Page 4 • Wednesday , December 27 , 2017 • The Hammonton Gazette
Planning Board discusses retention basin issues
by Stephen Pistone
GAZETTE STAFF WRITER
HAMMONTON — The Planning Board discussed problematic conditions at three local retention basins during its meeting on December 20 .
During the past several months , the board has received several verbal complaints regarding unsightly and unsafe conditions at some of the town ’ s retention basins due to overgrown vegetation and improper fencing .
One of the basins in question is under the responsibility of Walmart . According to board chairman Edward Marinelli , the basin , which is located behind the parking of Burger King on the White Horse Pike , is surrounded by vegetation that is so overgrown , Walmart cannot be seen from across the White Horse Pike .
Marinelli said the property
Michael Pullia
PULLIA , from Page 1
years of public service , a period which he reflected on during a recent interview with The Gazette .
Pullia said he is satisfied with the accomplishments town council made during his eight years as a councilman and is grateful to have been on council during such a productive period in the town ’ s history .
“ I ’ m very satisfied with the work that we were able to accomplish as a council entirely , not just me . I think over the last eight years , we have definitely moved Hammonton forward and done the residents proper … It ’ s a gratifying , but also very humbling , experience to serve the town ,” Pullia said .
Public service runs in the family for Pullia as both his uncle , Andrew G . Berenato II , and cousin , Andrew G . Berenato III , served on town council as deputy mayor . Pullia said it was their legacies in municipal government that inspired him to get involved in the community even more than his current capacity of being a member of the Hammonton Volunteer Fire Department .
“ I figured I ’ d maybe follow in their footsteps and try it , and I thought , given my public service in the fire department , that I could do the residents proud ,” Pullia said .
Pullia said he believes he has indeed made the residents proud during his time as a councilman , and said he would not do anything different if he could go back .
“ I stand by every vote and every decision that I ’ ve made on council . I think they were all done in the best interest of Hammonton . I don ’ t have any regrets ,” Pullia said .
Pullia said there were several highlights and key moments that he remembers fondly during his tenure , such as working with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection in April 2010 towards cleaning and treating the wells at the town ’ s water department , the recent installation of LED street lights and lighting the fields at the Boyer Avenue Recreational Area and Hammonton Middle School ’ s William T . Capella Field .
Most of all , Pullia said the highlight of his eight years on council has been the ability to work alongside so many devoted municipal employees that care for and represent the town in a variety of departments .
“ The most gratifying thing is working with all of the municipal employees from the water and sewer [ department ], to the highway
See COUNCIL , Page 12
owners responsible for these basins are defaulting on the conditions they agreed to when resolutions for their applications were originally adopted by the board .
“ It ’ s nothing more than keeping up what you agreed to in the resolution . You agreed to do this , that and the other , and now , it ’ s still there ... You can ’ t have 2-inch trees growing in there , and you can ’ t have all this debris in there ,” Marinelli said .
Board member Dr . Michael Hozik said the Walmart retention basin is also unsafe due to improper fencing around its perimeter .
“ A child could get in there and nobody would know because you can ’ t see a doggone thing , and the fence isn ’ t good enough to keep them out ,” Hozik said .
Board solicitor James Schroeder said the overgrown conditions of these retention basins also affect its ability to receive and retain storm water runoff .
“ When you begin to get vegetation in and down the slopes , it affects its ability for the runoff to even come into it . There has to be some level of degradation because of that level of vegetation ,”
Schroeder said . Marinelli said Mark Rogers , of the town construction office , issued Walmart a code violation notice on October 23 , 2017 , with a compliance date of November 10 , 2017 , but no response has yet been received . The board also discussed similar retention basin issues at the Plymouth Place Apartments , located off of Main Road , and an automobile repair business on Plymouth Road owned by Michael Weiss . Marinelli said neither Weiss nor those responsible for maintaining the Plymouth Place basin have co-operated with the board ’ s attempts to enforce the proper retention basin code . Schroeder said the board has done its job by repeatedly trying to bring attention to these issues , but it is now up to the town ’ s code enforcement officials and municipal court to handle it .
“ This board has done more than its due diligence in highlighting the responsibility of these property owners or managers to care for these situations and has brought a spotlight on these properties to the attention of code enforcement … Now , it ’ s code enforcement in tandem with your municipal court should citations be issued ; it ’ s their responsibility to take it from here and make sure that these things are cleaned up ,” Schroeder said . Schroeder said any property in town with an improved retention basin must adhere to a condition of maintenance to ensure its continued proper use whether it is clearly articulated or not because it is part of state law . If property owners can ’ t meet that condition , the town has the right to hold them accountable in the event they return to board for further approvals , but for now , Schroeder said the board has done all it can in enforcing these code violations and encouraged the residents to keep an eye out for any properties that are not being cared for properly .
“ I feel like it would instill us all as citizens here in Hammonton to begin to highlight and continue to highlight properties where things are not being cared for as they were intended and were promised to be . But the board has really reached the limits of its powers ... so , I think there ’ s really no further action , not by this board officially , but again , by each of us as citizens , we have a right to call and ask our government to work for us either by sitting here , or reading about it in the newspaper or watching it on TV ,” Schroeder said .
The board agreed to leave the matters discussed in the hands of Schroeder , who said he will report to town council .
In other news , Marinelli closed the meeting by thanking the board for their service over the past year and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year . Marinelli also thanked board secretary Patricia Berenato for her 25 years of service as she prepares for retirement in February 2018 .
“ We got notified that our secretary after a long time is leaving … We were hoping she would change her mind or that something else would develop , but in February , she will be leaving us . So , I ’ d like to say it has been a pleasure , Mrs . Patti , and always has been a pleasure . You made this board tick , I have to say . You were efficient and everything just went swell according to you ,” Marinelli said .
The Hammonton Planning Board will meet next on Wednesday , January 3 at 7 p . m . in town hall .