Merger Of Long Valley Zoning, Planning Boards Up To Community Vote

LONG VALLEY, NJ — The general election is next week and Long Valley voters will soon be heading to the polls to vote on the possibility of combining the local Planning Board and Zoning Board of Adjustment into a single entity.

According to the interpretive statement on the Washington Township sample ballot, voters will be deciding on the creation of a Joint Land Use Board, which would act as a combination of the current Zoning and Planning Boards.

The idea was first raised at the Township Committee work session meeting on April 12 and has since been discussed at subsequent meetings.

If the community votes to approve the merger, the two separate boards will merge to form a consolidated Land Use Board.

The decision came down to a referendum because the township has a population of more than 15,000 people, officials said.

The referendum question asks voters whether the Township of Washington should amend the code to allow the planning board to exercise all of the powers and duties of a board of adjustment, in addition to the planning board's duties.

The Joint Land Use Board would be in charge of creating and amending the township's master plan, as well as approving conditional use petitions, as needed. The board would include nine sitting members and four alternates, according to the proposed ordinance modification.

Here is everything else that Long Valley voters need to know before they hit the polls:

The current mayor, Matthew Murello, ran for reelection with the Regular Republican Organization. Murello will face off this November against Deborah "Susan" Desaulniers, who is running under the Morris County Democratic Committee.

This year, six people have filed petitions seeking election to the Washington Township Board of Education, according to the Morris County Clerk's office.

Three three-year seats are up for grabs.

Here is the list of candidates:

• John R. Oldmixon: Excellence In Education
• Isabel Vieira: Excellence In Education
• Jennifer Ryan: Excellence In Education
• Marisa Baker: For Public Education
• Cynthia McConnell: For Public Education
• Laura Wengel: For Public Education

Current board members Jason Koestenblatt, Jill Mucerino, and Stephanie Wilson, whose terms all expire this December, did not file for re-election.

The general election is on Tuesday, Nov. 7, with polls open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.