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MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
MINUTES
OF JANUARY 21, 2009
8:00AM
ROLL CALL
Ron Cain, Jr. - present Margaret Miller –
Sanders - present
Everett Vreeland - present Mark Tabakin - absent
Ron
Soussa - present Deane
Driscoll - present
Jennifer
Horowitz - present Alexander
Kachmar Alt. #1 - present
Greg Milazzo
– Alt #2- present
Liaisons:
Township
Committee: Deb Nielson - present
Township
Officials: Linda White, Land Use Administrator
New members of the EDC were
welcomed to the committee, giving the membership
a brief description of their occupations and backgrounds.
REORGANIZATION
Appointment of Chairman –
Ron Cain unanimously
Appointment of Vice
Chairman – Deane Driscoll unanimously
Selection of Meeting Dates – Third
Wednesday Monthly@ 8:00AM – Meeting
Place:
Municipal Conference Room – adopted as noted
OLD BUSINESS
Upcoming Seminars –
Morris County EDC – Wednesday March 18th @ County College of Morris
5PM to 8PM
Mrs. White indicated that she will carry this to the
February agenda at which time we should have more information on program and
cost. Mr. Vreeland indicated he would be
glad to attend. Other members indicated
they will wait until the program is available.
Website Development –
update
Mr. Soussa indicated that he would create a ‘demo site’ and
would review the Marlboro site previously discussed to see if their concept of
their EDC website info can be easily set up here in our community.
Update: Pending BoA
& Planning Board applications
Mrs. White updated EDC on various projects under approval or
pending review at the board level. Mrs.
Horowitz indicated she sent a cafe/bakery type of use to the potential
developer of Sunoco. It was felt we
should continue to encourage this possible tenant on coming into Montville. Mr. Cain
appointed Ms. Horowitz to contact these owners again and he will work with her
on this site and/or will lead this possible new tenant to any other site in
town that may be zoned and available.
Mrs. White mentioned LaSala’s site plan and that this is the
type of project that best represents the goals of what the township Planning
Board wanted to see in this area along Jacksonville & Rt. 202. Members noted they received the email with the
attached rendering and agreed that this type of commercial development should
be encouraged and asked Mrs. White to write to the Planning Board commending
this project and supporting it.
Discussion continued on Trader Joe’s and the possibility of
seeing if they are interested in relocating to this township. Mr. Cain appointed Mr. Soussa to work with
him on contacting Trader Joe to see what their land use needs are and to see if
they are interested in looking at Montville for a new business.
Mrs. White indicated Kay’s was approved for a bagel/bakery
use. She indicated there is a pending
application for the new lifestyle proposal on Changebridge and that the
Planning Board subcommittee would be looking at this informally before site
plan is filed to assist them prior to their review process.
She also indicated Lowe’s continues at the BoA, that the
lifestyle mall on Bloomfield
Avenue is tabled until March but that they
indicated they are going forward. She mentioned that San Dol has an extension
of their site before Planning Board and that once the issue of safe as to
emergency access is addressed, as well as some other revisions, this will go
forward. The site in the rear, the
residential aged restricted housing, is still on agenda. There is a cell tower application filed on
Landmark Properties located on Stiles
Lane. She
also noted an application is on going at Board of Adjustment for new medical
building/day care center on Changebridge near the SSG&W building. .
Update: Coordination of Support for State DOT
involvement along Rt. 46
Mrs. White indicated that she has asked Eric Keller, our
traffic expert to coordinate a meeting with the state officials, township and
legislators on making sure that the entire Rt. 46 corridor is addressed not
only for Lowe’s but as a result of this major use application, and the
possibility of future redevelopment and new development in this immediate
corridor that this township aggressively moves forward to get this before DOT
now. General discussion ensued on
roadway improvements to bridge and Old Bloomfield bridge. Mr. Keller is aware of the Lowe’s application
and issues in this area facing community.
Update: Master Plan Re-Examination Process &
addressing membership participation at
EDC; update on Emery Lane
inclusion in study
Mrs. White indicated Mr. Burgis was made aware of the input
from EDC membership to have him look at Emery Lane in the re-examination
process. She indicated that at some
point in the process, there will be need for involvement and comments from the
EDC. Mr. Burgis acknowledged when this
goes forward, this input would be sought.
The Planning Board will begin pre-meetings for master plan and ordinance
before their regularly scheduled meetings.
Mr. Soussa thought we should look again at those five homes
on Changebridge and try and seek redevelopment on these properties. Mrs. Nielson and Mrs. White indicated that
the planner felt that we should limit retail to the sections we did sometime
last year to see how, if any, traffic would be affected. Mrs. White indicated she would ask Mr. Burgis
to keep these properties in consideration on re-examination, and will copy out
tax map to give to him.
Update from Township
Esq re: Letter from GI requesting EDC
endorsement of development of Lowe’s – Old Bloomfield Avenue
Mrs. White indicated she informed this applicant that the
EDC cannot have a presentation before them for endorsement of a ‘use’ which is
presently before the Board of Adjustment.
She mentioned the Township Attorney did note that if a member wished to
attend this hearing, he and/or she is free to comment on the project at that
level.
Update: Chamber of Commerce
letter re: concerns on restrictive
signage in community
Mrs. White noted that the Planning Board intends to meet
with a subcommittee of the Chamber to review the temporary signs in
community. Ms. Sanders indicated that
the Chamber feels a 90 day period would be more helpful than a 30 day
example. Both the chamber and EDC felt,
though, that these signs should be professional and have certain controls as to
size and placement. Mrs. White gave some
examples of the temporary signs that may be what we have in mind, mentioning
the Don Pepe temporary sign.
At this time she noted she is allowing these businesses to
put up the temporary signs to help them during these economic times. Mrs. Sanders indicated that the Chamber
appointed a subcommittee and would get these names to the Planning Board. Discussion ensued on use of electronic signs
and perhaps if we started to use these types of signs where businesses could be
permitted to ‘advertise’ temporary and/or special sales, that this may help our
businesses. This is an on going issue
and will be studied this year.
NEW BUSINESS
Discussion ensued on developing a Welcome Letter and Package
of materials from the Economic Development
Committee to the new businesses that open in our community. Ms. Sanders noted that the Chamber sends out
materials and would supply a list of what is sent to them to the EDC to avoid
duplication. Ms. Nielson indicated that
there was work put into a Welcome letter and that this letter should be sent
again. Mrs. White indicated she would do
so. Other ideas offered: putting photos of new businesses in the
Montville Messenger and putting a small write up in it. Mrs. White indicated that in the future these
new business sites will be made into a matted photo to display on the wall with
their name and date of occupancy.
Mrs. White reminded members that if they have other
information on vacancy, to send this data along so that it can be constantly
updated.
MINUTES
Adoption of EDC minutes of 12-19-08 – Eligible: Mr. Vreeland, Mr. Soussa, Mr. Cain, Mr.
Tabakin, Mr. Driscoll, Ms. Horowitz - adopted unanimously
Meeting adjourned.
Next meeting: February 18, 2009 @
8AM.
Respectfully submitted,
Linda M. White
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