The planning board will review the amendments and gather public commentary after discussing each proposed amendment. However, only a couple of amendments were discussed at Tuesday’s meeting.
The discussion over proposed amendments to the Bancroft property agreement continued before the planning board at its meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 5. The planning board will review the amendments and gather public commentary after discussing each proposed amendment. However, only a couple of amendments were discussed at Tuesday’s meeting.
The board plans to review the amendments and determine if it is in agreement with the master plan. In addition to reviewing, the board will make recommendations to the commissioners.
Some 14 amendments to the original agreement have been proposed by the redeveloper and commissioners. These amendments address such issues as the number of units, including affordable housing units, square footage, building height and more.
Planning Board Chairperson John LaProcido gave a presentation showing the borough and redeveloper a design that was put together in just four hours to encourage both the redeveloper and borough to have an open mind on working with the plan that is already in front of them, without any amendments. LaProcido also had the intention of providing “sound and thoughtful” comments on the proposed amendments and the presentation was only to have him look at all perspectives on the situation.
“It’s like picking up your car at the car dealership and ordering exactly what I want, but before I have the chance to drive it, they are already making changes to it. I just want to know what it is like to drive the car without any changes,” LaProcido explained.
He specifically stated that he does not recommend that the plan should be followed but to propose that people have an open mind while helping him see the plan before any amendments are made. As the evening went on, the board decided to discuss the amendments, only getting through two — the number of units and costs.
The board gathered public feedback which echoed the concerns from the first board meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 29.
“We have gone round and round and round in this town for years on this property. We have had plenty of studies, we’ve had plenty of surveys, we’ve had plenty of debates. So, you know, it’s time to move. We have done a lot of due diligence over the years on what might work, what could work, what doesn’t work and now we have to get to a decision on what is going to work and what we feel will hopefully work,” Commissioner Jeff Kasko said.
“Since we are so close as you said, we just want to make sure we are doing it right is really what this is about,” LaProcido said.
The next meeting has not been announced. For more information on the amendments go to http://www.haddonfieldnj.org/171101%20Amendments%20to%20Bancroft%20Redev.%20Plan.pdf.
