At the Monday, Nov. 27 Moorestown Township council meeting, council adopted three ordinances on second reading.
Moorestown Township Council convened on Monday, Nov. 27, to adopt three ordinances making changes to athletic facilities, speed limits and flood zones. The brief meeting was all business on council’s end, with each ordinance and resolution passing in rapid, unanimous succession with little to no comment from council.
Council passed an ordinance on second reading authorizing $308,750 in bonds for the reconstruction of the tennis and basketball courts at Maple Dawson Park. The four courts will be resurfaced with asphalt, and new fencing will be put up along the tennis court. The courts have not been updated since approximately 1995.
“I think it’s needed, so I support it,” Councilman Michael Locatell said regarding the ordinance.
Another ordinance passed on second reading amended Moorestown’s ordinance on flood damage protection. Township manager Thomas Merchel said the change comes as a result of Superstorm Sandy. He said following the storm, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency and the state Department of Environmental Protection required all the flood maps be updated.
“This is required for anybody to be able to take advantage of flood insurance — national flood insurance,” Merchel said.
Merchel said the township’s construction official and community development director met with state officials and received instruction on the map updates. He said, overall, the state level changes have little effect on Moorestown except for some areas on the outskirts of town and near Strawbridge Lake. He said anyone living in a flood area affected by the changes will be alerted by mail.
Council also adopted an ordinance on second reading designating Pleasant Valley Road a “no passing zone” from Route 38 to Camden Avenue. The ordinance also lowers the speed limit from 35 miles per hour to 25 miles per hour from Borton Landing Road to Salem Road, from Westfield Road to Bramley Road and from Hartford Road to Salem Crossing Road.
In other news:
• Council passed a resolution authorizing $85,000 from the Moorestown Open Space, Recreation, Farmland and Historic Preservation Trust Fund to be used for engineering, design and permit expense for stormwater management improvements at Strawbridge Lake. According to the resolution, Princeton Hydro, LLC, provided a proposal for engineering, design, testing, permitting and bidding services to the Children’s Pond and Haines Drive Ponds for the purpose of improving the overall stormwater management at Strawbridge Lake.
• The next meeting of the Moorestown Township Council will take place at Town Hall on Monday, Dec. 11 at 7:30 p.m.
