Planning Board - Regular Meeting

to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty, justice for all. In accordance with the open public meetings act, it is hereby announced and shall be entered into the minutes of this meeting that adequate notice of the meeting has been provided by the following. Posted on the bulletin board of the office of the township clerk. Posted on the bulletin boards within the municipal complex. Printed in the home news tribune and cranberry press on December 27, 2024. Posted on the Monroe Township website and sent to those individuals who have requested personal notice. Laura, you can take the role. Mr. Rothman here. Miss Bratzky

here. Mr. Manesh Patel here. Miss Damiani here. Mr. Slavichek. Mr. Weiner, Dr. Kenzie, Councilwoman Cohen, present. Mayor's representative, Mr. Patel, present. Chairman Gaffrey here. Okay. Laura circulated the minutes earlier in the week. Um, is there a motion to accept the minutes? I make a motion to approve. Is there a second? Second. Is there any discussion there? Oh, there is. There's an error. No, the error. What's the error? Mark wasn't here last month. Yeah, that's already been corrected. Correct. Already fixed.

It is fixed. Oh, it is fixed. I have my I picked mine up from the office. Okay. Well, subject to that correction. Okay. Um, all in favor? I opposed. Abstain. I abstain. Okay. We have uh one application on tonight and it's PB1268-26 uh J O Hava aka John Hava request for a minor subdivision council. Good evening. My name is David Chaffitz here on behalf of the applicant. Thank you. Ready for start?

And unfortunately I wish I had something really exciting for you guys tonight but we don't have anything that exciting. We have what we referred to as a byite minor subdivision plan. Um my client, Mr. Pavia, purchased the property just a few years ago. Just I think at the end of the day, he um is just looking to subdivide it into two conforming building lots. I think the initial plan was is he may be building his own house on the bigger lot and then have the second property to kind of finance the construction, so to speak. Um, I wish I could offer you a lot more about like the excitement of this one. Um, there isn't, it's like I said, conforming. It's based off of Englishtown Spotstown Road. The whole property is about 11 um 10.6 acres. The two lots are going to be seven acres and change and 3 something in change. So, we get um both of conforming as it relates to setbacks, as it relates to um all other criteria, all other bulkan area criteria. Um, like I said, just two single family homes ultimately. Um, and one of the things that kind of led to this is, as you'll see, and I think we're probably shown in our review letters, a big portion of our lot in the back is um kind of wetlands and uh area of non-disturbance. So, to the extent um the board finds it appropriate, I I'm sure the client would have no problem, you know, and I know it was actually comments in our review letter providing conservation areas or protection for those u natural features. So having said that and since I dragged Lauraai out today,

I I definitely want to introduce her, I don't know, Mr. Sisser, if we need to have her sworn for purposes of and then qualify. Absolutely. Do you share the testimony going to provide us the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? I do. If you could state your name, spell your last name, and give us your address for the record, please. Then Tom,

and and you've appeared before this board many times, so your credentials are accepted. Yes, my license is still in good standing. I know I'm not tall and blonde like Rob said, but I had to say that. Yes. So, basically, uh, is that a variance? Oh, boy. Oh, no. Now we got [Laughter] being wrong. So, this is a uh 10.67 acre lot located on wood. a great sponsor. Englishtown Road across from Legends Drive. Could you use the microphone? Yes, I can. Thank you.

I know how to turn it on. It's on. Yes, it's on. Yes. Okay. Thank you.

It is a 10.67 acre uh lot in a R60, which is about 1 and a half acres uh zoning, and we're proposing to it. It uh as I said it fronts on Spotswood Englishtown Road. The property generally drains from Spotswood Englishtown Road to the rear where there are wetlands as was indicated which for which we have obtained a letter of interpretation or verification from NJD. Uh there will be two lots proposed. One is 3.01 acres which is twice as large as the zone and the other is a remainder of 7.66 66 acres and that one will contain most of the conservation easement which will be put around the wetlands. Uh there's really not a lot to say. It is proposed in the future to construct two single family homes, one on each lot and those would be subject to plot plan and all of the requirements that go along with preparing a plot plan for construction. Uh I have reviewed uh the comments made by Mr. as a mowitz. And um a number of them are minor housekeeping things, adding some zone districts to the plan, some uh any public easements, which there aren't any, but any of those types of things along with uh double-checking with the tax assessor, the lot and block numbers, street addresses, all those kinds of paperwork things. And we agree to all of those. Um and we will provide any easements that exist on the property. Um there are some utility poles located on the site they will be removed because the propo the future um electric will be underground as is required I believe by the ordinance. Uh we will be going to NJ I'm sorry we will

be going to Middle Sex County Planning Board to get approval from them and we will comply with the board's requirements with regard to any improvements to uh Spotswood gravel sorry Spotswood English Town Road that are required and uh we probably would memorialize this by deed so that so the meets and bounds and deeds would be provided. Um, and the map will still need to meet the map filing law. So, we will do that as well. Uh, with regard to outside agencies, the Freehole Conservation District, we would request that we do that on a lot by lot basis since no construction is proposed. Now, uh, I discussed Middle Sex County. I believe that we'll need septics for this which will fall under the Middle Sex County Planning Bo. Sorry. Middle sex county health department. Uh we will submit application to uh the utility department. I there's water in the road but I don't know if it's accessible. So that would be part of a plot plan stage as well. And uh I don't know does this have to go to the environmental commission and the shade tree commission or are because it's two single family lots uh it would just need to adhere to the requirements. But if we need to go, we will. I know we did submit plans to all the internal outside agencies uh including Sha Tree. We got a f which letter did we get? The fire letter or the police letter that had no comments in it?

Yeah. So, we'll have to follow up with the the remainder of the internal outside agencies as well for resolution compliance should you grant approval to this. Um, and the planning letter just asked us to discuss the items that I already discussed, I believe, and deferred to the engineer for the engineering items. Uh, so if you have any questions on this application, I'd be happy to answer them if I can. On the second lot, what is planned? And is that where the wetlands are?

So, I will go up to the board. So the second lot which is to the uh to the north and the upper side of the sheet is a large L-shaped parcel. Most of the wetlands are in that area. The a little bit of the buffer comes on it crosses and the other second smaller one which is 3 acres. There's a little bit of wetlands and a little bit of buffer. So the the uh township ordinances require that we encase the buffers and the wetlands within a conservation easement.

And on the second lot, where is the home going to be placed? That would be part of a plot plan. It would need to be within the setbacks, front yard setback and sideyard setbacks.

Okay. There is an existing driveway on that lot that I know the engineers letter requested it be removed. We would like to perhaps use that cut for the proposed house on that lot and would remove any part of it that would not be used if that's acceptable. Mark, do you have any uh comments, questions? [Music] Well, frankly, I'm not sure what you're asking on the stone driveway. If you're not proposing a house yet, I'm not sure I can give an opinion on to whether it should stay or be removed.

So, um I would say at the time of your plot plan, you'll need to provide, you know, a driveway. Correct. You know, at that time, we'll review it um if you're utilizing part of the stone driveway uh or not. I mean, okay. I I just didn't want removing the driveway to be a condition of resolution compliance. It would be as part of a plot plan. Okay, perfect.

Yeah, since there's no there's no construction proposed as part of this. This is just striking a line, you know, to create the two lots. So, um, a lot of the engine or all the engineering items will really be provided at the time of a plot plan when they go for a building permit. So, we'd be looking for the wetland delineations and flood lines if if they're applicable. Um, your rightway improvements, rightway dedication, curb, sidewalks. Um, your Middle Sex County Planning Board approval you'll need in order to do the subdivision to file the subdivision. Absolutely. Um, so and uh if there's conservation easements, they should be filed as part of the subdivision.

Yes. With monuments as well. Yes. And as far as the environmental commission, you can submit a letter to them asking for a waiver. Um, that would come from the environmental commission and that's really the extent of my letter from July 18, 2025. They did indicate they would meet you know most all the comments. So thank you ma. Any questions?

No. Thank you Mr. Chairman. I think the applicants expert has provided all the answers to our questions. Thank you. I open it up to the board. Sure. I have another question. I'm sorry. How is the second lot going to be accessed? Are they going to share a driveway? No,

they're going to be separate. a a a new driveway would or this the stone driveway would have to be improved to be to meet township standards which would be paved certain width and so on certain distance from the property line. Uh a second driveway would need to be constructed uh and there is you know at a at a good location off of the road um and uh also lining up with the garage of the proposed home. Right. All right. Thank you. You're welcome.

Any any other questions from the board? Um I'll open up to the public, but I see nobody from the public here. So, uh move to move to close the public portion. Is there a motion? I second. Um public portions closed. So, uh then I turn it over to the board. The application is as it is stated in the uh in the papers and approved by the uh engineer. of uh is there a motion with respect to this application? I make a motion to approve. Is there a second? I second. Any discussion?

Um I don't see any variances of any type. It seems to be a simple large piece of property that has been subdivided for future use, but it still meets all the requirements. I second them. Okay. So any other any other discussion hearing? None. We can put it to vote. Mr. Rothman, yes. Miss Bratzky, yes. Mr. Manesh Patel, yes. Miss Damiani, yes. Councilwoman Cohen, yes. Mayor's representative, Mr. Patel, yes. Chairman Gaffrey, yes. Thank you, council. Thank you, Laura. Thank you very much, everybody. And we appreciate

the one thing I would suggest for them when they come back next month for memorialization that comment about being a blonde lawn. Oh. Okay. Just just uh moving on on the uh agenda. There's no resolutions to be adopted. So we'll move on. We've already closed the public portion since there's no one from the public here. Um, any discussion items this week is month? None. Hearing none. Uh, I see no correspondence. So, I think we can move to adjourn. Is there a second? Second.

No. 6 p.m. Did I beat your last one? Uh, how long will you last? Uh, longer than this. I think I said 650. So, this pizza? Yes. Five minutes. Yes.

Okay. I've been here before. Something's wrong. Glad I didn't go out and put on my This is I would have missed this. This has a bump. Look at that. What the? Yeah, it's beveled.