Resident raises wetlands, bamboo and basement‑drain concerns; commission to press permitting and ordinance options

A Franklin Township resident told the Environmental Commission that her neighbor’s recent work and planned fence would cross wetlands and town preserve land, that spreading bamboo is migrating onto township open space, and that heavy basement dewatering and sediment-laden runoff have flowed toward the preserved area.

The comments matter because the actions described — fence installation on mapped wetlands, large-scale bamboo eradication and continuous pumping of basement water — could require a New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection permit, a Letter of Interpretation (LOI) wetlands delineation, or township permit reviews, speakers said. The commission discussed steps staff can take and agreed to consider recommending an amendment to township rules for bamboo eradication and for permits near town open space.

Resident Lisa described several overlapping problems at and behind 203–405 County Road 518: a planned fence that would cross or abut wetlands and township preserved open space; a “football‑field‑size” patch of spreading bamboo that she fears will be eradicated with herbicides; and continuous pumping of water from an unfinished basement that she says is routing silt and runoff into the woods. “I can’t go to my neighbors and say, who is your bamboo company, and how are they planning on eradicating it?” she said during the public‑comment period.

Township staff said the DEP requires a Letter of Interpretation (LOI) to formally identify wetlands boundaries. The DEP, Lisa said, told her the neighbor would have to hire an environmental consultant to request an LOI, language she relayed to the commission. Commission members noted that the DEP’s mapping from aerial imagery can flag likely wetlands but that a field delineation is the definitive step.

Commission and staff exchanges clarified how municipal review will proceed. The commission was told that if the neighbor applies for a township fence permit, zoning staff will intercept that application and tell the applicant that wetlands permitting (LOI) and DEP review are needed before work proceeds. “As part of his review for the fence permit, he absolutely would do that,” a staff member said when asked whether Daryl (town staff) would route an application for additional review.

Commission members and staff discussed two short‑term options: (1) ensure zoning/staff intercepts any permit applications and notify neighbors and the commission; and (2) prepare a recommendation to the town council to amend the township bamboo/vegetation ordinance (Chapter 2‑22) to require a documented eradication plan or limit herbicide use when a property borders town preserve or wetlands. A staff member said township policy currently forbids herbicide spraying on township open space and that town crews remove bamboo by digging when the township handles removal.

No formal vote on a change to the ordinance was taken at the meeting. Commissioners asked staff to send the resident a screenshot of the township DEP map and to watch for an official permit filing; staff also said they could provide guidance to the resident about what will trigger DEP review. Lisa said township staff informed her that they would notify the environmental commission and neighbors if a DEP application is filed so concerned parties can review proposals and submit comments.

The commission discussed possible longer‑term changes, such as: requiring applicants who propose bamboo removal or other vegetation work adjacent to town preserve or wetlands to submit an eradication plan to zoning for review; clarifying permitted eradication methods in Chapter 2‑22; and improving pre‑application outreach to neighbors when projects would affect preserved land. Commissioners noted constraints on preemptive municipal enforcement — staff generally will not act in the absence of an application — but said they will pursue a recommendation to council if the commission supports it.

The resident said she has been in contact with town staff and county officials and that a township inspector (identified in the meeting as Shaw) placed a temporary stop on further construction pending investigation. Staff said they will continue outreach and monitoring and will notify the commission and the resident if a permit application or DEP filing arrives.

The commission asked staff to prepare materials summarizing the options for ordinance change and permit‑review procedures, and to email the DEP map screenshot to the resident. The commission said it will discuss drafting a formal recommendation to council about bamboo‑removal standards and permit coordination at an upcoming meeting.

If and when the neighbor submits a fence or other permit application, that application will trigger the DEP and township review processes the commission described; at that point neighbors and the commission will receive notice and may comment.

Community members seeking guidance were directed to contact township zoning and the environmental commission for updates; the commission promised to keep the resident and neighbors informed if any filings are received.