Dear Neighbors,
April has been a busy
month for Lumberton. So, without wasting too much time,
here are the big headlines.
Street
Obstruction Ordinance to Be Revisited. The township
committee agreed to not enforce the ordinance it passed in February
of this year to prohibit portable basketball nets and
construction deliveries from being left in the street
and the public right of way area between the sidewalk
and street. Over 70 people attended the township
committee meeting on April 21st. Most of the people in
attendance were there to voice their displeasure with
the new law. The Township will now revisit the language
of the ordinance to allow for short-term (i.e. 48 hours
or less) storage of home construction materials such as
mulch and stone and to permit portable basketball nets
between the curb and sidewalk areas. Finally, all the
flack over this ordinance was captured in the April 20th
Philadelphia
Inquirer. This fueled several morning radio talk
shows including 610 AM and 99.3 FM. Both made Lumberton
the butt of their jokes.
Lumberton, NJ
08048.
The Post Office completed the survey required
to change all of Lumberton to a single Zip Code. About
75% of the over 2,000 responses were in favor of a
single zip code for the town. The new zip code goes into
effect July 1, 2003. There will be a one year overlap
period where you will be able to use your old and new
address. After June 30, 2004, mail to your prior address
will be undeliverable.
WalMart is
Expanding. The township tentatively blessed
WalMart's request to expand the size of the store by
70,000 square feet or by about 50%. The expansion plan
still needs to be presented to the Planning Board for a
hearing and approval. The time frame for this expansion
is still to be determined.
Airport Expansion
is Not Dead. Lawyers for the South Jersey Regional
Airport distributed notices to the owners of the
neighboring properties of their application for a permit
to build 40 new hangers. Each hanger can hold 4-6
airplanes. The plan has not yet been presented to the
Lumberton Planning Board.
Open Space and
Recreation Plan. The Open Space Committee submitted
an Open Space and Recreation Plan for the Township's
approval. The first reading was April 21st at the
Township Committee Meeting. The 2nd reading and approval
is planned for the May 1st Planning Board meeting. An
Open Space and Recreation Plan is a requirement for
applying for Green Acres Funding from the state. The
township is looking to acquire as much open space as
possible. There is currently $186,000 in the fund to
purchase the Open Space. The fund was created three
years ago when voters approved a $.01 (per $1,000
assessed value) increase.
Low Income Senior
Housing: At a public meeting on April 9th, the Zoning Board
rejected the appeal to rezone the land on the North side
of Route 38 between the medical center and the lawn
mower repair center. The plot of land is just off the
highway. The land owner requested a variance to put in a
non-profit low income senior housing complex in an
industrial zone.
Thanks again for your continued
support. Please continue to forward this newsletter to
your neighbors and friends in town. As always, please
keep your suggestions and feedback coming.
Patrick Delany
Founder & Editor
Lumberton
E-News
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