LOWER TOWNSHIP -- The Planning Board here made short work of its consideration of future installation requirements for outdoor wood furnaces within the township, recommending to Township Council that the devices be banned entirely.

The nine member board voted to make its recommendation after hearing from nearly 20 residents from a subdivision where an outdoor wood burner is located, according to planning director William Galestok.

"The planning board voted on Oct. 21 to recommend to the township council an amendment to general ordinance that would result in a complete ban of outdoor wood burners," said Galestok, who said the decision was made based on statements made by the public at the meeting and submitted in advance to the board.

The next step would be for township council to consider such amendments.

“If township council were to pass such an ordinance, permission for existing [outdoor wood burners] would stay in effect, the one in use would be grandfathered," said Township Manager Mike Voll.

"Of course, residents could still sign complaints for excessive smoke and fumes for the one in use," Voll said, referring to the council's unanimous vote early this month on amendments to the disorderly conduct regulation "…by expanding the prohibition of offensive products of combustion or fumes and allowing for enforcement by township officials.

"But, residents who sign complaints will need to appear in court to testify," he said.

The ordinance passed on a final vote after a public hearing at the Oct. 3 regular council meeting. It was introduced at the Sept. 7 meeting, after residents appeared at three straight council meetings with their concerns about a neighbor's outdoor wood furnace.

Diane Martin, of South Andrielle Lane, spoke briefly after the ordinance amendment passed, thanking the council and urging that local regulations be changed to increase acreage and setback requirements for anyone else seeking to install an outdoor furnace.

"I hate to call the police regarding a smoke issue, but November is coming and I imagine it will start soon," said Martin.

Pawel Banach, who did not appear at the Planning Board meeting or the earlier township council meetings where the subject was broached, has said that he still plans to use his Central Boiler E-Classic Furnace.

"We use it properly. We've had numerous people here about this before, including a lady from the E.P.A. to monitor it for about a week. She did a full report. It is up to code," said Banach, who installed the outdoor wood furnace in June 2010.

Banach and his wife have lived on the acre lot on Andrielle Lane for nearly 10 years, he said.

"My hearing bills in the winter went from $1,000 a month with natural gas to about $8 a month with this furnace," Banach said. "I went to the township when I wanted to install it. I follow the instructions in operating it. I burn regular wood."

"Everyone in this neighborhood has a fireplace or wood burning stove. This doesn't produce any more smoke than those do" he said. However, neighbors have maintained that the outdoor furnace produces smoke that permeates their homes and ruins their quality of life.

Central Boiler, the Minnesota -based company that produces the furnace, touts the product as having received a 2010 industry award "…for its extremely low emissions" and claims that "…there is no cleaner outdoor furnace with this amount of heat output."

At previous meeting, township solicitor Michael Donahue said that the Banach's boiler met "…the criteria as a furnace and met the zoning requirements."

Residents from the Andrelle Lane neighborhood have spoken at council meetings regarding the problems they say the smoke creates.

A dozen residents voiced similar concerns at an Aug. 15 meeting. They indicated that they have brought this issue to township authorities since June 2010.

Donohue has said that while the township can enact measures regulating certain aspects of outdoor structures, such as the size and placement of chimneys, the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has specific regulations dealing with outdoor smoke.