By: Stephanie Prokop
BORDENTOWN CITY The city is continuing to seek community input for some "green" changes around town.
On Sept. 5, the Planning Board and the city Environmental Commission held a public forum seeking input for two pieces of environmentally friendly legislation.
The first piece was the 30-page conservation element of the Master Plan, containing nine goals that the city has for the future concerning the overall environmental sustainability of the city, and also its historic and cultural ties with the area.
Two consultants, Dan Dobromilsky of Dobromilsky and Associates of Jamesburg, and Mike Mueller of Mike Mueller and Associates of Princeton, gave short presentations about major points in the documents.
Both pieces of legislation had been drafted from scratch over the course of the last 18 months.
Packets of demographic information were distributed to the audience of about 30 people. Included was information that 38 percent of the city is occupied by residential buildings, and nearly 28 percent of the city that is occupied by public or quasi-public space.
Mr. Dobromilsky said one of the main goals in the conservation element is to improve the local knowledge of natural and cultural resources by promoting sustainable means of living.
In this case, he said, sustainability means "to maintain the regenerative availability of a resource."
Tips for residents on a local level included: introducing more landscape elements, planting flower boxes on windowsills, promoting backyard gardens, turning off lights when they aren’t in use, promoting historic preservation by leading historic walks around the area, promoting green bed and breakfasts within the city to attract tourists, as well as recording history to keep it preserved for generations to come.
In response to resident questions about the city government’s own practices, Mayor John Collom said there are six to eight city-owned buildings that are currently in operation, and although they are not running on any green types of energy now, that is something that the city will look at in the future.
Anne Poole, president of the New Jersey Environmental Lobby, who attended the meting, said she has worked with other types of land-use planning and commended the board on its conservation element.
Ms. Poole said she was present to learn more about what Bordentown City is doing, since it had entered to win her group’s Green Town environmental award, an award that is given out each year to municipalities in New Jersey that take green steps towards conserving energy.
"This is really a nice, broad, optimistic roadmap; surely you will not be bored," she said.
Several residents discussed concerns with light or noise pollution. Exhaust fans from nearby businesses were cited as the main culprit of excess noise, especially on warmer summer evenings.
George Karasatos asked whether businesses were encroaching upon residences, or whether residences where encroaching on businesses, to which Mayor Collom responded, "That’s been a balancing act that’s been going on in this community for years."
Mr. Mueller reviewed the new zoning ordinance, which will combine the city’s previous zoning ordinances.
"There are existing codes," said Mr. Mueller, "But this one pulls various ordinances that the town has and puts them under one umbrella."
Some of the main changes to the zoning ordinance in the city include the establishment of a park districts were created on a map of the city, and the historical district found itself into the land development ordinance.
"We took a look at the existing (zoning law) and we updated the existing sections and added other elements to it as well, so it’s basically a wholesale revision of the document," said Mr. Hunninghake.
Mr. Hunninghake also noted that the ordinance went from suburban zoning to more appropriate urban zoning.
For example, the new zoning ordinance has specific protections against steep slope degradation, and regulates tree removal.
A large undertaking by the Environmental Commission was to change various existing zones, including the Divine Word Seminary located on Park Street.
The property was originally set to be zoned as a residential lot, with the potential for up to 100 houses to be developed.
The new zoning ordinance changed that to what is referred to a planned industrial zone, which would encourage small scale development to take place on the site, such as a sculpture garden or conference center.
Mr. Hunninghake added that such development would take place close to Park Street.
"The new zoning proposal also indicates that any development needs to be clustered on the Divine Word property, thereby preserving the wide expanse of the wooded and natural area," he added.
Another added element to the zoning ordinance is that there is now a new waterfront commercial zone that was created by Bordentown Beach and the Yapewi Aquatic Club on the Delaware River. This zoning category would allow future development such as small restaurants in the area.
Pictures were included with the ordinance, which will be given to future developers so they can conceptualize what the future of the city will look like, rather than relying solely on text, he added.
Both the consultants and the Environmental Commission said the documents will serve as a template for future generations to keep the character and flavor of Bordentown City.
"The visual design code of this ordinance will serve as a guideline for future design and formatting of the façade of the city," said Mr. Hunninghake. "What has organically happened here throughout the years will remain this way."
Residents are encouraged to view the two documents, available on www.bcec.us, and provide feedback by either leaving a message or coming to the next Environmental Commission which will take place in mid-October.

