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Pennington planning board conditionally adopts Land Use Plan and several Master Plan elements
Summary
The Pennington Borough Planning Board unanimously conditionally adopted a draft Land Use Plan and several related Master Plan elements on April 8, 2026, setting an April 22 deadline for public suggestions and noting several public comments about zoning and historic sites.
The Pennington Borough Planning Board on April 8 conditionally adopted a draft Land Use Plan and agreed to readopt multiple Master Plan elements, including the Framing Plan, Mobility Plan and Open Space and Recreation Plan. The motions carried unanimously on roll calls of members present.
The vote followed a presentation by Jim Kyle, the board planner, and an update from Andrew Jackson, vice chair, who said suggested changes will be incorporated into the final draft and that the public comment period for revisions ends on April 22, 2026. Jackson also noted discussion about forming an Ordinance Advisory Committee composed of council members, planning and zoning representatives and borough professionals to address Land Use ordinance matters.
During the public hearing portion of the agenda, resident Kit Chandler asked whether a vacant lot owned by Pennington School remains in the R-80 zone and noted that the Toll Gate House in front of the African Cemetery is included in the historic district. Resident Dan Pace recommended the school land be rezoned to an E-1 or E-2 designation and asked that the African Cemetery and a borough-owned parcel south of Pennington Cemetery be shown as Park and Recreation (PR) on planning maps. Resident Eric Holtermann said he supported the plan's historic-preservation emphasis and its approach to accommodating affordable housing.
Andrew Jackson moved to conditionally adopt the Land Use Plan; Gian Paolo Caminiti seconded. The board recorded ayes from Mark Blackwell, Gian Paolo Caminiti, Mayor James Davy, Andrew Jackson, Kate O'Neill, Amy Kassler-Taub, Jennifer Tracy, Fred Jacobs and Jim Reilly. Jackson also introduced the Framing Plan and the Mobility Plan, each of which the board conditionally adopted after unanimous roll-call votes. The board voted to conditionally readopt five additional Master Plan elements (Mobility; Open Space and Recreation; Utility Services; Community Facilities and Services; and GBES) as a group.
On the Open Space and Recreation Plan, Dan Pace pointed out an apparent mapping discrepancy: page 11 of the draft lists no sidewalk between Woolsey Court and Heritage, but he said a sidewalk does exist there. The board proceeded to conditionally adopt that plan after hearing the comment.
What happens next: staff will incorporate suggested revisions into the final drafts and post updated elements on the borough website. The Planning Board set April 22, 2026 as the deadline for additional suggestions on the Land Use Plan; the board did not set immediate ordinance changes at this meeting.
