Committee asks planning board to revisit Tuckahoe Road zoning

Written by Columb Higgins Tuesday, 21 February 2012 18:58

MARMORA – Committee members last week requested that the planning board look again at a request to rezone properties fronting Tuckahoe Road from residential to commercial.

Ralph Holt, owner and operator of Ralph’s Bagels, said he had support for the change from a majority of property owners who have lots on Tuckahoe Road between Stagecoach Road and Tuckahoe Road Extension. He also had signatures from 1,000 people supporting the change, he said.

The planning board looked at rezoning the entire block last year as part of a Master Plan reexamination and decided against it, but Holt said former county freeholder Dan Beyel and county engineer Dale Foster had asked the planning board to only look at the properties fronting Tuckahoe Road. That is all Holt is asking for too, he said.

“Somehow it became about the entire block,” he said.

The block is all residential except for Ralph’s Bagels. Because his business is in a residential zone, Holt has had to go before the zoning board to seek variances to extend his hours of operation and other work.

“I’ve spent $60,000 on zoning hearings,” he said. “Why can’t we be treated the same as the businesses across the street?”

When the planning board denied the rezoning request last year, it did leave the door open to a future zoning change. Committee members asked the planning board to look at that change again.

“I think they should revisit the issue,” said Mayor Richard Palombo.

Township committee has the power to pass an ordinance rezoning the area, said solicitor Dan Young. If it introduces an ordinance to make the change, it would then go to the planning board for a Master Plan review. Even if the planning board says the zoning change doesn’t comply with the Master Plan, committee can still pass the ordinance.