WEST WINDSOR: Planners push for green practices list

By Kristine Snodgrass, Staff Writer
   WEST WINDSOR — As part of the township’s goal to become a more sustainable community, developers may soon be required to be up front about their intent to employ environmentally friendly practices.
   The Planning Board passed a resolution Wednesday night that gave the township’s Sustainability Committee the go-ahead to complete a checklist of green practices for inclusion in all site and subdivision applications in the township.
   Township landscape architect Dan Dobromilsky presented a draft of the checklist to the board for its consideration. It asks the applicant if it intends to use green practices, such as the use of solar or other alternate energy sources, locally manufactured site furnishings, indigenous plants and progressive storm water management.
   The applicant must respond whether it intends to implement each of 14 green practices. If the answer is no, the form asks the applicant to justify its decision. If the answer is yes, the applicant must explain how it will do so.
   Though not mandatory, the subcommittee hopes the checklist will help to encourage such practices and help the township figure out which measures are feasible and which are impractical and cost-prohibitive.
   ”We’re trying to do this in a way that’s friendly to developers, friendly to businesses,” Mr. Dobromilsky said.
   At an upcoming meeting, the finalized checklist will be presented to the board as part of an ordinance to include it in the subdivision and site-plan submission requirements, according to the resolution.
   The board also discussed the ongoing effort to incorporate such practices into the township’s Master Plan. In the past, the board has expressed its intent to create goals for sustainability, such as the use of alternative energy.
   Planning Board member Diane Ciccone said these changes will be presented to the board at its April 22 meeting, and the enacting ordinances would up for public hearings in May.
   Planning Board Chairman Marvin Gardner said the board should take an aggressive approach to making the township more sustainable.
   ”It’s important that we start addressing these issues, and quickly,” he said.
   Mr. Dobromilsky also discussed the township’s participation in the Sustainable Jersey Program, which gives municipalities the opportunity to become certified, receive recognition and become eligible for loans and grants if they earn a certain number of points for green practices.
   For certification, the township must earn 100 points, he said, which could easily be reached with actions the township already was planning to take.
   Monday night, the Township Council authorized the township to complete the registration process for the program, appointing the Environmental Commission to serve as a “Green Team” and designating Mr. Dobromilsky as the township’s official agent for the program.