Last night I attended the Millville Planning Board meeting. I was invited by a friend who was interested in the latest movements on proposed Union Lake Development. Brian Slaugh a consultant laid out an idea for the use of the land. As reported by Ed VanEmbden of the AC Press today:
Slaugh,a consultant with Trenton-based Clarke, Caton, Hintz, presented a map of the tract with possible zoning overlays. Like the map produced by Wawa about a year ago, recommended uses would include residential, commercial and open-space areas.
Unlike Wawa's plan, which was more linear, Slaugh's map included various types of open space and recreation, a possible school and even multifamily residential space, something which has not come up in public before.
I did not realize but the city would have to get approval from the state DEP. The DEP is firing folks under the budget cuts by Gov Christie. Planning Director Kim Ayers said in part:
"This particular matter determines where we go in the future," Ayres said about the sewer plan. "To a very large extent, what we end up with in our sewer service area is going to drive (the Master Plan)."
I did notice that the buffer has grown since the old Mansford and Mumford plan. It was 300 feet and now its larger. Its an improvement over the WAWA plan but it does call for big box stores and that would be a mistake. There will be public hearings on the plan in the future.
At the end the meeting Kim Ayers read some proposed zoning changes that would modify the current zoning laws. I am glad I was there to hear this with my own ears.
1. No backlit signs in the Arts District(a little late eh)
2. Sandwich Boards would be allowed at intersections
3. Live and work space ordinance would be modified
Numbers 2 and 3 came up while we were running the Fithian House Gallery. I am glad the city go on it but it sure did take a year. They STILL have to be approved by the Zoning Board in its meeting in May, the by the City Commission this Summer.
In other news, the proposed County Police Dispatch idea has gone nowhere. It was told that nobody has done a study or research on the impact. There has also NO study on the amount of police is needed to keep the city safe. There is no political way that taxes will be raised to support the police/public safety. The Commission meeting of April 6th proved that.
Next, a critique of the Realtors (with that stupid registered trademark)Some of their practices are questionable at best!
2 comments:
Actually - the backlit signs in the arts district have ALWAYS been on the list of unapproved signs. I have the original notes and book that we designed in committee. The committee was made up of merchants and artists from the district before the Me Firsters begin screaming that a few people are dictating policy for High Street. But when our policy draft which used verbiage borrowed from other municipalities made it to the city hall to be converted to Millville code - some things were lost in translation.
I can only imagine this particular type of sign was intentionally lost in order to protect somebody's friend - I hate to say it but in some department's this sort of stuff still does happen among the old timers.
If you're not a communist and support the troops, you'll want every last blade of grass bulldozed along Union Lake. The fact that Obama was born in Kenya ( I read that on the web, twice) AND he's the anticrihrist because certain groups love him and arose out of nowhere as is prophesized in the gospels, are beside the point. Don't listen to these tree huggers. We don't need trees, we need jobs- we need illegal mexicans building our housing developments to create more taxes to pay for more police pentions. This makes total sense people, trees are not the answers, more police pensions and more roads and traffic and WaWa's are the anwser.
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