By Joanne Degnan, Managing Editor
ROBBINSVILLE — The Township Council has agreed to ask the Planning Board to re-examine the municipality’s Master Plan with an eye toward zoning changes that would allow a greater variety of businesses along Route 130.
Justin Auciello, a licensed professional planner with the Cofone Consulting Group, of Red Bank, gave the council an overview June 14 of his findings and recommendations for spurring economic development along a 4-mile stretch of Route 130 between the Route 526 intersection and Windsor Industrial Park.
”These areas have great strength with location, and we determined that we need a planning intervention to spark a fire of economic development so to speak,” Mr. Auciello told the Township Council.
Mr. Auciello identified three specific areas where land-use changes are warranted: The gateway area to Town Center at the corner of Route 130 South and Main Street (Route 526); the Windsor Village area where there are four roadside motels; and Windsor Industrial Park at the township’s northern border.
Area No. 1 at the Route 130 and Route 526 intersection is zoned Town Center where businesses with drive-through windows are not permitted uses as they are in a highway commercial zone.
In 2011, the Zoning Board of Adjustment denied a variance sought by A&E Ventures for a proposed 3,311-square-foot drive-through Burger King at that corner.
”We believe the highway commercial zoning in that area would do that area justice,” Mr. Auciello told the council. “By providing that zoning in that area, you’re going to, hopefully, generate the types of uses that are going to provide the municipality with good ratables for the tax base.”
Area No. 2 is farther north along Route 130 in the Windsor Village section of town where there are “less-than-desirable” roadside motels, Mr. Auciello said.
Council President Chris Ciaccio said the owners of these four motels have complained to her they are having difficulty selling their properties to developers because potential uses such as drive-through banks and drive-through pharmacies are not permitted in the village commercial zone.
Council member Sheree McGowan agreed the VC zone’s restrictions had become an unintended impediment to economic development.
”I think that while the idea behind the separation of Village Commercial was a good one, it became too restrictive,” Ms. McGowan said. “We made it so that nobody could really go there. As long as we keep good design standards in place, we can open up what’s allowed there . . . but not allow franchise architecture.”
Mr. Auciello said the third struggling area is Windsor Industrial Park at the northern end of the township. Ms. Ciaccio said the VC zoning there does not allow retail uses, dance studios or karate schools, and “tweaking” the zoning regulations could help this business park attract more tenants.
”This document is just to open more doors, not to change village commercial,” Ms. Ciaccio said.
Township Engineer Tim McGough told the council the Planning Board has received a copy of Mr. Auciello’s report and was looking to the governing body for guidance on whether to move forward with a review.
Councilman Ron Witt, who participated in the meeting via speakerphone, asked for details about the process and how long it would take.
”The Planning Board has jurisdiction,” Township Attorney Mark Roselli said. “If you all deem it appropriate for them to undertake a Master Plan re-examine, they would conduct the re-examine and based upon their findings . . . if council so chose, (it could) make changes to the zoning ordinances.”
Mr. McGough noted a Master Plan re-examination also involves the scheduling of public hearings, which adds time to the process.
”One thing that will speed up this process,” Mr. Roselli said, “is that they’ll actually have a working document to go forward with as opposed to having to wait for the creation of such a document. There’s a work in progress that they can use as their base so they can cut down on some of the time.”
The Township Council voted 4-0 in favor of a resolution requesting the Planning Board to undertake the Master Plan review, which will be the third one in five years. Previous Master Plan re-examinations were done in 2007 and 2009.
The council will be able to memorialize the approved resolution at its June 28 meeting, Mr. Roselli said.
Mr. Auciello and Mr. McGough denied The Messenger-Press’ request to see a copy of Mr. Auciello’s report, saying it still was a working document that could not be released yet to the public.
ROBBINSVILLE — The Township Council has agreed to ask the Planning Board to re-examine the municipality’s Master Plan with an eye toward zoning changes that would allow a greater variety of businesses along Route 130.
Justin Auciello, a licensed professional planner with the Cofone Consulting Group, of Red Bank, gave the council an overview June 14 of his findings and recommendations for spurring economic development along a 4-mile stretch of Route 130 between the Route 526 intersection and Windsor Industrial Park.
”These areas have great strength with location, and we determined that we need a planning intervention to spark a fire of economic development so to speak,” Mr. Auciello told the Township Council.
Mr. Auciello identified three specific areas where land-use changes are warranted: The gateway area to Town Center at the corner of Route 130 South and Main Street (Route 526); the Windsor Village area where there are four roadside motels; and Windsor Industrial Park at the township’s northern border.
Area No. 1 at the Route 130 and Route 526 intersection is zoned Town Center where businesses with drive-through windows are not permitted uses as they are in a highway commercial zone.
In 2011, the Zoning Board of Adjustment denied a variance sought by A&E Ventures for a proposed 3,311-square-foot drive-through Burger King at that corner.
”We believe the highway commercial zoning in that area would do that area justice,” Mr. Auciello told the council. “By providing that zoning in that area, you’re going to, hopefully, generate the types of uses that are going to provide the municipality with good ratables for the tax base.”
Area No. 2 is farther north along Route 130 in the Windsor Village section of town where there are “less-than-desirable” roadside motels, Mr. Auciello said.
Council President Chris Ciaccio said the owners of these four motels have complained to her they are having difficulty selling their properties to developers because potential uses such as drive-through banks and drive-through pharmacies are not permitted in the village commercial zone.
Council member Sheree McGowan agreed the VC zone’s restrictions had become an unintended impediment to economic development.
”I think that while the idea behind the separation of Village Commercial was a good one, it became too restrictive,” Ms. McGowan said. “We made it so that nobody could really go there. As long as we keep good design standards in place, we can open up what’s allowed there . . . but not allow franchise architecture.”
Mr. Auciello said the third struggling area is Windsor Industrial Park at the northern end of the township. Ms. Ciaccio said the VC zoning there does not allow retail uses, dance studios or karate schools, and “tweaking” the zoning regulations could help this business park attract more tenants.
”This document is just to open more doors, not to change village commercial,” Ms. Ciaccio said.
Township Engineer Tim McGough told the council the Planning Board has received a copy of Mr. Auciello’s report and was looking to the governing body for guidance on whether to move forward with a review.
Councilman Ron Witt, who participated in the meeting via speakerphone, asked for details about the process and how long it would take.
”The Planning Board has jurisdiction,” Township Attorney Mark Roselli said. “If you all deem it appropriate for them to undertake a Master Plan re-examine, they would conduct the re-examine and based upon their findings . . . if council so chose, (it could) make changes to the zoning ordinances.”
Mr. McGough noted a Master Plan re-examination also involves the scheduling of public hearings, which adds time to the process.
”One thing that will speed up this process,” Mr. Roselli said, “is that they’ll actually have a working document to go forward with as opposed to having to wait for the creation of such a document. There’s a work in progress that they can use as their base so they can cut down on some of the time.”
The Township Council voted 4-0 in favor of a resolution requesting the Planning Board to undertake the Master Plan review, which will be the third one in five years. Previous Master Plan re-examinations were done in 2007 and 2009.
The council will be able to memorialize the approved resolution at its June 28 meeting, Mr. Roselli said.
Mr. Auciello and Mr. McGough denied The Messenger-Press’ request to see a copy of Mr. Auciello’s report, saying it still was a working document that could not be released yet to the public.

