Planning Board

PLANNING BOARD PRESENTATION TO TC

Alf Newlin, chairman of the Planning Board (PB), made the annual presentation to Township Committee (TC) on 9/15/10. The PB, staffed by citizen volunteers, is responsible for administering the township’s Master Plan which governs overall land usage and is updated every six years. The Master Plan is available on-line. As well, the PB gives advice and makes recommendations to the TC on land use ordinances. The lack of major subdivision activity made 2010 a relatively slow year for the PB.

Alf Newlin, chairman of the Planning Board (PB), made the annual presentation to Township Committee (TC) on 9/15/10. The PB, staffed by citizen volunteers, is responsible for administering the township’s Master Plan which governs overall land usage and is updated every six years. The Master Plan is available on-line. As well, the PB gives advice and makes recommendations to the TC on land use ordinances. The lack of major subdivision activity made 2010 a relatively slow year for the PB.

Work completed this past year included: Energy Structure Setback Ordinance requiring energy structures, such as solar panels, comply with the usual setback regulations; a Build Out Analysis was completed showing 200-250 additional housing units could be built in Harding; a requirement that new subdivision applicants document existing conditions of the land covered by the Conservation Easement; a Fertilizer Ordinance was discussed complying with state mandated regulation of fertilizers; and in regard to Land Use Fees, the PB advised on increase in these fees.

The PB has projects underway in these areas: a Waiver Procedure - would allow PB to hear waiver requests (on drywells and steep slopes) rather than having the applicant go to TC; in regard to Conservation Easements, considering changes to the forms to support the Township’s objective to monitor these easements to ensure that the easements are not violated over time; Deer Fences – preliminary discussion regarding changes to fencing regulations; and Route 202, preliminary discussions underway on the health of Rt 202 business zone.

Other projects that may be tackled in the future but have not been prioritized are lighting, adjustment of lot coverage limitations for large lots or lots with large conservation easements, cell towers (a special Cell Tower Advisory Committee is working on this and will advise the PB), “downtown” New Vernon, and Patriot Path and other walking paths. During discussion, resident Mike Meade asked Newlin and members of the Township Committee what became of the New Vernon downtown revitalization committee. Newlin’s reply was that the board did not have a sense of the priority of the matter to the public, and needed input from the public. Bartlett commented that the committee could be reactivated.

Keying off the mention of Route 202 business, it came out that a complaint was received from a business owner that the Halloween activities at Wightman Farm created a 15 minute traffic jam on weekends. The Police Department will be contracting that business owner to investigate.

Also, the construction of Rt 202 Bridge (at Old Mill Inn) has been delayed until 2012.

Other Township news: There was a large fire in an unoccupied house (formerly McShane) on Cherry Lane Sept 28. The structure was left uninhabitable by the blaze, which was concentrated near the rear of the building. A contractor working on a nearby property called to report the fire, police said. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by local police and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Arson Unit. Built in 1939, the property sold for $1.15 million in 2005, according to tax records, and the land subdivided. The property is assessed at $2.5 million currently, and located between two homes under construction. (article courtesy the Bernardsville Observer).