By Kaitlyn Kanzler, Special Writer
CRANBURY — Several changes were made to the Cranbury Township property maintenance code causing it to be re-introduced at the Nov. 26 meeting.
A draft was introduced at the Oct. 22 meeting by Committee members Dan Mulligan and Glenn Johnson and the final draft had its first reading at the Nov. 5 meeting.
According to Mr. Mulligan, the title of the ordinance was changed from the property maintenance code to the minimum community property standards.
”We’re renaming this from a property maintenance code to minimum property standards because this really does not look like a maintenance code. It looks like minimum property maintenance standards,” Mr. Mulligan said. “I think that maintenance code has been demonized to be quite frank with you. It has a negative connotation.”
According to the ordinance, the goal is to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the residents by establishing certain standards governing the maintenance, appearance, and condition of residential and commercial properties.
”I think that there’s been a lot of back and forth regarding this ordinance and what does it actually mean, and what we’re trying to accomplish with it,” Mayor David Cook said. “I think the spirit of the ordinance, as it’s being described, is appropriate.”
The minimum community property standards were developed by a subcommittee that included Mr. Mulligan and Mr. Johnson, who worked in collaboration with Steven Goodell, the township attorney.
”There’s been a lot of public input. Different people had different thoughts and concerns and ideas,” Mr. Mulligan said. “Committeeman Johnson and I met with a group of five residents about two weeks ago or so and they had some valid concerns and questions about the ‘maintenance code’ that was drafted and we came up with some changes to put in there.”
Several of the changes made to the standards include lawns being further defined; trees and vegetation above the roadway must be no lower than 14 feet, and owners of buildings must have numbers displayed.
According to Mr. Mulligan, low hanging tree branches are a concern for emergency personnel and have hindered Cranbury’s fire trucks in several neighborhoods in the past.
”There’s a concern for safety for the firemen as well as their ability to get to a fire,” Mr. Mulligan said.
Mr. Mulligan said that 14 feet seemed to be the standard for several other towns.
Committee member Jay Taylor voted against the ordinance due to concern about adding the new section about the overhanging branches into the code instead of just incorporating it into an existing section.
”I’m always leery about what the future township committees may do when we have a few chapters of code,” Mr. Taylor said.
Despite having concerns, Mr. Taylor thanked Mr. Mulligan and Mr. Johnson for meeting with residents and for drafting the ordinance.
”I think that there is a lot of stuff in the ordinance is valuable,” Mr. Taylor said.
Another concern that emergency personnel brought up was the numbering of buildings.
According to Mr. Mulligan, the township already has a number system in place.
”Now by referencing the code here, that gives us flexibility to make that code stronger and concerns on the sizes of building numbers and stuff like that,” Mr. Mulligan said.
Another major change made to the ordinance was the removal of the references to tree stumps and rocks, which cause much discussion at the Oct. 22 meeting.
”That seemed to be very controversial at that last meeting, and there was controversy when we met with some of the residents last week,” Mr. Mulligan said. “There are too many questions on it, so we took that out as well.”
The public will be able to comment on the minimum community property standards at its second reading at the Dec. 12 township committee meeting. Copies of the ordinance are available at the clerk’s office and online at www.cranburytownship.org.