Report – Town Meeting 3

Last night’s Town Meeting again went well. I think there were 50 to 60 people there, including many new faces and also Mayor Janice Allen and Councilwoman Mary Forbes.

After discussing open space and historic preservation application procedures, land trust organizations that may be able to help us, fair market value data from 2003, and how the self-governance ordinance fits into the whole process of gaining decision-making authority for the residents of the Borough to protect our rights as a community, the group voted to approve 14 proposals to bring to our upcoming discussion with Borough Administrator David Hollod.

Here are the 14 elements of the package, with information about how each vote went. Most proposals were approved unanimously by the entire group of 50 to 60 participants.

SHOULD THE NORTH PLAINFIELD CITIZENS FOR COMMUNITY RIGHTS DELEGATION:

1. GUIDE the Borough Council to NOT rezone Villa Maria for Age-Restricted Condos, but leave the zoning as R-2?

Unanimous “Yes.”

2. GUIDE the Mayor to direct the Borough Attorney to withdraw the appeal in Campbell v. North Plainfield, thus allowing the Superior Court ruling that threw out the first ARC ordinance to stand, thus leaving the zoning as R-2.

Unanimous “Yes.”

3. GUIDE the Mayor and Council to direct the Borough Attorney and Borough Clerk to clear the way for the Self-Governance Ordinance to go on the ballot?

Majority “Yes,” 0 – “No,” 3 – “Abstain”

4. GUIDE the Borough Council and Mayor to adopt the Shade Tree Ordinance, giving the Shade Tree Commission the authority to intervene in development applications and deny permits that would destroy healthy full-grown trees and forests?

Majority “Yes,” 0 – “No,” 2 – “Abstain”

5. GUIDE the Borough Council to add Villa Maria Sanatorium, St. Joseph’s School and downtown Somerset Street as new local Historic Districts?

Unanimous “Yes.”

6. GUIDE the Borough Council and Mayor to strenthen the existing local Historic Preservation Ordinance, giving the Historic Commission more meaningful authority to intervene in development applications to deny permits that would destroy historic structures?

Unanimous “Yes.”

7. GUIDE the Borough Council to fully disclose prior geological/hydrology expert reports on the flood zones and wetlands status of Villa Maria parcel and, if no such reports exist, identify possible funding for studies and arrange to have such expert studies performed?

Unanimous “Yes.”

8. GUIDE the Borough Council to fully disclose prior environmental and toxicology expert reports on the environmental resources/endangered species/habitats/critical slopes at the Villa Maria parcel and the presence of toxic building materials inside the Villa Maria buildings, and, if no such reports exist, identify possible funding for studies and arrange to have such expert studies performed?

Unanimous “Yes.”

9. GUIDE the Borough Council to support and cooperate with citizens in preparing an accurate cost-benefit analysis of development v. open-space preservation?

Unanimous “Yes.”

10. GUIDE the Borough Council to place Open Space Municipal Tax on the ballot for citizen referendum, to establish the Borough’s eligibility for open space grant programs?

Unanimous “Yes.”

11. GUIDE the Borough Council to support and cooperate with citizens in preparing an Environmental Resource Inventory, Recreation and Open Space Inventory, Open Space Recreation Plan and other documents to become eligible for Open Space Funding from Somerset County and State of New Jersey?

Unanimous “Yes.”

12. GUIDE the Borough Council to support and cooperate with citizens preparing applications for Villa Maria’s designation on the National Register of Historic Places, to become eligible for federal grants, loans and tax-credits for historical preservation projects?

Unanimous “Yes.”

13. GUIDE the Borough Council to collect back taxes on Villa Maria owed for 2005, 2006 and 2007, in the amount of approximately $949,134?

Unanimous “Yes.”

14. OFFER CONTINUED NPCCR RESEARCH SERVICES AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT to find funding streams and technical expertise create a land-and tree-conserving, history-preserving plan for the Villa Maria?

Unanimous “Yes.”