Environmental Minutes | January 4, 2023

TOWNSHIP OF MONROE

ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES

Meeting Date: January 4th, 2023

1. CALL TO ORDER- Chairwoman Karen Polidoro

Pledge to Flag

2. Sunshine Law- Read into the record

3. Roll Call – (Commissioners and Associates)

_√_ Karen Polidoro (Chair), _×_ Rupa Siegal (Council Liaison)

_√_ Renee Haider, _√_ Roger Dreyling

_×_ Ken Konya, _√_ Joe Slomian

_√_ Giada Schwam (Student Liaison)

_√_ Mihir Majmundar, _√_ John Riggs

_×_ Lucille di Pasquale, _√_ Surabhi Agarwal

_×_ Irene Goldberg, _√_ Theresa Zamorski (Secretary)

Adoption of Minutes: A Motion to approve the December 5th, 2022, minutes made by Joseph Slomian and seconded by Roger Dreyling. All in favor.

4. Application: Preliminary and final major site plan

Block 6 Lot 17.01 &18.01

Speaker: Lorali Totten, P.E, Crest Engineering

The Commission had the following concerns:

· The Commission recommends that all lighting be LED, dark sky (downward facing), and motion sensitive, to eliminate as much light pollution as possible during the evening hours.

· The Commission is encouraging all applicants to landscape with buffers between neighboring properties and roadways with as may NJ native flowering plants/buses/trees as possible to encourage pollinators (bees, birds, insects, mammal, etc.) to thrive, including a mixture of annual and perennial plantings. These buffers also act to improve local air and water quality.

· The Commission is requesting that mature trees be preserved. The removal and replacement plan for the trees should be reviewed and approved by the Shade tree Commission and the Township Tree Assessor.

· The Commission recommends historic pesticide sampling in accordance with

NJDEP guidance if the historical use of property included farming.

· Please provide a combination of small trees, bushes and possibly a stone wall as a visual buffer between the highway and the location of the septic system in the front of the property. Plantings in the buffer should be native NJ evergreens wherever possible.

· Please consider installation of EV charging stations instead of on EV ready stations.

· Please consider incorporating as many of the attached eco-friendly design options as possible

· Developments along Route 33 have incorporated sidewalk plans in their design. The Commission recommends hat a sidewalk be provided along the property’s frontage on Route 33 or that funds be set aside for a sidewalk to be installed in the future.

· Please review NJDEP’s GeoWeb landscape and historic preservation overlays. Property should also be reviewed by the Monroe Township Historical Preservation Commission.

· The Commission recommends that a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) be prepared for the property by an experienced environmental professional and in accordance with ASTM standard E1527-21- Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessment.

· The Monroe Township Environmental Commission is encouraging all applicants to schedule meetings with, and seek recommendations from, the Commission prior to seeking Zoning and / or Planning board approval in all future application submittals.

Application: Preliminary major site plan

Bock 3, Lots 16, 17 & 18

Speaker: Sharif Aly, Amertech Engineering

The Commission had the following concerns:

· The commission recommends that all lighting be LED, dark sky (downward facing), and motion sensitive, to eliminate as much light pollution as possible during the evening hours.

· The Commission is encouraging all applicants to landscape with buffers between neighboring properties and roadways with as many New Jersey native flowering plants/ bushes/trees as possible to encourage pollinators (bees, birds, insects, mammals, etc.) to thrive, including a mixture of annual and perennial plantings. These buffers also act to improve local air and water quality.

· Please provide a combination of small trees, bushes and possibly a stone wall as a visual buffer between the highway and the location of the septic system in the front of the property. All plantings should be native NJ evergreens wherever possible.

· Please consider installation of EV charging stations instead of only EV ready stations.

· Please consider incorporation as many of the attached eco-friendly design options as possible.

· Developments along Route 33 have incorporated sidewalk plans in their design. The Commission recommends that a sidewalk be provided along the property’s frontage on Roue 33 or that funds be set aside for a sidewalk to be installed in the future.

· Please review NJDEP’s GeoWeb landscape overlay and note that three lots are mapped entirely within the vernal habitat area. Additionally, on page 155 of the Monroe Township Environmental Resource Inventory (Monroe ERI) date 2020 is Figure 22 entitled, NJDEP Landscape Project. Note that it appears this map identifies the subject property as being within a “vernal habitat area”. Please provide a more detailed evaluation of the vernal habitat area in accordance with the NJ Freshwater Wetland Protection Act Rules with Respect to the proposed warehouse development based on the information in the NJDEP GeoWeb overlays and in Monroe’s ERI. If necessary, consider site field verification of the information provided on GeoWeb and in Monroe’s ERI.

· The November 2022 PA/SI report identified the following 4 areas of environmental concerns:

1. Potential historically applied pesticides

2. Potential underground storage tanks associated with the former residences on the property.

3. Surficial debris and containers and storage trailers housing farm equipment.

Areas of concern were furthered investigated and determined not to be of environmental concern due to the type of debris found and the condition of equipment stored in the trailer. Areas 1 and 2 were further investigated by collecting appropriate samples for pesticides, arsenic, and lead in accordance with NJDEP historic pesticide sampling guidance and by conducting afield geophysical investigation for the presence of any underground metal anomalies. No soil samples exceeded the NJDEP soil remediation standards for pesticides, arsenic, and lead. No metal anomalies such as underground storage tanks were noted. However, metal debris and clay/terra cotta pipe were found. No obvious signs of release to the environment were noted such as odors, stained soils, or elevated readings on field

instrumentation. No additional investigation was proposed by Excel. The Commission finds the investigation results acceptable.

· The Monroe Township Environmental Commission is encouraging all applicants to schedule meetings with, and seek recommendation from, the Commission prior to seeking Zoning and/or Planning board approval in all future application submittals.

Application: Preliminary major site plan

Bock 3, Lots 31 & 32

Speaker: Sharif Aly, Amertech Engineering

The Commission had the following concerns:

· The Commission recommends that all lighting be LED, dark sky (downward facing), and

motion sensitive, to eliminate as much light pollution as possible during the evening hours.

• The Commission is encouraging all applicants to landscape with buffers between

neighboring properties and roadways with as many New Jersey native flowering plants /

bushes / trees as possible to encourage pollinators (bees, birds, insects, mammals, etc.) to

thrive, including a mixture of annual and perennial plantings. These buffers also act to

improve local air and water quality.

• Please consider installation of EV charging stations instead of only EV ready stations.

• Please consider incorporating as many of the attached eco-friendly design options as

possible.

• The lots are heavily wooded, and the development plans include substantial tree removal.

The removal and replacement plan for the trees should be reviewed and approved by the

Shade Tree Commission and the Township Tree Assessor.

• The Commission recommends that the boundary between the usable land and unusable

land be identified by either a chain link fence or concrete survey markers not over 100

feet apart, with their locations on the final approved plans, so that inspections can be.

done to ensure that no activity of any kind occurs on the unusable portion of the property.

The fence or survey markers shall be maintained by the property owner.

• Please discuss the possibility of installing sidewalks or setting aside funds for a potential

future sidewalk along North Disbrow Hill Road to be installed at a later date.

• At the eastern end of North Disbrow Hill Road, the road sharply bends to the south. The

proposed warehouse will be designed with bays for tractor trailers. Please review the

sharp bend in North Disbrow Hill Road with respect to traffic safety since there are many.

residential properties to the south of this proposed development. Tractor trailer traffic

should not impact the safety of the residents and their vehicles on North Disbrow Hill

Road.

5. Committee Reports:

a. High School Student Liaison- Giada Schwam-

· The Monroe Township Highschool Green Team

The Green Team has finalized the survey about the variety of clubs the school offers to School Culture & Climate Needs Assessment action that will be sent out the students during a meeting earlier today. Created a School Culture & Climate Needs Assessment subcommittee to work on a main project to make a guide on improving our community and create a survey and inform ourselves on what community.

· Preschool Collab

Application for the Preschool Collab closed yesterday, and team members are expected to be chosen for this three-day event in the next two weeks.

· Eco night Prep

The Eco night Event Team is a group that will manage and execute the Environmental Actions Club’s 4th Annual Eco night that will be takin place on April 14th this spring. The Event Team application closed yesterday and the Eboard will review the applications and appoint members to begin the event prep process to anticipate its first in person event at school.

· Sustainable Jersey Grant

The Green Team Grant members will meet later this month to plan out a project proposal for the new grant cycle in March.

General Member Meeting – Nothing to Report

b. Trails and Bike Paths Committee- Coordinator Karen Polidoro – Nothing to report.

c. Storm Water & Streams Committee- Coordinator Joe Slomian

· The Stream cleanup will be Saturday April 15, 2023

d. Energy Committee – Coordinator Ken Konya-

e. Open Space- Coordinator John Riggs-No Status on Masterplan.

f. Education Committee Report- Coordinator Renee Haider –

· There are going to be some more programs at the library starting January 21, 2023.Bee Keeping for everyone, Dep Climate change, EAC, Gardening and rain gardening.