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Maplewood Committee adopts easement and zoning ordinances, introduces several ordinances and bond measures and appoints recreation advisory member
Summary
On May 6 the Maplewood Township Committee adopted an ordinance authorizing stormwater easements, approved a zoning ordinance moving a bus-garage parcel from Research & Office to Highway Business, introduced multiple municipal ordinances and bond measures for hearings on May 20, and appointed Rachel Goldman to the recreation advisory committee.
The Maplewood Township Committee took a bundle of routine and substantive actions on May 6, 2025, adopting two ordinances on final passage, introducing several ordinances and bond measures for public hearing May 20, and appointing a resident to the recreation advisory committee.
Ordinances adopted on final passage included ordinance 31-52-25, which authorizes the township to obtain easements for stormwater facilities on private properties on Maple Terrace and Berkeley Road. During the hearing no members of the public spoke; the measure passed by roll call with Dean Dafnis recorded as abstaining and all other members voting yes.
The committee also adopted ordinance 31-44-25 to eliminate the Research & Office zoning district for a parcel that includes the Hilton bus garage and to reclassify that parcel in the Highway Business zoning district. Town planning staff and the township attorney explained the change aligns the zoning for the single parcel with adjacent properties and is not a development approval. No development was proposed as part of this ordinance; the committee voted to adopt it after the hearing.
Several ordinances were introduced on first reading for May 20 public hearings. These included ordinances to increase certificates-of-continued-use and occupancy fees (31-53-25), to increase rental-property registration fees (31-54-25), and to replace §2-71-45 of the township code to establish flood-plain regulations and adopt flood-hazard maps (31-55-25). The committee also introduced bond ordinances to fund capital improvements across the township. Bond ordinance 31-56-25 appropriates $6,532,000 and authorizes issuing $6,234,150 in bonds or notes to finance part of the cost of various capital projects; other bond ordinances were introduced for stormwater utility improvements and South Essex Fire Department capital needs.
The committee appointed Rachel Goldman to the recreation advisory committee after reading a short statement from Goldman describing 18 years as a Maplewood resident and her interest in inclusive programming. The committee moved and seconded the appointment and recorded affirmative votes.
Other business included proclamations for multiple heritage and awareness months and administrative reports from the clerk (election-day polling changes and Memorial Day parade publicity), the administrator (monitoring a potential NJ Transit engineer strike), and committee members (pool opening, arts and culture planning, and a proposed paid-parking pilot for Maplewood Village).
The committee adopted the consent agenda and closed with a second public-comment period. The capital budget and introduced ordinances are scheduled for further hearings on May 20, 2025.
