According to the open public meetings law PL1 1975 chapter 231, this regular meeting of the planning board of the championship notice has been provided. If everyone could please stand for the pledge. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Councilman Embar Wait, is this on? Councilman Embarson >> here. >> Theodore Chase
>> here. >> Robert Leort >> here. >> Mark Dansancy. >> Jennifer Ragnau >> here. >> Mia Rafi >> here. >> Charles Brown >> here. >> Robert Thomas >> here. >> Chairman Rini >> here. >> So just before the meeting, Councilman
Ram was sworn in. So, welcome back from India. Um, you were uh probably shocked by the climate change between where you were and where you are. >> It's a 100° swing. >> Oh my gosh.
>> I believe it. I very much believe it. But, uh, yeah. Welcome. cracking. >> So, um, so what we have tonight is a couple of So, we don't have any hearings tonight. We have a couple of resolutions. Um, we have a discussion item and then we're going to talk about
the master plan. Um, the level of the master plan. So, um, there was one person on the board who'd actually did what they were asked to do back in December, and that person needs to be acknowledged as Jen Ragna. And, and so, um, since the rest of since
the rest need a few more comments. No, no, but the original assignment and the date due, the only person who got it right was the um the teacher in our >> I was just going to say that's the teacher in her
>> as as well as well it should be. So so not anything to be embarrassed about. It's it's a good it's a good >> um but since then the rest of us myself included have come to heal. So we uh we will have that discussion tonight and the and the discussion we really want to
do tonight is identify what we feel needs to be done. Mark is then going to coate those comments and at the next meeting we are going to have a list and we're going to prioritize what we would like to work on and then after that we'll start working on it. So that's how tonight's going to go and I'll let Mark
run the uh uh master plan discussion and he's received our notes. All of you have received my notes. Uh so we'll we'll go from there. So, um, we have no minutes tonight. We have an extension of time, uh, for Baldwis Realy. Those are two
warehouses off Weston Canal Road. Uh, we gave them to January 3rd of next year. So, um, Christine, >> just the councilman and, um, Jennifer cannot vote. I'll make a motion to approve. >> Second.
>> Theodore Chase. >> Yes. >> Robert Lort, >> yes. >> Mahira Rafi, >> yes. >> Charles Brown, >> yes. Yes. >> Robert Thomas. >> Yes. >> Chairman Arseni. >> Yes. Um for those of you who read the sources of news in the township, um
there's one tap into um decided that they made it sound like we're going to actually have a hearing tonight on NPH real estate, which of course we are not. Um this is just the resolution uh for the um already approval. Um, so, uh,
they didn't get that right, but nobody has seemed to be swayed to, uh, look over that. So, um, with that, um, I'll move to approve MPH. >> Second. >> Seconded. >> Wow, there's three of you.
>> Theodore Chase, >> yes. >> Robert Lort, >> yes. >> Jennifer Ragno, >> yes. >> Makir Rafi, >> yes. >> Robert Thomas, >> yes. >> Chairman Arseni, >> yes. >> Um, discussion items. So in the course of go reviewing the master plan, there
was one element of the master plan that has not been addressed since 2013. Um during the league last week, I emailed you guys and you saw that comment. Um and Mark got right on it and talked to Tara Kenyon and we came up with they
came up with a proposal which I endorse to form an open space plan steering committee. And um since the details um Mark is better with I'll turn it over to you to tell tell >> Yeah. And and I'll just say that I think this is um kind of gets to the speaks to
kind of the purpose of and the benefit of doing this master plan re-examination because you know basically what we found was a lot of the elements you know the historic element farmland preservation trails housing you know all of these things we've you know we've done since
2016 and most of them are pretty current as the chairman just said. The one that was somewhat out of date is the is the open space uh and recreation plan. So, um um I I reached out to Tara Kenyon um who's the township's land preservation um uh gave her a draft of the full
document and I'll go through as well. She had other comments on some of the other um on the master plan re-examination and I'll identify those comments for you in my presentation, but we also started a discussion of starting this um you know getting going on the open space uh plan uh which she's going
to take the lead on. Um and we thought that we both agreed that you know coming up with a we all agreed that having a steering committee with different township committees um would be a good idea. So we're suggesting that you uh as a board um pass a resolution forming
that steering committee. U I put on here this is an email that was going back between the chairman and Tara and I uh with suggested membership um two from the planning board, two from the open space committee and two from wreck advisory committee. you know, those are kind of the lead agencies, if you will.
Um, planning board obviously because that they'll be you'll be asked to adopt it when it's done. Um, and then, you know, open space because it's open space preservation and it's recreation. So, you know, those are really the lead agencies. Um, trails, egg, and historic, they obviously have their related areas
of expertise. So, the suggestion is to have one member each on from there. Um, it be it be uh recommended that myself and the director of recreation be advisory members. you know, we'd participate but not, you know, to the degree there's votes, we wouldn't be a voting member. And the same thing with the council leaison because obviously
it'd be a good idea to have somebody from council. So, the recommendation would be to um uh you pass a resolution to to have a a steering steering committee of that membership. Um, you know, I would send an email after this
afterwards to um, you know, with respect to council and Marie and and Bob Vornlocker and to Tara who represents uh, you know, and and basically ask ask each of these committees to assign uh, you know, the requisite number of people. That's basically it.
>> Yeah. And and so think about um Mark, I guess one question. The council person um is there a coun there is must be a council rep to OAC. Who is that? >> No, there isn't. >> There isn't. >> Not right now. >> Yeah, Edna was
>> all right. So yeah, Ed's going to get Ed's going to get replaced, right? Because he's DP now. So I mean I would suggest Ram if you can do it if you you're willing to do it but you would you would be the council rep but not a planning board rep. So we would still have two extra people from
the plan. Is that allowable? I mean we don't have a >> this is a steering committee. It's then it's not a it's not a planning board. >> I just want to make sure we don't we don't ruin the spirit of the tent. I I will tell you that I want to be one of those people because I've been beating the drum for this uh for a long time. Um, I've been asking about certain
properties and where the status was. And it shouldn't be a heavy lift because nobody's making new land. So, it's either it's either on target to be preserved, not to be preserved, or can't be preserved anymore because it's since been developed since 2013. So, it's it's
not like it's it's somebody's somebody's making new new open space. So, for that reason, I think it should be a pretty easy lift. So, um, we don't need to decide who the other person is tonight. We just need to like like Mark said pass this resolution. So >> So I think with the order I think
perhaps uh Mike if you want to make the um the motion to recommend a formation of a steering committee with the membership that I described then you could have a second and a >> Sure. Um I will make that motion uh according to what's on the screen right now in terms of open space steering committee membership.
>> I'll second council >> chairman. Yes. Just to let you know that I am the the chair now of open space. >> I know. >> And on historic. >> Yes. No. And it's it's great that you're here in the board. >> First chair on historic, too. >> Yeah.
>> So, count me in as one of the >> Oh, all right. Well, then we then we have it. It'll be it'll be Well, you're going to get How many >> have four members of planning? >> Wait, wait. >> We just can't have a fifth. >> How many How many people from open space? >> Is that where you >> No, you can't member board.
>> Nine members. Can't have a quorum. >> Yeah. Can't have five. >> So four. We're good. >> You're still You're still good. Yeah. But since Bob is on open space, will he count for open space or planning board? >> We'll have to figure that out. >> Yeah. >> I think I think you guys should create
the committee and then decide how you want to populate it as you look and see who has an appetite for populating >> because I mean, if if he's got someone else who may want to take that spot and he's going to be your planning board member, great. But there may be a situation where, you know, he he's the
guy from one of those two committees he's on who wants to do it. >> Excellent idea. Well, we'll figure that out, Ted. >> Well, as the planning board representative to the open space committee, I was hoping to be named to this. >> Well, well, and you can be. Um, let's
see. One, two, three, four. We'd still be okay. >> Okay. We could have Ram as council, but it doesn't matter what hat you wear. If you're on the planning board, you're on the planning board. And we can't have five. By my math, it says one, two, three, four.
>> Well, I mean, >> but then you don't have your two members for planning board, do you? >> Well, if he's doing open space and he's historic and he's council, >> well, again, we can we can we that's a great battle to have to fight that everybody wants it so bad. So, um, let's
just let's just punt that for tonight and just pass this. >> Okay, >> we'll figure it out. >> Okay, so uh, Councilman and Barson, >> yes. >> Theodore Chase, >> yes. >> Robert Lort, yes. >> Jennifer Ragnau, yes. Mir Rafi, >> yes. >> Charles Brown, >> yes. >> Charles, oh, Robert Thomas,
>> yes. >> Chairman Rini, >> yes. >> Uh, just a quick question I should have asked five minutes ago. Don't there's no sentiment or feeling of having any zoning board rep.
>> Yeah. I don't I personally I don't think the zoning board really needs to be represented. I mean the zoning board is really um you know they don't really have any advisory role specifically or or or the or the or the ability to adopt the plans. That's really more the planning
board's role. Um, and I don't think what's in this document is not really going to affect zoning and land use decisions, per se. >> That's fine. Just just a question. So, >> yeah, we don't we don't want you to feel left out. So, no, it's it's fine to ask.
Um, there's no public here, so I'm going to issue making a motion for public comments. We have no hearing. So, the board before we get to the master plan very quickly, board comments. So I asked Christine and I think I told you this maybe a couple meetings ago that um since we really don't have committee
reports from like TED is open space liaison but there's really not kind of reports until we do kind of a maybe an open space reexam or a master plan re-exam. So I replaced it with board comments. So you know this is the place
and we'll see how this goes. Um, there's got to be some ground rules. That is, we're not going to talk about current or future or any applications in specific because we do not have uh those people here. But if you know, as we drive
around town and we say, I don't know, this property looks a little, you know, what's going on with it, right? That kind of thing, right? what we see, whether it's from a planning standpoint or or whatever. Um, that's that's kind of where we have to restrict it to. We
can't talk about pending applications, past applications, applications in litigation or anything like that with the beginning of the ground rules, Peter. Besides that, >> I think I think those are good ground rules. And you know, I think um
>> You're welcome. Sorry. >> Yeah. Listen, I try um you know, whether I'm here or Jim's here, I think we can keep you guys on uh you know, on the right track and make sure that you you don't stray into areas that you shouldn't be talking about. So that's uh
you guys as a set of ground rules. That's a good working uh set. And then we'll we'll just uh you know, maybe tweak them as we move along. >> Sounds good. So we'll we'll see how it goes. Can't can't go worse than committee reports where we really didn't have any. So uh we'll see whether this is more productive. So, I'll give you an
example of something that's on my mind. So, um, in his last day in office, Phil Murphy passed the New Jersey Invasive Species Act. Um, and I think this is this is important as we look at plans.
Um, and this was pending legislation for some time. And so what it does is it uh it bans uh a list of invasive species. Um, and these invasive species we probably all have in our yards. Things like Bradford pears, barberry,
um, burning bush, uh, which is probably everybody's got a burning bush cuz they're now got nice brilliant red fall color. Um you then you see if you look in the spring and you look in the field say off of Bennett's lane like I do and I look across the sheep farm and there's all
these white flowers and those are Bradford pairs that have got gone invasive um and and are displacing native species. Um within a year the act bans propagation. All right within four years the act
bands sale. So, you will not be able to go to your local garden center, whether it's Home Depot or whether it's a local one like Faras or some place like that, and buy a burning bush or a Barbberry or a Bradford pair. But to be fair to the industry, uh the act has given them four
years to clear that inventory. So, they do not suffer losses because it's not their fault. Um but in in within the first year, there's no propagation. So, you can't like take a cutting and and make more. Um but um so that that's the um the list is there. I can send
everybody the link to the actual of the act the the the wording of the act but it's um if you're on environmental committees, green teams or things like that, it's a big deal uh because it's it's it's been long. Um bamboo is on the
list as you might imagine. So you this is important. And so I still like I still go like the new and this was the zoning board. It's probably not your fault. It's probably construction that didn't pick it up. There's still Bradford pairs by that
extended stay hotel on the on the lane between Quick Check and the extended stay and the and the nursing home or the assisted living. I'm like why? Those have been bad. I was on the shade tree commission. I was chair of it and we we gave construction code enforcement a
list of trees not to approve. How the hell did Bradford pears get in there? That's a bone I have to pick. We need to do a better job. Um and and I mean it kind of starts with us and I know Ted does a great job of reviewing landscape plans um better than I do. Um that's for sure. But um yeah, this is kind of
important and I think it's just it's just a good step forward. So that that's my board comment. And Bob, I know you walk around town and you've you have comments, too. So, this should be a good section for you. This is where you can let her go.
>> Yeah, I agree with you. I don't know how some of the stuff got got where you still have uh I just passed one today. Huge stand of bamboo. >> Well, that's supposed to be eradicated, too, right?
>> Well, it's grandfathered. So what the bamboo thing does, not the state but the township ordinance is the bamboo, if you were to plant bamboo now, it needs to be contained. Now I will freely admit because there's nothing you can do about it. Um can't
arrest me. Um I have bamboo all around my property. A lot of bamboo. I mean I have bamboo like you wouldn't believe. And the reason is my house was owned by um I don't know if you remember the I forget the name of it was but it was
in the old plaza that used to hold house the stop and shop on Veronica and it was a Chinese restaurant. That guy owned my house before I bought it. >> He planted bamboo and he had it in he he he had the right idea. He had it planted when I first bought the house. There was
very little bamboo and you know those five gallon buckets of like duck sauce and soy sauce the Chinese restaurants bought you had them in there but that plastic breaks down and cracks and freezes, right? And the roots get out. Um so my bamboo is grandfathered and
believe me I I love it because it's beautiful privacy screen. I I could I could run naked in my backyard and truthfully no one would see me because the line >> it's that it's it's that dense. It's that dense. But it's also a a pain um to
mow down when because the shoots go extend into the So that's that's the bamboo ordinance. So if you have it as grandfathered, if you're planting it, it needs to be contained so the roots don't spread by something that better than a five gallon duck sauce bucket. >> Makes great fishing poles.
>> It does. It makes great tomato steaks and everything. I never have if I want a a fence post or a steak for a tree, I have my own supply. But yeah, you're right. Bamboo is one of those things and and I mean it's like a lot of ordinances we have in town um and
some recently passed where like you wonder how how it's ever going to be enforced and I think that's really where the uh where the >> I can I can tell you that the bamboo ordinance is being enforced >> and it's I don't want to get into it because it's really not I know it's been an issue at council and it's really not
a planning board issue but it's not easy to enforce uh because it comes down to like you I don't even want to get into How could it be easy? I mean, when it's grandfathered, >> it's there. You can't go around and watch >> honestly, I don't want to get into it. I really don't want to get into it. It's
it's it's because it's could be legal. I really don't want to. It it gets to >> I don't know if it's necessarily grandfather. I don't know if that's necessarily accurate, but it's it's >> the problem is it it the person responsible is the person where it first grew. >> And how do you establish that?
>> I problematic. I'll just leave it at that. It's It's a difficult thing to enforce and I'd rather not get into it in public. >> Mark doesn't want to get into the weeds. >> Exactly. >> Oh boy. >> Oh boy. >> And it's expensive to remove. >> Oh, it is
>> very expensive to remove. And this person's saying they planted it, they planted it, they planted it, they planted it. So it's it's it's not easy. >> But th those kind of things. I mean, I'm glad you brought that up. I mean, that's the kind of thing and anything planning. I mean, if you're like, I wonder what is
that zone is? Should should that what what use is that? Oh, it's a real nice, you know, should we be preserving it or something of that nature. We can we can talk about it here. So, >> anyways, um so if there are no other board comments, um Mark, turn it over to
you for the >> main reason we're here tonight. >> All right. So, what I'm going to do is I think um well, I have received um we're now on the third draft. you know, I've been sending uh drafts um to you via email along the way. Um I have received
comments from uh a number of members. Uh and I've also received, as I said before, comments from Tara Kenyon. Uh what I'm going to do is um this third draft, I believe I had emailed you uh a few weeks ago and then I've amended it again to incorporate those comments. So,
I'm going to go through and just just so you can see um to the degree that you made comments uh what's been changed. Um, and then I think we can get into um any additional comments that the board members may have. So, I'm just going to scroll through it because I highlighted
the changes in yellow. Um, some of them are updates. So, this is the discussion of the BI zone uh master plan. So, since the last version uh you've now adopted it. So, that's just reflecting the fact that that that
master plan re-examination was adopted last month. Um uh Ted, you had a question about the fair share plan. Where are we? Uh well, the answer is um so the te the the you know, you adopted
a plan and the council endorsed it in uh 2025. It went to the state. Um there was mediation with the um with the state uh program um headed by a retired judge. uh Fairshare Housing Center was one of the
people involved in that mediation. We had to make certain changes to our plan. Um you received some of those draft ordinances that the council introduced uh earlier last month and and you reviewed them at the last meeting. At the February 18th meeting, uh we're
going to have two hearings. One's going to be this master plan re-examination. The other's going to be adopting the amendments to the fair share plan. and we'll go through those changes with you uh at that time. There we go. All right. So this is a recommendation
from um so Tara had mentioned that and I didn't I wasn't involved in these um studies so I can't really speak to them but um Tara worked with our special events coordinator um and I believe there were committees formed um maybe perhaps the environmental commission was
involved um there was a local health uh local health assessment and action plan community energy plan and a micromobility study um those are all on the website and she recommended that that be that be mentioned um in this document. Um and further on
she mentions um suggests that in the the new open space recreation plan that that um some of the elements or recommendations in these plans will be looked at and possibly uh incorporated into those documents as well. But these did not come before you uh as master
plan documents. So I can't really speak to them too much. This change here is just I added so as part of the um when the some of the series of changes land the land use element changes that were done over the years. One was the one in 2020 that
created the BI zone. This is just adding that um there were studies that preceded that. Um there was a uh the township in 2017 they had um economic development recommendations and a community market analysis. I think there may have been a present presentation before this board
but there definitely was before the uh before the council at that time and some of the recommendations that ended up being in the uh uh the 2020 master plan recommendation were um uh came from those documents. So this is just
mentioning that and >> what page are you on? I'm on page Well, the page has changed a little bit because I've added some things. I'm on page 20. Okay. >> What I sent out was Mark's second draft. That's would be >> Yeah, I think I emailed you this
>> email. No, I I actually I actually emailed the third draft the week before. So, I think the on the agenda it should have been the third draft. But that's um >> Mark, are these highlighted? The yellow highlighted.
>> These are changes changes since the last draft. >> Since the last draft that I emailed, if if Mike's looking at his copy, that wouldn't be on his copy. Correct. >> It should be. I I'm I'm 99% positive I emailed the third draft um a few weeks ago. >> So the these comments would be >> the the the highlighted changes or
changes I made since. >> Okay. That's what I thought. Okay. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, >> and then this and I wanted to just >> and I know this is somewhat of a dry presentation, but I just wanted to make sure that you're aware of these changes. Um, and then there's, you know, these documents are on the website, so there's
links on there um if people wanted to review those. Um again since this is the discussion of the BI master plan, this is just uh again highlighting the fact that that you that that um that this board adopted
that last month and describes uh summarizes that document a little bit. U same thing here. This is again just referencing that BI master plan uh update. Uh Mike, this this change this is the
discussion of of cluster zoning. >> So um I added this sentence here. So what in in in a in a large sense what the recommendation that's in here about um
our cluster ordinances and there's a bunch of them and they're contradictory, out ofd some of the requirements when you look at them don't make a lot of sense. Yeah. >> Um, one of them, the agricultural cluster option, if you cluster, you get three times the density.
That makes no sense. Uh, in my opinion, what I do here said, what I do recommend here is that it says, however, while the three times bonus in the agricultural cluster option should be eliminated, the township should still consider some form of much more modest density bonus and/or
other methods to encourage cluster subdivisions. So, you know, there might be, I'm making this up, you get 1.1 or 1.2. You get some minor density bonus if you cluster >> perhaps or maybe there's some other benefits to try to encourage the
cluster. >> Uh but certainly not three times the density. >> So, no. Yeah. And I mean, we can we don't need like you like we I said at the top, we don't need to discuss the details tonight, but clustering was on my list of things to do. And I mean,
density bonuses are a timehonored way to incentivize developers. And I think Wildflower Ridge was under that option. I think that maybe off of side am um with the reverse frontage on on South Mbush where the
historic or the farmhouse was with the life rights. We go back that long driveway. I forget what that is. Ted will know. But long story short, those were those I think were under a cluster. And I mean, yeah, three times is a
little much. I mean, I agree. But the thing the board should think about and the thing that I don't know enough about yet to really even have an opinion is, do we want one sizefits-all? Like here's the here's the zone. There's R3, R3,
CPU, R5, whatever. Uh, and each of those should have kind of their own cluster um options or do do we do we want kind of a a general um cluster and and I don't know what the answer is because and we
have this like Mark says um natural resource and a cluster options that are kind of zone well natural resources I think zone independent a is a a a zone I would assume but um yeah I don't I would
look to you for guidance on how to best formulate that. And and even if we say, and I thought about this a lot when we're doing this, is you may say, "Oh, I don't think there's not a whole lot of single family um lots around in Franklin Township
anymore, right? We have had one in the last I don't know how many years which is the the rest is right those those 32 homes and we had mostly you know well I think that's the last the only one I can think of other than a few houses
here and there infill um that are really residential zones that we could cluster anything in. I mean, if you have a an acre or two and you're going to put more two or three houses, there's no clustering to be done, I don't think. But yeah, we're going to have to like think about how to how to best do that.
But I agree with you in terms of we need to address it. >> Yeah. And I and I and Ted had some comments on clustering uh as well. Um based on your comment, Ted, I added the sentence that's on here. uh any clustering pro provisions for which there remain no likely eligible sites
should either be eliminated or appropriately incorporated into revised streamlined clustering ordinance. So what that's saying is I think there's some some of them saying oh you have to have 500 acres we don't have any 500 you know so th those types of but that ordinance might have some good stuff
that we might might maybe there are some good provisions that doesn't make any sense anymore but there might be some things in that ordinance that we like that we keep and incorporate into the new you know streamlined ordinance. Um so we don't have you know five different
again five different um contradictory and uh some of them say you have to have some land in an Azone some in a CP zone and also some they're obviously created for one property 50 years ago like somebody had that piece of land and it
doesn't make sense. So and I what I would suggest is well anyway T you had a comment. Oh, I was just saying, yeah, that ordinance, I believe, was created for Wildflower Ridge, and I've been told at some point that there's nowhere in
the township that could fulfill all those requirements. >> I don't doubt that. >> So, what I would suggest is I think, and this applies to, you know, a lot of these, you know, we could easily get into the weeds of how to solve some of these problems. You know what I would
suggest generally is, you know, the purpose of this document is to basically identify those issues and say, well, we should look at this and that and this. We're going to, you know, subsequent to this, you know, after we adopt um this
master plan. Um again, I think Mahir and Mike, you both had suggested and I really like the idea of prioritizing these these different things. So what I was suggesting is that after this is adopted, I'll take a first guess at what
I, you know, what I think are maybe the first priority, second priority, third priority. I'll give them to you in the form of a memo and we'll have a discussion. You know, this is first priority stuff, this is second priority stuff. And over the course of, you know, however long it takes, it'll probably, you know, take better part of a year or
more. um will go through and and and draft different draft ordinances and send them along to council for their consideration. Um and uh and again you can decide which ones uh you know after this which ones are more important which ones are less important. Uh just a
further comment particularly on clustering where you have these five different things. If you could pull up the different items from the different parts of the
the land use ordinance and put them all together and send them to us. >> I suppose we could each do it on our own. No, I again I think Ted when we get to this whenever we get to this >> not right now. >> Yeah. When we get to this I'll this is
this issue in particular is complicated because there's so many different I'll summarize it for you break it down for you maybe it's in table form you know so you can kind of quickly digest the different changes and or the differences between these different ordinances. So
>> I'll try to facilitate that discussion as efficiently as possible whether it's a report or table whatever. Yeah. Okay. All right. So, this is something we've discussed recently. The township should review requirements related to outdoor storage
>> in industrial areas, including whether slashhow to permit such uses and appropriate requirements. I should ask I should put in for example screening, containment of materials, etc. And again, I think something like
that, we don't need to solve it now. That's the issue. If that's a first priority, second priority, third priority thing, we'll we'll address that whenever you want. But that's it's basically putting it down as on our kind of to-do list, if you will, that this is
an issue you want to look at. Uh this came from Ted. Um this is related to um Hamilton Street. Yeah, ultimately this really is more of a council question. Um but the suggestion was to put language in here about
possibly having um metered parking a metered parking or I should say a parking lots possibly metered on Hamilton Street. And uh there there have been the town has collected uh payment in lie of parking for the commercial um required parking spaces and that could
be used to fund at least a portion of that cost. So bringing that up as a as something that's not something that the planning board would do. That's not going to be on your to-do list. Um that would be something the council would have to take the lead on. So Mark, when it comes to things and I I didn't when
I'm reviewing this, I didn't pay a lot of attention to Hamilton business Hamilton Street business district because I mean I would want to hear from them because they kind of own that, right? But you made a number of recommendations probably some of which have been implemented. I know over the
years since 2016 we've normalized the zoning in certain areas but probably haven't tackled everything. But that was the most important because the zoning in some areas didn't make sense. Um, and we've rectified that. But in terms of I don't
know any other sort of streetscape or whatever uses, I think HBD has to drive that. And I mean, if they want to come here and have work session with us and tell us what their priorities are, I'd be happy to hear it. But >> yeah, and they they have historically driven it. And when you did a master
plan re-examination, land use update. Um I I I think in the around 10 years ago and that was that was you basic kind of like how we do you know there's the historic element kind of historic commission has taken that lead trails
took the lead on the trails plan same really the same thing with historic I mean know with the Hamilton street they basically took that lead >> I think I think fourth ward councilman right commissioned a traffic and parking review or a study some time ago
Yeah. Yeah. I I I'm not u I think Bob Fornlocker was really from a staff level and Vince Dominic were more involved with that than I am. But yes, >> I think we should get hold of that. We can review that. >> Yeah. Yeah, for sure. I mean, maybe Carl like suggested something and that, you
know, I don't know. I'm sure he would confer with HBD, but um and I don't I don't think he's just doing it out on his own necessarily. Um it might be his initiative, but I'm sure he would involve HBD. Yeah. And I think the reason why the planning board really is because that again that whatever
recommendations are going to come from something like that, that's really going to be the council that's going to implement that. If there's going to be some traffic control measures, >> you know, uh the um uh um the uh you know, parking changes, if there's going
to be funds committed, you know, those are all things that the that the council would do as opposed to the planning boards. I think that's why it hasn't come here. Well, the the council would do them, but it's our job to recommend them. >> Yeah. >> But my understanding this study is is
more related to specifically parking and traffic >> in in on Hamilton Hamilton Street. >> Yeah. And that's fine. I mean, they can drive that. I mean, they're they're the folks who probably should know the most about it. Um, but whatever their and Ted's right, though, as in terms of their recommendations, they should also
once have they have them, they should they should come talk to us. I'll look into see what the what the what those recommendations are. >> I mean I'm not trying to usurp their role. I'm trying to work with them but at the end of the day people will come to the planning board and say why'd you
do this and it's our we own the master plan. So that they're >> not this is not an element of the master plan. So I think the easy answer is >> so HBD sits aside from the master plan. It's >> this study is not being done as part of the master plan. I'm not talking studies, but HBD overall, where does it
where does it reside in the >> Well, I think I would I would think if there's recommendations to change the zoning, that certainly would come through you as as because you are advisory to the council on on land use and zoning matters. >> Right. Right. Okay. I got you.
>> But but you're not but you don't advise the council on what the speed limit should be on Hamilton Street. What >> or or they have a parking scheme of half hour here, 1 hour here, 2 hour there. that's council >> or row iron, you know, enclosures for trash bins or the way streetscape should
look are is not necessarily our purview. It's it's the HBD. They pay fees into that and they I I get that and nor would I want to necessarily be involved with that. But yeah, >> but I but I can look at that and see if there's some if there is an appropriate role for the planning board in the
review of that. Well, as as a I think just as a general point, what we can do is tell Hamilton Street HPB make make some recommendations and bring them to us. >> Yeah.
>> We want to get the ball rolling even if we don't put the spin on it. >> I agree. Um, this is something that I added. Uh, this is I know and I know staff added a number of things that maybe don't really
concern the board too much, but this is something that we deal with kind of behind the scenes. Um, so we have, you know, applicants for particularly for homes who are basically mounding their property, um, because they, you know, there's a high water table. They want to get a
basement and they mound their property and put the house on top of that mound. Um, and the a the ordinance basically measures building height from average finished grade. So theoretically, you could build a mount
20 feet high and plop a house on it. And I don't think that's and you it 20 feet is an exaggeration for to to clarify, but um some of them are not much worse than that. So or less than that. So I
think we need to I would suggest we need to I would suggest that for me that's one of a high priority thing because that we it's kind of absurd. Um, >> yeah. Well, it was the one warehouse out schoolhouse that basically did this.
>> Yeah. And that that was a little bit different because, you know, that one they and this is some of the language that I would like to look at for this issue is that was necessary for engineering reasons. You know, they they didn't have a basement. They they had a
piece of land and they needed to get the the the warehouse above a few feet above that seasonal high water table. So they had they had to do it. >> No. >> Or they couldn't build at all. Um if somebody but but here you don't have to
have a basement. Um, you know, in my mind, if if if the seasonal high water table is a foot below the grade, then maybe you just have to build on slab um and not put your house, you know, 10 12 feet in the air, um, and have your
basement effectively above, you know, above the grade, the existing grade. Um, you know, if you do have to mount to get the house just, you know, even for engineering purposes to have positive grading away from the house so you're not, you know, you don't have backflow
of drainage back into your house. That's one thing. That's not what this is about. >> They're they want a finished basement even though they have Anyway, I've described it. >> Yeah, it see it seems seems on your radar. So, that's that's Yeah. Um, so this page, uh, again, this came from
comments, uh, I think obviously the board has been discussing sidewalks, uh, different applications. This came from a couple different members. Um, Jennifer's comments in particular had this. So, this discussion here about sidewalks. Um, basically the recommendation is that
that um, the ordinance should be revised. Our ordinance does encourage sidewalks along the frontage. So the recommendation is that we actually require it and and it's one thing to require it but you're still going to get rel you're still going to get requests for relief. So in addition to require
making it required having some type of parameters for the board to consider when you do get requests for relief. you know, there might be certain streets where, you know, maybe I don't know, maybe that you don't really actually need them to have sidewalks, but there might be other streets where, well,
there are there are destinations that people might want to go to um or or or generators of pedestrian traffic, or you might say, well, we really should put the side, we've talked about this, on one side of the street versus the other side of the street. So, you know, again, requiring it's is one thing, but then
when you when you do get the inevitable requests for relief, how are you going to evaluate those rather than I think you said we're doing it on a case- by case basis? >> And then we have to remember to actually ask it. And so my thought process was put the onus on the applicant as opposed to us to remember to ask the question
each and every time, >> especially when there's a lot of other things in the ether dependent upon the applicant. So, >> and I'm and I'm would be surprised What's that? >> What what's happening with the sidewalk fund? Like is it where do we get a
report? I'm just interested from my own edification. I often hear the comment that um in lie of they'll put money into the sidewalk fund. >> What is happening with the sidewalk fund? Because there remain a lot of um
neighborhoods that still don't get sidewalks or adequate sidewalks. So, I'm just curious. >> Yeah. uh as a resident as well as a board member. What is happening with the sidewalk fund? >> So, why don't we do this? I I don't have the answer off the top of my head. I'd have to check with finance and with um
with the township manager. Uh I can find out what um you we have collected monies. I don't think it's a substantial amount of money, but we have collected monies over the years for for exactly that purpose. And we do the they do the kind of the payment in loo.
>> Yeah. The other thing that I think you should be aware of, the township has built sidewalks uh over the last decade or so. Um I think particularly in the I think probably the fourth and fifth ward that there have been some significant
sidewalk development. Um but I'll find that out as well. So I'll let you know what you know what we >> you know how much has actually been collected. I don't know if there's nec I'll just put it that I'll try to find out how much has been collected over the years and how >> we have some transparency on that
>> because we often hear it and we don't want people to think it's just a black hole. No pun intended. >> I I I'm going to I'm I'll be honest with you though. I I'm not going to be surprised if if I don't know if there's a direct accounting of okay this amount
came in and this amount went out for the sidewalk. I don't know. There ought to be because there there there was for shade tree when I was chair of shade tree I could go to I forget who it was at the time in construction I think >> and I would say how how much money is in
the fund and she told me one time and I was floored. So I mean we got a lot of trees. >> What I was going to say was I'm I'm I'm not going to be surprised if the township has actually spent more on these sidewalk projects than we've brought in in those payments. >> Yeah. So the public in effect the
money's been spent for sidewalks. I'd be shocked if that's not the answer. >> Right. Call discusses this in the public works committee and there's a separate budget for sidewalks every year depending on the ward needs. Um there are requests for sidewalks and those are
funded u in the general budget. I'm not sure there's any money left in this >> but but they the the question is are they funded through the the fees that we request people to pay in lie of sidewalks and my guess is partially they are and partially they may be a budget
item that you council approved but it would be nice to know I agree with Charles and I mean there's a there's a recent example in fact we just voted on the application tonight NPH realy so there's a little piece of sidewalk that actually is from Somerset Woods that
that end, their property ends, there's a gap, and then Somerset Woods has a sidewalk and we had a resident come here and say, "We want we would like the that sidewalk completed, and we're like, we're going to use the sidewalk fund." Over the holidays, I wrote a letter and
I gave it to Mark and and and Peter as a draft. The question that we're reading to resolve is and it was going to be a letter to council requesting appropriation of sidewalk fund monies to complete that little I mean it is a very short little thing but it gets you from the end of MH
to New Brunswick Road and then you cross and then you get to Somerset Woods. Beyond that there is Fredo Le or no sorry hers and then there's Shopright. So they said, "Oh, we walk from across the street. We walk up that way, but we can't get over because there's no
sidewalk." And the question we're waiting to hear is, "Can we get an easement in front of hers and Shopright to complete the rest?" And then I would amend my letter to say we want to do that whole stretch. Now, I'm
I'm okay with just doing a little bit because once you get to Somerset Wood and hers, you could in this isn't obviously the ideal state, but you could walk to the parking lot, right? You you would be able to get there. What really prevents you from getting there with a
stroller or whatever you might have um to put your groceries in is is that piece from NPH to New Brunswick. So I I haven't dropped that ball, but I'm waiting to hear whether we need to include and I think Darren was going to look into that. Mark was going to look into that. So let me know, Mark, and I
can just re redo that. But I'm I'm ready to fire that letter off to council. So >> one one last piece on this just so I can conclude. Um I I don't think it's sufficient for the sort of language to be that it comes
out of the general fund. with all due respect because that's what the general fund is supposed to be used for anyway, parts of it for um implementing sidewalks where needed throughout. We're talking about when a developer comes in here and says we're not going to do a sidewalk. Uh instead, we're going to pay
into this uh sidewalk fund in lie of doing it, that money should be, in my opinion, benchmark for sidewalks. Mhm. >> We should be able to try uh trace that money back to the implementation of a sidewalk somewhere else in addition to what we do through the general fund. >> Okay. I'll find out. I just don't I
don't have that answer for you because I just don't deal with that issue. >> What Charles is saying brings up another uh partial suggestion. I don't know if it needs to be specifically in the master plan, but maybe it's time we need
to designate this as a two-part problem. There's a problem with establishing sidewalks to start with. The other side of that is there needs this fund that we're talking about really should have been from the
beginning designated to fill in gaps. not to take the place of the council responsibility to to put sidewalks in a neighborhood where kids could walk to pick up school buses or didn't need to
have school buses because there are sidewalks. There's a there there's a couple of issues with this and maybe we need maybe this is one of the things too should be on the the priority list. same area that you're talking about on
New Brunswick Road past Somerset Run. If you go toward uh Cedar Grove Lane, you go down the hill from Somerset Run to the bottom of the hill where the creek is and the bridge is, there's a crosswalk there because the sidewalk
ends and you have to cross over in front of World's Fair Development. Nobody can safely use that. There there needs to be a plan where we may need flashing lights.
Uh and that crosswalk, by the way, is established with a fence that's that is protective of of uh the brook. It's a regular, it's almost like a handicap place, but it's been there for years
on Cedar Grove Lane in front of uh the school by the mosque. It was part of their application that they were supposed to go to the county and establish school zone, a school zone there >> with signs
that just like they have all over all over flashing signs. School zone 25 mph speed zone when flashing. Now we have two schools there. The Presbyteria, the Baptist one across the street. Yeah, the
one at Cedar Hill Prep. There should be, if we're doing sidewalks in the master plan, incorporate the whole thing. There should be school zone signs on that street with lights, especially with all the traffic and truck traffic that's
coming in both places. Uh, but I've been asking about the sidewalk fund for years and nobody can give me ever give you an answer other than someone over in the staff office said, "Oh, we don't have that anymore." It just gets washed into
the turned over into the general budget at the end of each financial year. But every time it's designated in this zoning board or planning board that someone is contributing to the fund, there needs to be something formal that
requires it to be spent to to finish gaps. There are tons of gaps around and we've done I I guess we have less money in that fund now because we're basically demanding that they put the sidewalks in
which we weren't maybe so forceful years ago. But that's great, but now it's it's contributing to have more for us to have more gaps. No, >> I agree. I agree. I agree wholeheartedly. And I think that I've
I've really come to change my thinking over the years that I've been on the board on this because, you know, you you'll get these sidewalk waiverss from houses where the lawn goes right up to the street. You know, those developments, right? Um and and there's
no sidewalks in the whole area. So, it's easy to say um that that maybe there should be a waiver there because one house or infill development isn't going to change that. But over the years, I've come to I've I've come to a different conclusion, which is it should be by exception. And exactly what Jen said,
because we've come we come we've come to some and Bob has outlined some really good examples, some buyer remorse is the only way I can phrase it where where we've we've waved sidewalks and only to see the land use change, right? And I think that's something that maybe it's
hard to appreciate when until you've been on the board for a while and you've seen it happen live where you know we're talking about warehousing or office space right where people are just going to maybe I don't
know come and go and for their workday and they're now being we're now doing affordable housing there where we're doing uses change right and where we might not think a sidewalk is good now 20 or 20 years later, right? And our way
of living changes, right? Um and and plazas come in, right? Think about what Cottontail and or no, sorry, not Cottontail Schoolhouse in Elizabeth used to look like versus what it looks like now, right? With those plazas there that people will want to get to and walk to
from all of those warehouses or in all of those businesses that were there and are there and will be there. And I mean, Charles beats the drum on this because he lives it for a profession, but I I think that that's my take is that it's
ask for it, insist on it, you'll thank yourself in 10 20 years. Um the other thing with the mobility plan and and this is also in in deference to something that Charles and I have talked about. Um there is a a railroad line, right,
the East Millstone branch that goes from the New Brunswick Franklin border on 27 and runs its way back all the way to East Milstone and in the day took people to their summer homes in East Milstone. That railroad track is defunct and
remember we all used to go over the huge potholes because the tracks and then eventually they took out the tracks and they repaired the road. a a rails to trail type of thing. I think that should be in the master plan in the circulation element or in some element. Um maybe it should be part of
the o well maybe open space I don't know where it should be but we should at least put a statement in there somewhere that um and I remember being when I was on open space committee which I was on for a number of years before um outside other outside demands of me read
children um had me scaling back my board obligations. Um, we actually had from Elizabeth, right, along um, sorry, Amwell, right, to get you to Elizabeth, where then you could go to Colonial
Park. And people complained, right, because it's very close to people's backyards. But there is a way to do this. There's the Highline in New York City. I mean, there there's a way to do it where you could make it respectful and and people are not thinking that um
people are walking in their backyards or you you gate it so that nobody can get on the trail after certain hours or or there there's ways to do it, but I think and you were talking about maybe getting somebody from Blouse to look at this or do I think we stated in the master plan so that you have a premise by which to
do that. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. I I think >> the appropriate place for that the >> Yeah, I >> Oh, we did. >> Yeah, we might want to ask >> you asked for it when we did the uh trails. >> I didn't want to forget about it because you
>> Yeah. And I I I mean I I reviewed this, but I just don't Terra prepared it, so I don't remember the um if that's in here or not, but I >> certainly think I identified it as a comment that the board asked for. >> Yeah. Right. >> As in in its final draft. It's in the resol. >> But I'll find out. Look at look at you, Peter, with the memory.
>> Yeah, >> I'll uh I'll find out whether that's in here and I'll get back to you and confirm. >> Well, there was an old there was also a a suggestion before >> two people talking >> where the neighboring lot has actually
bought the rightway and the lot now extends across the rightway. >> The back end of Gary Court, for instance, if you look at a township map showing the lots. You'll see that. And
and of course, we tried to have a trail along the railroad right of way when we acquired the land we now refer to as Memorial Forest.
Uh but the last two houses as you get to Elizabeth Avenue protested so violently that the council wouldn't do that. So that's why we don't have a trail there. >> Yeah. >> And on sidewalks is I was thinking of
this specifically for the sidewalk between NPH and Somerset Woods. Between them there is a bridge and when there is a bridge the DP gets involved.
>> Yeah. >> And nothing happens. >> So um Bob you had a comment you had a question. >> Yeah. I don't know if this is doable or not, but year years ago in terms of when we were establishing trails, trailways
and walkways, there was also a proposal to study whether you could use any of the pipeline paths for hiking. >> Uh they're already there. people already use them and you can go an awful long
way from Eastn Avenue to Weston Road and the canal and other places on on pipeline rightway. Of course, that's the problem. It's pipeline rightaway, but it's not much. It's it's active. Okay. So, it's
different from an abandoned railroad, but in terms of of uh ownership and rightway anyway, uh I'm sure I never heard what ever happened to the study. That was also something that might have been uh coming out of open space at the
time and it just it just died. It it can be done. And the reason I know it can be done is I hike Sourland Preserve right in Hillsboro and there is a um Texas Eastern pipeline and it comes down the mountain and there's actually a place
where on clear days you have a view of New York City. There's like a New York City viewing point. So and and that's all Texas eastern and that's part of their trail network. You can definitely walk on it. >> Maybe you can't ride ATVs and stuff. >> Mr. chairman,
>> but that's already open space. >> If you if a pipeline is crossing private property, it's a right of way for the pipeline, but it's not a right of way for the general public. >> All right, that's that's a good point. I think either way I think both of those I
mean the trails committee with Tara spent a good amount of time putting this plan together townshipwide you know evaluation of of the trails pathways making different connections what I'll s what I'll send her an email I'll ask her to clarify these did did
they look at these two issues again the pipeline and the the I'll going to call it the rails to trails we know what we're talking about I'll ask her if that's in there >> if I had to choose I'd choose is emphasize the sidewalks. You know, >> can't be last.
>> You have a couple open spots on schoolhouse lane where you can you could actually walk from Elizabeth Avenue on a sidewalk all the way to the canal. And if you fix if we fix New Brunswick Road the way we're talking about, you can almost go you're
you're very much in the running to go from Cedar Grove Lane to Western Canal Road. And when you get that far, you're on New Brunswick Road on the other side of Cedar Grove. You come you go all the way to East uh
Ruters Plaza. >> Yeah. And these are really there there's other millions of connections that when you again this is what you're talking about riding around. I don't have a notebook and I can't ride and drive but I think that our focus should be
connections as a planning board. the council can worry about. I mean, yeah, we're planning sidewalks for neighborhoods and and things like that as a planning board, but the council should worry that should be their domain if you're putting in a whole network.
But the the gaps are getting frankly embarrassing. >> Yeah, Bob Lort is fairly bursting at scene >> finally, right? We brought this up on um the trails uh rails the trails. We brought it up last
year in open space. Conrail will not give up that land. That's an issue. So just to keep that in mind when Tara gets back to you. We looked into it and um township manager called. They will not give up that land.
>> Let's put today on the end of that. uh they won't give it up as of yet >> so that we don't make that final, you know, in terms of like it means forever because yes, today they won't give it up. >> Well, they can't Well, they they're not going to use it because they actually
removed the rails from across Clyde and from across Veronica, I think it was. Yeah. So, it's not and I don't know why they won't give it up, but they they should that it's a branch that they'll never use again. I
mean, back when I first moved into town, they used to run a car manually just to tamp the weeds down, right? They don't do that. Obviously, you don't do that anymore. >> So, it could be money or whatever. But, I mean, I don't know. >> Not even on South Little Bush.
>> Yeah. They they it should be it should be in the master plan. I mean, and and Charles brings up a good point. Putting it in the master plan, it means you have an intent to do it when it becomes possible. If you don't have it in the master plan, it just makes it it's it makes it a little harder. Master
Plan has a little more clout than maybe people think. So, >> Oh, I I'll I'll agree with that. Yeah, absolutely. >> Mark, I had a comment about Hamilton Street. uh not about Hamilton per se, but um I noticed that there was a mention of
crime in the area and and I think back to when we work with the township around crime prevention through environmental design and not seeing a sort of um public safety or public realm and safety element. Have we considered as part of
the master plan the inclusion of that sort of element to address uh perceptions and reality of crime not just on Hamilton but growing concerns around the township. >> Um that's a very good question. Um I
think if to the degree you saw mention of crime what what I'm going to this uh >> yeah you know usually Hamilton good or bad is being used as sort of the poster child to bring up crime in the area. There's a lot of validity to that. Uh
it's not the entire truth but certainly part of the truth. There's growing concerns around the increase in marijuana facilities and what that might do in terms of crime in the area. I'm just saying to be proactive uh and to not weaponize neither of
those. We should consider a public safety uh element um where we look in ways to to mitigate mitigate uh crime and perceptions of crime in the township. >> Yeah. I mean my I and I I I I know what
you're saying. I I I what I would recommend is I think that is something that's an issue all to itself. Um and I think what I would suggest is perhaps we put discussion of that um you know in that one first, second or third
priority, you know, issue. See what the planning board may or may not want to say about that. >> Yeah. >> Um I mean I'm raising it for that reason because I don't want the solution to be enforcement. I think we have an opportunity as we talk about land use here and zoning uh to zone out crime in
certain areas. So if you don't put a fine point on it, it'll just simply be overlooked or be addressed uh through enforcement. And we don't want, you know, >> what could come of that, especially in this sociopolitical climate. The the other piece is um you touched on briefly
in the report how demographics are changing racially, ethnically. Um, but I don't think we do a good job in terms of highlighting the cultural assets that we have in Franklin Township. There's an opportunity to do a cultural assets and
community ident identity element so that more and more people feel welcomed and um I can go more into that, but I'll just stop there. I think culture is one that we could spend some time on specifically uh because we could be at
the prep purposes, excuse me, of a sort of cultural clash here given the mix that we have of racial and ethnic identities and we don't want it to be that some are welcome and some are not. >> Yeah. I I what I'm going to suggest is,
you know, we I'm making a list here of of of what we're discussing, my to-do list. >> And what I'm going to what I'm going to suggest is >> um that's again kind of a a meaty topic that's that, you know, I
can't just I don't want it. I want to give it the respect it deserves, not just put a a blurb in here. So, what I'm going to suggest is put that in our, you know, first, second, third priority things of implementing. Maybe we, you know, we were talking about this
beforehand. Um, you know, we we do have a need to adopt this um soon because we we do, you know, we were supposed to do this every 10 years and that time frame is coming up. So, we really should be adopting this on
on February 18th, but as we discussed at previous meetings, there's absolutely no reason we can't go we can adopt this on the 18th. We can go right back to it in March and April and add to it. And there's nothing preventing us from doing that. Um, so what I'm going to suggest
is that we put those discussion items, you know, after we adopt this again, I'm going to put together thing of, okay, this is what we're going to, this is the first group, this is the second group, this is the third group, and the board can discuss and and I also do believe I want to look into these issues. I think the township has done some stuff on this
that I want to look into. And I'll let you >> Yeah. But to tie it to the master plan is a different conversation. Yeah. The master plan has weight that some of those other initiatives don't. Yeah. And so as a planning board with the expertise to talk about public safety
and perceptions around that um we want to document it. >> Y >> at least I do. >> The last piece I and I have um vacation and and travel. Uh I'm tired. Uh so excuse me with my thoughts. The last
thing is um is it 27? I talk about the property down 27 on the right hand side that's dilapidated and doesn't receive the same attention as Hamilton Street on the right hand side there. Um it's
heading towards the the Waw Wa that's at the major intersection on the left there is on the right. Massive property. >> Okay. >> An eyes is sore for the township. >> But I'm not >> You're talking those two plazas. >> Those two plazas. >> That's Dumbar Home. So that's actually now in the affordable housing plan. >> Great. because that that was my my
comment last time. Excellent. No other comments. Thanks. >> I I like your comment when you said we can adopt this on the 18th and also talk about changing it right away. Again, I think it would be valuable if we have
depending on the application schedule, if we have a few more sessions like this one in order to make those things happen, >> those discussions happen. Well, if things continue the way they are, um I mean, as you know, this board has been
um very busy the last few years on development applications. For better or for worse, the development applications um are really pretty slow right now. So, I'm anticipating that over the next few months, you're going to have time to, you know, you're going to have agenda
time to work on these things. So I I don't that's why when I say we can come back to this in March and April and May again I I >> we'll have agenda time to do it. >> Let me get back to where I left off. >> Um again this section is just again talking about the housing plan that uh
we're going to discuss um and we'll we'll need to adopt on the 18th. This is talking about we've already talked about this. This is this is updating that the um the open space and recreation plan forming the steering committee. Um Tara had made some I added
some language in here that the open space plan does talk a lot of our plans um um have reoccurring or intermingled themes and one of them is using zoning techniques and and and infrastructure considerations. What that means is, you
know, where we allow water, public water, public sewer, you know, those should align with our zoning, and it does. And that's, you know, language to that effect is in in various elements of our master plants and our landing use elements in our open space plan, you know, using open space preservation
consistent with with our uh with those things as well. Um, so basically, it's basically saying that, okay, when we're redoing this open space, make sure to include those elements as well. And then Tara had some comments about um there
should be a focus focus on resiliency to climate uh climate change related hazards equity and the protection of important habitat for the advance advancement of biodiversity. So those are the things that when they're doing that open space plan they're going to look to incorporate some of those uh elements into it um to the degree that
that that they're not in there. Now farmland plan. Um again this comes from Tara mentioning um um some technical things related. Well this is soil disturbance standard and statewide farmland preservation formula whatever that means for how you I guess how you
evaluate um targeting farms for preservation. Um so I guess that does make sense. um a section on resiliency to climate change and hazards uh specific to agricultural oper operations will be included in the plan. Uh so when when again that would be the um egg uh
preservation commission will take charge of that when they do it. Um similar language about when the the environmental resource inventory is updated. They're going to incorporate those elements as well. There were a number of those elements of the master plan Mark that look to be like n like
2029 which you know sounds a long ways away but I think we all know how fast three years can go. >> So we should at least my comment was just signal to them to begin working on it because by the time they actually come up with something three years will have passed. Yeah.
>> Yeah. And this is getting really technical, but the 2006 there was a thing called a conservation element >> and that had again a lot of these same things. You know, green belt preservation and um the thing I just talked about about having the zoning and
the infrastructure coordinated, a lot of that stuff was in there, but now that plan is 20 years old. So Tara and I talked about, you know, to the degree that there are good recommendations and good themes and and objectives that are
in that 2006 uh conservation element, bringing that those into the open space plan and then putting the 2006 one to bed. >> But again, bringing you continuing the those recommendations and and themes that are still valid.
>> Yeah. And just to give the board an example, so the green belts around say villages, right? like middle bush village. Um when the now Ryan Holmes I think the back of Restas when they came in there was they had we had they gave
us two options whichever we like best which was to cluster more towards um Amwell uh towards the towards the gas station or cluster more towards you know was a big open field right that was farmed and then there's woods that are preserved
and so I went to the master plan and the board went to the master plan we a green belt around the village. So, cluster towards the woods. I mean, you're not knocking down any trees. The woods are already preserved. Cluster there and keep keep more of the green belt around the village. So, based on the master
plan, we kind of did that. Um, so it's it's just an example of of like it's not just words. We do look to this to like guide developers and and guide our thinking when we have here applications. Um this is some more language added to
the historic element. Again, language about um climate change related hazards as they um affect historic resources. And then um language suggesting a stronger focus on um maintaining and uh partnerships with historic nonprofits.
So when the historic element gets updated, it's recommended that it look for to incorporate those things. Um trails plan, no changes. We just did that. >> Got a quick question mark. Quick question. Um, I love drones. Um,
>> drones. >> Yeah, drones. >> You know, we're no longer in the sci-fi. You know, drones are here. Is there a way we could deal with the deployment of where drones will like take off from?
When you think about deliveries and um cuz our skies already, you know, crowded, but I'm thinking of a local level. I know there are rights FA whatever it is, AA or whatever. Is there anything we can do to think proactively
about how drones will be deployed in a delivery sense here like sites for those? I'm concerned that they're going to be clustered when we talk about cluster. So, yeah, >> just thinking about that. >> I I I can't pretend to know an answer for give you an answer for that.
>> Yeah. Yeah. I would love for you to look into it. It's it's not a tomorrow's thing. >> Yeah. >> It's it's here. And so, when you're looking at deliveries that will be taking place, you know, the air rights and all of that's a big discussion. So, just want you to kind of think about it.
>> Okay. Uh the one thing I I do want to show the board um because this recommendation is saying any properties located in low density residential zones the Azones CP and RR and not presently served by public sewer should be removed from the
sewer service area. So you know I think that that again that speaks to the alignment of your zoning and your infrastructure planning. There's not too many properties. Uh, and Ted, I'm sure you you are aware of this in particular since going back to the sewer service
area and the wastewater management plan with the with the county going back probably 15 years. Um, so I just want to show you a a figure which is which kind of speaks to this. This is the um
the gray is the sewer service area. Uh, and I'm just if you follow if you see my I'll zoom in a little bit if I can. Oh, >> I can't. So, if you follow my cursor, can you see it on the screen there?
>> Yeah. >> So, this right here. So, the gray again, that's sewer and the white is not is outside of the sewer service area. Uh, and there are a few exceptions, but I'll explain those. So, this is the this is basically canal walk. You know, this is,
you know, higher density. This is the a this down here is the A zone. So very low density. And you can kind of see that this there's this kind of you know pretty discreet boundary to where the the the basically kind of like the higher density zoning is and then the
lower density zoning. This is all R40 you know which is served by sewer almost predominantly. There are some you'll see these donut holes if you will but those are all open space. So that's really so you know again this is higher density uh
residential R40 is sewered R20 is sewered as you go down uh Van Clee there's these some of these cluster developments that have been built those are sewered you know and those are like 20,000 square foot lots of those have sewer but you'll see there's very little
uh properties outside of this this is it's almost like an urban uh what do they call it I forget what they call them out west. Um but basically it's a uh you know a very definitive line for where this is all
R40 again that's predominantly sewward and then you get to BI zone and then all of and so all of this is the R10 zone which is quarter acre zoning halfacre zoning our 41 acre zoning you know have the BI zone all of that is in gray that's all sewward but then when you get
over here this is our Azone own corp uh canal preservation. If you go down to the southerntherly part of town, you have your um RR3 and RR5 zones which is not sewered. You know, but then when you go
down Route 27, you have some cluster residential zones that are sewered. CR R20 CR zone again cluster residential. you know, it's they're very tightly aligned um between, you know, again, the
infrastructure uh where public sewer is permitted and when where higher density or more intense commercial development is permitted. Um there are a few exceptions. There's two pro a few properties that are developed off of Metler's, you know, the old Huntington
Life Sciences, which is something different now. And then there's that warehouse that had been converted to a um uh or an office building that could been converted to a school. I mean, that's still in the sewer service area, and I think those are on their own private systems, I think, but somehow
connected to sewer. This is open space, county open space. Now really the only properties that are in low density zones that are in the sewer service area and not connected to sewer is this one property on the corner of schoolhouse
and western canal and uh this is basically like the soccer where the soccer fields are. I'm almost positive that this is a pillar fire. I don't believe those are on sewer. Um, pretty much that's the only that I can identify. But bottom line is the recommendation is if there are other
examples like that. The zoning is low density. They're not connected to sewer. So the recommendation is that those be taken out of the sewer service area. But I just wanted to I wanted to go through this with the board this this figure because it's kind of important that you
have that alignment between your infrastructure planning and your zoning. Um, so Mike, that's basically what I wanted to present the board. Um, I don't know if if the >> have more comments.
>> That's pretty comprehensive. I mean, um, maybe you didn't cover this specifically, but there's probably a few parcels that that are farmland preserved that still need to go to a um, I'm just looking at my notes particularly, but I think you covered
basically everything. um senior uses. So those there's few of us here on the board that know the day that um the old RO zone right that used to be um Atrium South
the overlay zone was then made SCV senior citizen village and enabled the development of um all of those senior citizen developments Somerset run etc. uh that was done by overlay. So
I mean a senior assisted living I mean we talked about this when we did affordable housing are very noble uses right um we should make sure that you know we do have um you know that market is dried up
and then I think we we know that when the market dried up and around the time of um I believe the subprime mortgage crisis um the state passed a law saying any developer that had approval for a senior in a 55 and over community could convert that to market rate which
obviously uh no rightthinking municipality in the state liked but the developers got their way and that we Ted refers to as the flip bill because it was a but um you know that's just an
example of of like when those dried up right and and so the way you can address things that dry up is you can do overlay zone zoning, which is very useful because the underlying zoning still carries, but you also have the overlay. Um, you there's different ways to do things, right? But we should ensure that
senior uses are are still um foremost in our mind because I don't think that need is going away. If anything, it's getting more. Um, but yeah, I mean, other than that, I mean, we we the other thing that I
always wonder about is traffic calming devices. And I've always been told by the, you know, either Bob Vornocker or other people that um, you know, they're hard to do. You put weight limits on, right? And weight limits signs and stuff, truck routes. Um, I think council
is doing some of that. But like speed humps and stuff, I've always heard, you know, some resistance to that. And yet if I want to go quick back way to route one and I go over Hiron and um um Omaha right in North Brunswick and I go
through all those speed humps. >> So they're doable. Don't let anybody tell you they're not. So, um, and I don't know why we're averse to them, but, um, yeah, I mean, there there's there's a lot of of traffic calming that
could be done, and I would like to have some sort of, um, language in the master plan that really addresses traffic calming and truck routes. Um, so that, you know, we can actually, I mean, it doesn't do anything. We're not out there
with cops or whatever trying to enforce this stuff. And I know it's a thankless job, but to put it in the master plan at least to say we should have traffic calming, we should have truck routes, we should have weight limits. Um, we have a lot of county roads. People always, you know, say the county can't the county,
it's the county, it's the county. True, but what we control, we control. So, we should control it. So, that's I think that should be in there. That's really my mark has addressed everything else. So >> have one other question mark. Um ADUs
accessory uh dwelling units. Uh where do we stand on those in the township? >> Well, where we stand is that they're not permitted. >> Why? Well, I mean, why? I mean, the technical answer is because
>> we have single family zones and you can only can have one residence on a on a on a on a single family property. Only there's only one. It's >> it's an R40. It's one residence on a oneacre lot or 20. It's one residence on a 20 acre lot. I mean, 20 square foot
lot. >> Okay. Yeah. I'm just curious. Um, >> but you're talking more like if you like caring for a parent, you put like a >> a little addition on or it's not really another dwelling unit like it's not
converting a single family house to a duplex. >> It's putting on an accessory. >> I mean, you can probably do that now as long as you stay within the um unless you go to the zoning board and get a variance for lock coverage or whatever you might. But like I could easily with
the lot coverage in my on my lot, right? Um put an a little wing on if I wanted to without without changing any of the without asking for anything. >> I'm talking more of the detach ones that can be done very tastefully. >> You know, there are some people who have
storage units that are uh the size of what an accessory dwelling unit would be in in a township. So I'm just curious why we wouldn't be more proousing. uh especially when we just discussed you know aging communities and that's one
way intergenerationally to make it happen. Uh there have been a lot of comments around some of the mansions that have been trying to come in town. I think that's in part to keep generations in a household. This is another way for people less fortunate uh to do that and
do it in a tasteful way. >> Yeah. and and and that's like some of these other issues that's that's an issue all to itself because it there there are I mean that's a policy decision obviously by by you know the planning board and then and then and and then the com council obviously would
have to change the ordinance um and like everything there's pros and cons you know I can tell you from I mean if the if the township council planning board wanted to recommend it if the council wanted to do it that's fine Obviously
that that's the decision that the meaning if that's what the council wants to do you they can do it they obviously have the power to do it. I would have concerns about enforcement because we always say we can't it's it's difficult in zoning to enforce relationships. You know, we don't say,
okay, it's an ADU, but only only if it's your grandmother, >> you know. So, that would be my that'd be one of my concerns that I or things that I would bring up as things to consider as a township because it's there's always there's pros and cons to everything. >> Yeah,
>> that's an issue all to itself. I don't think there was a strong argument against ADUs, but I I'll give you that one. >> It's >> But from my perspective, it's important because it would be you would get it. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. I understand from believe me, I do understand from from the planning
board's perspective and the council. Oh, that's going to be really tough on staff. Who cares? >> I get it. I get it. But nonetheless, it's it's it's like bamboo. >> We We all care about you, Mark. It's difficult. So we we get into things
that are difficult that you never hear about and that that would definitely be something that would be >> it'd be but but part of it would also have to be you know how do you regulate that and you put that in the ordinance? How do we >> just it happens though? There are places
there are case studies you know uh that you can learn from to see how to deal with the enforcement of it. >> It's not like it's a new idea. >> Yeah. some towns, I mean, I think particularly at West, they're doing away with with single family zoning alto together in their in their towns.
>> Yeah. >> I I don't know exactly how they do that, but I've heard that that's been that's that's being done. >> Yeah. >> Um, you know, so an ADU is certainly not a new Yeah, it's certainly not a new thing. And and and there's some discussion at the state level of
changing the municipal land use law to permit them. >> Yeah. I mean we are what the most densely populated state in the country. So there's one place where they make sense here. >> Yeah. I mean aging in place and that's
that's that's it is it is difficult cuz like when we when we talk about certain things right we hear certain applications and we're talking about you know easements and things and they're going with the property. That's where you can get into a slippery slope.
But I mean it it's worth I think it's it's a good idea. I think it's worth keeping in mind and I think it's worth seeing how to how and where to enable it because much like your drone idea um if it starts out west it's just a matter of
time before it comes this way. Right. >> Generally those things kind of get piloted. Right. We've all the propositions right that start in California might take 10 or 20 years but they make it to the east coast. So,
um, again, what I would suggest, I I think some I think some of these issues are, um, I don't want to just put a blurb in there, um, just so we can put it in there. I again, I I have notes here. Um,
I would suggest that we, you know, unless there's something in here that somebody, you know, objects to being in here that we, you know, go with what's what's drafted now, have the hearing. And Mike, I I I don't think you heard, but the question before was, you know,
essentially, are we going to have time to discuss this more in March or April and May? And my answer was, you know, our our development application agendas, they're going to be going to be pretty light the first half of this year. Um,
we don't really have too much for this board. So, you'll have time um to have meetings to um so as opposed to if it was a few years ago, Mike, we did not have any time to to do this. >> No. And and and you know, that's a great
point. I mean, I think that, you know, we're here in 2026 doing 10 year re-examination and God willing, in the creek don't rise, we were around 2036 to see, but there there's a lot of work, right? This this was if we did everything in this, which we won't. Um,
we'll be back in 2036 just like there'll be more to do or or we'll see. I was heartened as I read your report, Mark, to see how much resoning and things were done um and how much was accomplished. um you know and and so that's heartening
and I mean then you know it's there's there's some things that you know um there's like you said there's only one thing the council didn't agree with some R20 that should have been R40 and and I mean that's that's not that's not a hill to die on. It's not not really make any practical difference truthfully probably
but I mean mostly council just approved what we sent them. So I think we should like you said prioritize it and then work on it and we may get busy again with more development applications but when we don't we should take those opportunities to do do >> perhaps we have I mean just use an
example perhaps we have a work session and talk about the ADU issue and and we can talk about what the count what the planning board may or may not want to recommend. >> Yeah. >> And go from there. >> Yeah. Well, I mean, I would be interested and and I Charles, I'm not necessarily tasking you with this, but I
mean, if you if you have some knowledge about what has been done with ADUs and other communities just because of what your your line of work is and can bring that to us because having a discussion like that would probably needs at least some more preparation than where we
would put it. I'd like to see like how has it been implemented and could that be done here? Really, that's the question. Well, >> I want to go on record and say that's not the only thing I talked about. >> Um, that was the last thing I spoke about.
>> No, I have there are other things there that I think um I don't know. I would just like to hear from the attorney. You know, what's the risk of, >> you know, time is always at a crunch for most of us. And so these
things that I'm mentioning are important um because I mention them otherwise I wouldn't mention them. And so I represent a population that can't always trust that things are going to be handled after a procedure takes place.
So what what's at risk to say punt those things later versus now? Couldn't there be a cens a mention of it in the in the plan? Just a basic mention. I I think one of the things we have is Mr. Healey's over a little bit of a barrel. So we
>> He's a good guy. >> He He's a great guy, but he's got until the ETH to have this in a workable form in order for us to adopt this on the 18th. >> So >> I mean I could certainly sorry to cut you off, Peter, but I could I could >> if the concern is that you want
>> again I I and I really did mean this. I mean I I I I I I have on here you you mentioned the Hamilton Street crime prevention issue, cultural assets and identity, drones, ADU, we mentioned the rails to trails and and use of pipelines. Mike mentioned traffic
calming and truck routes. Um, and I meant it when I said it that I I didn't want to just throw something in here, >> but if the concern is if you but I could I honestly I could say and at the at the meeting on on the on January 4th, I mean
on February 4th, the board mentioned the following issues and just put put bullet points >> and then it's kind of on the to-do list in in here and then we could flesh it out later. >> It's a beach it's a beach head. No, that's fine. All I wanted to do was
point out that there there's >> there's insufficient time for those to be flushed out between now and the time he has to have something ready in order for us to meet the deadline we have based upon the 10-year obligation to re-exam our our master plan. So, in order for him to meet that, I don't
want him. Listen, in an ideal world, we have plenty of time and we can get it done. if you're satisfied with the list being in the plan and that being um a towh hold to make sure that we're going to revisit it and and that's good over just having the list be on a pad
somewhere and a commitment by this board to do that. Great. I I think Mark is okay doing that. I just what I didn't want to do was task him with something that was going to put him in a situation where we all leave tonight and he walks back into his office and says, "Son of a I got to go figure this out now." So, and I don't I don't think anybody
would want him to do that. So, I also don't I mean >> you don't have enough information to do what I >> you exact that's exactly what I was going to say. I mean I obviously I can't read Charles's >> and that's not the intent either Mark you know I I know Mark means well uh certain we're certainly fortunate uh to have Mark. Um I think listing them as a
bullet is is sufficient. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Well, the 2016 plan put in a lot of things as suggestions to work on. >> Some of them have been done and some of
them were saying, "Okay, now let's do them." >> Well, this would be putting things in to maybe work on between now and uh 20 36. Okay. >> Right.
>> They they just >> they should be mentioned is all. >> Okay. We'll do. >> Yeah. And and like we said, then when we come back and in two weeks, we we should and Mark will have his list and then we'll we'll we'll discuss priorities. >> Yeah. Well Well, my thinking my thinking
is that um uh you know, the first things first, let's let's have the hearing on because that on the 18th we're going to have two hearings. It's going to be this and fair share. And I think that's probably going to take up the evening. >> Yeah. >> And then again, I've said it before, we're going to have
we'll have time to have work sessions. I think then at a subsequent meeting so we can give it the time, the right amount of time, you know, some maybe some maybe in meet one of the meetings in March, I'll have a draft priority list and we'll start you guys. Nope. That should
be first priority. That should be third priority. And we'll move it around and and then and we'll have a to-do list for the next year or so >> for the next 10 years. >> Thanks, Mark. >> So, I I just have a quick comment. Um when you open up the the PDF, it says
watch planning board. Can we go to the properties uh I think that's an old I think that's that goes back a long time. Sometimes it gets in it gets into >> just go to the properties. >> I think I've updated it on the final >> change that >> we'll do.
>> Oh my god. >> Yeah, it's it gets into the code somehow. I'm not sure. >> No. Yeah. Yeah. It's simple to change but you know you >> Yep. >> when you when you borrow a document from someone and gets in there. header header header information is uh
sometimes like at work um I have PowerPoint templates for slides have people have haven't been there in 10 years is the owner right because the >> the info has never changed in the background >> I think I've ch I I noticed that myself
I thought I had changed it on this last draft but I'll double I'll triple check >> because I was like why is that keep why does that keep showing So, are we are we good for tonight? Anything else? >> I think we're good. I'll I'll add um
I'll add the the bullet list of those things that we talked about tonight. Um I mean, some of the things so just just to make sure I unders So, I think um I I I just to go through the list. So,
um I'm going to add some language about um you know, there was a discussion about the sidewalk fund um and finishing the gaps. Um I'll add some language about that.
>> Um there was uh discussion of the uh the trails. Um, I'm gonna look there might be some discussion in the in the trails plan already about that. Um, so but I'll if not um I'll put some
language in there about that. Um, there's the Hamilton Street I think Charles I think perhaps before you leave maybe I can get some of the wording exactly on that. >> Yeah. Yeah, I can I can get it to you. The Hamilton Street it wasn't Hamilton Street per se. It was really looking at, you know, the public ram and public
safety as an element within the master plan. >> Okay. >> I was using Hamilton Street as an example. Okay. >> I know how unfortunately is used as a poster child for where crime is and I was saying those are growing concerns throughout the township. Okay. So just
proactively instead of focusing on that, just looking at crime more holistically as opposed to just one corridor. >> Okay. >> So that's what it is. >> Okay. the drones one. You don't have to include that. I just want to from planner to planner, let's talk about how
we're going to deal with that that piece. >> Well, I mean, it could be something that uh I mean, if the township does end up having to regulate it, it might be something that ends up in the zoning ordinance perhaps. >> So, you know, adding a sentence saying, you know, the township might want to
start thinking about how it may want to regulate drones and, you know, drone landing spots. I if that's >> certainly an issue of also air rights >> like what type of rights do you have for your property? Obviously they stop at some point where the FAA takes over if
they can send planes over at a certain height but if somebody wants to run a drain over drone over my property >> drone over my property at like you know 30 feet above the ground because they're delivering to my next door neighbor they may not have the right to do that. >> Yeah. So those are addition you have
private property rights and your your zoning ordinance and your master plan are all things that are going to have to work together. So and I think that's something that's novel that you've brought up and I think you know I I can take a look into that as well. >> Um yeah then traffic calming and truck
routes that Mike mentioned in in the ADU issue. So I think those are the bullet points and Charles you also mentioned I wrote down >> the cultural identity one cultural assets and identity. >> Okay. Um, you know, we're one of the
most diverse townships and that's a very beautiful thing. We want to preserve that and celebrate that. And one way to do so is having an element within the plan that puts forth investment to to celebrate our culture, assets, and identity.
>> And and I mean that that is really a good thing to have. And I would I just would want to emphasize that we do I think Franklin does a good job. I mean we do we do have Franklin Day, we have Week of the People. >> Um I mean obviously in the various
church communities we have they have their own festivals. Um, Franklin in New Brunswick used to be home to a still is in many parts of the township a robust Hungarian population that started in New Brunswick and moved to what, uh, I've
come to learn was referred to as West New Brunswick, which was really part of Franklin. And so um yeah, I mean they they all have their own they all have their own cultural festivities and things like that, but I think I think you know the Colonial Park where we have
week we have Franklin Day and and things like that um could specifically be mentioned in the master plan and we could have language that you know to the extent possible we would encourage the in interconnectivity of cultures and religions um that are represented by
events such as So the township um for the last few years uh Charles uh we have been celebrating uh Diwali which is Indian culture and we have also started
celebrating Ramadan lighting which is a Muslim community and uh so so we are cognizant of uh those cultures and we do support and celebrate and promote that. >> Awesome.
>> At the township level. So, we do that. >> Thanks, R. >> Good to go. >> Good. >> All right. Um, great discussion. Um, so again, this is the what I consider the fun part of our job. So, um, let's have
more fun. And, uh, with that, um, I'll make a motion to adjurnn for tonight. >> Second. All in favor? >> I I come back on February 18th, please.