Two main topics of the workshop portion of last week’s Moorestown Council meeting were on planting trees on county roads and the Lenola business district redevelopment. Both topics received positive reactions from members of council.
The township has been planting trees on county roadways in the past. According to township manager Scott Carew, the township has trees it would like to plant. However, there is not a strong policy with the county in regard to the trees on county roads, such as who pays for the trees, who plants the trees and who is responsible for the trees once they are planted.
Public Works director Kenneth Ewers has concerns the township is adding unnecessary liability and maintenance concerns if the township continues to plant the trees. The Tree Committee would like to plant the trees, still feeling they are prepared and the town will benefit aesthetically from it.
“We have the money; we have the volunteers to help plant the trees. And, of course, there is a desire since we are a tree town,” Carew said.
Deputy Mayor Stacey Jordan voiced her support and desire to continue planting, saying she has been working on this for years. She feels Moorestown benefits aesthetically from the trees, which help bring in people to the town. She also explained that the tree committee has a plan for trees that are township owned and how to take care of the trees.
“When you go into some other towns, there is nothing there. I think it adds a lot to the character of our town,” Jordan said.
Members of council expressed their approval and desire to keep with what Moorestown has been doing and planting the trees along county roads.
Carew also brought up the potential of Camden Avenue, part of Lenola, as a business district in town. He and council member Victoria Napolitano expressed their desire to create a committee that would work to make Lenola a business district.
“There is a lot we could do if the proper resources were put in that direction,” Carew said.
Carew said a five-person committee made of himself, Thomas Ford, two council members and one Lenola resident would be appointed and then begin meeting with Mark Remsa, director of the Department of Economic Development and Regional Planning, and the Burlington County Bridge Commission. Then they would look at the current conditions of Lenola, such as layout as well as empty store fronts, vacant lots, parking and traffic.
Once that is completed, they would begin to look at what direction to go in and where improvements can be made. When a plan is set, they will bring that to council to get a recommendation. They would also have a meeting with Lenola residents to share the committee’s ideas and hear what ideas residents have. Once a plan is adopted, the township can work with the county to look at funding.
“This is a substantial long-term project, but I think that it is something that we can do that would have a good long-term effect,” Carew said.
“We owe it to our township and to the residents to cultivate all of the business areas,” Napolitano said.
Many members expressed their support and interest in being a part of the committee. Carew and Napolitano agreed that for the next meeting, they will come back and bring in some names for the committee.
In other news:
• Per a resident’s request, Carew gave a recap of where the water and sewer project stands. According to Carew, Moorestown is working with the state EPA to help fund the capital portion of the treatment project. Once the treatment is in place, the water will be filtered on a massive scale. Carew said a charcoal filter is “the way to go.” Carew said by January, Moorestown should have identified the treatment solution and gone out to bid for a contractor to put the treatment into place, figure out what the project will cost, both the capital and ongoing maintenance, and the timeline.
• A proclamation was given to David Schill, Lynne Schill and Kimberly Bunn of the Moorestown Improvement Association for their book “Moorestown,” which was published with Arcadia Publishing, which does the “Images of America” Books. The pictorial history book boasts 200 images and captions depicting moments in Moorestown history. The book will be sold, and they will be signing books on Dec. 5 during Candlelight Night on Main Street in Moorestown.
• A contract was awarded to Genserv Inc. for the repair of 1000kw Onan generator at the Wastewater Treatment Plant for $34,958.
• The next township council meeting will be Monday, Dec. 15 at 7:30 p.m. with a workshop starting at 7 p.m.
