By Kaitlyn Kanzler, Special Writer
CRANBURY — Environmental Commission and former Township Committee member, Dietrich Wahlers, was honored with a resolution at this week’s Township Committee meeting after announcing he was resigning from his seat.
”If it wasn’t for the sound mind of Mr. Wahlers and others like him, Cranbury wouldn’t be what it is today,” Mayor David Cook said during the Monday night meeting.
During his career of public service, Mr. Wahlers served on the Planning Board and Environmental Commission from 1980-86 and as a member of the Township Committee from 1987-89, according to the resolution the committee unanimously passed celebrating Mr. Wahlers’ retirement.
”We knew (Cranbury) was the right town the moment we went down the street,” Mr. Wahlers said about coming to live in the township. “There was absolutely no question in our minds, it was the right town and the right place to move to with our two boys.”
According to the resolution, Mr. Wahlers and his wife, Barbara, later moved to Hopewell Township, where he served on the township’s planning board from May 2001 until December 2004.
In 2006, the couple moved back to Cranbury, where Mr. Wahlers has served as the Environmental Commission’s representative to the planning board since 2007.
”During his years on the planning board, (Mr. Wahlers) worked tirelessly on the township’s master plan, the 2007 Open Space, and the recreational planning sub-committee,” Mayor Cook said.
According to the mayor, Mr. Wahlers also served as the chairperson of the Turnpike Tree Sub-Committee organized to obtain new trees that were recently planted on the Haggerty property on Old Cranbury Road through the New Jersey No Net Loss Reforestation Grant Project.
”I want to thank the Township Committee for this honor and you’ll still be seeing us around,” Mr. Wahlers said.
Allen Kehrt, chairman of the Planning Board, presented Mr. Walhers with his nameplate and told him that it had been a pleasure working with him for so many years.
”If saying no would keep him, I’d say no,” Committee Member Jay Taylor said during the vote to pass the resolution, which was moved by member Glenn Johnson and seconded by Mr. Taylor.
With Mr. Wahlers retirement, there is an opening on the Environmental Commission. Anyone interested in filling the position should contact Wendy Borg at 609-395-0900.

