BERNARDSVILLE – The borough Planning Board has approved a proposal to repurpose a landmark but vacant Route 202 garden center into a "modern European café." The Board has formally approved the plan by Panicio Pugliese LLC to convert the former Walter's Garden Center at 53 Morristown Road (Route 202 northbound) into a restaurant serving pizza told the Board that there will be no waiters or waitresses and that most customers will come into the business Pugliese said the business will be open 8 a.m seven days a week and he expected lunch will be the busiest time Pugliese said he is planning a "slow rollout" at first and will start with only four employees adding his mother and father have been in the restaurant business for most of their lives Pugliese said the employees will be parking off site possibly the train station parking lot where only about a quarter of the spaces are being used The plans called for 13 parking spaces on the site when 17 are required Pugliese said a comparable business would be Cocolux in Peapack-Gladstone the Board is requiring the café to have all deliveries and trash collections when the business is not open The Board also said the proposed roof sign should be a canopy sign Walter’s Garden Center had occupied the lot at 53 Morristown Road since 1976 when Walter Bowles purchased Santillo Garden Center from Mary and Ferdinand Santillo and they ran the business together for more than 30 years joined the business in 2014 helping with paper and bookkeeping when her mother stepped away from the business The property was put up for sale in early 2020 for $750,000 Nuvola 53 LLC purchased the property in February 2023 for $675,000 according to a deed registered in the Somerset County Clerk’s Office Once the home of New York City philanthropist and socialite Brooke Astor 40 Mountain Top Road in Bernardsville is now an architectural landmark Recently listed for $2.95 million by Ashley Christus of Turpin Real Estate the nine-bedroom home built in the early 1900s captures the opulence of its era six towering columns support a two-story portico that give the home a stately appearance there is 9,800 square feet of living space that holds nine bedrooms 10 bathrooms and traditional details befitting a Classic Revival mansion Though it might offer its next owners the idyllic New Jersey horse country lifestyle they have always wanted 40 Mountain Top Road was less than a palace for Astor She oversaw its renovations under notable celebrity architect Albert Musgrave Hyde to fit her liking but the home was nevertheless the scene of perhaps the most tumultuous period of her life — when she was a young and struggling bride dates back to her marriage to New Jersey politician John Dryden Kuser with deep ties to New Jersey's business and political history played a key role in shaping the state’s public and corporate landscape was a prominent investor and philanthropist who donated the land for High Point State Park and helped found the Fox Film Corporation the founder of Prudential Insurance and a U.S Kuser himself was a graduate of Princeton University who became a member of the Bernardsville Borough Council at 25 and went on to join the state Legislature He is perhaps best remembered for his bill designating the eastern goldfinch as New Jersey’s state bird in 1935 an ultimately successful recommendation that was met by "surreptitious warbling" from the Senate gallery Blase Cole of Sussex as recommending a crow as "we see them once in a while," The Ridgewood News reported in May 1935 Their connection was one thrust upon Astor Her father was just as prominent as Kuser's as Astor was the daughter of John Henry Russell Jr. Astor said the signs of their incompatibility started to show on their honeymoon The two became so disconnected during their time together that she blamed her shortcomings as a wife for driving him to alcohol There were accusations of cheating and gambling the former likely confirmed by Kuser's remarrying shortly after their divorce real estate and for the state before his death in 1964 reaching 105 and becoming one of New York’s leading philanthropists Though she cried herself to sleep each night from the emotional and physical abuse during her first marriage in her autobiography "Footprints," wrote that she "always woke up cheerful in the morning" while living in Denbrooke She stayed at the home until the breaking point Her days in Bernardsville were officially over Astor recounted how the marriage descended into what she later described as a "slow burn." The fallout became a public scandal splashed across newspapers from coast to coast Though her marriage and her time in Bernardsville ended horribly they also set Astor on the path toward becoming a highly respected philanthropist and New York City socialite revive and grow the Vincent Astor Foundation which focused its funds on supporting education she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of her lifelong contributions to philanthropy ultimately contributing millions to New York’s cultural and educational institutions the New York Zoological Society and numerous other groups and projects a library with built-in shelving and a sunroom offering panoramic views of the surrounding landscape of the Somerset Hills high ceilings and oversized windows that let in natural light a circular drive and a large swimming pool Get our editors' essential reads sent weekly to your inbox with The Gist newsletter Horticulture expert Kathleen Gagan blossoms in her backyard garden “I didn’t pick peonies. They picked me,” says Kathleen Gagan, owner and founder of Peony’s Envy display garden in Bernardsville “The deer didn’t eat them and I didn’t kill them The garden’s playful name was born years ago at a cocktail party when Gagan enthusiastically announced to several couples her plan to start a peony farm in her backyard “Sounds lovely—I’m sure we’ll all have peonies envy!” Having previously lived a dynamic lifestyle working as a corporate communications consultant and linguist overseas for 15 years Gagan was happy to settle back into bucolic Bernardsville she began selling rootstock commercially and opened her garden to the public because she was “eager to build something that others could visit and enjoy.” Today her property is home to one of the most extensive collections of peonies in the country More than 700 different cultivars thrive at Peony’s Envy Although Peony’s Envy is known for its wide variety as a display farm that’s only a small part of a much larger commercial venture centered around a bustling mail-order business and our online catalog is open 365 days of the year we ship thousands of orders globally,” Gagan says and each year her catalog showcases about 125 of them for sale The Peony’s Envy crop is continually rotated so the catalog offers ever-changing rootstock in white appreciates the laid-back vibe of established peonies because I failed at a peach orchard because deer ate all the trees and the established plants require little care Everything you do for them comes back year after year because it’s a generous plant that gives back so much more than it takes.” The cultivated-peony craze began in China 1,000 years ago and took root in England in the early 1800s before spreading to the United States in the early 1900s One of the first books written for American  peony gardeners was The Book of the Peony penned in 1917 by Alice Harding of Harding Township in Morris County Gagan’s library is filled with gifted first editions of peony books Gagan’s favorite varieties of the genus Paeonia include Scarlett O’Hara “There are thousands of peony cultivars registered with the American Peony Society there is a deeper appreciation for the abundance of varieties along with individual flower forms and fragrances,” the horticulturist says “With new cultivars always being introduced it’s enough to captivate one’s interest for decades.” laid out over the 7-acre Somerset County property displays all four major types of peonies: woodland Each variety blooms for 7 to 10 days over a six-week period Peony’s Envy is open every day from the last Friday in April to the second Sunday in June while the herbaceous varieties bloom during late May and into early June “Raising this flower requires no innate talent The entrance fee to the private garden is $10 per person Some visitors think we’re mean because we don’t allow smoking or pets But this is simply a peaceful sanctuary to recharge and learn about peonies,” says Gagan who writes gardening articles and lectures around the country but cut flowers are available for purchase visit the commercial Peony’s Envy growing location at the English family farm in Liberty Corner.) Following Mother’s Day Guests pay a $20 fee and are invited to spread a blanket and bring a picnic supper between 5:30 and 7:30 pm “Friday night events have become a regular date night And we’ve even witnessed a couple of wedding proposals,” says Gagan “I continue to do this because I haven’t failed at it yet ‘I’m a peony farmer!’ It’s a great conversation starter.” Read more Home & Style, Things to Do articles 2025 at 7:05 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}On March 8 at around 7:42 p.m. the Bernardsville Police Department went to a home on Somerset Hills Court on the report of a residential burglary NJ — Police are asking the public for help after a Bernardsville home was burglarized and ransacked on Saturday night reported that their home had been ransacked said Bernardsville Police Captain Dan Buttel determined that around $35,000 worth of items had been stolen from the residence The incident remains under investigation by the Bernardsville Police Department Detective Bureau Anyone with information or video surveillance that can assist police is asked to contact Detective Alex Mann at 908-766-0037 ext Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. BERNARDSVILLE - The developer of 68 apartments and 9,400-square-feet of commercial space on Olcott Square has filed suit against the borough Planning Board alleging that its denial of the controversial project was based on "woeful and inadequate reasons." part of Advance Realty Investors of Bedminster filed the suit Friday in Somerset County Superior Court alleging that the denial of the proposal was "arbitrary The Planning Board has not filed a formal response in court to the lawsuit After seven meetings and more than 20 hours of public hearings AR at Bernardsville is under contract to purchase the property at the corner of Route 202 and Mt the business of former Somerset County Commissioner Peter Palmer The project was the result of a redevelopment plan which started in September 2022 when it was designated by the Borough Council as an area in need of redevelopment The redevelopment plan was adopted by the Borough Council in May 2023 after the Planning Board determined that it was consistent with Bernardsville's master plan The borough and AR at Bernardsville entered into a redevelopment agreement in August 2023 As part of the redevelopment agreement with the borough AR at Bernardsville will pay $1 million into the borough's affordable housing fund in lieu of including any affordable units in the building seen as a centerpiece for the borough's downtown at its busiest intersection drew criticism from many borough residents The plan called for a four-story building with two levels of parking and approximately 9,230 square feet of commercial space The Planning Board hearings on the site plan began in February 2024 and continued through the summer each hearing "represented an opportunity for Board members to conjure new and unique concerns" about the project even on aspects of the plan that had remained the same from previous meetings The suit alleges that Board Vice Chairman Hal Simoff "had clearly pre-judged" the plan and his "commentary (during the public hearings) was designed to craft a pretext to deny the application." The suit also charges that Simoff had expressed a "seemingly intentional misrepresentation" of the redevelopment plan with the allowable height of the building The suit argues that the plan was identical in the building height and layout as the initial concept of the redevelopment plan about 100 conditions were attached to the proposed approval many of which "went well beyond" the redevelopment plan More: Redevelopment coming to downtown Bernardsville. Here's what we know The lawsuit argues that the resolution adopted by the Planning Board in December formalizing the project's rejection attempted "to repackage various disjointed statements and observations into coherent legal rationales for which there exists zero evidence." “How could anyone who truly cares about this town − its past and future − propose such a project,” said Rosalie Ballantine at one Planning Board meeting it’s a dark day in Bernardsville’s history.” AR at Bernardsville had argued that the "high quality" project is targeted to young professionals and empty-nesters who longer want to maintain 5,000-square-foot homes The developer said the project would bring more residents into "the heart of downtown" who would support downtown businesses The developer also that issues involving traffic and driveways on Route 202 and Mount Airy Road would be under the jurisdiction of Somerset County and the state Department of Transportation 1 & First Aid Squad)The Coffee Shop fire NJ — Wednesday was a busy day for emergency responders in Bernardsville the Bernardsville Police Department went to Olcott Square on the report of an activated fire alarm coming from The Coffee Shop Officers saw smoke coming from the back of the business near the basement area The Bernardsville Fire Department came and extinguished the fire All nearby businesses were evacuated until the scene was deemed safe The Bernardsville Fire Official also responded and the investigation is ongoing The Coffee Shop at 23 Olcott Square said on Wednesday but due to a external electric meter issue the Bernardsville Police Department went to Mt Airy Road on the report of a structure fire Officers saw smoke coming from the front of the home and confirmed no one was inside and all pets had been removed Officers then used fire extinguishers to mitigate the spread of the fire until the Bernardsville Fire Department arrived A preliminary investigation found that the fire may have been started by residual embers from a fireplace The homeowner was home at the time of the fire and did not report any injuries to police Fire officials responded and the investigation is ongoing BERNARDSVILLE – By a 4-4 vote, the borough Planning Board has denied a proposal to build a mixed-used 68-unit apartment building on Olcott Square The board's vote on the controversial proposal came after a four-hour meeting on Thursday when board members expressed concerns about traffic compatibility with the rest of downtown and visibility at the intersection of Route 202 (Morristown Road) and Mt "It should have better," said Board Member Marc Walden explaining the plan is not consistent with the goals of the redevelopment plan adopted by the Borough Council Because the board has not adopted a formal resolution rejecting the project which has been in the works for more than two years still has to opportunity to request the Board to reconsider the vote The developer also has the option of filing suit against the Planning Board and taking the case to Somerset County Superior Court Voting in favor of the plan were Board Chairman Robert Graham More: Bernardsville awarded downtown transformation grant. Here's what the money will do told the Board that issues involving traffic and driveways on Route 202 (Morristown Road) and Mount Airy Road "They're the ultimate arbitrators," he said the developer would have to come back to the Planning Board with a revised plan Wyciskala said the project would be one of Advance's "flagship properties" and would be a major investment in the borough Advanced Realty Investors will pay $1 million into the borough's affordable housing fund in lieu of including any affordable units in the building Wyciskala said the "high quality" project is targeted to young professionals and empty-nesters who longer want to maintain 5,000-square-foot homes He explained the project would bring more residents into "the heart of downtown" who would support downtown businesses He said the "transformative project" would not bring a significant number of school-age children to the borough and the number of three-bedroom apartments has been reduced Wyciskala also said the developer had incorporated many of the suggestions from board members and residents to make "an even better plan." The proposal also called for 9,000 square feet of commercial space Advance Realty Investors is under contract to purchase the property from Palmer Enterprises and future − propose such a project,” said Rosalie Ballantine at a previous Planning Board meeting 2025 at 11:07 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The home burglary was reported on Jan NJ — Three juveniles were apprehended in connection with a New Year's Day home burglary in Bernardsville the Bernardsville Police Department went to a home on Charlotte Hill Drive on the report of a burglary in progress officers saw a white four-door Hyundai driving at a high rate of speed flee the area The vehicle in question was determined to be stolen from Newark and later crashed on Whitenack Road in Bernards Township Multiple area police departments came to help and three juvenile males were later apprehended The incident remains under investigation by the Bernardsville Police Department DetectiveBureau Anyone with information or video surveillance that can assist police is asked to contactDetective Alex Mann at 908-766-0037 ext 2025 at 2:49 pm ETOwner of Itty Bitty Bins Amanda Gardner of Bernardsville (Courtesy of Declan and Amanda Gardner)Valentine's Day themed bins (Courtesy of Amanda Gardner)Gardner's sons Declan and Murphy Bernardsville local and mom Amanda Gardner is continuing to encourage sensory play in children through her unique business Itty Bitty Bins Gardner was a teacher for 12 years where she taught first grade in Mine Hill and special education preschool in Long Hill until the COVID pandemic hit She ended up staying home with her son Declan and found out shortly after she was pregnant with her second son Murphy "I had two babies that were 16 months apart since I'm here at home.' I still had that teacher in me," said Gardner She used to make sensory bins for her students when she was teaching And then I started making it for family members and friends and they all seemed to really enjoy it," said Gardner That prompted her to take a chance and see if she could make a business out of it She launched Itty Bitty Bins and began selling them privately on Etsy and in local shops such as the Rebecca Collection in Bernardsville and the Learning Express in Morristown Gardner started venturing out and doing Itty Bitty tables for birthday parties and events and that snowballed into her running her small business full time Most of her business stems from her custom bins used as party favors and I try to work with their budgets to try to help out as much as possible," said Gardner Gardner said her bins are not only unique and fun favors for children but they offer a learning element She said a lot of people may not realize that her jars are not just Play-Doh with trinkets inside because it teaches them a new language," said Gardner Gardner would pull different things from the jars and then have him tell her what they are "which helps develop new language too." All orders can be picked up in Bedminster or shipped She has had a lot of orders to the states in the Mid-West Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com 2025 at 1:34 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The 1.8-magnitude quake​ was reported at 8:23 a.m NJ — An earthquake shook parts of New Jersey on Friday morning The 1.8-magnitude quake was reported at 8:23 a.m It originated about 7 kilometers west-southwest of Gladstone and New York City have reported feeling a weak shaking It has been close to a year since a 4.8-magnitude earthquake caught residents in New Jersey by surprise rattling quite a few other East Coast states as well There have been other, smaller quakes since then including one in Bergen County this January Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. 1 & First Aid Squad)(Bernardsville Fire Co NJ — A car crashed into a home in Bernardsville late Sunday night Firefighters arrived to find a car partially overturned and into a home The car was stabilized and the home was checked for hazardous structural damage Both car occupants were assessed for injuries and only had minor injuries 2025 at 12:09 pm ET( Amanda Lange Photography)( Amanda Lange Photography)( Amanda Lange Photography)BERNARDSVILLE NJ — Somerset Hills teacher Danielle McGovern will be among the cast performing in the Roxbury Arts Alliance's production of "You're A Good Man Charlie Brown," opening May 10 and running through May 18 The show features multiple casts that earned their roles by showcasing their take on the classic Charles Schultz characters "Theater is the most inclusive activity I know and it was important to me that this production reflect that and offer as many opportunities where we can to the widest variety of people," Director Russ Crespolini said Crespolini put together a roster of 18 performers split amongst three casts But multiple casts mean the actors get to play different roles in different productions," Crespolini said There was also a more practical reason for doing so I was in a production of a play in 2022 that lost an entire weekend because a performer had COVID and refused to return until he deemed it safe," Crespolini said we have plenty of coverage and can mix and match as needed without the audience even noticing Because everyone we cast worked so hard to be prepared." producer and music director Dar Yannetta and choreographer Allanna Mariano went along with the idea a Weenuts cast of 18 and under that will serve as ensemble in the adult show and play principals in their own production and Standby/Understudy cast that will perform in the ensemble of the Weenuts cast and get their own performance as principals," Crespolini said "I wanted the understudies to get a performance of their own The run will also feature a sensory-friendly performance on Sunday This performance is designed to accommodate individuals with sensory sensitivities such as those on the autism spectrum or with other sensory processing differences It involves modifications to the performance environment to create a more comfortable and accessible experience for everyone "Our producer floated the idea to us and as a cast and as a team we all leapt at the opportunity," Crespolini said "Everyone should be able to experience theater." the Roxbury Arts Alliance has been home to amateur and professional artists for nearly 30 years Citizens Bank Theater located within the Horseshoe Lake municipal complex and stage performances in an intimate theater setting "We also do outdoor summer concerts," Yannetta said theater upkeep and repairs are paid for through public and private supporters saw a show in the space and knew he wanted to get involved You have to enter under the Senior Center sign when you come into Horseshoe Lake but it is such a nice space for the arts," Crespolini said compared to a lot of theaters I have been involved with "You're A Good Man Charlie Brown" plays Saturday and closes with a sensory-friendly performance at 2 p.m General admission is $27.25 and children under 18 are only $11.50 Charlie Brown: Matthew NorthLucy: Alexis RizzoLinus: Danielle McGovernSchroeder: Jasper FernandesSally: Nikole Rizzo-DeLucaSnoopy: Kerri BatchePig Pen: Natalie CrespoliniPeppermint Patty: Melania LeottaShermie: Milo LipmanFreida: Jenny KildeaWoodstock: Lexsi MarianoMarcy: Leah Buck Charlie Brown: Natalie CrespoliniLucy: Melania LeottaLinus: Milo LipmanSchroeder: Jasper FernandesSally: Jenny KildeaSnoopy: Lexsi MarianoPig Pen: Caitlin FerrentinoPeppermint Patty: Sabrina MoralesShermie: Micah MillardFreida: Cecily DentonWoodstock: Vienna MarianoMarcy: Leah Buck BERNARDSVILLE – The borough Planning Board pushed the vote on the controversial Palmer Square to a special meeting on Aug Planning Board members decided they needed more time to discuss the long list of stipulations for approval of the project These stipulations include making sure the applicant complies with state Department of Transportation regulations and requiring the developers to provide police and fire reports on the impact of the project Planning Board Chairman Robert Graham and member Jeff Horowitz also suggested the board may want to add more stipulations which will be better done with “rested minds.” The board’s decision to hold off the vote came after residents voiced their displeasure with the proposal “How could anyone who truly cares about this town −its past and future −propose such a project,” said Rosalie Ballantine A main sticking point for residents was traffic concerns “I find it to be a pipe dream that traffic won’t increase with this proposal,” said Kathleen Shepherd a Bernardsville resident for more than 20 years “I just don’t want Bernardsville to be sacrificed and I feel it is.” More: Redevelopment coming to downtown Bernardsville. Here's what we know “I am horrified that the town would take on a project like this without ever having a traffic study before the project was accepted,” said Barbara Long “And then to give tax relief in something that was supposed to alleviate the indebtedness of the town Consideration of the Palmer Square project began last August when Advanced Realty Investors unveiled its plans to redevelop the property They proposed a four-story building with 10,000 square feet of retail space and 68 apartments on the one-acre property More: 'Breathe life into the town': Palmer Square redevelopment in Bernardsville inching closer is under contract to purchase the property from Palmer Enterprises then redevelop it with their proposal Hearings for the proposal began in February but testimony has continued for almost six months BERNARDSVILLE – A proposal has been submitted to the borough Planning Board to convert the vacant Walter’s Garden Center The application for the building between the Bernardsville Animal Hospital and Lowrie Auto Body on Route 202 didn’t specify what type of restaurant was being proposed show a pizza prep area and two large ovens The restaurant would have both indoor and outdoor seating The proposal was submitted to the Planning Board on April 4 by Morris Plains residents Antonio and Giovanni Pugliese After a review by the board's planner and engineer The applicant’s engineer responded with a letter addressing the board planner and engineer’s concerns the proposal will be submitted for another review a public hearing for the proposal will be scheduled More: These are the 7 most expensive Somerset County towns to live in Walter’s Garden Center had occupied the lot at 53 Morristown Road since 1976 purchased the property in February 2023 for $675,000 according to a deed registered in the Somerset County Clerk’s Office Just two doors down from the Walter’s Garden Center is the old Somerset Hills Audi dealer that the Borough bought back in 2022 The borough is hoping to sell the property for redevelopment Ethan Mannello: EMannello@mycentraljersey.com BERNARDSVILLE – The roof of a borough home on Overleigh Road was damaged in a fire Tuesday night Bernardsville firefighters responded to reports of a structure fire on Overleigh Road firefighters and police saw a fire near the roof of the home More: Home damaged in two-alarm fire in Kenilworth New Vernon and Somerset County responded to fight the blaze Alexander Lewis is an award-winning reporter and photojournalist whose work spans many topics. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers. 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