REGULAR MEETING
Municipal Bldg 530 West Hill Road Glen Gardner, N.J.
The 806th Regular
Meeting of the Lebanon Township Planning Board was called to order at 7:06 p.m.
by Vice Chairwoman Doreen Bleck. Present
were: Mr. Schmidt, Mr. Piasecki, Mr.
Piazza, Mr. Weiler, Attorney Gallina and Planner Bolan. Excused: Mr. Weeks, Mr.
Rich, Mr. MacQueen and Mr. Gerlich.
Notice of this meeting was
provided for in the “Annual Meeting Notice Schedule” adopted by this board on
January 8, 2008, mailed to the Hunterdon Review, Hunterdon County Democrat,
Express Times, Courier News, Star Ledger and posted on
the bulletin board in the
PRESENTATION OF MINUTES: January 8, 2008 Reorganization/Business Meeting
Motion by Mr. Piazza and
seconded by Mr. Piasecki to approve the minutes as presented. Unanimously approved.
January 8, 2008
Executive Session
Motion by Mr. Piasecki and
seconded by Mr. Piazza to approve the executive session minutes as
presented. Unanimously
approved.
NEW BUSINESS:
Omnipoint Communications Block
#12
PUBLIC HEARING Conditional
Use/Site Plan for Co-location of a
Ms. Glashoff informed the
board that she received a letter from Omnipoint’s attorney Robert DelVecchio
dated February 8, 2008 asking for an adjournment until the April 15, 2008
Planning Board Meeting with an extension of time through May 31, 2008. Attorney Gallina announced to the public
present that Omnipoint is rescheduled to the April 15th Meeting date
with no further notice needed.
Ms. Glashoff read to the
board the emails she received from Josh Rich who is in
ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION:
a.
Planner Bolan reviewed for
the board the draft letter he prepared to be sent to the Highlands
Council. The following are some of the
comments: The Township recognizes the
improvements that have been incorporated between the initial draft and the
final draft of the Highlands Master Plan.
The Master Plan addresses issues that were ignored in the initial
draft. The letter addresses the boundary
line between the Highlands Preservation Area and the Highlands Planning
Area. There was a boundary changed at
the
The final draft of the RMP
severely impacts the Township’s citizens and Township operations. The Township needs a new Public Works site in
order to vacate the current undersized environmentally constrained site. To accomplish this and have a new site, the
Township would have to purchase 70-100 acres with no surety that the site could
be developed. An exemption for critical
public uses must be included in the RMP. It states that the Council will develop an
interagency partnership with COAH, is not sufficient, since the RMP indicates
that municipalities must submit a petition for substantive certification to
COAH in order to conform to the RMP.
One of the questions is if a
municipality accepts a conformance grant but ultimately does not succeed in
achieving conformance, what is the obligation of a municipality concerning the
grant it received. The only items
mentioned under the heading Landowner Fairness are the Highlands Development
Program and the existing exemptions provided by the Highlands Act and since
receiving areas are voluntary in the Protection Area is the Highlands
Development Program with the existing exemptions by the Highlands Act. Since receiving areas are voluntary in the
Protection Area and compliance in the Protection Area is voluntary, if no
receiving areas are identified then there is no HDC Program. Then how does the
Council intend to address this obvious problem and its impact on the Landowners
Fairness. The Township’s greatest
concerns are the impacts to municipal stability, regarding tax/fiscal
implications and operations, the maintenance of landowner’s equity and the
interaction between COAH and the Council.
February 19, 2008
Page 2
At the conclusion of the
board’s discussion, the board relined the bullets by comments and
questions. Planner Bolan will revise the
letter and send it to Ms. Glashoff to print out on Township Letterhead and have
Chairman MacQueen sign it. The letter
will be sent to the Council and others on the mailing list before the deadline
of February 28th.
a. COAH
Planner Bolan reviewed for
the board his memo regarding COAH. The
new affordable housing need for the state is now 115,000 affordable units
increased from 52,000 units in the prior Third Round. The RCA (Regional Contribution Agreement) in
Round Two was $25,000.00 per unit. In
the prior Third Round it was $35,000.00 per unit and now has been increased to
$67,000.00 per unit. The in lieu
standards, the cost of construction an affordable unit is now $145,000.00 in
Region 3. The Development fees for new
construction increased from 1% for residential development to 1.5% and for
non-residential development (commercial/industrial) the fee went from 2% to 3%
for equalized assessed value of the new construction. Planner Bolan recommended amending the COAH
ordinance to include the new percents for new construction. The board agreed.
The impacts to
In conclusion after
discussion with the board and their concerns of this new obligation put to them
by COAH with no consideration that the Township is in the Preservation area of
the Highlands, Planner Bolan will write a comment letter to COAH before the
March 22nd deadline and also comment on the allocation of future
residential development to the Township along with the new rehabilitation
requirement. Planner Bolan will meet
with the Township Committee tomorrow evening to discuss the Township’s Third
Round obligation. Comments from the
Planning Board and Township Committee will be incorporated in the letter to
COAH.
Zoning Officer John Flemming
asked questions regarding our COAH obligation.
Mr. Flemming asked about having an accessory apartment ordinance. Planner Bolan informed him that we have had
the COAH accessory apartment ordinance on the books for at least 10 years and
we have had no takers. Planner Bolan
stated that since we had no takers we had to amend our COAH housing plan in
2002 to include an RCA. The COAH rules
for accessory apartments meant you had a deed restriction for 30 years and no
one wanted to have that kind of restriction.
Planner Bolan stated he was under the impression that COAH has changed
the deed restriction clause back to 10 years which makes it a lot more viable.
PRESENTATION OF BILLS & REPORT:
a. John Gallina, Esq. $ 910.00
b. Banisch Associates $1,112.00
c. Bayer/Risse Engrs. $1,667.50
Total: $3,689.50
Motion by Mr. Piasecki and
seconded by Mr. Piazza to approve the bills for payment. Unanimously approved. Ms. Glashoff informed the board the new MLUL
2008 is out and she has ordered new books for everyone. Mr. Piazza informed the board that Select
Wireless LLC will be at the Township Meeting to discuss having a
Mr. Flemming addressed the
board to let them know he is available to attend meetings when there is a need
to discuss items with him regarding zoning.
He informed the board that he has a letter going to the Township
Committee for there next meeting. He
stated that some of the items in his letter have already been discussed at the
Planning Board.
Being no further business to
come before the board, nor comments from the public,
motion by Mr. Piazza and seconded by Mr. Piasecki to adjourn the meeting at
8:55 pm. Unanimously
approved.
___________________________________________
VICE
CHAIRWOMAN DOREEN BLECK
______________________________________________
GAIL W. GLASHOFF, PLANNING
BOARD CLERK