After bouncing back and forth between township committee, planning board and zoning board meetings, the provisions outlined by the August 2012 master plan reexamination report were finally approved by the Voorhees Township Committee at its May 11 meeting.
State law requires that every 10 years townships revisit their master plans, the outline that guides a township’s development, in what is defined as an “examination report.”
This is done to address any issues or objectives that have arisen in a township in the prior decade.
Although Voorhees township manager Larry Spellman said the changes approved by committee for the 2012 plan are mostly minor issues, the changes still had to be worked out between the township committee and planning and zoning boards.
According to Spellman, that’s why the changes were only added to the master plan now in 2015, as sometimes planning and zoning board meetings are scheduled in such a way that it could be months before an issue makes its way to all the necessary parties.
“The reality is during that time we have the existing master plan,” Spellman said.
The changes in the plan affect a range of issues, including accessory buildings such as storage sheds, signs and flagpoles, fences, off-street parking for nonresidential uses and more.
The full outline of the changes can be viewed by visiting the township’s website, www.voorheesnj.com, and selecting the agenda for the May 11, 2015 meeting.
As always, Spellman said interested parties are free to go the township planning and zoning boards and present a case to receive a variance regarding any one specific issue.
In other news:
• Committee awarded contracts to American Aluminum, Atlantic Tactical Supply and Lawmen Supply for police and homeland security equipment, such as vests, helmets and shields. A contract was also awarded to Atlas Flasher & Supply for traffic control devices.
Committee also awarded a contract to Winner Ford in the amount of $101,191 for police department sedans and SUVs.
• Committee awarded a contract to Bach Associates for the purpose of township planning regarding affordable housing matters.
Spellman said this is a result of recent changes to how the township must deal with the New Jersey Council On Affordable Housing, and the township wants to ensure it’s “ahead of the curve.”
• Committee authorized the hiring of Mark Paranto as a police officer in the Voorhees Township Police Department. According to Spellman, Paranto is transferring from the Gloucester County Sheriff’s Department to replace a department retiree.
• As Memorial Day draws near and the nation remembers those who gave their lives in service of their country, the Voorhees Township Veterans Wall of Honor is accepting applications for 2015 through July 31.
Additions to the wall are open to any veteran who was a resident of Voorhees at the time of entrance into the military, current residents who are veterans and veterans who have immediate family members (parents, spouse, sibling or child) who are currently residents.
Applications are available at the township clerk’s office in the Voorhees Town Center or can be downloaded at the township’s website, www.voorheesnj.com.
“It’s been very well received…I believe we have about 20–25 people who have already submitted applications for the next unveiling ceremony, and hopefully we get a bunch more before the deadline,” Spellman said.
• The next meeting of the Voorhees Township Committee is Tuesday, May 26 at 8 p.m., as the regular meeting day of Monday falls on the Memorial Day holiday.
