Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Code Enforcement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents protest short deadlines after township sends notices to remove shipping containers and trailers
Summary
Several Millstone residents told the committee they received two-week courtesy notices to remove shipping containers and multiple trailers; residents said many have used containers for decades and asked whether such uses should be grandfathered. The committee agreed to have Code Enforcement (Nick) review notices and to hold off enforcement pending staff follow-up.
Residents packed the public-comment portion of the Millstone Township Committee meeting to press officials over recent notices ordering the removal of storage containers and limiting on-site trailers.
"I've had a farm here 30 years...we grow our own hay," said Doug Nielsen of 270 Stage Coach Road, who told the committee he and several neighbors received identical notices and were given two weeks to comply. "I started checking on it...I don't understand how somebody can live here 30 years and have trailers there for 20 years and then get a letter."
Other residents made similar points. Greg Massa, who said he had not yet moved into his house, told the committee a notice demanded removal of three lawn trucks and three trailers on short notice; he said parked equipment was not visible from the street. Sue Mangold asked whether the intent was to address aesthetics or safety and suggested mitigations — painting, screening, or adding a door so a shipping container becomes more like a shed.
A committee member read revised zoning language on the record, noting that the updated ordinance explicitly lists "trailers, campers, camping vehicles, recreational vehicles, watercraft, operative vehicles, and other equipment associated with residential use" as the items addressed; the reading also observed that the term "shipping container" was not included in the enumerated list. That exchange clarified why residents saw apparent discrepancies in which properties received notices.
Township staff agreed to investigate how the notices were distributed. The committee asked Code Enforcement to provide the list of recipients and tasked staff with contacting affected residents. "Let us peel back the onion, understand what's going on, and I will have him contact all of you," a committee member said, promising follow-up and, if necessary, a return meeting.
At the close of public comment, the committee instructed staff to hold off enforcement for the April 6 compliance deadline while the township confirms recipients and individual circumstances.
What the record shows: Notices dated March 18 gave an April 6 compliance date that residents said did not provide adequate time to remove or relocate large containers and commercial equipment. Residents repeatedly described long-running, working uses on their properties and asked whether the township would consider grandfathering or reasonable accommodations based on lot size, visibility from the road, or agricultural needs.
Next steps: Staff (Code Enforcement) will contact residents individually, provide copies of the notices upon request, and report back to the committee; the committee recorded that it will reconvene affected residents if further clarification is required.
