CRANBURY: Grant to help town go green

By Maria Prato-Gaines, Staff Writer
   CRANBURY — In search of a greener future, township officials have recently applied for a matching grant that would encourage environmental sustainability in the municipality’s planning elements.
   The township is applying for the grant through the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions, a non-profit organization that helps preserve natural resources and promote sustainable communities.
   ”It’s about developing a green chapter for the Master Plan,” said Christine Smeltzer, township administrator.
   The maximum the township could see from the grant would be $20,000, an amount it would have to match, totaling $40,000.
   At the Township Committee’s Monday meeting, Richard Preiss, the township planner, said Cranbury also would have to expend $5,000 for “in-kind of services” if grant money was to be received. Ms. Smeltzer said the grant funds would be limited to planning on future projects, say as a guideline for a developer who would be building in the township.
   The ANJEC grant is one of many options the township has looked into to maintain its status as an environmentally conscience community, she said.
   Last year the township hired an outside company to conduct an energy audit on several municipal buildings, which in turn offered officials a number of greener and more efficient alternatives for repairs and replacements, Ms. Smeltzer said.
   Mayor Pari Stave recommended the formation of a sub-committee when the process for this greener planning begins. The committee would consist of various representatives from community organizations who would have valuable input, such as the Environmental Commission, the Board of Health, the planning and zoning boards and the Public Works Department.