to notify neighbors
within 300 feet
Proposal also seeks
to notify neighbors
within 300 feet
BY MAURA DOWGIN
Staff Writer
It may get a little bit easier for Edison residents to find out about potential development in their neighborhood.
Councilman Parag Patel pushed for an ordinance that would require developers to notify everyone within 300 feet of a major development application so that anyone interested in the application has a chance to be heard during public hearings.
Under state law, a developer has to notify all property owners within 200 feet of an application to be heard by either the township Planning Board or the Zoning Board.
An ordinance requesting the increased notification, and requiring a sign be erected on a property slated for development, was introduced at the Jan. 28 regular Township Council meeting.
The sign, which must be erected at least 10 days before the scheduled public hearing, would include the name of the applicant, the board hearing the application and the phone number of the board, according to the ordinance.
The sign would also have to have a brief description of the project including the number of proposed dwelling units, whether the units will be apartments, townhouses, or single family homes, according to the proposed ordinance.
If the application is not for residential development, the sign must say what is proposed and give the size of the project in square feet.
The sign must be between 32 and 64 square feet. It must be on the building site facing a public street. It must not be located further than 30 feet from the street, according to the ordinance.
Lettering on the sign must be clearly visible to pedestrians or motorists and remain in place until the board reaches a decision or the applicant withdraws the application.
"It’s a pretty big sign," Patel said. "People will see that something is happening here and they should take notice."
A similar ordinance is on the books in North Brunswick.
The entire purpose of the ordinance is to keep people informed of what is going on in their neighborhoods, Patel said.
If a developer does not follow the ordinance, the company will be penalized for violation of the township code which could includes a $1,000 fine, Township Attorney Louis Rainone said.
Officials are expected to hold a public hearing and vote on the ordinance at the Feb. 11 council meeting.