Very good. Good. All right. Good evening. Get started right at 6 o'clock. So, thank you for coming. Um, as you know, tonight is Maple Shades master plan re-examination meeting. This meeting um basically is
just about what we're doing for the master plan. Over on the table when you first walk in are just a agenda just so you can follow along. And I've also included copies of the 2016 master plan. Ream master reexamination master
plan. This is 2016. Yep. So this is the last time that we did uh our master plan. This evening again is just about what we're doing. This is a town hall style meeting count. It's not a council meeting. Council members are here just to learn. Um, but I also have Mike Davis
and John Hansel from our township planner, hire and hire rule. So, they will be helping us, but basically the master plan is about wanting to hear from our residents. It's about what you can bring to us and what we can do to help you. It's basically our guide for the community. So, that's what tonight
is. It is a hands-on. It is going to be asking questions, getting feedback from you. If you choose not to speak publicly, if you don't want to have an I say your idea out loud, that's perfectly okay over there. There is a basket and there are some note cards, write it
down, put it in the basket. We'll make sure it gets to the planner. We'll make sure that it gets circulated so that council knows what it is. Um, but the master plan too helps guide decisions about land use, redevelopment, housing, transportation, open space, basically the future growth of the community. And
that's where we need the voices of our residents. And that's what we're trying to do. Some of you last week, I know I see some faces joined us when we had the community heart and soul. This meeting will be very similar to that. Again, getting feedback, hearing from you, hearing what our residents want. Um, and then obviously our planners being able
to take that information back and and put it into the the mapping that you do. Um, so there will be a little bit of just some talking back and forth that's giving you some information. But why did the town have to do a master plan? In short, it's due every 10 years because
we're told we have to. But it's also good planning. Obviously, you know, we want to know things change. You'll find things in the 2016 master plan that some may have come to fruition, some may not have. It's a guide for us to be able to look back and say, "Oh, what did we do
well? What didn't we do well? What do we what do we want to change? What do we want to see? What did we not want to see? What maybe worked in 2016 that's not going to work in 2026." And there's things you think. I mean, we were all hit with CO those that's something that
truly has an effect and has had an effect in everything that we do on how we manage and how we govern. Um, this is not a formal land use planning board or a planning board or zoning board meeting. It is a town hall. Again, want to hear from you, want to be able to get your ideas. We're going to put
everything up here. We're going to take those notes back and then we're going to be able to help. There will be a formal presentation of the master plan. This is not that. So, if you came thinking that you're going to hear everything that we're going to do, that this isn't the meeting. We're not there yet. Um, and
then your feedback basically helps guide future decisions on development again, housing, open space, transportation, and economic growth. The master plan is our community's road map. And tonight again is just from hearing is just about hearing from you all what is working, what needs new improvement, what needs
improvement, and what the future of Maple City holds. With that, I will turn it over to Mike the professional. And then when we get into the fun stuff, Welcome. >> Thanks. >> Thank you, Susan. So, thanks for the introduction. My name is Michael Davis from Highland Associates. I'm a senior
senior planner at the firm, licensed planner, and a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners as well. Uh, so as Susan mentioned, this is a master plan meeting. It's meant to be relatively informal. There is no serious structure. There is no attorneys here making sure we're staying in line. This
is really intended for us to gain feedback. So, we don't want to talk at you guys. You guys are the residents of Maple Shade. This is your master plan. This is the vision for the future of the township. Um, as Susan had mentioned, there are various components to a master plan. The current components of the
Maple Shade master plan. And just to give a little bit of history, this started back in 1982 with the first comprehensive plan that the township ever adopted. Subsequently, there have been re-examinations of that 1982 master plan, but again, there haven't been real drastic changes to any of the overlying
goals and assumptions that are contained within that plan. And that plan is over there um if anyone wants to have a copy to review. So, that plan contains various elements uh goals, objectives, and policies which are really higher goals. There are things like provide a variety of housing types, uh provide
recreation opportunities, provide safe transit and circulation throughout the township. So, these are very broad, not very narrowly focused objectives and goals. Um, as you move forward through the plan, you'll see the nitty-gritty detailed sections where, hey, there should be ordinance revisions to amend
the signage code or things like that. So, you kind of think of a hierarchy. As the goals move down the ladder, they get more specific as they go. Um, as you'll see, we have a lot of mapping up here. Uh, again, we want this to kind of be interactive. We have individual maps up
here as well if people want to take those and mark them up. Um, but really what we're looking for is to provide uh this is the opportunity for the public feedback on the master plan and the re-exam will address the following statutoily required components. The
first one is the major objectives and problems relating to land development at the time of the last re-exam. So the last re-exam was done in 2016. As Susan mentioned, there's a lot of changes that have happened since then. COVID has changed the world that we live in. Work from home is a very very new thing. Uh
there's a lot of home occupations that are starting to happen. There are different uses. I noticed car wash uses are popping up everywhere. The the market's changing constantly and as planners and as a township, you have to continue to address those changes. So essentially what we're looking to do is
re-update the master plan uh to address the changes. Uh there are changes at the state level. There are affordable housing policies that have changed. There are storm water policies that have changed. Uh all these things that need to be uh addressed within this master plan. And not only at the state level, there are changes at the county level.
Uh Burlington County has done a great job of trails planning and uh bike lane planning. And part of planning as a whole is to make sure we be consistent with the county and the state documents uh throughout because if those documents are if this master plan is inconsistent
with what the county and the state are doing, then we're going to have problems every step of the way. So really trying to align these documents and make sure we're consistent with the state policies is an important step as well. So uh the first one is the major problems and objectives at the time of the last re-exam. So we'll talk about everything
that's happened since then. Uh the second is how any of those problems have increased since 2016. Uh we have some demographic information that will be provided in the re-examination report that discusses uh housing uh population changes, density changes, all kinds of
different things like that that inform the decisions that the policy decisions that will be contained within this master plan re-exam. Uh additionally, there are changes and again I have mentioned this there are changes in assump assumptions and policies at the state and county level
that need to be addressed. Um, and then this is where we really, the latter portion of this master plan re-exam is what we're doing today. We want to hear from the residents. Do we need more parks? Do we need more uh facilities at parks? Do we need more trails? Do we
need better roads? Do we need better paving of roads? Do we need bike lanes? Uh, do we need street trees? Do we need sidewalks? All these various litany of things can be contained uh as recommendations within this document. um just some of the issues that we some of
the the items that have been kicked around in some of our preliminary discussions um uh related to drafting of a community energy plan. The state as a a whole has really pushed for energy conservation and dictating what kind of
policies we can update to maybe become more energy efficient as a township. uh the downtown uh main street. We definitely think that there are improvements that can be made overall to the downtown related to parking and signage and aesthetics of the downtown.
Um additionally, uh signage, cannabis uses, lighting, landscaping. Um we've talked about need the need for improved at public works yard uh and more space for that and more facilities for that. So that's another another thing that's been discussed. Um, but overall this is
really, again, I don't want to kind of lay the groundwork here and and speak for the town, but speak for the residents, but this is intended to be a feedback opportunity. So, um, with that, Susan, I think we can probably start taking some comments.
>> All right. So, just starting this is when we'll just talk out loud. You don't have to come up. You don't have to state your name or anything. We just want to hear from you. So, part of this next set part of this meeting will be about 30 to 40 minutes.
Um, and it's going to be facilitated basically by questions that'll be asked and then your responses to us in hopes that we get into a deep dive and really get some some good information. So, the first thing let's start with what does everybody love about Maple Shake?
>> Yep, I heard it. Get rid of the township manager. That's it. That's it. Well, if it was that easy, it would have been done already. But seriously, so we said a small town. >> Small town. Trust me, it doesn't offend me. It said everything. If you don't like me, then I'm not doing my job. If
you're best friends to me, trust me, I'm not doing what I need to do. >> So, okay. Small town. What else? I put up manager up there, but that doesn't really go into that. >> Everybody knows each other. >> Everybody knows each other. Love it. Okay. What else? >> Community engagement.
Say no as each other. Okay. Community engagement. Variety there. Variety of churches. Variety of people. >> Variety. Okay. So, we said variety. We said variety of churches.
>> Churches. People. Um things that you work for. Restaurants. >> People. Restaurants. Okay. Small business. >> Small business. >> Centrally located. >> Nice.
>> What else? Got to be a couple others. One, two, three, four, five, five. >> What? Youth sports. >> Uh, so can we can we say um youth activities I guess all over? Okay. We say tax is stable.
>> Anything else? >> Services. Okay. What kind of services do we are we glad that they have? >> They did a good job. >> Excellent job. um township services. Great. Okay. Okay. So, that's what we
love about Maple Shape. So, what should never change >> other than these things? >> The small town >> and that's huge in a master plan. >> Yeah. >> For small town field because Yeah. We're 3.8 square miles
>> but we have over 20,000 residents. So, we're not technically that small town. Yes, sizewise we are, but you know, I came from my original, the town that I came from that I last worked in, Waterford Township, we were 26.2 square miles and we had under 10,000
people right in the middle of state park. So, that's where the difference is. But yeah, that's huge for when we're doing our master class. >> Can we get something over to >> you can add whatever you like. >> It's the diversity because we have people from knowect everybody. knows everybody, but like you
said, there's so it's a big community and there's a lot of people don't know. >> Yeah. >> And that goes back to kind of like our meeting that we had last week about it. >> You show the diversity that we have, >> right? Is how do we pull how do we pull those other residents in? So, okay. So,
what else should change? a small town feel. >> What are the biggest opportunities for improvement? parking meters for >> Main Street. >> Was that is there any specific areas where park main street?
>> Susan and I spoke couple summers ago about this and I talked to her about the signs that we have. We have two parking which I've never seen in years been here. Never seen it before. >> So I said Susan there and I swear why don't we just take down she said that was going to happen but it hasn't
happened. But we've talked about parking meters since I can remember back. Bill Lindsay brought it up in 1987. >> No. >> So hold on. Hold on. So hold on. Let's just hold on. So let's just remember that this is this is what we're doing.
Like we're just we're getting some we're getting some ideas little more to it. So parking meters, we have them in all the surrounding towns around us that are all successful. But when you have a parking meter, it's not about It's not about trying to get money out of people. It's about keeping
that flow so that cars can pull up, do what they have to do, and then move on. Your next customer can pull up and they have a spot to park. That generates the the activity on our main street, not where somebody parks and they're there all day. In the in the absence of parking meters, I propose that we go
with maybe the two-hour parking in the municipal lots and then overnight parking in a different section of the lot for tenants and things like that so they can park further. from the main street and not tie up the spots that the businesses need for their customers. So
these are the kind of things that we need now. >> So I don't mean to interrupt you but so like if we're going so let's let's piggyback off of that >> twohour meters. So we want people to come in and shop. So we want we want people to come shop. So again you know
the more stores that you have the more the more destination locations that you have that people can come to then it then it does become so maybe do offer so many minutes free. You can you can certainly include it could be a half an hour now whatever you want to make. >> But it goes to the and it goes to the
main street comment of you know wanting to see improvements down main street that no so we need more destination locations. We need more >> we need to bring the well yeah I have flow in there for flow. Um we need to bring the we need people to want to come
to Main Street. >> So okay so yeah so um so what did I I said uh two hours shops. Shops. >> Okay. And what did you you said outside eating? >> We don't offer people an experience.
>> That's the word right there. Experience the destination. >> You ride down Main Street and you're like, "Oh my god, there's an experience." But our other is our sidewalks are too narrow to do it. Our front,
you know, you can't put a lot of tables outside, but gosh, I I go down there in a minute. >> Yep. >> Okay. So, we have parking meters on Main Street for flow. Main Street in general are all the option to talk the discussion of no meters burst meters two
hours possibly in the municipal lot shops meaning shoppable shops outside eating places becoming an experience that destination location with sidewalk improvements along Main Street. >> What else? Now let's why don't we go off of Main Street? Let's look at our 38. I know that's important, but let's look at
383. I love uh Maple Shape because of all the natural uh habitat and beauty. And there's there's uh there's eagles, bald eagles flying over this town. Red tail hawks. There's there's wildlife everywhere surrounding Pensoft and
Creek. The Delma River is a mile away. I love the nature and and you can see it every day out your back backyard or walking down Main Street. You just look and uh you know there's people fishing at Stein Pond, you know what I mean? And I think that needs to stay. You need to
leave the natural habitats alone. >> Question for you. Do you think that there could be improved access to natural areas within within the township or more more access and trails >> access to wet lanes and transition areas that you need to make sure that you're talking to state?
>> Oh yeah, absolutely. There is a >> you're getting a you're getting a letter of interpretation to make sure that wherever you're going to enjoy nature that you're not disturbing what's there. >> Absolutely. There's a there's a new new new master plan element and we're not
drafting any new elements. This is going to be kind of the road map forward. But there's a master plan element called a municipal public access plan which does exactly that. And you can get state funding if you have one of those plans to allow access to to natural existing
natural areas that may be environmentally sensitive, but there are opportunities there. >> Do you know the freshwater uh 1987 freshwater uh wetlands? >> Loosely. I am not an engineer, but loosely. Yeah. >> Okay. I'm just I'm going to I'm going to
I'm going to educate you. So there's wet lanes and there's transition. >> Yep. So any of them areas, if you go and disturb any of them areas, you're going to get a 75,000. Oh yeah. Whether you're a municipality, whether you're a developer, whether you're a resident,
like >> So I just think that there's a lot of beauty around this whole town. Not just out my neighbor's backyard and my my backyard, but everywhere you walk, >> there's natural waterways all through this town that run off the tidal water on the Delaware River.
>> Oh, yeah. There's a lot to be to enjoy. It's just you need to >> y >> and connected to that we need I'd love to see more environmentally friendly practices things like the planters on
the street. They look really pretty, but they should be need to plant the butterflies and not stuff from you know because they can't um when trees are planted the native trees the wildlife need not just they they like them better
they literally require them to survive. So, I'd like to see more of that um in flood areas, maybe more like permeable parking services that water can move through and get back into the ground supply rather than running off into flooded areas.
>> So, I don't know if this one applies to this, but I think we need better communication partic for for some reason someone made a decision and I don't know who but they ripped the mall down and you drive a
mile to the north main street you're like wow field down our main street you're like what happened this now >> start that brings people down that brings people down like you're on a deserted
island a deserted street >> so I put native plantings in there and that'll um I'll have trees access to natural lands as well. Um, communication. Deb, you had said communication. So, >> right. Right. So, what are some because we have the avenues, but what other things like what would you like to see
in communication? I know we have to get the word out. >> A lot of people don't get computers so they don't know what's going on. I don't know. Something mailed to them so we know what's going on. >> I think I think social media helps that too.
>> It does. something like that all the envelope. It will cost a little more you could even do like here's how you get our newslet.
>> Yeah. >> So I can but that's the people who aren't online you know. >> So addressing that we did Look at that. So again, it would have to be the tax bill that goes out once a year is very good because our water bills everybody's on a different quarter. Not everybody in
the township gets it. So we have looked there. Okay. So those are some things those are opportunities for improvement. Anything else that we needed a foot bridge over me >> that was suggested as
>> the heart and soul that was sitting years ago with um with the state about that years ago. It would have been when I first got here and it was like September of 19 when I first got here. and it was with Mount Barl, Penn and Maple Shade with the DOT and there is a
long-term plan for that. Um, obviously that they rely on their studies and whatnot, but we did bring that up and it is in their plan. Obviously, that's not something we can do, but that's something that we can obviously tell the state, hey, this is something that our town people are asking for and something important to them. So, I did put that in
everything that we had had from last week, too. They should have built that when they built >> okay back to communication when information's coming out >> just like when there's an election and there's a you have to vote on the law you want to vote yes or no for this
change and there's an interpretive statement that explains it in plain English not legally I think having a lot more of that explaining things to people before or beginning council meetings in plain English so that everybody understands what's going on the same
page before you go into the legalities of an ordinance or or something. >> We need to make it so that everybody is on the same page and everyone has the same basic information. >> Sounds like a bigger >> I have one of the backs. I have a second one over there. I'm good. I'm trying to
keep them at least so that they're all >> I write too big. >> I put that right there. Newspaper. >> I got it. >> Put it in. It sounds like we need a communication master plan. Like something that if there's an event, there's a standard process and procedure
to ensure that that's communicated. Whether that be a social media plan, newspaper, mail, like a standard consecutive process what the communication >> at least could everyone not just >> so on that on that. So I will tell you
um because obviously the newsletter and most of the Facebook posts come out of my office, the web page comes out of my office. So our Facebook post currently has just about three 3,842. That's was the last I love the other tick. Um, so it's Facebook. Don't mind me. That's not all Maple shape
residents. But when you're talking about state plans and and and social media plans and those communication plans, they say that if you can get 10% of your population on a social media, that's good. Like that's good. You want more. I know you're saying it's not good, but that's something considering that when I
got here, we had like 200, 300. So, we're working towards that. But then like the newsletter, the newsletter we currently where we have that we don't get as many there. So we have all these people on social media but we only have 700 people that are getting the newsletter. So like there's definitely a
disconnect there with the social >> and yet they're both sent out the same way. Like that's so that's there's definitely disconnect there. But you're right >> like communications. It's a two-way street. They want people want the township to notify everybody.
>> How many people say they want to play? >> They changed the time so much. You don't know. >> Well, okay. Um, how about like a newsletter that you can post in the different stores and all like a lot of newsletters so that people
are coming in to get food or whatever they see newsletter pick up. >> Absolutely. metal plates. >> Right. >> Okay. All right. >> On the camp town, you could you could put township council meeting tonight
6:30, you know. That's people drive by that every day and it's bright and it's big. >> So you you have public access. Everybody has a TV, I hope, right? Some people don't have computers. Some people don't have smartphones. The older folks might
not. Um you can work with the high school and they have they have a you know communications uh class over there, >> right? So unfortunately the lines for that the township did have and I don't mean I'm not making excuses. The township did have Comcast um and so the school Comcast has since stopped those
lines. Um, and basically if you want them, it's like a $30,000 cost just to have the lines put in. That's why the school went to YouTube. That's why we went to YouTube as well. That's they're getting away from that. Some do. We've even looked to have a shared service with Morstown. Mortown did away with
theirs. Um, so it was, hey, can we get our lines to can we share our lines and then just split those. >> So the township high school have a YouTube page, right? It creates jobs for these till they get out of school. I'm in the communication business. They
could jump out of school. >> Stand up. >> They won't give away anything. >> I saw it today and I picked up a copy. They have this thing called chatter instead of just
I'm in print and so instead of just um having in the stores >> you can fold 1117 down to a 5 and 12 8 and 12 wafer seal iterate and mail it out in bulk mail um three or four times a year maybe we
can look into the cost of that I mean there's a couple local printers that I'm sure would um join that and part of the chatter is they um they have a lot of advertising on the chatter So there's how you pay for your mailings.
>> It's an 1117 sheet of paper. >> You can fit a pretty lot of information on 1117 sheet of paper because the horse town chatter, a lot of it's filled up with puzzles and and stuff, but advertising, you know, goes out once a quarter. Here's our council meets.
Here's this. Here's the events for the summer. >> So maybe that's maybe that's an idea instead of month. Well, maybe that's an idea. Instead of doing a monthly newsletter, doing a quarterly newsletter like that >> goes to everybody. >> Could be sponsored by the businesses on
Main Street or business in town. You know what I mean? >> Especially something like the sale of your house that people know so they can come and discuss it approve it without the rest of the res.
Very drastically when they try somewhere else. That was crazy. So anything like that should be put so the whole knows what's going on. That's part of the communication and just explaining. >> I think part of the problem just
John's thing the chatter is privately owned just so you're aware of it but it's something that we could do. >> I think the other issue is council went to a lot of the meetings or one a month now and you haven't seen a few lately because
work my schedule out of town. That's a lot of people. It's not going to be everybody, but cutting your meetings down, the council meetings down, which is basically uh they did that without without approval from the residents, but they didn't adjust their pay for it. That's something I'll discuss at another
meeting, but not to not have those extra meetings and then to have council have council not be able to discuss these things and that's why when
somebody has nothing to do with planning >> no more meeting is about our communication process so I'm letting it there for now >> talking about communication >> so we want to communicate and then >> and then we're talking about you know being transparent commun communication
>> okay so I put more meetings up there too >> so when when it comes to you know it's time to vote on something We discussed it at this meeting and that meeting, but there's something we didn't know about it. That's all goes back to what you were talking about. So, we do need a more a bigger time frame to
discuss things. >> So, put more meetings on there as far as as far as communication. >> So, what's what's our what's our goal for getting this in? That's my next question. >> We're not answering any we're not >> we're solving any of these problem. We're not solving any of these problems tonight. We're just hearing. Is there a
date that we'd like to see that that this is >> Well, it has to be done in 2026. >> So, I mean, it has to be till by December 31st meeting or it's got to be done by Sunday. >> Correct. >> Correct. Nope. Does not have to be done by Sunday. >> Susan, before you move on from communication, could there be an option
for like an auto phone call that goes out to all the township or an auto text messaging? >> So, we have looked at that through the OEM. Um, like it's they're called roocalls basically is what it is. Um we have it is something that we've been working with the county on to see if we can bring in other towns do it. The school district has it. It's basically I
think it's called reverse 911 you would know it but but yes we have looked at it as as an option. >> So >> but I don't see a lot of stuff. >> Oh so you might not be on maple sh maybe
you're on the utilities part of because there's not much that comes under the utilities. We can get you connected with that. If you go to our Facebook page, right on the front, there's a link. You just hit that link and it'll tell you exactly how to do it. But that was a problem in the beginning. That's when we had started going because everybody's on
the utility side. Utility doesn't put a lot of things out. We But I can tell you those pixels nine times out of 10 come out of my office too. They we're doing at least one a week if not two or three a week. So >> yeah. So okay. So, we're going to move
on to the next thing is and I know I don't want to get into I don't want to get into the nitty-gritty of this, but because this needs to be generic, but what types of housing do you think are missing in Maple Shape? And no matter what your feeling is on it, just what do
you think is missing? We don't want to >> townous. Okay. >> Town houses. >> Did I hear condos? >> AUS Single family >> adus single family.
>> Okay. All right. >> Any other type? >> Less rents. Okay. >> Okay. All right. How about our transportation and walkability? What are we missing there? What are we >> Can't walk down 38.
be killed. Can't walk down seven kilome highways. I travel around the world Europe a lot parking. There's bike lanes, there's sidewalks, there's you can it it pushes people out to do or to exercise, >> you know what I mean? Yeah. Sidewalk
places where kids have to walk in the street or people to get to and from school. I think there should always >> What other transportation and walkability improvements? We're active with rails to trail. >> Yep. So, >> correct.
>> Rails. Yep. And we are still active. So, Maple Shade is not a rails to trails community. We are a rails with trails community because we still have an active railroad. But yes, and uh the DVR >> DVRPC did a southern regional trail study that we've actually gotten the files from Burlington County. So, that
will be included in this brief. >> There was something that I saw while ago about having a walking trail. basically >> that's exactly what this >> this is a regional yes region
>> it's getting more realistic the DVRPC had a lot of money dedicated towards a a plan that has been worked with the county and DVRPC so I have some mapping that I can I'd be glad to show anybody after >> yeah it's very far >> to
>> Mortown bridge It will. That's what they hope. That's what they plan. That's the long term goal plan. John, you >> New Jersey Transit. Um, >> they don't I don't feel they service our town uh like they service other towns.
Like I drive through Penn through the industrial park. There's bus stops all over the place there. Just random. And I can tell you Access Link will not come to a person's home to help them if they're more than a mile. away from a
New Jersey transit spot, a room. Well, I'm 0.9 I'm sorry.1 away from that. They will not pick my wife up to take her to a medical appointment >> through access link. I'm not saying that New Jersey Transit should come down Fort
Road, but I don't think New Jersey Transit services route 73. >> They service Route 38. And at 313 further down >> down near the Mount Laurel. Yeah, that's where they start the
service. But it lo it's lally lose it from Palmyra all the way up to there. >> That's New Jersey service. have a stopwhere, you know, close by so
that anybody works in that direction. >> Accessibility for the handicap in businesses. I have a friend that's got one leg and he struggles all the time getting in and out of these doors. You know, I don't want to put, you know, a lot of strain on these businesses, but
you know, you got you're in a walker and you got one leg from diabetes and you you're trying to open the door to go shopping and then you can't get in in the buildings. You know, that's that's that's got to be something that has to be addressed.
We're not all, you know, walking on two legs. >> Anything else for transportation building? >> I would say something like for large events or different that are happening within the town. Maybe a shuttle service
kind of similar if you've ever been to May when they're in the summertime heat of the season there's a shuttle that will pick you up from the high school and then take you to downtown. So if there's something large maybe a shuttle that takes people from me to San event
or you know the high school to downtown because we have such limited parking space there. What about and also what about shutting down Main Street for events? I know we've talked about this Main Street Maple Shade was involved. I was on that
committee for a while. You see all these other towns shutting down their whole >> So we have gone back to that. And so with the holiday festival, I guess the last two years, last three years that that we do shut down. >> They shut down the uh main street for Halloween. >> You can't do it for a food truck
festival. >> So the food truck festival I think that was And I don't I don't quote me on this, but I believe it was voted on by Main Street Maple Shape that keeping it in the >> parking lot. And I don't know if that council >> that was council.
How can >> No, no, I don't either. So, but okay. So, >> yeah. So, you go to other towns and I've been to one college, Hadenfield, Morristown, Pittman, uh, Hamilton, they shut down the whole main street. >> Yeah. Hamilton doesn't do it anymore.
Hamilton has it on its side street. just because they had the same issues with bus traffic. >> This goes back to the beginning though. Those towns are able to shut down their main streets because their businesses stay open and they have more businesses and they offer more services. I walked around for Main Street ankle shade to
everyone on Main Street. Most of the people didn't want to talk to me or receive the information just alerting them, hey, you should stay open late tonight. We have this giant festival happening. Main Street's going to be closed down. So, the businesses didn't want to participate. So, it's really
hard to like pay our police and and you know, department to close down >> an empty not that the people aren't there, but you know what I mean? >> We had we had a food truck restaurant on Monday and they said it would never work. The first night the first year we
did it, right? We had 7,000 people on Main Street and the township manager was pissed because he had to pay for the cops overnight and I was like 7,000 people. >> That wasn't me. Just Let's say you could figure it out yourselves.
>> 7,000 people on Main Street on a Monday night and the pizza shops were we did it because Takenelli's was closed and we didn't want to hinder them and the other shops were open and they they ran out of food. They never did a business like that in their life. And then the
following year they went around and took notes and saying this business hated it and this business didn't like it. And There's a lot of things being said, but this is where >> maybe that's a kind that's communication with Maple too and just asking and finding out and seeing >> what works. You know what I mean?
>> You know. Okay. Very good. All right. We'll move on to parks and recreation. What should be improved with parks and recreation? >> At what park? Sorry. >> Woodlock. >> Woodlock. public bathroom. >> Oh, come on. Doesn't everybody like a
good port? You think we should utilize the high school track for a walking track and in the intersection concern was maintenance in the union and who unlocks the gate who's going to be what kind of shoes you walk on, all that kind of stuff. Today's world, I'm sure
we can address all them concerns and stuff, I would hope, would be open to it, and people could safely walk the track and talk and run each other, all that stuff. >> Have it open a couple hours force, twice a week.
>> Can we get it to where Let the res I'm going to show this small town. >> So like clean up. >> I would I would rather do some money. >> So we do have the clean up days. Are you
saying other dates? >> In addition, we're going to clean out. May 17 come out. >> That's it. If you're coming
>> lightning, I'm just going to put it all because >> What else? What else are we looking for recreationwise? Parks and recreation wise. Bike lanes. >> Bike lanes. >> At least it like a route around town
that somebody could do like a a two mile route or a three mile on a bike. >> Did they ever think of a walking track in field? That's a huge piece of >> You know what I mean? Keep that open for
>> reason. kids exercise. >> What's the biggest obesity? And that's >> walking tracks. >> We already have. There is that like a real
>> Cooper River. I don't know what this falls under. >> I was playing softball on field at Wood and there was an incident and the ambulance had to be called and the ambulance was not able to actually enter the field because there was a right there on field five and they said that
they didn't have a key. So they had to walk all the way from the bottom to the top and with the stretcher and the person needs to be put on that stretcher. >> That shouldn't happen. We don't need a master plan to do that. >> First responder access
>> write that down. Sorry. >> What else? >> Okay. >> That How about some batt? >> Yeah. Okay. >> What else? >> Anything else? What else we want to see? Do we How
about anything other than what we've done up here? >> So, we're coming right out. I will tell you we're coming right out of winter. So, it's very difficult to I know I told
>> church I'm sorry. first drive there. The whole thing is like you can't go that way. So one guy you talk to and they were the other day and I I'll
be great because what is it though they tell you to do? They just tell you throw some seeds in there. some deaths >> broken agree every one of these things that are listed you need more parking so when you're doing the plan encompassing all
this stuff >> you're going to need parking everywhere and that's got to be figured for sure >> I'm going to put that You know, like here's the other thing. Does anybody know the ones that are in there that are really
answer this question, but the ones that maybe aren't that haven't spoken? Do you know the percentage of what Maple Shade has built out? >> Maple Shade, you know how much area we have left? You know how much or how much we have built already? and maple >> we are just around 98% built out.
>> Yes. So that goes back to the and you know when we're looking at things it goes back to the development versus the redevelopment. So you take what we have and what are we going to do with that? You know the parking it is it's we can't just create more land to build extra
parking lots but we have to think where we can do those things. What do we do? You know do we do we use our side streets more? You know do we do we create and that's something you know I will say the council's been you know it's been brought up to council is about like the snow. Let's talk about snow removal. You
know, we got a lot of um complaints that, you know, the township was very hard on removing vehicles that second storm. Well, I'm going to tell you something. The first storm DPW, they they couldn't get around cars. I was here that storm. Like the number of cars that were on the street that that storm
was unbelievable. But when we really said, "Hey, listen, you have to move the cars." People parked on their drive, you know, parked in their driveways. They parked in their lots. In fact, you know, you said it was it was a huge shooting. So, where do we take like where do we put that, you know? So those are things that we need to think of and what what
can we use now that we have already that we can either improve or we can you know >> change redesign redevelop circuls there >> certainly well hold on you didn't hear that officially from
>> that yeah we're be careful with the railroad Yes, eventually they will. Listen, we're very fortunate that we have the relationship that we do with them and they allow us to park and they knock on wood. They have allowed us to do this without really saying anything. We're not >> We don't want to piss them off.
>> We don't want We don't want to. >> Yeah. You know, one thing that really, really, really bothers me with public service, >> public service comes in here and wax our
trees and they look totally ridiculous. When I drive through other towns, they trim them better. Is it because our township is not getting the value? >> We are all over.
We are all over them and we get the excuse of we needed to do it because the lines some of the trees some of what you're seeing too is because their lines aren't overhead shade still has a lot of the electric lines and everything go through it. So I look horrible. >> All right. So that's a good
>> going back to housing. >> Okay. We're going to >> I know people in town >> that would like to move into a facility such as the muse or the new housing buildings but they're missing because of
the income level. I mean is there like affordable places or moderate? I guess we would call them. >> So back to the I mentioned earlier today moderate housing. >> Okay. All right. So, um that's great.
Like that's a lot. We will take all this and I will write all this up and council will see this. Um so don't think that this is just erased. It's not. But these were all great ideas and great information to share. Um the next one that I want to do is we're going to get out of what we basically think
everything is wrong in Maple Shady. And we're going to go with I love maple shade but no not butt. Who said but I love maple shade because and it's similar to what we asked the
first question but think of something different. You can't see the neighbors. Hey, John. >> It's my home. >> It's been my home my whole life.
>> They support each other. >> I'm sorry. I didn't >> This town supports each other when families are in distress. families have lost lose loved ones, their houses catch on fire. >> Everybody comes and supports each other.
That's what I love about Anything else? >> I I know I do. I I got tons of tape to do >> the road. I've never seen a town grab like debris
out in front of your house. >> I agree. >> You know what I mean? >> Good water quality. >> I want to say debris collection instead of trash collection. >> Good quality water. all the recycling
chairs and things. The last time I did Where can we car? All right. Anything else? I love the ice cream. >> I'd have to put the custard stand on there. >> I travel around the world around the
country. They're like >> downtown. >> Okay. >> I have safety. I'll do that. >> So, the reason that I wanted to On this point, I know Mike I think Mike you have a couple other things, right? You're just going to wrap up with your >> Yeah. And I have some maps that I can
discuss as well. >> The reason that I wanted to end on something I love Maple Shape because while this is everything that we want to see and this is kind of like our gripes and like what we don't like and um other than love about maple shape, we'll keep that one out. >> But you know, like you see, this is
stuff that you want like this is the things that we want to see change that will all go into what we're doing with our master plan. But this really is the heart and soul of like of what we're doing. And this is the heart of and that's that's what we're trying to make our master plan be reflective of of
everything that we love, but the things that we want to see grow into the future. So, um, these are great. Like I said, I will not erase these. These are all going to be written down and we will put them in a list for council. We'll put them in a list for our planner so that he can get them and we'll put it in
there. If you've forgotten anything, please take a card. You all have my email address. Email me if you go home and say, "You know what else I would like to see?" That's what I would like to see. >> Shop local. >> What is it? >> Shop local. >> Shop local. Yeah. >> Shop local. >> Yeah. >> You know what I'm saying? >> That's a good one. I'm going put that
down. Okay. You can go ahead into your uh your maps and stuff. >> Yeah, of course. So, just to quickly wrap up, um I think that this has been incredible feedback. This has incredibly valuable for us to be able to go back and draft this document. One thing I want to say is that I think we can all
realize that a lot of these issues that are raised, fixing parking in downtown, uh the streetscape of downtown, these aren't going to happen overnight. This is a we needed to hear this today to really prioritize what we're going to do moving forward. Obviously, there's probably some lowhanging fruit in this
list that we can absolutely address through a quick ordinance change after this re-exam is adopted, but things like the downtown, we've already discussed um we've had multiple subcommittee meetings with the mayor, uh public works, recreation, environmental commission. So, we've had a lot of discussions
already. A lot of these items that were raised today are very very aligned with some of the issues that we understood. Obviously, there's a lot more detail that you were able to provide to us today. So, again, thank you for that. uh we'll be uh acknowledging all of these. There will be an appendix with all the
feedback that was received for in this master plan re-exam. Um and yeah, I again I don't think we have an exact timeline yet. Uh we don't want to rush through this. So um really we want to kind of take an opportunity to take probably a month or two, put a draft together, maybe come back to the
planning board, have a discussion at that point, um and then and then go forward from there. But again, uh this feedback has been great aligned with what we had really really looked at so far. Um renting verse owner occupied housing, things like that. These are all
reflected in the census data that will be a part of this re-exam. So it's all aligned. Um and I just want to note that we have some maps up here if anyone wants to. We have some Sharpie markers as well. We have small versions of each map as well. If you want to come grab one, take it, you can mark it up. You
can we'll be hanging out for another half hour or so as well. while we were planning on staying till 7:30. So, if you want to have individual conversations, grab a map, grab a Sharpie, mark it up, talk about something issue that you have. We need access over here. We have flooding problems over here. Uh just to get a
little bit more geographic location to some of these things. Um but overall, thank you for your feedback tonight and we're looking forward to getting this re-exam updated and then continuing to move forward and uh implementing these policies. We don't want this to be the 2016 re-exam that really a lot of the
goals and objectives were not really achieved. We want this to be an actionable implementable plan that we have direct steps and responsibilities. Uh we could even break down these recommendations by cost. Obviously the downtown's a big big scope project, but
uh maybe adding street trees as a requirement to the ordinance is something that's very low hanging fruit and can be done immediately. So, uh, prioritizing all these goals and objectives is going to be the next few months of work. Uh, but we really appreciate all the feedback tonight.
>> If you didn't get a copy of the 2016, you can find it on our web page. Um, on the draft on the agenda, it shows where it goes. >> Yeah. Almost every Yep.
>> Because that we do >> Susan, is there any way we can reach out? We talked about communication, but is there any way we can reach out to the people who built this town, the seniors, get more input for them? What makes it for them to shop downtown, to go to a doctor, to go to whatever. What's important to them? They've been here all
their life. They're at the end of their life. I hate to say that that, but what what can and how can we get them? >> So, that's part of this master plan. We're going to drive the people the muse can't make this. >> So, that's what I was just going to say. So, that's part of what our I won't say
our plan is, but yes, that is part of the plan here. We have this town. We're going to take it to the muse basically and hear from them. >> Yeah. And that that's a statewide concern is the aging in place. You want to be able to live in your town. You don't just want to have to move to a
facility somewhere else where you you lose touch with everything you had for your whole entire life. You know, >> we're going to take the actual >> we have talked about that I've been on trying to figure out a way to get them some
>> or the firehouse. You know, I don't know if you can hold us there, bring them there, bust them in, whatever. >> The biggest we we've talked about is when it goes back to communication, I don't want to go way back to it, but is about meeting people where they are. That's that is something that every
municipality in New Jersey has. >> I'm sure ain't going to but that is it's how do you meet how do you meet the residents where they are last week when we were at the the heart and soul like how do we get you saw that what was represented? I mean, you go through, there was a large population of
people that had lived here. Really, it was from like 30 years to 60 years. Like, everybody grew up here. But we're missing that market of the young families that are coming in here. And, you know, three realtors sitting right there. I got two in the back sitting. You see it? These are young families that are coming over the bridge that are
coming from other communities that are moving to Maple Shade. And we're missing them, too. They're not I I mean, I've only been here seven years, and I can tell you I think probably know everybody here in in the audience. I I've spoken to you at least once. I know everybody's
name, but we're missing the young we're missing that young that young family representation. Um, and that's really what will keep them build and shape in the future. You know, you take the experience of the older old-timers and you instill that in in the young
families and then you bring their new ideas. But that is what that is what we're trying to do with with this. But yes, we will be going to the muse. We will be getting out there. Hopefully we'll be able to do something in the school district too that you know like this is it. Meet them where they are.
>> That's it. >> They ever do something where uh residents meet the businesses in this town like you have Stonehard, you have Eastern Left, you have major businesses in this town, small businesses, bigger businesses. You could have it at the
school gym. You could have it here. >> So the school does have that. school has they've just had one in the beginning of March where they invited the businesses in to just basically show who they are and and come and talk to these young families. We do it through um through a
business uh appreciation dinner too where we bring all the businesses together just so that the businesses too because not everybody's part of the MSBA you know some don't want to be some just some didn't know about it but that's that's bringing them together too again it goes back to that goes back to the
communication piece which I think Mike is going to be a very big portion of absolutely >> of what we're going to do of how do we communicate our message to the residents again and I think sometimes you know we get we get stuck in the in in the technical age, it's so easy. It's instant, you know, and and then and you
forget that not everybody has it. I mean, you know, we give things down to the library, but if the library is out, you know, if we give 50 copies and the library goes through 50 copies in, you know, a day and we don't know, well, nobody. So, there's definitely room again, there's room for opportunities for improvement. It's not lost on
anybody, but that's what we need to hear from the president. And I think meeting the meeting first responders not just on national out other opportunities. >> You can go up there anytime too. That's it too >> for people to meet the police officers.
>> Their doors are always open. >> Always open. Go and get >> So yeah, that's we got >> I think we it would be beneficial to bring back we have an excellent But if we could bring back the reserve
police, I think it would offset a lot of cost for like closing main street. >> So we have that with our with our ones. You know the problem is though Jo can't even get them. We can't even get officers. We can't even get regular officers. Um you know it's tough like
when I say recruiting like we have taken a whole new recruiting level here um in Maple Shade. So we're a civil service town. who don't know what civil service is. We're we are defined by the state how we are to hire, what we how we can hire, what we can hire, when we can hire. They have to take a test
down to, you know, even like our public works and our administrative staff. That's the way civil service works. Used to be that you couldn't even go out and and recruit outside of civil service out of asking for a test from from the state of New Jersey. What's happened here is we've taken an effort, it's called the
alternate route. So, we go now, we send our officers to the Like when there's an active academy and we go and we scout police officers is what it is. We do this alternative route. We make sure that everybody has all of their paperwork in order and then
we hire them outside the civil service process. We've been able to get that approval from them. Problem is is that we went from taking police tests that had thousands and when I say thousands in 2019, 2020, and 2021, you would have thousands sit for the test. And you had
lists you were getting that were 100, two, 300 people long, you know, 300 people long. Now I'm lucky if I ask for 100 people to give names if I get 10. >> They're not they're just not taking the police test. So, and that that's an issue for another day. I mean, that's
something that needs to be fixed. >> Bring back a structure >> a structure. I know that I know a couple years ago someone had tried um to do that. So >> structure >> but you know it's it takes volunteers and yes I know almost all of your faces
because you are all who continues to volunteer. So that's just so maybe that's something you know opportunities for improvement. How do we how do we encourage more volunteers again hopefully something like the community partners soul program will help that too as we're meeting the people where they are. >> Kids need that old resumes. Kids need
that when they're applying to colleges. >> Yeah. >> They need volunteer hours. We have a couple kids that come from the high school that have been coming down to our township meetings. They're wonderful. I mean, we did the mayor started the um the kids in a little tip in government, students in government program, which is great. We had a mock, you know, we had a
mock meeting here with them. They were wonderful. >> Tik Tok, you know, it's nothing new, but like during the storm when our trash got changed, I I went out my house and everybody had their trash out. I knocked on their door
and said, "Hey, we're not having trash. It's not until tomorrow night." Word of mouth. I mean, the people that are on social media and read the stuff, you help your neighbor. I mean, long before social media, >> you know, we all have suggestions, but
we can do it. We help free people. Free people help free people. And that's what a small town does. >> We see it all the time. People come up that just moved into town and it's a normal question. When does my trash get picked up? You know, and like we'll tell them like did you meet your neighbor too to
ask and I didn't know what my neighbors >> so maybe that's what we need to do is you know it's when um you know new people come in it's what we do the BDC has talked about you know putting out that that package you know and that's going to be you know something that's rolling out to to new home owners
>> that's support for our veterans >> support for our veterans these young kids are coming back and taking their own life and they're really traumatized Mike, I didn't give me interruption. I'm sorry. Are you done?
>> Oh, no. I'm Yeah. >> So, so that's where we are. So, I thank everybody for coming out. Um, I know it was, you know, something different. Um, hopefully you're able to leave. I said, "Please reach out to us. Reach out to the mayor. Reach out to someone on council, one of the council members. Leave a note in there, email me,
whatever. Um, please, we want to hear from you and we will make sure this all gets in. Um, and this will all be presented to council at the next council meeting. Not Friday's council meeting, the next on the 19th 19." Great. That's it. Thank you.
>> Yeah, absolutely. I have little ones up here. president. I