Master plan approval anticipated April 25
Draft of new plan available at borough hall
BY LINDA DeNICOLA
Staff Writer

TINTON FALLS - The Planning Board held a continuation hearing on the borough's master plan last week and came up with some changes that the planner has already incorporated into the master plan document.

On April 25, the Planning Board will hold one more public hearing, then vote on the changes and most likely will adopt the revised master plan draft for the borough.

Planning Board Chairman Joel Davies said the changes include improvements to the general concept plan for Fort Monmouth which is something that residents have brought up at several master plan hearings.

"This plan is not precise zoning. It's a general concept plan for what is there now [Fort Monmouth property located in Tinton Falls] and what might be best for the borough. It's considered a downtown-type plan from Hope Road to the new borough hall with mixed residential and commercial retail use. It would be like a typical downtown, with stores, shops, maybe a bakery.

"It's a wonderful opportunity," Davies added.

Besides changes to the concept plan for the fort property, the board voted to change the current IOP (industrial/office park) zone on Shafto Road to age-restricted housing.

"The board voted to make that read age-restricted as opposed to putting commercial office buildings there. The board listened to some feedback from residential neighbors who don't want commercial property in their backyards," Davies said.

In addition, the area of Wayside Road between the Garden State Parkway, Route 18 and Navel Weapons Station Earle, which is designated as an area in need of rehabilitation, will have a strong retail component bordering Wayside on both sides with a manufacturing zone on the south and west sides of Route 18.

Davies explained that the board's thought was to bring the retail into one area.

"The IOP zone just hasn't been working," he said.

He said the board also wants to change the residential zoning between Pinebrook Road and the CECOM building on the west side to a higher density.

Davies said the new draft is available at Borough Hall.

Mayor Peter Maclearie, who sits on the Planning Board, said the master plan process at the Planning Board level is nearing completion. Then it will go to the council for more public hearings and approval.

"Once we approve the master plan, then we have to get the ordinances drawn up and approved to support the master plan," he explained.

The question the council will have to consider is who to hire to draw up the ordinances. Hyer & Gruel, the New Brunswick consulting firm that is handling the master plan work, has indicated that it can create the ordinances at a cost of $75,000.

Maclearie said they do not know if that is the going rate.

"We will go out for proposals," he said.