Committee introduces compromise on zoning

By alison granito
Staff Writer

According to Millstone officials, it’s not perfect. At last week’s Township Committee meeting, the governing body voted to introduce its second ordinance that seeks to amend the township’s land-use regulations. The measure, which has been dubbed Plan B, is an attempt to reconcile the differences between recommendations made in the new master plan, adopted in October, and concerns that the recommendations are unfair to some contingents.

The first ordinance — Plan A — was approved in a 3-2 vote by the committee at its second reading May 19. Despite the majority vote, the measure did not become law because of a legal challenge by a group calling itself the Concerned Citizens of Millstone, which is composed of farmers and landowners opposed to the plan. Since the Concerned Citizens filed a petition containing the signatures of more than 20 percent of the landowners affected by the proposed zoning changes, legal counsel for the township determined that any changes would have to obtain a super majority of the governing body (a minimum of four votes) to become law.

At last week’s meeting, the committee voted 4-0 to introduce Plan B, although officials said they were less than pleased with the plan.

Committeeman John Pfefferkorn was the lone committee member who abstained on the vote. Mayor William Nurko, Deputy Mayor Charles Abate, Committeeman Chet Halka, and Committeeman Cory Wingerter voted to introduce the measure.

Pfefferkorn, who supported Plan A, cited his discontent with Plan B as the reason for his abstention.

"I’m kind of wondering what happened," he said. "Now we have Plan B and no one is happy with this."

Other officials said that no matter what plan the township presents, it would be difficult to please everyone in the township.

"We’re voting on an imperfect plan either way," Nurko said.

Wingerter said that developing the ordinance that will enact the recommendations set forth in the master plan has been a "long, drawn-out process," but that "there is no perfect plan."

Foremost among the goals detailed in the new master plan is preserving the community’s rural character. In order to do that, the master plan seeks to rein in sprawl and residential development by decreasing the number of new homes that could be built in the township. In order to decrease the buildout, township planners recommended downzoning the vast majority of the township to require a minimum 10-acre building lot. The current minimum in much of the township is 3 acres per lot.

According to officials, Plan B would allow approximately 1,590 homes to be built in the township in the future. Plan A would have allowed 1,345 additional dwelling units to be constructed.

"I think we all agree, and the Planning Board agrees, that we do not want sewers in this town," Wingerter said.

Officials noted that the township should also make an effort to attract "clean" commercial ratables to offset the impact of rising property taxes on residents. Office campuses and adult communities were cited as examples of clean ratables which would provide tax revenue without adding more children to the overcrowded school system.

"It think it’s out there and we have to go after it," Wingerter said.

He also said that the re-examination of the township’s process could be "fluid" and "ongoing."

Gary Mangino, who is a member of the Concerned Citizens, told the committee that Plan B was "critically wrong" and would not help the township protect its ru­ral character.

"This does not represent what Plan B is supposed to be," he said.

According to Township Attorney Duane Davison, the committee must now forward Plan B to the Planning Board. He said that the Planning Board has up to 35 days to review the plan and determine whether or not it is consistent with the rec­ommendations outlined in the new master plan.

The Planning Board was scheduled to meet last night.

The ordinance is slated to come before the committee for final adoption on June 18.