HAMMONTON—The Hammonton Planning Board approved a curb and sidewalk waiver for a property on North Myrtle Street on April 3 at town hall.
Before reviewing the application, Planning Board member Edward Wuillermin nominated Ralph Capaccio for vice chair, seconded by Jonathan Baske.
The Planning Board members voted unanimously for Capaccio to be the vice chair.
During the meeting, the Planning Board reviewed an application from Michael Galli of North Myrtle Street who sought approval for a curb and sidewalk waiver.
Galli said he’s going to build a single-family home on the property, and he currently has an existing steel building used for storage.
“I’m looking for a waiver on sidewalk and curb just because there is no drainage system even if the road is paved. There’s still no drainage system in place to hold it. If we were to put a curb there, it would run off into the neighboring properties,” Galli said.
Town engineer Mark Herrmann said putting curb there would be a detriment to the road because it would affect drainage patterns.
Herrmann said the only thing the town would ask Galli is he would agree in the future if the town wants to put sidewalk on the property, Galli would allow a 10-foot wide strip of land along the frontage to let the town put in sidewalk.
However, Herrmann said there’s probably never going to be sidewalk by the property because there’s no pedestrian traffic.
“I have no objection to supporting a waiver in this regard,” Herrmann said.
Wuillermin said curb and sidewalk in every district of the town is “ludicrous in certain cases.”
“When you have a piece of property that’s 10 acres with 488 feet of frontage, I think it’s ludicrous to putting it in front of a farm, so I have no problem at all with it,” Wuillermin said.
Board member James Matro made a motion to approve a curb and sidewalk waiver for Galli’s property on the condition that if a sidewalk becomes necessary, the applicant will provide the funds necessary to do their portion of sidewalk and curb.
Capaccio seconded the motion and the Planning Board unanimously voted to approve the curb and sidewalk waiver.
Planning Board Chair William Olivo said the second item on the agenda from Trinity Solar will be discussed at the next meeting because they had a family emergency.
Next, the Planning Board discussed a resolution for applicant, Evergreen Energy LLC, for minor site plan approval and C-variances for Block 4601, Lot 26 on the White Horse Pike.
According to the resolution, “applicant seeks approvals to install ground mounted solar canopies in the parking lot of the existing assisted living facility. Other improvements include landscaping, lighting and stormwater basin in the front yard.”
The existing assisted living facility refers to the Hammonton Center at 43 N. White Horse Pike.
Wuillermin said the Planning Board could control as a condition when the applicant gets to turn it on to supply the energy to the facility.
“The question is once it is constructed, it is going to be generating energy. How does that energy get dissipated? We had sort of conflicting testimony as whether that was going to be put back into the grid or it was going to be after the grid and into the facility directly. I just want to make sure we know exactly what’s going to happen,” Wuillermin said.
Olivo said there was quite a bit of discussion between the owner of the solar company and the people who own the property or whoever is running the facility about getting the work done.
“I don’t know who’s going to own the property by the time they’re turning this on, but I think we’re in a good place right now,” Olivo said.
When it was time to vote on the resolution, Councilman Jonathan Oliva voted no.
The rest of the Planning Board voted yes, and the resolution was approved.
After the resolution was approved, attorney Douglas Cody who represented his client, Rocky Colasurdo, spoke to the board.
Cody objected to certain portions of the master plan update specifically Section 6.4.26J and Map 39, which proports to take all of his client’s property.
Cody said that action violates the settlement agreement that was entered in between the town and his client.
“Our request is one of two things: first we’re requesting you take that section and that map out of the CMP all together or second that you amend it so it provides three provisos that are very clear,” Cody said.
Board solicitor, Joseph McGroarty said with respect to the litigation, he advises the chairman to withhold any comment and defer to the attorneys representing the town in that regard.
Cody said he wanted a public acknowledgment that the Planning Board received the materials and that they would consider them.
McGroarty said the Planning Board did receive them.
Next, the Planning Board discussed the master plan starting with pg. 223 “Highway Business (H-B) Zoning District.”
The next Planning Board meeting will be on April 9 at 7 p.m. at town hall.