Master Plan Public Hearing Tonight

After a yearlong review and revision process, the Bernards Township master plan is ready for public comment, to be held tonight at 7:30 pm in Town Hall.

The master plan sets the long-range goals and development plans of the township. The 2010 master plan is the first complete revision of the plan since 2003, and contains one entirely new master plan element, often called the "green plan" by the Planning Board.

Officially titled the Green Buildings and Environmental Sustainability Plan for Bernards Township, the new section of the master plan outlines the township's goals for supporting environmentally friendly practices and building processes.

One of the issues raised with the green addition are the goals set for reducing the amount of impervious coverage allowed on lots in town. The green element suggests that having more natural surfaces on properties would be better environmentally, but others have suggested, most recently in the Zoning Board's annual report, that lot coverage requirements currently do not allow for enough coverage in undersized lots.

The drafts of the green plan element, and the rest of the 2010 master plan are available on the Bernards Township Web site under the Planning Board page. The drafts can be found under the links sidebar on the right side of the page.