PLANNING BOARD MEETING

BOROUGH OF WANAQUE

MINUTES

February 18, 2010
Regular Meeting

Meeting called to order by Mayor Dan Mahler with a salute to the flag at 8:00pm.

ROLL CALL: Mayor Dan Mahler, Members Kevin Platt, Mark Reuter, William Rucci, David Slater and Eugene Verba.

PRESENT: Attorney Steven Veltri and Engineer Michael Cristaldi and Borough Administrator Thomas Carroll.

ABSENT: Chairman Gilbert Foulon, Vice Chairman Joseph Graceffo, Councilman Dominick Cortellessa and Member John Shutte.

READING: Open Public Meeting Announcement
This is the Regular Meeting of the Wanaque Planning Board and adequate notice has been given and it has been duly advertised by the placement of a notice in the Suburban Trends and the Herald News on January 31, 2010 and a notice thereof has been posted on the bulletin board in the Municipal Building in the Borough of Wanaque and a copy thereof has been on file with the Borough Clerk.

MINUTES: from the January 21, 2010 Meeting.

MOTION TO APPROVE: made by Member Platt, seconded by Member Reuter. Voting yes were Mayor Mahler, Members Platt, Reuter, Rucci, Slater and Verba.

COMMUNICATIONS REPORT: No questions asked.

APPLICATION STATUS REPORT: Eng. Cristaldi reported one new application for a cell tower but they need to give us more information to be complete.

NEW BUSINESS APPLICATION: King Locksmith Co.
1084 Ringwood Avenue, Block 435, Lot 17
Owner of Property is Aeran Park, 1086 Ringwood Avenue, Haskell, NJ
Owner of Business is Antonio Andolini, 369 Ringwood Avenue, Wanaque, NJ
Antonio Andolini, owner of King Locksmith Co., previously operated the business from his home and has moved to 1084 Ringwood Avenue, Haskell, NJ. It is an existing business in town.
MOTION TO APPROVE: made by Member Platt, seconded by Member Verba. Voting yes were Mayor Mahler, Members Platt, Reuter, Rucci, Slater and Verba.

MASTER PLAN: Ken Albert spoke regarding the Master Plan Re-Examination.
Under the State Planning Act, the town is required to have either a new Master Plan or a Re-Examination every six years. This Plan has been developed as a Re-Examination to satisfy the legal requirement because, shortly, you will be examining an entirely new Master Plan, which will incorporate the Highlands. You presently have an outdated plan partly because there has been an amazing amount of work done in the last decade in your town, and that work really should be reflected. I have started that process. I have not drafted this Master Plan simply to meet the minimum requirements, but also to take a step or two forward. The majority of land in Wanaque is in the preservation area and very little future development can be expected. The bulk of development will be in the planning area through redevelopment in the Midvale Section, Fourth Avenue and South of Doty Road.

Statement of Objectives: The old Master Plan had a 1992 Statement of Objectives and 2002 and things have changed so drastically, you have to examine these objectives since they are no longer relevant. I have reviewed these Statements and introduced into them the Highlands Council Goals. These are necessary if, in fact, Wanaque is going to become part of the Regional Master Plan that the Highlands has developed. Under “Borough Objectives” I have introduced new Borough Objectives. These objectives along with the goals of the Highlands Council work well together.

The second notable change in the last decade has been demographics. Within the next twelve to eighteen months you are going to have some comprehensive census data, however your demographics have changed in a meaningful way. You have increased numbers of households and your population has gone from 10,266 and, according to the October 2009 Rutgers Study, 12,195 (18.8%). Within the next five to seven years, you will probably be in the 13,000 – 13,500 range.

With regard to the Land Use section, the following developments have been reviewed:

Union Avenue has been transformed in the last ten years for the better and has not negatively impacted any residential neighborhood, but has provided valuable service industry.

Ringwood Avenue Redevelopment 1 is the Haskell Town Center; Ringwood Avenue Redevelopment II (property across from Town Center & South of Doty Road); the Pulte Property (Wanaque Reserve); Mountain Lakes Estates, which is stopped; Candle Factory and U.S. Aluminum Factory; and the RSK Development site, which is also stopped.

Ordinance 5-0-09 established five different redevelopment areas – Rhinesmith Property; Midvale Redevelopment Area 1; Midvale Redevelopment Area II; Ringwood Avenue Across From Town Center and U.S. Aluminum Factory.
Conclusion: This Master Plan Re-Examination Report tries to document what went on in your town the last ten years, where you were and where you are now.

Atty Veltri advised that this report meets the statutory requirements of the Re-Examination Statute. The Objectives have to meet the Board’s goals and, if they do, the Board should take a tentative vote on approval and authorize a date to hold a public hearing so we can have a vote to adopt it. At the public hearing, questions can be asked, modifications can be suggested and the public will have their say. Once approved, it can be adopted through a Resolution. This is the goal from a legal point of view. We are presently beyond the six years and timing is a concern.

Mayor Mahler, referring to the Land Use, believes the North Side of Union Avenue has been missed in the document. This property presently is located in the planning area. Mr. Albert will include this area as redevelopment for commercial development, as requested by the Board.

Discussion ensued about the possibility of other potential properties being included in this Re-examination Report, along with the current status of Highlands Council and COAH, and broadening the strategic traffic objective to pursue an alternate route.

MAYOR MAHLER ENTERTAINED A MOTION TO TENTATIVELY APPROVE THE RE-EXAMINATION REPORT SUBJECT TO THE THREE ITEMS DISCUSSED AND TO SET A PUBLIC HEARING FOR MARCH 18, 2010 AND HAVE THE REVISED PLAN BACK TEN DAYS BEFORE TO ADVERTISE AND HAVE IT AVAILABLE TO PUBLIC: made by Member Rucci, seconded by Member Slater. Voting yes were Mayor Mahler, Members Platt, Reuter, Rucci, Slater and Verba.

PUBLIC DISCUSSION: None / Closed

RESOLUTIONS: Application #PB2009-01 Shree Badha Shivam, LLC t/a Holiday Inn Express, 303 Union Avenue, Haskell, Block 468 Lot 3.01 for an Amended Site Plan Approval to permit the construction of a free standing sign and wall signs to identify the subject premises as a Holiday Inn Express with the applicable variances

MOTION TO APPROVE: made by Member Slater, seconded by Member Rucci. Voting yes were Mayor Mahler, Members Platt, Reuter, Rucci, Slater and Verba.

VOUCHERS: submitted by Richard A. Alaimo Engineering for attendance at meeting; submitted by Richard A. Alaimo Engineering for escrow for Barbagallo of $810; and submitted by Steven Veltri, Esq. for preparation of Resolution for Holiday Inn Application for $425

MOTION TO APPROVE: made by Member Rucci, seconded by Mayor Verba. Voting yes were Mayor Mahler, Members Platt, Reuter, Rucci, Slater and Verba.

MOTION TO ADJOURN AT 9:02 P.M.: made by Member Platt, seconded by Member Slater. Voting yes were Mayor Mahler, Members Platt, Reuter, Rucci, Slater and Verba.

______________________________
Jennifer A. Fiorito
Planning Board Secretary