Page 4 • Wednesday , October 26 , 2022 • The Hammonton Gazette
Planning board talks about curb & sidewalk waivers
PLANNING , from Page 1 Planner Brian Walters , from the Atlantic County Department of Regional Planning and Development , reviewed the grading plan ; Dornewass then read an email from Walters into the record .
“ After review , the county will not require curb or sidewalk along your property , which fronts along Third Street in Hammonton ,” Dornewass read .
Dornewass also said that he had an onsite meeting at the property with county engineers .
“ They weren ’ t going to allow us to put curb and sidewalks ... because of the water drainage issues ,” Dornewass said .
Town Engineer Mark Herrmann , of ARH , also discussed drainage during his report .
“ In December , when we reviewed this , our recommendation at the time — as far as curb goes — we agree . Based on the drainage situation , there ’ s no curb anywhere ; we have no issue if you wanted to grant the curb waiver ,” Herrmann said .
Herrmann said that there is a drainage inlet in the front of Dornewass ’ s property .
“ There ’ s a pipe that drains Third Street , and it went parallel to his easterly property line to the back . If you go back 100 years , and you look at the maps before this was developed , there was a stream corridor through here ; you can see a blue line . At some point — before you and me were born — it was piped from the road to the back of the corner ,” Herrmann said .
Herrmann said that issue would need to be resolved , but deferred to board solicitor Joseph P . McGroarty as to whether it would be considered relevant for the application .
“ That should not impact your decision about a curb and sidewalk waiver ,” McGroarty told the board .
Regarding sidewalk , Herrmann said that ARH ’ s initial findings were in agreement with the county . He noted , though , that the town ’ s Safe Routes to Schools grant project envisions sidewalks extending from the Warren E . Sooy Elementary School down the length of North Street .
“ At some point in the near future , you can expect to have sidewalk all the way down North Street to Third . I believe the town has additional goals to expand that ,” Herrmann said .
That intersection , Herrmann said , is roughly 230 feet from Dornewass ’ s property .
Public Works Manager Robert Vettese offered more information during the public comment portion of the application , noting that the Safe Routes to Schools project is “ probably about two years away .”
“ They ’ re going to be finalizing those plans probably in the next year or two ; they ’ ve got to do an environmental study also — so probably 2024 ,” Vettese said .
Vettese said that project will establish curbs at the intersection of North and Third Streets .
“ They ’ re putting handicap ramps on either side , and they ’ re extending a crosswalk at the North Street intersection ,” Vettese said .
Vettese also addressed the drainage , noting that the county typically defers to the town regarding curb and sidewalk “ as long as it does not impact county drainage .”
“ This particular section does impact county drainage until the drainage issue is resolved associated with that , so it might not be prudent to place curb and sidewalk on this particular property until that ’ s resolved — because you might be causing some additional concerns ,” Vettese said .
During discussion , McGroarty addressed the applicant .
“ You understand that , if the town decides , at some time in the near future or distant future , that they ’ re going to put sidewalks in that area and combine all those properties , that you ’ ll be obligated to cooperate with the city , and provide , possibly , contribution to those sidewalks ... that this waiver does not alleviate that obligation ?” McGroarty said . Dornewass answered in the affirmative .
Board member Michael Messina made a motion to grant the waiver of curb and sidewalk , which board member James Matro seconded . The motion was carried unanimously .
Before the conclusion of the meeting , Marinelli invited discussion regarding requiring curbs and sidewalks .
“ I know it ’ s over 20 years now , and we ’ ve been spending a lot of time over the years listening to all this testimony , and we ’ re not getting anywhere ,” Marinelli said .
Marinelli asked McGroarty and the board what can be done to absolutely require curbs and sidewalks , noting that , when he built his house on the corner of Fourth and Pratt Streets in 1957 , he was required to install not only them but also a driveway .
“ There were no houses nowhere out there . The other corner was empty . On both sides of me , it was empty . However , before I was able to get the money and pay the carpenter and contractor , I had to put in sidewalks , curbing and driveway ... I think we need something like that ,” Marinelli said .
McGroarty said that there is a requirement in existing town ordinances for curbs and sidewalks , but it provides for potential relief from the planning board for waivers .
“ This board has generally — at least for the three years I ’ ve been here — has been very open as far as granting them , pretty much all the time ,” McGroarty said .
Marinelli said that he felt that there should be something making the installation mandatory , and McGroarty replied .
“ It is mandatory , unless you provide the exception ... If this board doesn ’ t grant the waiver , that ’ s exactly what they would have to do ,” McGroarty said .
McGroarty reiterated that the planning board was given the right to grant waivers “ if it appeared to be inappropriate to require sidewalk .”
“ But , sidewalks and curbs are required . This is just a waiver from that obligation , and this board — you ’ re right — has generally said , ‘ We ’ re going to grant the waivers ,’” McGroarty said .
Marinelli noted that applicants often provide the same reasons for their waiver applications , in that there are no curbs or sidewalks anywhere else in the area . McGroarty said that it was still a discretionary matter .
“ You could simply say , if you decide as a body collectively , is that , yeah , the reason there ’ s no sidewalks is because we keep granting these waivers . You have the authority to do that ,” McGroarty said .
Councilman Jonathan Oliva commented on the matter .
“ I think that ’ s where we get tripped up as a board sometimes , because we ’ ve been very forgiving as a board over the years and we haven ’ t required curb and sidewalk . When someone comes in , they say , ‘ Well , there ’ s no curb and sidewalk 2,000 to the left of me , 2,000 feet to the right of me ; why am I going to be the one person with curb and sidewalk ?’ But , it has to start somewhere , right ?” Oliva said .
Oliva said that if the board wants more curbs and sidewalks , it needs to grant fewer waivers . McGroarty commented further .
“ You have to make it clear through the planning board office that these are not rubber stamps . These are going to be scrutinized ,” McGroarty said .
McGroarty advised the board take into consideration the positions of the board planner and engineer as to whether installing curb and sidewalks might create deleterious conditions .
“ Then , you ’ d have a reason to grant them . But , at this point in time , you ’ ve been simply granting them because nobody else has them — and you don ’ t have to do that ,” McGroarty said .
Marinelli asked for clarification .
“ In other words , it falls back on our shoulders , and we ’ ve got to be firmer and more direct to accomplish the task , right ?” Marinelli said . McGroarty replied . “ Correct ,” he said . The Hammonton Planning Board regularly meets on the first and third Wednesdays of the month . The next meeting is scheduled for 7 p . m . on November 2 .