Guidelines for passive uses under review
By: Frank C. D’Amico
MILLSTONE — When the possibility of a certain piece of land becoming a recreation site arises, it never fails to spark interest among residents.
On occasion, residents come before the Township Committee to ask for more recreation for various groups.
Perhaps more often, people come before the Township Committee to oppose sites proposed for recreational use.
Because of this sometimes-tense issue, the committee is working on an ordinance that will help define certain types of recreation in Millstone.
Specifically, the ordinance will address the definition of “passive recreation,” which generally means recreation that doesn’t require much change to the land.
Competitive sports and the fields on which they are played usually are termed “active,” not “passive.”
Often residents prefer passive types of recreation in residential areas.
With the ordinance, residents will be able to know just what types of recreation would be permitted uses on a given piece of property.
The committee members are studying ordinances in other municipalities that address the issue.
“The ordinance has to suit our environment,” said Committeeman Evan Maltz at the June 7 committee meeting. “We’re not just going to take something from another town and say ‘this is it.’”
Committeeman Bill Kast-ning said the committee will look at many ordinances, because some are said to be “too restrictive,” since they don’t allow for horse riding paths.
The proposal to define passive recreation by ordinance follows the examination of a separate recreation issue. The proposed ordinance would require land developers to clearly label plots of land that are intended for recreation in new subdivisions.
The committee hasn’t set a timeline for the completion of the two proposed ordinances.