MINUTES

MENDHAM TOWNSHIP PLANNING BOARD

WORKSHOP MEETING

FEBRUARY 7, 2005

Chairman Giordano called the meeting of the Mendham Township Planning Board to order at 7:35 p.m.

ROLL CALL:

Present:   Mr. Giordano, Mr. Tolley, Mayor Krieg, Mr. Pierson, Mrs. Link, Mr. Mountain, Mr. Majorossy, Mr. D’Emidio

Absent:    Mr. Pierson

Also Present:  Mr. Carney, Attorney (representing Mr. Falcon), Mr. Lemanowicz, Engineer, and Mr. Kimball, Planner

Absent:  Mr. Falcon, Attorney, and Mr. Aubin, Environmentalist

SALUTE TO THE FLAG

ADEQUATE NOTICE of this meeting of the Mendham Township Planning Board was given as follows:  Notice was sent to the DAILY RECORD and the OBSERVER TRIBUNE on January 6, 2005 .  Notice was posted on the Bulletin Board in the Township Hall in Brookside , New Jersey , on January 6, 2005 , and Notice was filed with the Township Clerk on January 6, 2005 .

MINUTES FOR APPROVAL -- December 15, 2004 – carried to February 16, 2005 , meeting

                                                January 19, 2005 – vote all aye

MARTIRANO CONCEPT PLAN

Mr. Craig Villa of Yannacone Villa and Aldrich introduced himself as engineer for the applicant, Mr. Michael Martirano.  Mr. Villa indicated the applicant is seeking input from the Planning Board on two different layouts for the proposed subdivision by the contract purchaser, Mr. Martirano.  He said the TRC Meeting held last month was very constructive and are interested in receiving comments and/or suggestions from the rest of the Planning Board.

Mr. Villa stated that the property actually consists of five lots in Mendham Township and one existing lot in Randolph .  He said Mr. Martirano owns the house on Tanager Lane on the left side of the cul de sac in the northeast part of the community, which is an R-3 zone.  He said there is a paper street beyond the cul de sac that was created a couple of years ago by Mr. D’Urso.  He also stated that Mr. Martirano owns the small lot behind his property and is under contract to purchase the remaining pieces currently owned by the Kerzners. 

Mr. Villa referred to Alternate Plan A, which extends the road from the cul de sac on Tanager Lane in a westerly direction and creates five conforming lots, as well as the reconfigured lot for Mr. Martirano, which would join the small lot.  Alternate A shows a 50-foot right of way with an extension of Tanager Lane , which conforms with the RSIS for a rural lane.  Mr. Villa said the only problem with Alternate A, from a zoning perspective, is that waivers would be required for slope disturbance. 

Mr. Villa referred to Alternate Plan B, which creates a shorter rural lane, cul de sac extension of Tanager Lane .  Alternate B eliminates one of the lots and creates four lots, with two being oversized.  He said it shows the cul de sac stopping short of the last lot and proposes doing something similar to the D’Urso subdivision by creating a paper street beyond the cul de sac.  Mr. Villa indicated the road is a little shorter, with less impervious coverage, and a slope waiver would not be required and would parallel grade.  He also said there is a 300 foot special resource protection category from the stream that exists to the west.

Chairman Giordano referred to the reports provided by Maser Consulting and Kimball and Kimball.

Mr. Lemanowicz raised the issue of the transition from the existing road to the proposed road and  his view was that a larger vehicle coming up the existing Tanager Lane would see a substantial road go down to nothing and may cause confusion unless there is a cul de sac.  He said he wouldn’t argue that one plan is exceedingly better than the other, but the proposal to remove some impervious coverage has environmental issues. 

Chairman Giordano asked about Item 7 in the Maser report with respect to stormwater management, and Mr. Lemanowicz noted the stormwater facilities on one plan shows a small area off the last lot and on the other plan there are two, larger areas.  Mr. Villa noted they have not gotten to the point where they know how big the stormwater facilities have to be, and there was no thought processing in terms of what is shown or needed, but said they have room to do what they need to do.  Mr. Lemanowicz said these facilities will have to be maintained and discussed getting them more accessible. 

A full discussion then ensued regarding the public road, the shared driveway, the paper road and the slope issues.  Mr. Villa suggested a site visit so the Planning Board can view the property and the extension of Tanager Lane as shown in the alignment on the plans. 

Mr. Majorossy referred to Alternate Plan B and asked how large the stormwater area to the south of the proposed road is going to be.  Mr. Villa said he did not know.  He said he knows the Planning Board prefers underground basins, and said it is a matter of economics if the underground basins could be parallel to grade, closer to the paper street and shorten the disturbance.  He said, in terms of the new stormwater regulations, they are looking to put in bio-retention swales along the road.  He further said the real challenge is to fit the construction in with the grades they have.  Mr. Tolley said if the detention basins were put where they are suggested, it would be awkward and intrusive for a property owner when maintenance is needed, and seems like a bad location. 

Mr. D’Emidio referred to Alternate Plan B and the paper cul de sac about 300-400 feet long for the lot geometry circle, and asked who would own the paper street extension.  Mr. Villa said this was discussed at the TRC Meeting and it could be dedicated to the Township, could be considered from the end of the paved cul de sac as part of lot 35.01, or a waiver of the lot geometry circle could be requested.  Mr. D’Emidio said if the applicant could prove that that works, the paper street could be eliminated.  Mr. Villa said they could consider this, and if the Board would consider that variance, they would receive it favorably. 

Mr. D’Emidio asked what would happen with the lot in Randolph , and Mr. Villa said they did not want to do anything on the other side of the ridge due to different drainage, slopes, etc., and they would look to include that area with the proposed lots.  Mr. D’Emidio asked if the owner of lot 25.02 would own the majority of that property, and Mr. Villa said that was correct.  Mr. D’Emidio asked if the lots proposed in Mendham Township would all be conforming with the acreage from Randolph , and Mr. Villa referred to the Voitovich situation, which Mr. D’Emidio recalled.  Mr. Kimball asked if Mr. Villa would be willing to create a deed arrangement that would preclude any further development and/or subdivision.  Mr. Villa said if they had to, they would show the lots in Randolph on the final map not to be considered separate building lots, but have to be combined with the land in Mendham.  He further said there is really no access to the lot in Randolph , and by deed, these lots would have to be considered on the property and cannot be separately sold.  Mr. D’Emidio asked if the Planning Board has the authority to do this, and Mr. Carney said he and Mr. Falcon would want to review this issue. 

Chairman Giordano asked Mr. Kimball to review the report from Kimball and Kimball.  Mr. Kimball said most of the issues in his report had been discussed and dealt with many of the same things as the Maser report.  He discussed the design of the transition of the road from

Tanager to the rural lane standard and suggested and recommended, assuming a formal preliminary subdivision application is submitted, that a field site visit be scheduled for the Planning Board to go out and look at the field positions.  He said it would be beneficial if the applicant could stake the center lane of the proposed road and even better to have it staked at an 18-foot width at 50-foot intervals for a few hundred feet.  Mr. Kimball stated that he felt Alternative Plan B is more consistent with the goals of the Master Plan and environmental protection, and provides for a subdivision design and road design that is more consistent with the rural character of the Township. 

Chairman Giordano noted for the record that the Police and Historic Preservation Committee had no comments on these plans. 

Chairman Giordano raised the issue of possibly annexing a small portion of the land in Randolph , and it was requested that Mr. Falcon review the possibility and report back to the Planning Board. 

Chairman Giordano said he understood why they have drawn the paper cul de sac leading to lot 25.01 and asked Mr. Villa if his suggestion of a driveway off the proposed public road that ends at lot 25.02 would give 25.01 zero frontage.  Mr. Villa referred to the plans and explained the situation and the lot geometry circle as the only issue for the paper road to exist. 

Mr. Mountain said, as far as fire services, he presumed the applicant is anticipating SAJ is going to be successful with the water line for a hydrant with Randolph and asked if they would be able to work off of SAJ’s cistern.  Mr. Villa said they would have to review that matter.  Mr. Mountain stated that Mendham Township has an agreement that has been agreed to in principle with Randolph Township to allow for water line extensions for fire hydrants.  He said this has been held up due to an issue with the service area map, but they have gotten verbal approval.  He further said, assuming this happens in the next several weeks, they would then be amenable to Randolph for fire hydrant extensions only, due to limitations from Morris County .  Mr. Mountain said if and when the moratorium is lifted, they are willing to consider potable water.  Mr. Villa said they would work with Mr. Betz to come up with a common ground.  Chairman Giordano referred to the telephonic comments from Fire Official Betz provided to everyone. 

Chairman Giordano asked if there were any further comments or questions from the Board, and there were none.

Chairman Giordano summarized that the Planning Board agreed to be happier with Alternate Plan B, and based upon Mr. D’Emidio’s suggestion, and the Planning Board would like to see something done with the lot geometry circle.

Mr. Villa and Mr. Martirano thanked the Planning Board for their comments.

OTHER BUSINESS
Mr. Tolley said the Master Plan Subcommittee members spoke with the President of Woodland Lakes and their survey is complete and the Planning Board and Board of Adjustment will receive one or two copies.  Mr. Tolley said the president was meeting with his board tonight and said he would then tackle the letter the subcommittee sent him last fall, and will get back to the subcommittee.

ADJOURN

There being no further business, a motion was made to adjourn the meeting.  The motion was seconded, all aye, and the meeting was adjourned at 8:31 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Hope Warrington

Planning Board Secretary