Planning board lays out master‑plan priorities and proposes ordinance subcommittee

Chairman Orsini and planning staff outlined a phased approach to the master‑plan reexamination that prioritizes a first package of "easy win" ordinance changes to present to township council, followed by more involved items later in the process. Orsini proposed an ordinance subcommittee of fewer than a quorum to work with planner Mark Healy on initial drafts.

Why it matters: the planning board emphasized bundling related, straightforward ordinance changes (for example, loading‑dock depth, sidewalk standards and a set of zoning cleanups) to reduce council desensitization and build momentum. Orsini said the approach would allow staff and board members to achieve several technical updates quickly while reserving higher‑effort items for later study.

Key items discussed: the board flagged several categories for early action ("easy wins") and others for medium or long‑term work. Topics named for early packaging included small zoning corrections, definitions and design standards; higher‑effort topics included clustering standards, density bonuses and some redevelopment items that would require more stakeholder work. The board agreed to recruit a small subcommittee to work with planner Mark Healy on first drafts before returning to the full board for recommendation to council.

Next steps: staff will draft an initial ordinance package and work with volunteers from the board to refine language at the subcommittee level; the planning board will then formally recommend any ordinance changes to the township council for consideration.