By Linda Seida, Staff Writer
STOCKTON — The Stockton School has convinced the Borough Council to more than double a proposed gun-free zone around the school.
The Borough Council adopted a management plan Monday that includes the larger buffer zone.
The management plan governs hunting and other activities on the Anderson tract, which was formerly known as the My Ben property for the company that wanted to develop it.
The Board of Education passed a resolution Nov. 6 in support of a 1,000-foot buffer zone. Board member David Pasicznyk appealed to borough officials Monday to expand the originally proposed 450-foot buffer.
Even though the council approved the change, the state still must give its approval. The state owns 75 percent of the land, and the borough owns 25 percent.
The school is adjacent to the approximately 65 acres of land that was preserved as open space in 2004. Students will participate in educational activities there, including the study of its biodiversity.
”The school is not anti-hunting, but we put safety first,” Mr. Pasicznyk said. “I think the safety of our children takes precedence over everything. Safety first and foremost, that’s our philosophy.”
Council President Michael Hagerty said he had no problem changing the buffer zone, but he seemed to think it would not be necessary.
The change will affect “a tiny little peninsula of land; it’s inaccessible,” he said.
The area is steeply sloped.
John Bennett, the borough’s attorney, said, “Realistically, it’s not making a significant difference, but it would send a message.”
The council also made several other changes to the plan.
Initially, the plan called for hunters to place identifying information on their cars so they could be contacted in case of a problem. The information, including name, address, home and cell phone numbers, also was to be posted on their tree stands.
Resident Ken Kozuhowski, a hunter and police officer, objected.
”I think that is a little bit above and beyond,” he said. “I think that is an infringement on my right to privacy.”
The council agreed and excluded a hunter’s address from the identifying information.
Mr. Kozuhowski also objected to the plan’s stipulation that only deer are to be hunted and another that would have required tree stands to be removed at the end of each day.
”I think it is an undue hardship for the hunter,” Mr. Kozuhowski said.
His tree stand weighs about 45 pounds, he said.
Councilman Neal Esposito pointed out the amount of noise made by lugging the stands in and out of the preserved land on a daily basis would scare away the deer.
”I think you’re going to see a lot of angry people,” he said.
The council changed the tree stand stipulation, allowing them to remain in place until the end of the deer-hunting season.
