yard will be an assisted living community and across the street will be a large warehouse.
“This gentleman will continue to live here,” Yaede said.
I wonder what the gentleman thinks about economic development.
We continued down Klockner Road, toward Route 130. We passed Genesis BioTech, which Yaede said will begin its next phase of expansion soon by adding two buildings.
At the intersection of Route 130, we found the third and final Super Wawa, at the old location of Harry’s Army/Navy. This Wawa is the closest to opening, with the structures for the store and gas station already standing.
Heading south on Route 130, Yaede pointed out an abandoned lot across the highway from the Shoppes at Hamilton. Originally zoned for research and development, the lot will now hold a 340,000-square-foot warehouse distribution facility for FedEx. As part of the plan, a jughandle will be constructed on the southbound side of the highway and a permanent traffic signal will be placed on both sides of the road, allowing access to the shopping center and the warehouse from either side.
“What this will do, when FedEx opens up, you’ll see this open up as well,” Yaede said. “All major developments will realize activity in the near future.”
Then she said, “Let me just pull over real quick.”
Yaede pulled her car across several spots in front of Color Me Mine, in the Shoppes at Hamilton, and pulled out her phone. She started looking up something. I turned to Ozzy and patted him on the head.
Finding what she needed, Yaede pulled out onto Route 130 North. She pointed out the Residence Inn hotel under construction, set for a March 2016 opening. The township is also working with the county to create ball fields and recreation space behind Shoppes and hotel.
We headed back to Kuser Road, and travelled west, toward White Horse Avenue. Yaede looked at her car’s clock—we had been driving nearly an hour.
“Are you on a time constraint?” Yaede asked. “Are you sure? You’ll get special dispensation.”
I assured her I had the time, and Yaede smiled.
“Are you going to put Ozzy in there, in that story? ‘Day with the Mayor’ I call it.”
Yaede told me Ozzy was the eighth dog from the shelter to spend a day with her—every meeting, briefing, interview and appearance. The first seven dogs had been adopted shortly thereafter, usually by a township employee. She continued to talk about dogs, including her own for a bit more.
At this point, Ozzy turned around so that his head faced the door and his rear faced me and Yaede.
“Did he just turn around?” Yaede said, laughing. “Do you want to give him a treat?”
I grabbed a Trader Joe’s Beef Jerky Strip from the bag of goodies. Ozzy took the treat from my hand gently. He ate half of it. The other half may still be under the rear seat in Yaede’s Tahoe.
“Can you do me a favor?” Yaede asked. “Can you take a video of him, and I’ll narrate?”
“This is my co-pilot Ozzy, and Ozzy is from the shelter—” My iPhone slid off my lap and crashed to the floor, ruining Take One. We tried again.
“This is Ozzy. Ozzy is my co-pilot for the day, and I’m with Rob Anthes from the Hamilton Post doing an interview. Ozzy is our Dog of the Day that we will have at the Mayor’s Office. Ozzy is up for adoption. He is a very well-tempered, cuddly dog. He is a Malinois. He’ll spend the day with me and get the royal treatment and take a ride and go visit some of the staff. If you are in Hamilton and would like to adopt a lovable animal, I’m sure Ozzy will rescue you. Ozzy, say hi. How can you resist? Thank you, Hamilton.”
“They love videos,” Yaede said, after I turned the camera off. “During a weather event, I communicate with the residents around the clock—my whole staff does. We do a lot. But you put a dog up, I get cards, gifts. It’s unbelievable.”
That may be true, but apparently my work as a cameraman wasn’t up to snuff because the video never saw the light of day. Yaede did post a photo of Ozzy on her Facebook page, which received 154 likes and nine comments. “A day with the Mayor? Another reason to wish I was a dog,” read one of the comments.
During the dog conversation, Yaede had navigated all the way across town. She showed me the lone open playground at Wilson Elementary School—open because of the township’s assistance—then swung by Shady Brook Park at the corner of Pitman and Reeves Avenues, which has recently resurfaced tennis and basketball courts.
As she pulled out of Shady Brook Park, Yaede recalled a question I had asked her in October, during the mayoral campaign.
“Remember how you asked, ‘How do you make it all work? How do you meet with people?’ So, I’ve done an interview, searched some things without telling you I was searching things, took a dog out of the shelter. You multitask. Multitasking is the key for success.”
Then she asked, “I’m not holding you up, am I? If you’re on a time constraint, I’ll write you a note or something.”
Once again, I assured Yaede I had time. One of the perks of writing for a monthly publication.
But we still had been driving for nearly 90 minutes, so Yaede decided to bring us to the Department of Public Works, where she could show me the township’s command center and show DPW employees Ozzy.
Once finished at DPW, Yaede piloted us back to the municipal building on Greenwood Avenue, back to the Mayor Mobile’s reserved parking space. She retrieved Ozzy from the back of Tahoe, coaxed him up the flight of steps that leads to the municipal building’s second floor and into the mayor’s office.
From the doorway, Ozzy spotted a comfy armchair—the seat Yaede typically uses when she’s in her office. He ran for the chair, jumped into it and curled up into a ball in one swift motion.
“He went right for the Mayor’s chair!” Yaede said, laughing.
A township employee brought Ozzy a bowl of water, and placed it on the floor. Ozzy stepped off the chair with his front legs and stretched to reach the bowl, ensuring his back legs never left the chair.
Ozzy, it seemed, had grown attached to Yaede’s chair. But he’d soon have to leave it to attend a meeting with Yaede and business administrator John Ricci. Yaede tried to put a positive spin on the news.
“If you like that, Ozzy, just wait until you check out John Ricci’s leather couch,” she said.
As of Oct. 23, Ozzy remained at the Hamilton Animal Shelter. To adopt Ozzy or any of the animals at the shelter, call (609) 890-3550 or visit 2100 Sylvan Ave.
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