Somerset Township to hold public hearing on zoning changes May 20
Courtesy of Bill Pollock
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Somerset Township’s planning commission rejected a zoning ordinance that has been met with some opposition and would affect most of the municipality, though township supervisors will make a final decision following a public hearing May 20.
A large crowd turned out Monday evening for back-to-back meetings of the planning commission and supervisors. At the first meeting, the planning commission voted to recommend that supervisors reject the ordinance.
Bill Pollock, chair of the planning commission, explained that there had been only “minor changes” to the measure, which would add a host of conditional uses to Somerset’s A-1 agricultural district, since a town hall he organized last month.
“They didn’t change the critical things that we think are going to impact the residents in very negative ways,” Pollock said.
As part of his opposition to the ordinance, Pollock started the “Somerset Residents for Transparency” group on Facebook. Both meetings were livestreamed on the page Monday evening, and archived recordings remain for viewing.
Multiple residents spoke during the meetings, mostly against the proposal. Residents raised concerns that it would bring unwanted noise and traffic. Opposition was not unanimous, as some residents who spoke said they hoped to see Somerset be a more business-friendly community.
Pollock’s group organized a town hall on Feb. 12, where many of the same concerns were discussed.
According to Pollock, the A-1 district makes up about 80% of the township, and is where most Somerset residents live, as the larger farms in the area have been broken up into smaller lots.
If approved, businesses such as breweries, wineries and dog kennels would be able to operate in the district if they received conditional use authorization from the township.
Previously, township solicitor Jim Liekar said officials began looking at updating the zoning ordinance, which has been untouched since 1985, about a year-and-a-half ago.
At Monday’s supervisors meeting, officials voted to set a hearing date on May 20.
“At the end of that meeting, the supervisors are going to then vote on whether to overrule the planning commission and approve, or agree with the planning commission and not approve,” Pollock said.
The public hearing will be the final opportunity for residents to voice support or opposition for the changes. A time has not been set for the hearing, but it will be held at the Somerset Township municipal building at 615 Vanceville Road.