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VERA's Questions to the 2004 Candidates for Township Committee and their responses
1. Statewide studies show that Route 73 is one of the worst roads in NJ for accidents, traffic and delays. A traffic study commissioned by the Township in May 2003 concluded that Route 73 in Voorhees will be subject to substantial congestion and possible gridlock in the long-range future if the corridor is built -out to the maximum permitted by existing zoning. The report recommended the following:
Decreasing the concentration of development permitted along Route 73.
Creation of an Environmental Protection Commercial zoning district to protect environmentally sensitive land.
Do you agree with these recommendations? If not, please explain.
If so, what specific actions would you take to implement these measures?
Dean Mazurek (D.) Thomas Booth (R.)
As the Deputy Mayor of Voorhees Township and a Voorhees Township Committeeman for the past three years, I was the Township Committee Liaison and a member of the Rt. 73 Corridor Review Committee. I am very familiar with the issues that effect not only Rt. 73 but the entire Township especially when it relates to traffic congestion. During my three years on Township Committee as well as during the course of this campaign, I have been making the alleviation of traffic congestion and delays in the Township and especially on Rt. 73 a focus. As part of the Rt. 73 Corridor Review Study, I was able to become intimately familiar with the issues concerning traffic and congestion on Rt. 73. I am in agreement with various recommendations of the traffic study that was previously commissioned by the Rt. 73 Corridor Review Committee including implementing land uses which will balance the concentration of development along Rt. 73 as well as protecting environmentally sensitive land through the planning process. Specifically, I voted for the opening up of the Master Plan which controls the zoning along Rt. 73. A chief aspect of the 2004 Voorhees Master Plan Reexamination is a traffic and circulation study not only along Rt. 73 but also the roadways which feed Rt. 73. This traffic and circulation study along with the prior traffic study that was conducted in conjunction with the Rt. 73 Corridor Study will allow the Planning Board and Township Committee to implement planning and zoning controls, capital road improvements and other traffic reducing measures to ease the traffic and congestion that occur along Rt. 73 and other areas in our community. While much of the Rt. 73 traffic is not generated in Voorhees and the highway is controlled by the State Department of Transportation, myself and the other members of Township Committee thought it was important to evaluate and implement whatever measures are available to a local government in order to ease traffic along a heavily traveled state highway which traverses many communities throughout its entire length. As members of Township Committee, we hope that the measures that we can make as a municipality will help to alleviate the traffic congestion and delay problems both on Rt. 73 and on other Township roadways.
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It is clear that the complete build-out of the Rt. 73 corridor in Voorhees consistent with its current zoning will generate a very substantial volume of additional traffic on a road which is already operating at or in excess of its capacity during peak hours.
It is also clear that, based upon recent history, my attendance at zoning board hearings, and the presence of many "For sale" signs on the lands themselves, there is a tremendous amount of development interest in the unimproved land on Rt. 73. It is certain that the vacant land on Rt. 73 will indeed be developed in some fashion.
The opportunity to influence and plan for this development, and sculpt it in such a way as to minimize its effect on those of us who live here, is before Voorhees right now. This opportunity will pass, and there will be no "do-over" chance at getting it right. It is critical that we act now, if we are to act as a community.
I support the recommendations for the re-zoning of Rt. 73 to encourage uses which have been found to generate less traffic, such as office use or light retail. The large tract of 'SC' zoning on the west side between Dutchtown and Lakeside, if built out to capacity, likely will result in a traffic doomsday scenario for Voorhees, not to mention having an adverse impact upon the environment, which brings me to the proposed EPC zone.
I also support the creation of an EPC Zone to protect the 14 identified parcels of land in WMA 19, identified by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission as "critical" to the water supply and water quality. I have read and support the other requirements of this proposal, which include a minimum 50 percent open space requirement, with encouragement to developers to make this open space continguous.
As for specifics, it is clear that new ordinances are required to re-zone the areas designated. Although the study does not mention the specific form of the "encouragement" to developers to increase open space and make it continguous, I propose a finite and modest tax abatement program for those developers complying with such suggestions as further incentive.
Finally, I believe that looking at Rt. 73 development as it pertains to Voorhees only is misguided and outdated. I would reach out to our sister towns to the north and south and propose we undertake a more regional approach to Rt. 73 development. What good is it if we do our job in Voorhees, but other towns continue to unwisely develop their stretches of Rt. 73 and push their traffic and environmental problems into Voorhees?
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2. Township Master Plans must be updated every six years, according to state law. With scheduled updates, Master Plans remain relevant to changing conditions, allow residents an important voice in deciding the direction of their community, and keep developer's plans in line with community guidelines. The Voorhees Master Plan became out-of-date in September, at a time when the Highway 73 corridor is the focus of increased development attention.
What would you do (have you done) to expedite the Master Plan Review process?
What would you emphasize in the Land Use/Zoning aspect of the plan?
Dean Mazurek (D.) Thomas Booth (R.)
The Voorhees Master Plan did not become “out-of-date in September” as the question is phrased. I have discussed this issue with land use attorneys and planners who advised me that in fact our Master Plan has not expired. To the contrary, our Master Plan is in full force and effect. The last Master Plan update was adopted in 1998 but the land use ordinances which actually implement the Master Plan were not passed until September of 1999 which is within the 6 year Master Plan window. As many residents know, I along with the rest of the Township Committee voted to authorize the reexamination of the Master Plan earlier this year which is currently in the process of evaluation by the Planning Board and its professionals. We expect that the Master Plan reexamination will be completed shortly and that the ordinances implementing the 2004 Master Plan will be passed into law soon afterwards. I also would like to point out that as a member of the Rt. 73 Corridor Study Team, important aspects of the Rt. 73 Report have already been implemented into local law and will be used in the 2004 Master Plan Reexamination process. With regard to Rt. 73, the aspects of the Rt. 73 Corridor Study concerning design and architectural standards have already been implemented so that any of the relatively few development applications along Rt. 73 that have been made during the 2004 Master Plan review process are already subject to those requirements. These design and architectural standards have already resulted in a reduction of the size of certain developments and the amount of parking that a particular development is permitted to have. I am delighted to have been a part of the Rt. 73 Corridor Study Review team and those of its recommendations that have already been implemented which are protecting our residents especially for the communities that lie adjacent to the Rt. 73. While at the same time taking steps to create an aesthetically pleasing corridor.
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Having not held office in Voorhees, I have obviously done nothing to expedite the Master Plan Re-examination process. Apparently, despite being in office for the past 3 years, neither has Mr. Mazurek done anything, either, since the Master Plan was required to be re-examined prusuant to New Jersey state law on or before Sept. 23, 2004 and it has not been.
Besides being required by state law, as stewards of our town, Township Committee must take its responsibility to guide development through Master Plan re-examination as one of its most important duties. Township Committee has been on notice of this year's re-examination requirement since at least last winter when it received a proposal to undertake the re-examination from a professional planning firm, which then advised Voorhees to start the process immediately.
I cannot begin to speculate why Committee has been asleep at the wheel on this issue. At best, it's gross neglect.
In any event, as Township Committeeman, I would make the re-examination process my immediate top priority. I would expect the planner who has apparently been hired by Voorhees to provide me with a status report of his work, and give projected times for completion of th re-examination - then hold him to it or find a planner who can get the job done. Public hearings will still need to be scheduled, and, based upon the last Master Plan update, these could take a month or more.
My emphasis in the Land Use/Zoning aspect of the plan would be the adoption of clear goals on density transfer and cluster development, consistent with my previously-expressed views on creation of the EPC zone and necessary road improvements to Rt. 73. Then, and perhaps most critically, Voorhees elected officials must lean on Trenton to provide the necesary changes to Rt. 73, as it is a state-owned, state-maintained highway. We can "recommend" all we want, but if Rt. 73 is not changed to aid our recommendations, then they are of little use.
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3. Briefly describe your platform.
Dean Mazurek (D.) Thomas Booth (R.)
My wife, my 3 children and I have lived in Voorhees for the past 17 years. I have served on Township Committee for the past 3 years and this year I was selected by the other members of Township Committee to serve as the Deputy Mayor of Voorhees Township. In these times, it is important to have leadership, experience and integrity in government, especially municipal government. To that end, I have also completed courses at Rutgers University in order to be a better-educated elected official. I feel that having a good understanding of all facets of our form of government is important. My experience as a longtime resident and a member of many community organizations along with my term on Township Committee give me the ability to work on the issues important to Voorhees Township residents. As a member of the Platt Administration, we have achieved many successes. Specifically, Township Committee has preserved over 200 acres of land as open space for the benefit and enjoyment of our community and children. We have turned a former asphalt plant into the Connolly Park, which includes a dog-run, gazebo and wide-open spaces for families to enjoy for years to come. The saving of the Stafford Farm from development has been a chief achievement of the current administration and I have been very fortunate to be a part of this process.
As a committee we have also made sure that quality of life has been a paramount focus. We have been upgrading the Lions Lake Park and Connolly Park and have commissioned a study by our Recreation Advisory Board to develop a sports and recreation facility for the entire community to enjoy. It is our goal to build the sports and recreation facility without taxpayer dollars. As a committee we have fought for and received approval from N.J.D.E.P. to clean up the former Buzby Landfill and have a plan for its reuse for the community. This was done with contributions from many community residents who have served on the Buzby Taskforce. We have also received over $300,000.00 in state grants as well as no cost professional planning for bike paths and streetscapes to allow for even more alternate means of transportation as well as recreation for our residents while beautifying our Township.
Township Committee under the Platt Administration has also taken serious steps to achieve budget stabilization for the community. While many expenses of the Township are state mandated, we have implemented various cost-saving measures including consolidation of departments, converting certain insurance plans for employees and have found new sources of revenue including the establishment of a hotel room levy and erection of a cell tower in order to increase revenue and stabilize the budget and keep taxes as low as possible without reducing services. We have achieved all of these successes while at the same time exercising the highest level of honesty and integrity.
My opponent has absolutely no experience in government nor the many problems that are faced by our community. My opponent has only recently moved to Voorhees in the past year and it is impossible for him to know and sense the community that I have been a part of in the 17 years that my family and I have lived in Voorhees. He is not a Certified Municipal Elected Official and neither has the education nor experience in addressing budgetary or quality of life issues that are faced by Voorhees residents. In short, my opponent has no record of the many successes that we have had including the implementation of open-space preservation, smart growth and budgetary stabilization. My opponent also has not demonstrated to the residents of Voorhees the commitment to them or any level of integrity. He has not been involved in community organizations nor can he claim to have been part of such positive achievements including the Echelon Mall revitalization and redevelopment plans.
I am committed to policies and practices that will make a positive difference in Voorhees. I will continue to improve the facilities at Connolly Park and Lions Lake as well as the proposed sports and recreation facility. I will continue to pursue the purchase of open space to protect the Township and the environment as well as striving to provide the best services to Voorhees residents at the lowest possible cost. Most importantly, it is my pledge to represent the residents of Voorhees in a positive manner with integrity and respect. I ask you and your members to endorse me for Township Committee and vote for me on November 2nd. Thank you.
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My platform is straightforward and simple: Township Committee is obliged to carry out its duties to the citizens of Voorhees at the least possible cost to taxpayers. The decision-making process must first and foremost take into consideration the best interests of the taxpaying residents of Voorhees, and not our "friends" and contributors. It's ironic we focus so much attention on Rt. 73 development, yet our best ratable, the Echelon Mall, has more vacancies as the weeks go by. If we took better care of the existing ratables across town, the pressure to develop Rt. 73 would be lessened and we need not treat it like some lottery ticket out of our property tax hell. We need to adopt line-item budgeting and do a better job of getting more state aid to our schools.
One-party rule, no matter the party, is not the best option for government. Residents have been anesthetized by the Platt administration. As the lone minority member on Committee, Voorhees residents can count on me to keep a watchful eye on their government and shine a light where it needs to be shined.
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