The municipality will now notify residents within 200-feet of a redevelopment property
Following the 2018 reorganization meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 2, the Harrison Township Committee held a work session meeting where members unanimously approved a policy that requires the municipality to notify residents of a redevelopment property within a 200-foot radius.
According to Mayor Louis Manzo at a previous committee meeting, the mandatory notification process does not apply to redevelopment projects by state statute, however after hearing from residents and looking to maintain a consistency with notification processes within the township, a policy or ordinance was recommended. The approved policy will mirror the notification requirements in place for non-redevelopment projects.
At the work session, Township Solicitor Brian Duffield said at the Joint Land Use Board, applicants pay for the cost of advertising and publication, notifying residents within a 200-foot radius of the property receiving a variance. However, because redevelopment is a governmental function, the township would be responsible for these costs.
“Do we want to foot that cost of notice and publication each time we consider a property for redevelopment?” Duffield asked. “It wouldn’t be fair to burden the underlying land owner, certainly, and the only other avenue could be to push it off to the redeveloper, but you don’t have a redeveloper until you have a redevelopment site.”
Duffield said the cost for the certified mail notifications is approximately $8 per mailer to anywhere from four to 20 properties, depending on the site location and its surrounding area. According to Manzo, the cost would be minimal, considering the township had about 19 redevelopment projects during the past eight to 10 years.
“In my opinion, that is money well spent,” Manzo said. “It will eliminate or lessen those perception issues that something is being done.”
Duffield said the township did not need to vote on an ordinance to solidify the change, as it is not requiring outside entities to incur the costs. Therefore, the committee cast a unanimous vote to require the notification process for redevelopment properties as a municipal policy.
In other news:
Manzo announced committee and Joint Land Use Board meetings will be held at 7 p.m. instead of 7:30 p.m. going forward.
