thank you good evening the ran Township planning board is now in session call to order the notice requirements open public Mee act satisfi by the placing of noce thank you call please chairman Mr Edward gettings here chair Miss Donna Drew here miss Robin Fatu here Mr Scott McDade here Miss Judy djn Domenico here Miss Michelle kavaki here Mr Dennis conanan here Mr James Miller here Mr Glenn Sosi here for professionals board attorney Mr John Bardo here Township planner Mr Jeffrey Vella here Township engineer Mr aesh Dari pres and the following board professionals have asked to be excused Township landscape architect Mr John morg Thomas board traffic consultant Mr J Troutman and board planner Miss Jessica Caldwell okay thank you I'd like to ask everybody to rise for the Pledge of Allegiance in a moment of silence for our service members pledge of aliance to the flag the United States of America and to the rep stand one nation under God indivisible liy and justice for all thank you okay first up this evening we have minutes from our December 13th and January 10th meetings uh let's deal with December 13 first we had received those in advance does anyone have any comments or suggestions on these minutes no there being none can I have a motion to approve December 13 2023 motion second chairman Mr Edward gettings yes Vice chairwoman Miss Donna Drew yes Miss Robin Fatu yes Mr Scott McDade yes Miss Judy djn Deano yes Mr Dennis conanan yes Mr James Miller yes okay thank you uh next up the January 10th 2024 minutes same thing we've received these in advance does anyone have any comments or suggestions on these minutes there being none can I have a motion to approve motion second chairman Mr Edward gettings yes Vice chair Miss Donna Drew yes Miss Robin Fatu yes Miss Judy djn Domenico yes Mr Dennis conanan yes Miss Michelle kakiri yes Mr James Miller yes okay thank you next up is Citizens privilege if we have anybody from the community in the room with us this evening or online there there is the there is we welcome this evening if there's something you would like to address to the planning board this evening that's not on the agenda further down tonight now would be the time to do that if so please speak up give us your name okay there being none we'll we'll move on resolutions there are none this evening and then for public hearing we have Johanna evening Mr chairman members of the board my name is Steven Gruenberg I'm an attorney in Flemington New Jersey and I'm here on behalf of Johanna Foods Inc for what we think is a very minor um expansion to a an existing dock that we're replacing are essentially on this very large commercial devel velopment that's well known to the the Ford in the township um we're asking for 152t expansion of an existing dock um and along with some safety features that are being implemented around that dock area we're asking for a site plan waiver and the basis of our site plan waiver is your ordinance has um three different categories where you can ask the board for a waiver of site plan and the ordinance section is section 29 9 6-45 and the the two that we're really relying upon is the first one is a where we the applicant has secured previous site plan approval under the terms of this chapter and the proposed development has insignificant impact we'll provide testimony that this proposed development has insignificant impact in the scheme of things with Johanna foods and I'm going to skip over B because it technically doesn't involve normal maintenance like um replacing a new roof so I'll skip over that not make that argument but I'll make the argument under C which is that it does not affect existing circulation drainage building Arrangements Landscaping buffering lighting and other considerations of site plan review this is just replacing an existing dock making it slightly larger with safety features over existing impervious coverage we're not changing any building arrangements or light or anything of that nature and um really it's just something that your ordinance allows us to do to try and expedite this type of development with that um this application does not require notice of hearing and I have two witnesses and first would be I was going to call Joe first yeah if Mr Daly could come forward I both your Witnesses great thank you both genten would raise your right hand name Joseph to profession thank you I am not used to you being on that side of having John drill on my shoulder here now i' got John Bardo on my shoulder here um Mr D what is your position with Johanna Foods service and how long have you been with uh Johanna fots years so you're slightly familiar with the site why don't you tell the board what we're here for in terms of the expansion replacement of that dock we to replace our exis do building it has no impact on anything dra asess part of that [Music] is so what what are the the barriers that are being put in what what are they constructed so on the front side of the building putting in barrier concrete barrier and also provide walkway this is all over existing impervious coverage yes it I don't have any further question no I'm sorry I really don't have any further questions really just want to explain it Mr Hill talk about the site the plan yeah my understanding is from Mr Bella that this is a changed plan because it that it shows the turnaround we have can you testify to that please or I'll have Mr Hill testify to it but we have um one plan just revised architectural showing stairs on it um is just part of the feature let me just answer this and then um we have a turn a plan just showing that trucks can go around it without any interference with the not exactly new plan something to demonstrate unless somebody has questions Mr D want have questions now first qualify you can you give the board [Music] and you've testified before this right why don't we we provide digital exhibit ahead of time but we go ahead and provide the cop [Applause] once you get going sure [Music] recording [Music] why don't you identify that plan uh yes this was um part of the original um as I was saying this is a plan entitled overall plan of approved applications it's dated progress print 2005 26 and this is just basically an overall layout of the site showing the area that we're talking about is right here off of Johanna Foods Road or Johanna Farms Road excuse me um so this is the area we're talking about John am I correct that'll be marked A1 yes appreciate that we will Mark that exhibit one now you're referring to something else there yes uh this plan is called wb- 67 Truck turn exhibit it's dated February 12 2024 unrevised uh basically it just shows a blowup of the loading dock area and a WB 67 design vehicle tractor trailer which is the larger tractor trailers on the road with the 53t trailers um it shows the um proposed Jersey Barrier walls goes out here and along here to provide a pedestrian Corridor and we also di menion from the edge of the wall to the edge of the trailer parking along this curb it's uh 35 ft wide for oneway traffic for a tractor trailer which as you can see is more than sufficient for the trailer to go through go to the other parts of the site where to come up here and back up to one of these loading docks similarly over here the truck can go to the North and then back into these these parking stalls along the side along the curb um so there will be no impact on the circulation pattern of the site by doing the improvements to the loading dock and adding the concrete barrier walls uh question the yes uh the the truck template showed them backing into the two docks on that side how do they get into the two docks on the other side um they will do that the same way they do it now okay um there are trucks parked there so there is no problem with that and this wall would not have any impact on any movements to get in there so we didn't think it was that okay important to demonstrate okay so um you were part of the prior approvals on this matter so that the app applicant had received uh your firm was involved and had secured prior approvals correct that is correct and you have an opinion whether this has a significant impact or an insignificant impact on those prior approvals um the Minimus basically none and is it fair to say that this uh proposal doesn't affect existing circulation drainage building Arrangements Landscaping buffering lighting and other considerations of site plan review that is correct and we have the architect's revised plan showing the staircase that I think we provided as well you can't testify to that but can we Mark that as an exhibit certainly this is an architectural plan entitled truck doc rebuild c a01 um with the last revision date of February 9th 2014 uh prepared by uh Steve Tiberia Architects and basically if if you're referring to to this plan um it was revised from the previous submission only to add staircases down along the building wall behind these the proposed concrete barriers that provided a protection from any truck traffic that was it great Mr Bell um issued a January 19th 2024 correspondence um and I think we've addressed um the comments in there one comment number three indicates we'll removing two loading spaces meet the threshold for the floor area requirement um can you address that issue uh sure um the township has a design standard for industrial uses that up to 75,000 square feet requires four loading docks and then you need another loading dock for every 100,000 square feet or portion thereof above that um The Juice plant is a total of 245,000 square feet give or take which would require six loading Ducks um there were six here which is obviously being reduced to four but around the rest of the building there's about another 40 or 45 loading dock areas so that it's not going to impact that whatsoever we have more than enough voting docks and number four is um does the applicant anticipate any restrictive traffic movement with the proposed drive a wh That's What I tested to earlier um I have no further questions for Mr Hill John can I just clarify that the truck uh exhibit that's going to be A2 correct that's what he said yeah A2 is the truck and then the architecturals A3 correct okay just so I have that I don't think we have any other questions this was the most complicated application I've ever presented be back I'm sorry I didn't get that on record I could hear you what I I I think I've made my pitch you're good with everything yeah okay all right and I think I'm GNA ask for a motion to approve Johanna Farm site plan waiver EXC me sorry go ahead sorry Mr chairman just one thing I I didn't produce a review letter but I was just asked to take a look at this the exhibits for this evening the only thing I notic I don't have I have no objection at all whatsoever with the with the waiver uh the circulation template that's works fine uh one thing I did notice was the drainage uh as far as the loading do drainage on the I imagine from the exhibit it looks like there's trench drains on both sides on uh but on the architectural it only shows trench straight on one side I'm guessing is that just a issue that isue the AR yeah because on the architect plans it only shows um trench on North Side relocated attached back into the drain but the South Side didn't show anything make sure other than that I I okay well I skipped the step as well so I know we have somebody online with us this evening if you have any questions for the testimony that was just given now would be a good time for you to ask those questions there being none now I'm going to ask for a motion to approve the site plan waiver for Johanna farms for the Reconstruction and enlargement of the loading do motion you can have it second okay chairman Mr Edward gings yes chair Miss Donna Drew yes Miss Robin Fatu yes Mr Scott McDade yes Mr Dennis conanan yes Miss Judy G Don Domenico yes Miss Michelle kakiri yes thank you all very much thank you thank you unless you need me to talk about I mean if you want to just read into the record you're you're good you're good if you just want to read your letter for diamond into the record yeah can I have it back yeah matter I just sent a letter to the board uh in relation to my conversations with mmon uh just saying I'll read it purum to our conversation the applicant has requested a professionals meeting in order to address a as many issues as possible prior to the resumption of the public hearing as such we request that the February 28th 2024 hearing be continued without further notice to a date in April we hereby extend the time period for the board to act on this application through the end of May 2024 and I will be in attendance at the meeting this evening to address any concerns that the board may have and and I'm sorry I missed the beginning of we don't have this right done diation okay got it technically for two weeks but I wanted to address it got thank you okay very good thank you thank you you're here on a number of applications so it's good good for you yeah good for you thank you you also happy valentine give you [Music] AED we're gonna fix that okay we were provided some correspondence from the Hun County planning board on the storm water Control Ordinance approval uh also the land use report you folks have that yeah yes and uh the committee will be we're set to have it on the agenda for 220 220 yeah everyone's currently reading through it much appreciate the comprehensiveness of it as well Jess is Jessica gonna do a presentation on it at all I will check and see because I'm not leading the agenda okay she didn't mention that to me today yeah when I spoke there and there could still be some modifications of course based upon John Morgan Thomas he still had some adjustments and and obviously yeah let me yeah it it might you know given the breath of the changes that are coming in it you know I know when the subcommittee was meeting we thought like it might be really helpful if if she gave some kind of some contextual and I think it you know to to stand up for the rest of the board members here theyd probably like to hear what it is too so maybe if we could just have that distributed to the planning board too the actual report itself if after she reviewed it yeah yeah okay um the other thing too is I know as a committee we've discussed um revision of the master plan as well um recognizing when it was last done revisions Etc and um so that's something on on our topics that we've discussed is having that okay master plan that again good idea sustainable stuff Rel to yeah we could probably talk a little bit that maybe the EC and green team can can you know weigh in a little bit because some of the there are some new Municipal land use law requirements regarding sustainability elements yeah so we we're trying to build that into the budget so we can fund the work that to be done has anybody talked about updating our n that's updated by don't [Music] anybody it yeah there's grants out there okay we were also provided with a deck on the affordable housing update which we're not going to go through 45 pages tonight but Mr Bardo you had mentioned in an email just a quick overview of what this I read through it today right a lot5 PES obviously a lot something bill came out Monday my understanding is kind of information down attorneys I've got ton discuss public on the numbers under the Old Judge Jacobson methodology under what was the bill and quite substanti very very highers obviously something to work with and examine we you get a final bill I know the called well doing a preliminary study I believe had meeting on February 6 and I know from representing Town respect moral obligations that's a good step because they're going to be doing the same thing going to be hiring planners to look at where we going to be able to get credits this time we're not going to be able get credits what's in the mix um so it's it's going to be a very Expediting process we need to have a resolution once we get by January um indicating how will obligations committee decides to do so when and where um it seems like we just went third round obligation Jud back July 2015 and I remember at the time looking saying well this is good till 2025 that is a one way one that us um very quickly um so um it's not from a municipal standpoint legislation send govern very elected official don't think it's going to have much impact seems to be something that's bed on party line um but there's a lot out there obviously together to see how address this I guess my one general question is we have no sewer capacity so is there you know did they factor that in at all into this SE capacity is certainly something that will will possibly for any any plans to to develop I know one minut t Township we're not going to reach dealing CER because we don't think build so I'm not aware thatone that last time I do recall the last round the committee worked with r at the time to expedited primary allocation of SE at that time the developments that qualifi I I simply don't know if that's possible at this particularity um yeah I that would see think it begs the question does the RTM have to explore expansion which has been discussed agnostic of the affordable housing legislation um so I I would imagine they're gonna I would think it would bolster the Township's position if we had a clear articulation of what the capacity is how we what what small capacity we did have was a given to the affordable housing that's been built to the detriment of any other industrial expansion or commercial expansion you know I think that's where it you know I I always feel bad our Township's done a lot my understanding is the state um ignores those infrastructure challenges and but the state DP has I believe in the past said that our sewer plant because of the water quality of the stream can't can't exp on that site yeah well so I'll frame it that way we don't have any other I think it would be up to category oblations and in back 9s and and I do know that indicated as have a system in place somebody just sitting on for c number of years any develop steps that you P the capacity back and that was a case in this area involving um [Music] Town saying we don't have it developers will come in and try that do have it Hills little near in County people they reached settlement agreement with mul homes um and eventually said hey do they ended uping and tell you is they and they ended up know it's rather frightening because some of these numbers 15% % set aside are not in my opinion sep count these are not numbers that are Su sustainable and talking with certain Builders with interest rates Rising construction up um un buizon substation there's no sewer there's really no sewer at all hard count except small area you want that's that's not if you were if you a builder Co go do treat disposal so um this is going be interesting years yeah um oh go ahead I was just gonna ask uh John do they put more of an emphasis on like affordable housing rental have what I call you need you know you're going to have and that's where your professional planner comes because getus there was talk of 25 33 so theys hundreds judge probably at the time guess what we we didn't have enough single time so those Kinders of you know pable units in the Hills they didn't help we still need to do 2 they in theer get us 15% they have to give us 20% and then they have to enter they don't want to enter into they don't have so I mean there just so many balls that going to jug in the air on this at some point and and I spok developers noted build and perhaps infrastructure that's not to that and somewhere I question represen know off building gu what we want to do and incl I've got this remember that quarry the um the report I noticed mentioned certain dates within 2024 for that failure to take action will result in and I couldn't interpret it well enough but if you were to say here are some very critical dates decisions that need to be made or actions taken could you help interpret that for us and being members of committee too because I would hate to pass a certain date in 2024 and have missed the opportunity to take proper action absolutely I guess we're going to have to get a final bill for ping legislation know what change besides planning benefit of this is is that um you're not the only one do this for three other towns and is attorne John last time adid on so what we did is and money years every town money in and we would have Jeff Comm Comm unor all work together we have to workel they're the ones that are pushing this I don't think some of the state senators and assembly folks that live in urban communities really understand maybe you do and there there's a reason you're doing that that's political anything happen in toots Berry after they were just like well no we're not doing it I'm not aware that anyone's been able to F land within the super when you run risk they don't have to not just curious I didn't know if like the state would come down on them no it's not the state the the point this is that no longer going to be count now middle middx County Somerset County and 100 County and and the legislation allows the Justice of the Supreme Court to as a soal mediator or overseer Community reti experience got to be someone on the bench those counties well the things that a lot of us is there is a reti judge and that judge is is Doug wson Doug wson is Council [Music] when Town Doug wison last round they got numers many of us have is that we can end up [Music] that a lot of bad things that are not good and being in midd County not we can't that not not not it's in the legislation inion that so the regions defined differently for affordable housing than the Vincent right separate instead of I'd rather have a retired judge like Judge Thomas Mill represented municipalities represented County counil understood municipali rather than judge someone someone sat at a table lasted they made a comment in this that age-based housing is now allowable to be included up to 30% was that not included previously Age based I think it was 25% it was included at a low deci family housing get bonus cred next round well with senior housing turns out are changing it's basis thanks for the overvie height 31 go on 22 we see it like all over sure'll the way okay any other board comments this evening no Engineers comments gentlemen no we don't have a planner tonight John thank you for your comments the March 13th meeting that's correct thanks for raising that and not to be a little nud so um so the F Creek the F Greek application I had raised an issue when they did their um pre-application meeting with the technical Review Committee they had inferred that they were going to be using a railroad siding to onload and offload the chemicals for the property and I was shocked when the application came back to us revised and there was no railroad siding so I had reached out to our professionals to just kind of say are they doing a railroad siding or not because they brought they even brought the Black River in Western railroad Al well the company that owns them and talked all about how they were going to put this railroad side in so I I did check with the their engineer about that and uh they they're providing they're not sure that that's you know they're not ready for that at this stage so they they're planning some U piping that goes to towards the railroad and sort of capping it for a possible future application where they would come back for to that possibility but at as part as part of this application they're not proposing okay it just I find it very interesting because all the storm water is in the area where the railroad sightings would logically go so yeah they would have to obviously make some sort of accommodation for that absolutely okay quite there's quite a number of things with the F in the Department of Transportation implementing real sightings and that it is very complicated and intertwin right yeah so yeah I yeah why they're not moving forward to put the pipes out to a certain point and then wa to a favorable political environment which will allow them especially with the Palestine the anti what happened in Palestine Ohio the issues now with chemicals on the rail although it's the safest and best way Tim Scott's a huge proponent spent a lot of time with him one M it is the political climate in New Jersey is not correct for moving it the most safe and economical way well you know and most sustainable we don't talk about we're not talking about application specifically but in general I think most communities prefer instead of multiple tractor trailers having traveling through your Township with these chemicals on them to have them come in a railroad side yard which is especially this especially this in our community we've known that railroad side car is used to go to tenaco to a lot of the industrial sites in our community as a way to get chemicals in and out so oh wow okay applications yeah it just it was raised like I said back to this specific because in a pre-application meeting with the township with our subcommittee they represented one thing and that's where there was a question on my part okay thank you okay thanks everybody we're Reed thank you chairman see you on the U