Millville Insider

Thank you to everyone who turned out for the Planning Board meeting on February 10 th . Whether you spoke or not your support by coming to the meeting helped. Thank you also to the planning board for allowing people to express their opinions and ask question. There was no time limit imposed upon those that spoke. Citizens were even allowed to speak more than once. It was a refreshing change from the city commission meetings where the citizens are ignored or criticized by Team Santiago. The planning board respected the comments of each and everyone that spoke and that in turn earned the planning board respect. Every comment was listened to and every question was answered. The result was the planning board is recommending that the new zoning ordinance be tabled by Team Santiago so it can be worked on further taking into consideration the comments made at the meeting by the public. That is transparency. That is the process working. That is the citizens being heard.

On Monday, February 10, 2020 the Planning Board will be discussing the new Zoning ordinance for the city of Millville. This should be a concern for every citizen in Millville as it will determine what type of houses and businesses will be allowed in the city and where. The original purpose to change the ordinance was to simplify the rules and regulations that govern the city. By simplifying the process and making everything more straight forward, it would attract more businesses to the city. This ordinance does the opposite.   The new ordinance is convoluted and restrictive and for some reason it is modeled after Lawrence Township’s regulations. Why? Here are just a few examples of what is in the new ordinance: 1.      Single family homes will no longer be allowed in the Union Lake Wawa Tract area however townhouses and apartments will be. 2.      Drug rehabilitation centers will be allowed in the Union Lake area and also along Cedarville, Carmel, Fairton, a