Planning Board OKs Master Plan Revisions

Revisions to the Master Plan, a document guiding land use in the township, have been adopted by the Planning Board.

The board unanimously approved the latest re-examination to the document at its Wednesday night meeting, with minor typographical changes made at the suggestion of township Administrator Robert Shannon and municipal Attorney Robert Landel.

The vote was the culmination of an unprecedented approach to the periodic task, as members of the public were invited to participate in workshops conducted by an ad hoc committee of township officials. Their suggestions on Smart Growth, historic and environmental preservation, open space and improvements to the business district helped guide the formulation of the final document, prepared by Kauker & Kauker, a Wyckoff-based planning firm.

The document was last revised in 2004 and amended in 2005. The suggestions and goals within the Master Plan merely act as a guide for any future actions that the township may take in regards to land use and growth.

The 2010 re-examination, which includes an open space and recreation component, includes the following goals: 

• To encourage the use of green building techniques and materials in new development and redevelopment.;
• To explore alternative means to sewer homes not currently serviced by the municipal sewer system;
• To identify and recognize buildings and places that have significant historical value; 
• To maintain a quality of life consistent with a small-town environment; 
• To preserve Open Space;
• To use code enforcement and the property maintenance code to assist in maintaining property values; 
• To address requirements to achieve positive drainage;
• Manage and control development in a responsible and energy efficient manner.

The open space and recreation component's goals are:

• To maintain a high level of recreational services for township residents;
• To provide a complete range of recreational facilities and services for all age groups that meets the needs of the township's population;
• To maintain and improve the recreational facilities within the township; 
• To preserve and protect existing open space within the township;
• To preserve and protect land that is environmentally constrained;
• To recognize and identify open space and conservation easement areas in the township which have been created as a result of site plan or subdivision approval by the Planning Board or other development;
• Create pedestrian/bicycle connection between land parcels and streets so that walkers and cyclists can avoid having to go to main roads to get to destinations.

For more information on specific suggestions contained within the re-examination, see this article.

Additionally, copies of the draft versions of the re-examination and open space component are attached to this article at right. The final versions are virtually unchanged from the drafts accepted by the Planning Board last month, and those documents are expected to soon by added to the township's website.

—Nicholas Loffredo