No, he just needed >> I can't even read. I don't know what this says. >> Oh, >> no. I Mike, you don't have an agenda. >> One here.
>> Oh, wait. Here's a pack right here. Oh, that was the packet that that packet didn't move over. That's your packet, Mike. >> Welcome. >> All right, Carrie, as soon as Mike is seated. >> Um, Celeste, I was ab
>> live. Okay, we are live. Okay. Good evening and welcome to tonight's meeting of the Sparta Township Planning Board. Thank you to those joining us here and online. For the record, this meeting is being held on July 15, 2026 at 7:03 p.m. in the [clears throat]
Sparta Township Municipal Building located at 65 Main Street, Sparta, New Jersey. And the live stream can be viewed on YouTube at www.youtube.com/spartatwp. Please note that adequate public notice of this meeting was given in accordance with the open public meetings act. No new business to be conducted after 9:30
p.m. and the meeting will end promptly at 10. Let us begin with a salute to our flag. >> 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. >> Carrie, would you please call the role? Here [clears throat] >> here >> we will move into the approval of meeting minutes for June 17, 2026. six.
I will start uh at to my right. Miss Dunar, do you have any comments or questions regarding these minutes? >> I do not. >> Mr. J. >> Yes, I had one. I'm trying to pull up my notes here. >> Ron, speak into the microphone, please. >> Okay. Yeah. Um I've got one. I just got
to find it in my notes here. It was towards the end where they talked about what was discussed. And the one thing that um wasn't discussed, I didn't see the notes. I want to make sure I got into the record was that um when we
talked about the building size um the possibility that um going with a smaller size building could encourage um developers to subdivide or in plan de development you don't don't even have to subdivide. So what you end up with is the same square footage just more
buildings. So, I wanted to put that a comment to that in the notes and I apologize, Carrie. I think we just got him yesterday. I just saw it tonight. Um, so maybe just a simple statement that says that um when the board discussed it also discussed was the
possibility that small a smaller square footage could encourage developers to build more buildings. >> So, that's relative to the master plan consistency review for >> Yes. the um development district.
So uh yeah. All right. So the economic development district portion section 18435. Okay. So on these minutes it would be >> on page three. >> Page three. Right down towards the bottom. Right. right before public
comment >> to build um additional buildings which would yield the same amount of square footage. All right. And I'm good. Thank you. >> Okay, Chris.
>> Um, just one quick note. I was absent, but I was I attended online. So, I just want that noted. I was not physically here, but I was on the dial in. So,
I don't want it looking like I missed a meeting because I attended the meeting. Just not >> Okay. So, you you're in attendance by phone. Yes. >> Okay. >> Actually by YouTube. >> What? >> I think we did. >> I believe I believe we did.
>> Yeah. >> I am pretty sure. But I >> check. >> No. No. Because that's when the baby was born. >> You want >> Oh, no. That's right. You were outside. >> You were. >> I watched YouTube live because I couldn't physically get here. >> Oh, okay. So, you're saying that you
watched it? Okay. So, you you viewed it. You weren't on the phone. >> I couldn't do comments, but I I just want >> I don't want it to look like I just skipped it al together. So, maybe you could just write virtual or something. I don't know what you want to write, but or just leave it. I don't care. But >> I just I would just say that Christine
uh Quinn observed the u public hearing the virtual just short and sweet. >> Perfect. Thank you. So, where it says on roll call absent, I would just put uh virtual.
>> Okay. Moving forward, >> the details where um uh Joan asked if uh Zep could uh attend the meeting, uh they're left out the details of it and um and that carried forward to our
council meeting. I'll speak to it later on, but I don't know if I there's a lot of other comments in that section that are not in these minutes. >> Yeah. So, I mean, it's just really sanitized here. And it did carry to council, of which I'm going to bring it
back up here tonight just to to carry it back down as far as council business, if that's okay. >> Can we defer it until that gets incorporated? >> I think so, Joan, because I don't think I don't think those comments are representative of what you were trying to say. Correct. >> Correct. I was going to bring that up as
well. I'm going to be honest with you at this point with as many comments as as are being made. I'm not exactly sure if we're confident that this would go through with a positive vote. >> I agree. >> Um anyway, at this stage, so let's just finish with the comments and then and then um we'll let
>> you want to add them now. >> Um I'll go back and add them >> because I did go back to and I'll listen to the YouTube again just to make sure what was said, but I I'll put something in there. >> Yeah. And the purpose of these minutes I I understand minutes are trying to
condense and consolidate to the to the uh material facts of what's been discussed. But somewhere in that all that dialogue there are some additional facts that are important and they get not whitewashed but they get kind of get like it's hard to judge what what's
important and what's not important. So, I mean a full transcript of the Ken, this is a question for you. Is a full transcript of the minutes should just be documented and and this should be a cover like a summary of it or or we do we try our best to condense and
consolidate like what's what's the procedure and the purpose of the minutes? >> Well, honestly, there's nothing that says that you because it's recorded and live. There's nothing that says when you get to it. You can't put a little more in there and then refer to the time point in the YouTube video. So if
anybody wanted to go back and do it, >> you could go you could write the time point, you know, at this point in the meeting. And actually there is a lot that's discussed. So maybe moving forward, one of the things the planning board wants to think about is including those at mention points in the minutes
to say this was discussed at >> minute or whatever. No, cuz you're watching it anyway. >> Can you speak into the mic? >> Yeah, let let's do this gang. Uh the minutes are to reflect the general understanding. However, there's nothing
wrong with there's a specific title or topic to give more specific reference to. So, if there is during the approval process, you want clarity. It's important to uh your your volunteers are giving your time. You want to say this point is important. There's nothing
wrong with you reflecting that in the minutes. Uh again, if the let's say the virtual world becomes corrupt and you can't get a type copy, the minutes would be the best evidence of the hearing. So there's nothing wrong with what everyone is saying. Uh they are supposed to be
general, but there's nothing wrong with giving specific references on important topics. So I think we're saying the same thing. >> Yeah, they need to capture the intent, >> right? >> And the intent was not captured >> that part of it. I I Mr. Walls wasn't the only one who voted that I also
>> into the mic. >> I also voted no on that subject along with [clears throat] Mr. Walls. >> I'm not on here anywhere. >> Please motion to have Deputy Mayor Sylvester have a conversation with Mr. Ze. I voted on that.
>> So, at the very least, the vote should be properly memorialized. >> YouTube because I watched that. I went back and reviewed it, made sure that that vote was
very well documented. >> Well, I was there and I'm not listed anywhere here. I did vote. >> Voting on there, >> correct? Okay. >> So, where's where's that attorney? What section is that? >> Last page.
>> Public session. >> Public session. >> Opposed was Wallace. It was also myself. >> Can you put the mic in front of you? I said over the next couple of days I will amend the minutes and I will send them back out to all the board members. >> Okay. So, let's finish getting through
comments. So, Mr. Wallace, do you have anything? >> I don't truly have uh much except for what we're discussing. If there's um a point that you want to document from a previous meeting, you should be speaking
that point in that timeline and the date of that meeting at that moment. It shouldn't be on Carrie to go and research three meetings back. If you have a point that it's on this meeting day at this time, you should bring it up then so she could document it at the m
at the current meeting. That's all I have to say. Okay, I do have um a comment, but um just following up on Mike, that would mean we'd have to get the minutes before like the day before because there just isn't enough time to
do that. Like I sent you something today because I only got to look at it today. Um normally if you have it a couple days before you can use the weekend or whatever and then we can provide these comments and not have to do as much here. So, um, when the packet goes out
on Friday, if there's anything that should be included, it should be included by that date or maybe just not do it. So, that's one suggestion. Anyway, my comments um kind of follow what Mike was saying and it's right above the public where Ron was putting
um a comment in there and it says like notable concerns included reducing size of buildings, raidables, campus like settings and number of doctors. it doesn't say really tell the picture. And so I sent something to Carrie today because you know I was conflicted on this. I thought there were some things
that um were consistent with the master plan. There were some things that weren't when I made the motion. I probably it's my fault I made it the wrong way. I should have said wholly consistent or wholly inconsistent or something like that. But anyway, I just wanted to get on the record some of the thoughts that I expressed during that
meeting. So my recommendation was to replace that last paragraph at the bottom of page three right before the comment public comment section with the following. There was a lengthy discussion among board members um with regard to the 1984
master plan. Miss Ferman indicated that one of the things that she struggles with are that parts of the ordinance are consistent with the master plan and other parts are not consistent. She pointed out that it is consistent with the section that states, "Locate future development in areas that avoid
excessive congestion, parking problems, and urban development densities." It is also consistent with the section that recommends that limitations be placed on project size and scale. A 75,000qt warehouse would promote the campus-like
setting, avoid excessive congestion and densities, and place a limit of five dock doors, thereby limiting a lot of the excessive traffic as compared to 175,000 square foot warehouse. You don't have to agree with the thought, but that's what was said and that was what I
was trying to bring out. So, I wanted to incorporate that. Well, equally important, I I need to speak to that then because if you recall at at some point when we were trying to dissect and we were starting to split the type of vote we wanted to take,
whether the the bottom line is I deferred it right back to Ken as far as what is our intent. Is it uh is it consistent or non-consistent with the current master plan? And none of that is reflected in these minutes.
So I think we just we just need to maybe scrub this and get a little bit more granular and detailed with with the discussions that were on hand. You know your your point, my counterpoint and why how we got to >> vote the whole vote of that. We were
talking about splitting or considering the good elements, the consistent elements versus the non-consistent elements versus our purpose and intent of voting in entirety. >> Yeah. So I think it's important that you know for all of us here that the records
straight on what we were voting on that night >> and part not not our issue but is that we had three different zones all incorporated in one ordinance and that made it difficult >> and uh then we were down to consistent versus inconsistent but with the C1H we
said wholly consistent so there is a little gray area but it's a learning process >> you agree with what we're saying >> yes >> thank you So, given everything that we're discussing and everything that we're hearing, I actually am going to make a motion to table the approval of these minutes um to our next meeting.
Can I get a second, please? >> Second. >> Okay. Uh record record show that Joan seconded and uh do we need a roll call? >> No, we have a roll call, please. >> Can we do a roll call, please?
>> This is the carry the minutes. carrier minutes. >> Can I vote on these because I wasn't in attendance. >> You were virtual. >> You were virtual. >> I was still I can Okay. Yes. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Miss Dumbar.
>> Yes. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Burke. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Okay. So, approve. >> Can I just point of order? Um Ken This is not an application, so I don't
think it's a big deal. But when we've done applications before and somebody watched it virtually, there was a document that had to be signed, >> you know, just verifying that >> she will sign the document so that she can >> That's what I was going to suggest. >> Good idea. It's not a problem. >> That that'll be definitely part of the
uh >> Yeah, just send it to me and I'll >> Great. Thank you. >> Sure. >> Okay, moving forward to resolutions. Our first resolution is for Nickelo Paving Stones LLC application number 26-739
482 Houses Corner Road block 1605 lot 16 zone PDRM1 zone amended site plan with variances. >> Yes board if you recall uh uh this was the the silos and the uh after the
project was built uh so they came and explained the uh reason for it. It it was approved and in the resolution and thank you Ron uh day gave me some uh comments on uh there was actually a
waiver as to additional parking which I added and I had made copies that I left on the day is here tonight for you. Uh there's an issue as to the silo heights uh Joan Ferman brought to my attention. So, I'm going to confirm that exact
issue of the silo heights with Dave uh our engineer to just make sure of that. I did already change and add uh Ron Day's comments of the additional parking. Ron had also clarified that Copsko uh who was the planner was a miz.
I did have it as a mister originally.