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MONTVILLETOWNSHIP PLANNING BOARD
8:30AM Start
SUBCOMMITTEE MINUTES OF MARCH 26, 2009
ROLL CALL
Mr.
Karkowsky - absent
Ms.
Nielson - present
Mr.
Lipari - present
Mr.
Visco - present
BUSINESS
- Meeting with Chamber on draft
temporary sign ordinance
Chamber
representatives present:
Joseph O’Dowd
Tony Speciale
Margaret
Miller-Sanders, President
Barry
Braverman
Mr. Lipari
reviewed the changes that were being recommended to allow temporary signage in
the community to help assist the local businesses during these difficult
economic times.
As a result,
the subcommittee recommended that this policy to allow temporary signs be
considered for a year to see if it works in helping the local businesses
advertise their specials, to see if it becomes an enforcement nightmare, to see
if it creates an unsightly situation. If
it is successful, then this would go into law.
It was decided
that there would be a 90 day period for the temporary signs in a calendar year
starting March 26, 2009 with a sunset date to review it’s impact March 26,
2010; that the signs be of a professional quality, that the temporary sign be
no larger than 16 sq. ft., that it be installed in an area that does not
obstruct sight distance, that there be a permit required, a permit fee of $20 with
new request same owners, $5; permits can be issued for the entire 90 days if
business wishes to list those dates of installation in advance. The subcommittee indicated that they had no
objection in waiving these fees during this trial policy period.
Discussion
ensued on how to get this message to the business owners, and the Chamber
members volunteered to pioneer this at their level, notifying and working with
the local businesses. Ms. Sanders would
draft an article/letter on this and forward it to Mr. Lipari and Mrs. White
before final release.
Mrs. White
indicated that she developed the application form and the “most commonly asked’
questions on signage, and if the Chamber wanted to add to this and post on
their website, that would also be a good idea.
Mrs. Nielson
indicated there was a Planning Board meeting this evening, and we would move to
get this into affect as soon as possible so our local businesses could look
towards upcoming holidays for temporary signage relief.
Mr. O’Dowd
felt the Township should promote buying local, and asked if the Township
Committee shouldn’t look at this. Mrs.
Nielson indicated she would take message back to the Township Committee.
- Home Depot outdoor storage
Present: Marc Malanga & Pat Kressler, Store Managers
of Home Depot
Mrs. White
indicated that Ms. Kressler is the new store manager of Home Depot and that
they wanted to work with Township, recognizing past managers didn’t comply with
the prohibition of outside sales. Mrs.
Kressler indicated that this season they wanted to place their flowers and
commodities along side the existing nursery area which area is enclosed within
block and board. It creates a pleasing
affect entering site from Rt. 46.
Subcommittee members wanted assurances that there would be no safety
issues as to customers in roadways and/or emergency parking areas. Mrs. Kressler indicates it would not, and
that the site is watched very closely to ensure no debris is created in area.
Subcommittee
had no objection to granting the temporary permit, noting that the Planning
Board is creating new policies to help our business promote their commodities.
- Conservation Easement &
vacating area – policy
Mrs. White
indicated that the township attorney has indicated that the process which needs
to be established is that the township engineering office will deal with the
initial inspection to determine if there was tree clearing and/or disturbances
in the conservation area, and if so, will require a tree replacement/mitigation
plan be prepared and submitted to their offices. If there is no plan submitted, then it will
be turned over to zoning for summons. If
a property owner asks for vacating the area, the Township Attorney has
indicated that this is a function of the Planning Board not the Township
Committee, and that they will be required to conduct a public hearing for the
determination of relief and/or substitution of conservation easement area. Further, public notice would be required from
the host subdivision lot, just not the affected lot. This would be an expensive endeavor, but the
subcommittee members found that if someone wanted to pursue same, obviously the
waiver would be reviewed at a Planning Board meeting.
- PMSP/F89-28-97 PHASE
II and III Bear Rock - Request for waiver from complying with installation
of treescape
Mrs.
White indicated that a report from Mr. Omland’s offices find that there are
three solutions: grant waiver, deny
waiver and/or only ask for treescape on those lots that have no trees and/or
dead or dying trees which is a compromise to the developer. Further discussions found that the applicant
shouldn’t be granted waiver from requirement and that if possible, he may want
to put those trees that are required in areas where there are dead and/or dying
trees located along municipal ROW’s.
PMISC09-04 Frier &
Levitt – 84 Bloomfield Ave.
Suite B – B: 173, L: 7 – law
office 6,578 s.f. – hours of operation 9am-5pm – 10 employees – no outdoor storage of vehicles – signage requested (Gardenview Realty)
Approved
subject to compliance with all agency findings, use letter and approved signage there.
PMISC09-05 Montville Dental Assoc. – 170 Changebridge Rd. Unit B3-3 – B:
139.03, L: 6 – 1,300 s.f. dental office (previously dental office) – 6
employees – hours of operation Mon-Tues 11:30am-8:30pm; Wed-Thurs 8am-5pm –
signage in compliance with approved theme
Approved
subject to compliance with all agency findings, use letter and approved signage there.
PMISC09-07 TeaWolf, LLC – 21-25 Riverside Dr. – B: 182, L: 7 –
office (1,575 s.f.)/warehouse (13,333 s.f.) for botanical extracts and juices –
10 employees – hours of operation 7am-5pm Mon-F – signage to be in compliance
with approved theme (21-25
Riverside Dr. Assoc.)
Approved
subject to compliance with all agency findings, use letter and approved signage there.
PMISC09-06 Veraxis Health
Communications – 84 Bloomfield Ave.
– B: 173, L: 7 – 2,000 s.f. office – no signage – 5 employees – hours of
operation 8am-5pm Mon-Fri – no outdoor storage (Gardenview Realty)
Approved
subject to compliance with all agency findings, use letter and approved signage there.
Meeting
adjourned,
Respectfully
submitted,
Linda
M. White
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