BORDENTOWN TOWNSHIP Mayor William Nine said he believed that "it’s a good possibility" Bordentown Township will be participating in the proposed study of the Route 206 Farmbelt Corridor.
By:David Koch
Mark Remsa, principal planner for the county’s Office of Land Use, and County Freeholder William Haines made a presentation about the study to the Township Committee at its Feb. 26 meeting. Mr. Haines appeared at the meeting to show the freeholders’ support for the project.
Bordentown is the ninth municipality to have received the presentation. The study will include 13 municipalities along Route 206 from Bordentown to Southampton townships.
Based upon "smart growth," the study will try to balance open space preservation with economic growth. The study will begin with a 52-member steering committee, with each municipality contributing four members. This committee will create a large list of issues and concerns for future development along Route 206.
The committee will break down into smaller task forces to discuss shared concerns of individual municipalities. Then, the committee will reconvene and create a regional plan to be sent for approval to the state.
Mr. Remsa said he also was open to including those not involved in local government on the steering committee, including local businessmen and interested citizens. Anyone interested in joining should write to the freeholders.
"The focus of this (plan) is to create a regional plan that all the municipalities are comfortable with," said Mr. Remsa.
The study is voluntary, and expected to take 22 months to complete. At the end of the study, the municipalities will be eligible to receive state and federal aid to enact their regional vision.
The study is being funded by a smart growth planning grant from the state, a Department of Environmental Protection grant, and a transportation grant from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Committee. The total amount of the grants is $350,000.
Mr. Remsa said that to participate in the study will cost the municipalities no money.
"The only cost to your municipality is time and effort," said Mr. Remsa.
Deputy Mayor Mark Roselli of the Township Committee expressed concern over how steering committee decisions will be brought to the attention of local municipalities.
"We hope the steering committee will report back to us, so we can report back to the public," said Deputy Mayor Roselli.
Mr. Remsa and Mr. Haines stressed that the results and recommendations of the Route 206 study will come entirely from the municipalities.
"The county will be the facilitator and coordinator," said Mr. Remsa. "Your work as a municipality is to do the think work."
Mr. Remsa said he felt confident that Bordentown will choose to participate in the study.
Already, eight other municipalities have agreed to join. They are Mansfield, New Hanover, North Hanover, Chesterfield, Southampton, Eastampton and Pemberton townships and Fieldsboro Borough.
"We’ve got to start looking down the road," said Mayor Nine. "My only concern is that adjacent municipalities will not sign up."
The steering committee is expected to start meeting in April. Mr. Remsa will be presenting the study proposal to Burlington City on March 12 at 8 p.m.
Mr. Remsa Mr. Haines said they felt enthusiastic about the project.
"We are really looking forward to working with you, if you will work with us," said Mr. Haines.
