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MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 16, 2011
8:00AM
ROLL CALL
Ron Cain, Jr. (P) Margaret
Miller – Sanders (P)
Everett Vreeland (P) Deane Driscoll (P)
Ron Soussa (P) Kevin
Seidel, alt. #2 (P)
Jennifer Horowitz (P) Arnold
Schancupp – alt #1 (P)
Alexander Kachmar (P)
Liaisons:
Township
Committee: Jim Sandham (P); Deb Nielson (alt) (P)
Planning Board Liaison: Tony Speciale (P)
Township Official: Meghan Hunscher, PP - Principal Planner (P)
Environmental Commission Liaison:
Monica Mianecki (P)
Also
in attendance: Planning Board
Chair, Russ Lipari
Journalist from Montville PATCH
OLD BUSINESS
Board of Adjustment
– The February hearing was cancelled due to inclement weather. A make-up hearing was not possible due to
lack of room availability and professional consultants not available. All applications including Lake Valhalla Club
and Holiday, were carried to March. Ms. Hunscher indicated that the formation of
a subcommittee meeting of the BOA is being investigated. Subcommittees for both boards cannot meet on
an application once the application is deemed complete. If the goal is to address all technical
issues prior to hearings, this can be accomplished through a technical review
committee with the professionals.
Planning Board – Jim Sandham commended the chair, Russ Lipari, for
his excellent running of the board meetings. Mayor Sandham discussed the
Seabreeze application approval for a retaining wall. There are areas for improvement for board
efficiency in discussing applications.
An improved relationship with the HPRC is being pursued. Ms. Hunscher’s efforts were praised.
Update on retail
consultant. Subcommittee reported
that the consultants from Community Insights - Joe Getz and Mark Lohbauer -
came to Montville
to discuss their approach to retail development in municipalities. Despite snowy and icy weather, the committee
took the consultants on a tour on February 1 of the various retail and
commercial areas within the Township. The consultants will submit a proposal. Mr. Lipari requested that in the future he be
included on all tours of the municipality.
Realtor event - Fall
2011 - The Committee discussed the realtor event and agreed it was a good
idea. A subcommittee was formed of
Kevin, Ron S, Dick, and Deane to meet and plan the event, including location,
agenda, tour, hand-outs, and the like.
Mayor Sandham strongly recommended that the subcommittee also devise
goals and intended outcomes of the event.
NEW BUSINESS
Bayer update -
Mayor Sandham indicated that he will be meeting with a contact at Bayer in
March hopefully prior to the consolidation decision, which is also expected to
occur in March. He also called the
Governor’s office to discuss available incentives to keep the company in-state. The response was that since Bayer is
consolidating within New Jersey,
the State cannot get involved with providing incentives for the company to
locate in one municipality over another.
Sites that the company might be looking at include Wayne
and the BASF site in Mount
Olive. Ms. Hunscher will pull the development file
and also locate the annual report to see if any top executives can be
contacted.
Ms. Hunscher inquired as to whether there is a Pharma
recruiting organization that the Township could contact to see if additional
companies would be interested in locating in Montville.
Alex would research this.
Development
Application processing - Ms. Hunscher inquired as to the interest of the
committee to review pending development applications. Russ Lipari indicated that he would welcome
any comments of the committee. Mr.
Sandham expressed concern that a required report from EDC would further slow
review of development applications. Ms.
Hunscher indicated that she will bring applications before the EDC on a case by
case basis.
EDC mission and
vision - Mayor Sandham suggested that the committee come up with a wish
list of items it wants to accomplish, like the property fact sheets. Ms. Hunscher indicated that an overall
visions and mission of the committee should also be evaluated.
Farmer’s Market -
Ms. Hunscher requested that a subcommittee be formed to determine if a farmer’s
market is a good idea for Montville. Also, site location and outreach to
supermarket and specialty grocers would be pursued. Jennifer, Deane and Tony agreed to
serve.
Minutes of the January 19, 2011 meeting were adopted. Eligible:
Ron Cain, Margaret Miller-Sanders, Everett
Vreeland, Jennifer Horowitz, Deane Driscoll. On motion made by Dick
Vreeland seconded by Jennifer Horowitz the minutes were
unanimously adopted.
Meeting was adjourned unanimously at 9:15 a.m.
Respectfully
submitted,
Meghan
Hunscher
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