Planning Board Fine-Tunes Master Plan

Planning board members and township officials poured over the details of the town’s draft master plan, pointing out minute mistakes and cleaning copy at a public meeting last night.

Cranford residents and business owners will get a chance to scrutinize and, officials hope, approve of the plan at two public hearings scheduled for the end of this month.

From about 7:30 to 10:30 Wednesday night, board members reviewed color-coded maps, headings, phrasings and more, pointing out inconsistencies and other small errors throughout the 80- to 90- page plan.

Cranford’s master plan is a work-in-progress, a long-range strategy for future land use, downtown development, housing options, and roadwork strategies based on the town’s changing needs.

The primary goals of the current reevaluation are to reduce the number of zones in the downtown district, introduce the Centennial Avenue Village concept, and enhance the business district along Commerce Drive, said Planning Board Chairman Richard Brightman.

Brightman and Mayor David Robinson expect a positive response.

“The public should welcome it,” said Robinson. “It looks to add common sense to downtown zoning. There are no radical changes. It still preserves Cranford’s character.”

The New Jersey Municipal Land Use Law requires that each municipality reevaluate its master plan at least once every six years. Cranford’s last reevaluation report was published June 2002.  The planning board has been working on the latest reevaluation for two and a half years.

Copies of the plan will be available late next week on Cranford.com, Cranford Patch and in the municipal building. Cranford residents and business owners will get a chance to give feedback and ask questions regarding the plan at public hearings on September 23 and 30.

More information will be published about these meetings as the dates near.