Council tables St. Maurice Redevelopment plan after residents raise traffic, signage and process concerns

Brooklawn Borough Council voted on a motion to table Ordinance 24-2024, the proposed St. Maurice Redevelopment plan, following an extended public hearing and multiple council members’ calls for further review.

A resident who identified themself in the record as at 405 Hcon Road urged the council to pause consideration, saying the redevelopment materials (24 pages) were distributed with insufficient time for review and that the plan appears to accommodate fast-food restaurants with drive-throughs adjacent to a school. The resident warned of high trip-generation and questioned whether the planning review was independent, saying the planner who drafted the ordinance had been under contract with a developer and that conflict-of-interest concerns merited delay. The resident cited signage changes, elimination of certain sidewalks along Route 130, and accessibility issues (a crosswalk leading to a four-foot ramp ending in dirt) as specific problems.

Council members voiced similar reservations at the meeting, noting technical questions — including traffic engineering detail and site-plan specifics — that they said would be better addressed at the planning-board level with traffic professionals present. Council also noted that when no separate Redevelopment Authority is appointed, the governing body assumes that role, increasing the need for careful review.

Council Member Clatworthy moved to table the ordinance; the motion was seconded and carried by recorded voice votes in favor from each council member present (Clatworthy; Daro; Hin; McConnell; O). The council did not adopt the ordinance and instead left the item to be revisited after further review and Planning & Zoning hearings.

The tabling preserves the planning board’s ability to conduct a site-plan and traffic review and gives the borough time to request additional analyses or solicit independent professional reviews. Council members said schedule and procedural decisions for reconsideration will be set during upcoming work sessions and the January reorganization process.

What happens next: Tabling halts adoption for the moment; the developer may proceed to the planning board for site-plan review and the council said it would seek additional information (traffic engineering, signage plans and any clarifying disclosures about consultants’ prior work) before taking further legislative action.