Upper Freehold’s future development at stake

Upper Freehold residents need to take advantage of their current opportunity to influence the future development of the township.

At the Aug. 28 Planning Board meeting, residents will get a chance to comment on the proposed changes to the master plan which were presented last week by Township Planner Richard Coppola.

There was no public comment at that meeting because the board only had a short time to review the recommended changes and portions of the presentation were technical.

The planner is recommending that the minimum lot size for major subdivisions in agricultural/residential zones be increased from two to four acres in order to prevent suburban sprawl and protect groundwater sources that would otherwise be affected by excess septic effluent.

Coppola supports the need for larger lot zoning by explaining that township land is predominantly wet and, therefore, unable to absorb the impact of multiple septic tanks.

He is also proposing a plan for density housing through a "farmland/open space conservation cluster," which would be an option for owners of tracts 150 acres or larger who would be willing to deed restrict 65 percent of their land for farmland preservation/open space.

These master plan revisions, if adopted by the Planning Board and implemented by the Township Committee, will set the tone for the next six years.

Residents who care about the future of their township should make a point of reviewing the proposed master plan changes prior to the Aug. 28 Planning Board meeting and then attending the meeting.