Frank Vuoso
Director of Community Development
(908) 725-2300 ext. 1962
fvuoso@somervillenj.org
Toni Wortman
Board Secretary
(908) 725-2300 ext. 1964
twortman@somervillenj.org
The
Borough of Somerville Planning Board consists of nine members and two
alternates, pursuant to the NJ Municipal Land Use Law.
A. Membership: appointment
Class I: The Mayor of the Borough, or the
Mayor’s Designee in the absence of the Mayor.
Class II: One of the officials of the
Borough other than a member of the Borough Council, appointed by the Mayor;
provided that the member of the Environmental Commission who is also a member
of the Planning Board as required by P.L. 1968, c. 245 shall be deemed to be
the Class II Planning Board Member in the event that there be among the Class
IV or alternate members of the Board both a member of the Zoning Board of
Adjustment or Historic Preservation Commission, if one exists, and a member of
the Board of Education.
Class III: Member of the Borough Council to
be appointed by it.
Class IV: Six citizens of the Borough of
Somerville to be appointed by the Mayor. The members of Class IV shall hold no
other municipal office, position or employment, except that one such member may
be a member of the Zoning Board of Adjustment or Historic Preservation
Commission, if one exists, and one such member may be a member of the Board of
Education. The member of the Environmental Commission who is also a member of
the Planning Board as required by P.L. 1968, c. 245 shall be a Class IV
Planning Board member, unless there be among the Class IV or alternate members
of the Board both a member of the Zoning Board of Adjustment or Historic Preservation
Commission, if one exists, and a member of the Board of Education, in which
case the member common to the Planning Board and Environmental Commission shall
be deemed a Class II member of the Board. For the purpose of this
qualification, membership on a municipal board or commission whose function is
advisory in nature, and the establishment of which is discretionary and not
required by statute, shall not be considered the holding of municipal office.
Alternates: There shall be two alternate members
of the Planning Board, appointed by the Mayor. The alternate members shall meet
the qualifications of Class IV members of the Planning Board. Alternate members
shall be designated at the time of appointment by the Mayor as "Alternate
No. 1" and "Alternate No. 2".
B. Terms of Office:
Class I: Term of member shall
correspond to the mayor’s official tenure, or if the member is the mayor’s
designee in the absence of the mayor, the designee shall serve at the pleasure
of the mayor during the mayor’s official tenure.
Class II and III: Term of members shall be
for one year or terminate at the completion of their respective terms of
office, whichever occurs first.
Class IV: Term of member who is also a
member of the Zoning Board of Adjustment or Board of Education shall terminate
when he is no longer a member of such other body or at the completion of his
Class IV term, whichever occurs first. The term of all Class IV members shall
be four years, except as provided otherwise herein.
Alternate Members: Terms of alternate
members shall be for two years. The terms of the alternate members shall be
such that the term of not more than one alternate member shall expire in any
one year; provided, however, that in no instance shall the terms of the
alternate members first appointed exceed two years.
All terms shall run from January 1 of the
year in which the appointment is made.
Planning Board Committees:
The Planning Board Chairman may
appoint among the members of the Board a Subdivision and Site Plan Committee to
review, report and make recommendations to the full Board regarding subdivision
and site plan applications pending before the Board. The Planning Board
Chairman may also appoint from among the members of the Board such other
committees as the Chairman may deem advisable in carrying out the functions of
the Planning Board.
Powers and Duties of the Planning Board:
The Planning Board shall follow the
provisions of the Municipal Land Use Law and this chapter, and accordingly
shall have authority to:
1. Prepare, adopt, and amend a master plan
or component part thereof;
2. Exercise control over and review of
subdivisions, site plans and conditional uses, including certain variances and
building permits. Notwithstanding the above, the planning Board shall not have
the power to review and approve site plans, subdivisions or conditional uses
when such applications involve a "D" variance;
3. Perform informal review of concept plans
for development.
4. Make recommendations to the Borough
Council concerning adoption or amendment of development regulations and an
official map;
5. Direct the issuance of building permits
for buildings or structures in certain areas shown on an official map, when
such building permits also require subdivision, site plan or conditional use
approval;
6. Direct the issuance of building permits
for buildings or structures on a lot not related to a street, when such
building permits also require subdivision, site plan or conditional use
approval;
7. Make recommendations to the Borough
Council and/or any housing, parking, highway, special district or other
authority, redevelopment agency, school board other similar public agency,
State, County or municipal, concerning the relationship of capital projects to
the Master Plan pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-31;
8. Prepare a capital improvements program,
if authorized by the Borough Council;
9. Participate in the preparation and review
of programs or plans required by State or federal law or regulation;
10. Assemble data on a continuing basis as
part of a continuous planning process; and
11. Perform such other advisory duties as
are assigned to it by ordinance or resolution of the Borough Council for the
aid and assistance of the Borough Council or other agencies or officers.
2007 Planning Board Members
CLASS I: Mayor Brian G.
Gallagher
CLASS II: Larry Cleveland
CLASS III: Dennis Sullivan
CLASS IV: Milton Peabody
CLASS IV: Wayne Harmer
CLASS IV: Bernie Navatto (Chairman)
CLASS IV: Dr. R. Goldsmith,
Alt 2
CLASS IV: Philip Decker
CLASS IV: Andrea Adair
CLASS IV: Deirdre Rosinski
Meetings:
The Somerville Planning Board meets on the
second and fourth Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers,