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Bernards Township adopts land‑development code update incorporating state rules
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Summary
The township committee unanimously adopted Ordinance No. 2593 to amend the land‑development chapter to add section 21‑87 and incorporate specified New Jersey Administrative Code sections; the planning board found the ordinance consistent with the master plan.
Bernards Township Committee adopted Ordinance No. 2593, a revision to chapter 21 (Land Development) that adds section 21‑87 and incorporates cited sections of the New Jersey Administrative Code into the township’s land‑use regulations.
The clerk read the ordinance title and related NJAC citations. Committeeman McNally moved adoption and was seconded; the planning board reviewed the ordinance on 03/03/2026 and determined it was consistent with the township master plan. The motion passed on a roll call with all members voting in favor.
Mayor Duarte McCarthy praised the planning board’s careful review, saying the township used the model ordinance selectively and ‘‘picked out what needed to be included’’ to create a more concise local code.
During the second public comment period, resident Carlos Stein of Riverside Drive referenced Ordinance 2593 and raised concerns about a potential affordable‑housing project on Manchester Road, urging residents to offer constructive criticism at the appropriate future hearings. "Ordinance 25 93 that we just approved — I'm not against it before, but this is the real mind of people who are concerned about what's going to happen at Manchester Road," Stein said, and also noted a recent property reassessment that raised his valuation by $40,000.
The committee did not take additional action on the Manchester Road site at this meeting; the ordinance itself updates local land‑use regulations and formalizes incorporation of state administrative rules into the township code.
Ordinance No. 2593 will be advertised as required by law following adoption.
