By Geoffrey Wertime, Staff Writer
BORDENTOWN CITY — The Planning Board is working on formulating recommendations for the City Commission on a controversial zoning ordinance that has been the target of public ire.
Nearly 30 residents attended a special meeting Thursday, when the board began going over recommendations made by the Citizens Advisory Committee on how the 343-page ordinance, two years in the making, could be reworked to address locals’ concerns.
Almost a year ago, the nine-person CAC was appointed after hundreds of city residents showed up at a public forum where many decried the land use ordinance. While the commissioners directly addressed some of the concerns that were raised, they left the CAC to go over the document in detail and recommend changes, and the group turned in its report in February.
At last night’s meeting, the board addressed the CAC’s comments on the ordinance’s sections dealing with environmental consideration and design policies, waterfront development, and child, elder and family care.
First, the Planning Board recommended the City Commission reword a part of the document to make it clear environmentally friendly building practices are encouraged, but not required.
The board also discussed tree removal; specifically, what residents should be able to do on their own property without permission. Both the board and residents during public comment found themselves split between allowing citizens to do as they wish and keeping the city’s tree cover, which has both environmental and aesthetic benefits.
Ultimately, the board recommended to the commission that the ordinance call for residents to seek a tree removal permit for any tree with a diameter of more than 10 inches, allowing for some exemptions such as tree disease. A violation would result in a fine of between $100 and the maximum allowed by state law, currently $1,500.
In waterfront development, the board suggested changing which property uses would be allowed as primary uses, moving many to secondary or accessory uses and eliminating others. Uses that the board recommended to eliminate in that zone include public utilities, wireless communication, home occupancy, and hotels and motels.
Finally, the board reworked where child-, elder- and family-care businesses would be allowed to be in accordance with state law, and sent that recommendation to the City Commission as well.
Some of the plan’s elements that upset residents have already been removed at the City Commission’s request, including allowing accessory apartments and bed-and-breakfasts; the addition of 100 dwelling units to the center of town; residential flats; raising the downtown height limit to 50 feet or four stories; and any references to the city as a “transit village.”
The Planning Board will hold another special meeting Wednesday, April 29, to discuss possible changes to the section of the land use ordinance dealing with home occupations.

