By Audrey Levine, Staff Writer
Plans for new rescue squad site can advance under new definitions
Updating the township’s Master Plan to comply with recent court decisions will help the township move forward with plans to construct a new rescue squad building on Hamilton Road.
In an attempt to comply with recent court decisions, the Planning Board unanimously approved a recommendation Jan. 29 to change the township’s Master Plan to allow rescue squads and volunteer fire companies as permitted uses in the township’s residential/agricultural zones, rural/suburban, all residential (R, R1 and R2), central residential, affordable housing and planned development zones.
The recommendation will be submitted to the Township Committee for final approval.
According to Township Planner Bob Ringelheim, the court held that a municipality’s Master Plan must have a specific condition to allow for these buildings.
”Our ordinance was old and didn’t allow the condition,” he said. He said the buildings were allowed only as conditional uses. “This change will make them permitted uses (of land).”
The change will be especially helpful with plans for a new Hamilton Road rescue squad facility planned to replace an obsolete building. Construction is being funded by a $1 million off-site improvement contribution to the township by Van Cleef Engineering, developer of the Country Classics development.
Without the Master Plan change, this plan would have to go through the Board of Adjustment for a variance because it would not be a permitted use of the land.
If the change is approved by the Township Committee, Mr. Ringelheim said, the expansion will be permitted, and only a site plan for the construction will have to be approved by the Planning Board.
Rescue Squad Chief David Gwin said he is meeting with architects to chose one for the project. Once that is done, he said, the architect will begin designing the plans for the new Hamilton Road building.
According to Township Clerk Kevin Davis, in 2005, Van Cleef Engineering offered the $1 million contribution toward a new rescue squad building, as well as $150,000 for a new ambulance. The money, he said, is put into a trust account for the township based on funds from certificates of occupancy signed in the Country Classics development.
Once a plan is prepared, Mr. Davis said, the money will be turned over to the rescue squad.
Mr. Davis said there had been a plan to try to increase rescue squad coverage near Hamilton Road, and around the area on that side of Route 206, because there is currently only a small station with two ambulances there. Once the new facility is built, he said, it will be easier for rescue workers to respond to that part of town.
According to Chief Gwin, there had been some initial concerns that the planned Route 206 bypass and the creation of the Transit Village might affect the construction of the new rescue squad building.
With the plans laid out for the bypass and Transit Village, Chief Gwin said, several of the road networks are designed to pass through the property where the rescue squad building will be constructed.
”We are hoping to resolve any questions remaining about the bypass and the Transit Village,” he said. “We are still waiting to see how the road network might affect the building. But we are going to proceed on the theory that we can use the property.”
A representative from Van Cleef Engineering could not be reached for comment.
