Resident Inquires About Master Plan Revisions

During Tuesday’s night session of Meet the Mayor, held regularly at the Lacey branch of the , a town resident had the opportunity to speak with Mayor Gary Quinn regarding the upcoming , a guiding document on land use and development.

Bill Moss noted that several professionals were a part of this process, and asked if money had been set aside to cover the costs of their service. “We’ve put $5,000 aside to revise the master plan,” Quinn explained. “We haven’t had a re-design in about 15 years. It probably will not be completed in this calendar year, but we have enough (funding) to get started.”

“I looked it up, and saw that there were six workshops on the last (revision),” Moss stated. Quinn responded that he had made a request to proceed with redrawing the town’s Master Plan, an operation to be carried forth at the next Planning Board meeting on Oct. 11 – where members of that body will receive a broader understanding of Lacey Township, and how best to proceed.

The mayor clarified to Moss that though the Planning Board may make recommendations on the master plan revisions, the final approval comes from the Township Committee.

Quinn mentioned that a top priority of the update is the land behind Oyster Creek Generating Station, as the town is seeking to on that property once Oyster Creek ceases operations in 2019.

“Currently, that property is not included in the master plan. If we’re successful in drawing another plant, it would need to be zoned for that use, so that we can go ahead and seek permits. We would also need to hire a planner with knowledge of gas and nuclear facilities,” Quinn said.

Moss later asked whether the area around Bamber Lake would be a priority in the revisions, but Quinn said that with the area holding limited capacity for development, it would likely not be emphasized in the master plan update.

The mayor added that housing for young people and seniors would be another category to consider during the update.

“We have to weigh out all the factors when proceeding with this process,” Quinn said. The mayor emphasized that citizens who are interested in developments with the master plan are free to attend any and all public meetings on the topic. 

Meet the Mayor is held at the library on the second Tuesday of every month. The meeting provides residents with the opportunity to ask questions and voice their opinions and concerns in a more laid back setting than a public meeting, Quinn said.

Sometimes one person shows up, while there is a line at others, Quinn said. Attendance typically depends on the current issues at hand.

The next Meet the Mayor may be cancelled since it is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 11 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., the same time as the Planning Board meeting.