By Geoffrey Wertime, Staff Writer
MONTGOMERY The Township Committee has agreed to reschedule a special meeting so the committee can meet jointly with the Planning Board to consider a politicized amendment to the Master Plan.
The committee made the decision Thursday night at the urging of Democratic committee members Louise Wilson and Brad Fay. The Township Committee and the Planning Board will now both meet the evening of Sept. 27, instead of just the board meeting that night and the committee meeting at 8 a.m. the following morning.
The actual vote would amend the township’s Housing Plan Element and Fair Share Plan to meet the township’s obligation to the Council on Affordable Housing.
But the change, which must go through the Planning Board and then the Township Committee, is politically linked with the sale of the 256-acre, township-owned Skillman Village to Somerset County, which will turn it into a park, generating $14 million in revenue for the township.
Critics of the proposed amendment, including Ms. Wilson, say the cost to the township is too high because it will mean hundreds more houses for families, both affordable and market rate.
During the public comment portion of the Thursday meeting, former Democratic mayor Bob Kress criticized the township for not giving the public enough input or information regarding Skillman Village.
”The COAH/Skillman Village issue is really, really critical to this township’s future,” he said, contrasting the Democratic push to develop the village with the Republican goal of selling the village to the county as parkland.
”The public has never really been involved in the process,” he said.
When Republican Mayor Mark Caliguire asked how he would do that, he recommended letting the public vote.
”It’s a key issue that the people have to pay for,” Mr. Kress said.
Ms. Wilson followed up on Mr. Kress’s comments and pointed out the entire committee would not be able to attend the Planning Board meeting because they would form a quorum without having given notice to the public.
”I like the idea of having a (sole) Township Committee meeting so we can actually talk about it,” said Mayor Caliguire, who at first resisted the idea of a joint meeting. “It’s probably be a pretty unwieldy setting.”
But he said the committee’s meeting had only been scheduled in the morning to get the business done quickly and because he had an unavoidable obligation the afternoon of Sept. 28. “There’s no nefarious reason for having it in the morning,” he said before agreeing to hold a joint session.
Mr. Fay also echoed Mr. Kress’s comments.
”I really think there has been a difficulty for the public to hear about or have an input into” the proposed amendment, he said.
Mayor Caliguire disputed the Democrats’ claim that the public had not been given enough information, noting there has been a full public presentation of the plan with amendments.
The joint meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27 in the courtroom of the Municipal Building, 2261 Van Horne Road. The Planning Board will take action before the Township Committee.
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