##VIDEO ID:djefN57YsHM## good evening the r Township planning board is now in session call to order the notice requirements of the open public meetings act have been satisfied by the placing of a notice of this meeting on the bulton board of the municipal building uh filing the notice with the Township Clerk and transmitting the notice to the 100 in County Democrat the ker news to store LED in the Trenton Times please chairman Mr Edward gettings here Vice chair Miss Donna Drews here miss Fatu here Mr Scott McDade here Miss Michelle kavaki here Mr Dennis conanan here Mr James Miller here Mr Glenn soosi here board professionals board attorney Mr John Bardo here Township planner Mr Jeffrey Vella here uh board planner Miss Jessica Caldwell here and board secretary Taylor vau here and all other board professionals have asked to be excused good thank you I'm going to ask everybody to please rise we're going to site site Pledge of Allegiance this being the 23rd anniversary of September 11th while we always think about men and women in the armed services and we should today we should think about 100 in county and R Township residents who perished 23 years ago today because there were quite a few I pledge to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands One Nation God indivisible with liy and justice for all thank you we've got a few things we're going to discuss this evening uh so I won't put it under our Chairman's report but under the board comments we have it on the agenda this evening um start joh do you want to say that I can certainly speak to um Robin did you want to address that or do you want me to handle the update on that yes um all of you asked about MAV Ro and I I did have a telephone conversation with Township attorney Joseph sillo I believe your your TRC made some recommendations to um the township committee and as a result of those recommendations to uh the township committee um we had at a prior meeting indicated we thought that the proposed ordinances in as introduced was was inconsistent with the master plan and that it needed further work um your voices were heard um and I'll defer to uh committee woman two on that but uh apparently they're they're going to go back the township committee that is to the um redeveloper and look to negotiate some some changes to the the order ordance and and layout based upon input from this board in the TRC and uh uh having not been at that executive session I'm not going to discuss anything in in closer that's not necessarily public yet but I'll defer to miss for any additional comments thank you I think um what I'll add is that the township committee decides we truly value the expertise represent Cross functionally by each individual here so it was with great diligence and thought that they reflected on what was provided back by the planning board I think there was a duality of reflecting on the master plan which is partly the question of consistent or inconsistent but also with the existing Zone that is as opposed to what was proposed in the in the Redevelopment plan and so trying to navigate through that I think one benefit coming out of this is that we're looking to um also improve a little bit of process by earlier in some of these um Redevelopment projects bringing in a technical Review Committee preliminarily looking at the concept and getting that early expertise input maybe not a technical Review Committee but at least a handful of folks here who can sit down and say here's why or why not and give us more granularity to the feedback as was provided in this last review um that will maybe prevent too long periods of time of development going on in a plan before we get to a point what we were provided here lately so I think that's all a benefit in terms of our ways of working and it improved um methods of leaning on the planning board's recommendations and expertise for making some of the governing decision so I think um I will just reiterate in closing what Mr bardio just said in that um the comments and considerations were definitely taken to heart and um is reflected in the way in which the committee is Ming forward on this so thank you from each and every Committee Member thank I just want to thank you very much I just want to add something to this uh thank you to Vice chair Donna Drew planning board member James Miller uh two of them along with myself that is the TRC committee right we set that every January and we were asked to take a look at this after we had sent the response back to the township committee and we did that and that's everything I won't repeat what what's been said here this evening but we felt it very important to get every member of the board know about those steps that happened right it's not that anybody's doing anything behind the planning board's back because it certainly is not uh we just wanted to let you know what the steps were because subsequent to our determining that it was not consistent with the master plan the TRC met we did a reevaluation we submitted letter and Rob just said they've chosen to honor that letter so we just wanted to have everybody on board communication support and then the last thing and I'll be quiet about it is what Robin just spoke to because there's been a lot of discussions as Donna can certainly tell you too there needs to be more communication uh there's a lot of expertise and there's a lot that could be discussed in advance because we end up with rework going down roads that we don't have to sometimes so that's very encourageing thanks okay any questions on right the next one U AFF affordable housing fourth round obligation 2025 to 2035 um we will not receive um the township hour number until October 20th of this year um from what I've heard from planners and otherwise it's highly probable that we will receive the number at that time um all of you should be aware that we are not we are not sitting still the affordable housing subcommittee um had a had a meeting in fact before this meeting that commenced at 6 um ideas and concepts are uh in uh progress and the affordable housing subcommittee is working both with Mr Vell and Miss Caldwell um to um move the ball down the line so that when we finally do get our number and have to take action in 2025 that we're we're fully prepared for anything that uh may or may not come our way um and that at this particular time is uh what I think is available for public disclosure excellent thank you we do not have our engineer with us this evening Jeff you're going to speak in a few minutes but did you have anything you wanted to comment on Jessica on plan comments no not not at this time okay Jessica how about you did you have anything you wanted to address the board on this evening no I agree with everything that John said I think he provided a good representation of our progress moving forward okay great John anything further nothing nothing further on any unrelated comments Mr chair okay so Jeff I'm going to throw it to you because you're gonna give us an update on the uh planning office of ordinance 242 yeah so this was the um extensive ordinance that was uh adopted earlier this year and I just wanted to provide just a brief overview of how it's being receptive by residents and um developers uh for the most part um multi-use uh a lot of developers are very happy a bunch of applicants are going to be either transferring or preparing for for a planning board application and instead of a board of adjustment um some factors such as outdoor dining is allowing other applications to uh transfer over to the planning board as well um so so we're starting to see sort of that balance um a little bit as far as some of the I know accessory Apartments was a big big issue I have we haven't seen any applications really come in but there's been extensive uh comments and um they're very grateful that they don't have to go in front of the board and spend the additional expense but one of the issues that they're they're questioning is whether or not if they have a barn on site um an addition to a compliant accessory apartment would that be permitted the definition says otherwise it would have to be independent so that's something that a few a few um residents have been um just questioning it's not that they're against it but that's something that um the ordinance does not does not allow in addition to an accessory Department it would have or accessory structure it would have to be independent or attached to a house um other than that we have we have not had an application to an outdoor dining um permit or a home business there's some interest but it's I think it's it's just too early for for a report and just some comment on future relevance of one one second before you go go just the Jeff if it gets the point where this whole question of the apartments in an accessory building that whole you know interpretation thing if it gets to the point where it's clear that we might need to do a new definition or an update to the definition I think it probably be better that we do it sooner than later so that we're not backed into a corner or forcing someone to go to board of adjustment when they don't have to or whatever so okay I just think that might be helpful because there's some confusion around it well yeah kind of keep our ear to the ground yeah but yeah or if at this point in time you think if you have a recommendation based on kind of what you're seeing come in you know the other um when meeting with developers it kind of goes it's it's it wasn't mentioned in the in the ordinance but if someone already has a development and they want to do something as far as like an accessory structure or anything that's very small technically by our ordinance it requires planning board approval it's something that they're if if anything is enlarged or if there's a small structure on on site I've some of the some of the more recent site plan site plan waivers they've been our ordinance States it but it's kind of something it's always in it's always a conversation of do they need to come to the planning board so that's something that there's an exception if there's if there's if it meets zoning regulation and it's not a structure it's an exception they don't they don't have to go to the go to the planning board but if it's a if it's if it's a structure or an enlargement technically they have to even though there's no variances or site plan waivers is there a way that could be dealt with administratively if we clean something up I don't see I don't see why not unless there's a conflicting condition but that's something that would be very [Music] helpful yeah I mean just sounds like yeah I mean we're trying to keep people from having to go before boards if they don't have to if it's conforming yeah um men your ordinances so that um they don't have to come to us you can say if you have this that and the other thing no variances doesn't exceed certain things then it it's it's it's a building permit it's administrative yeah so Jeff you're talking an example like somebody's putting in a complex and they have a playground and they decide that they're hearing people want to gazebo buy that underneath the sun that's a structure that wouldn't be on the original plan that they would have to come to the planning board te yeah technically that would be like a site plan waiver with where they would come in with a plan they would pay an engineer to draw the to place this gazebo and dimensions and everything and then we' have a probably 15 minute hearing just for for gaze we've had structures in front yard s like that were like Walts or just part of the infrastructure or drainage where I seen her recall people either needed variances or approvals but you really looked at it you said that's just you wouldn't even notice it normally if you drove by yeah yeah and I think we fixed some of that but yeah yeah hot boxes are now permitted yeah right right I was remembering yeah it sounds like it would be helpful to people so can we ask Jeff to draft something up and work with our attorney to make sure it's okay and this is valuable feedback we spent a lot of time on this and Jessica's listening a lot of time this thing but now this is real life reaction to it just Val yeah right no that's just in formal Direction go for type of thing that's the right question okay sorry thank you J okay and then we just wanted to make some comments on the teature elements of the township master plan uh we're actually working on a a request to the township committee for a circulation Plan update and a stor be issuing that here in the next days as planning is going on for budgets for next year and circulation is in traffic circulation thank you James yeah circulation isn't traffic I mean we're hearing a lot about traffic yeah we're hearing a lot about storm well yeah storm water definitely and Robin was you know we had the Mont Ro application a great job rather of speaking to what's being considered well we know you're serious about that we just want to make sure get all that done and when was our circulation Element last updated looked at it was I mean it was it's in the reexamination report in 2019 but the the actual the element is from 2008 which that's that's when the published document was but there's when they were preparing the document it was 2005 2006 is when they were really going before the circle being re yeah before the circle and yeah the bypass is mentioned as a as a huge component of this element minimum every well the municipal land law John right yeah I mean that doesn't mean you can't do it more often but the ml indicates when you are required to do it yeah so it's every 10 years you're supposed to do it it is every 10 yeah Master you can Jessica I mean you can address this the the exam report can kind of look at stuff but yeah it's not a couple of traffic studies yeah yeah so Pennsylvania following it all the way out to on 31 had reports truie a littleit taking First Steps toensure more safy yeah during the in the in the circulation element it actually goes through at least 15 spot improvements throughout the township of what they force um an issue or maybe interconnecting Road Rays such as like where the um where the animal hospital is on warhe Corner Road yeah there's a m there's what's called uh master plan roadway of interconnecting all the way to the Flemington chops it's still listed as a yeah it's still listed as a as a roadway it hasn't been hasn't been built or designed but it's it's within there so there's a lot of opportunity for us to look at revisit and look at traffic capacity and accidents and volumes and that sounds like all right we'll provide that upate so and then the storm order element yeah the the storm order element was drafted in um 2005 has not been updated um and with all the regulations that have been enacted it's it's overdue yeah it's overdue anything else overdue [Music] [Laughter] natural resources required to be done yeah they all require funding no this is the right time so we'll be collecting for budgetary do you submit that yes it would be through the planning board okay well whatever is old put it in the budget okay whatever needs yeah I mean the land use element was very very extensive um there's there's a lot of um a lot of points that have been corrected a lot of them have not but it's something that would also probably need to be revised yeah maybe Jee are the and I know because they're so old um those those elements you don't have them in a digital form do you they are all part of the the ma the master plan unless it I mean C so for example the circulation element is all part of that Master the original master plan not the re-exam report okay online we only have the reexamine report right no we have the original the original there too yeah it's 20 reading pleasure 20 2008 there's a part one and there's a part two okay okay yeah maybe maybe send us a refresher course where they are and the elements because yeah I didn't even realize they were there I thought just the re exam was there okay okay let's move on we have minutes to approve first up is July 10th 2024 meeting minutes uh Taylor had the job written and got out to everybody forie anybody on the board have questions or comments on the July 10th 202 I have a motion to approve motion second chairman Mr Edward gennings yes Vice chair Miss Donna Drews yes Miss Robin Fatu Mr Scott McDade yes Mr Dennis conanan yes Mr James Miller yes good same thing for the July 24th 2024 minutes ask a question does anybody have any comments or changes to those minutes being none can I have a motion to approve motion chairman Mr Edward gettings yes Miss Robin Fatu yes Mr Scott McDade yes Mr Dennis conanan yes Miss Michelle kakiri yes Mr James Miller yes Mr Glenn sokowski yes we do not have any resolutions this evening uh note for the record there are no citizens with us either here in the room this evening or online that's correct right correct okay so no citiz privilege this evening and there was no public hearing and then agenda has some additional items that will be coming on do you have anything scheduled for the first week in September any applications we we're waiting on an applicant to see if they're they're able but it's most likely going to be October we'll still have a meeting because there's uh there's ordinances that are going to be intr introduced at the next Township committee meeting um but as far as an applicant we're still waiting right tayor okay thank you with that we are Jour thanks everybody and Taylor thanks thank you Jess have a nice night you everybody night all right good night all right good night thanks Taylor for the you're welcome all right here my