Hamilton Township is embarking on a Township-wide Master Plan - the first in over 20 years! This Master Plan will set forth how the Township should develop and redevelop in the coming years. It will review and make recommendations on all aspects of Township planning including land use (such as permitted uses and zoning districts), transportation (such as roads, sidewalks and bike routes), open space, the environment, economic development and overall neighborhood improvement. The Township Planning Board has created a subcommittee of its members and other Township representatives to work with their planning consultants at Clarke Caton Hintz to prepare the Master Plan. The Planning Board will meet several times throughout the year to gather input and discuss the Plan.
This website will have everything you need to know about the Master Plan – including meeting dates, resources to how to participate. You can also submit your opinions and ideas through the forums, surveys and mapping!
ANNOUNCEMENT
On June 16, 2011, the Planning Board will hold a public hearing on the adoption of the Master Plan. After several months of discussing the various Elements in the Master Plan, the Planning Board will be holding a public hearing on the complete document and may adopt it. Clarke Caton Hintz will provide a presentation on the Master Plan. Everyone interested should attend the meeting to listen and provide input. The Meeting will be held at 7pm at the second floor of the Municipal Building at 2090 Greenwood Avenue.
On April 21, 2011 the Planning Board will discuss the Master Plan. The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) will present the draft Conservation Element and Clarke Caton Hintz will present the draft Open Space and Recreation Plan Element and the Green Buildings and Environmental Sustainability Element. After the presentations, the Planning Board and members of the public will be invited to make comments and ask questions. Additional information about the Master Plan and the process can be found at www.hamiltonmasterplan.com.
On March 9, 2011 the Planning Board will discuss the Master Plan in addition to a few previously scheduled items. Parsons Brinckerhoff will give the previously scheduled presentation on the preliminary findings from Bicycle and Pedestrian Circulation Study they are preparing. After a Planning Board discussion of the findings, the public will be invited to give their thoughts. Additionally, Clarke Caton Hintz will give a presentation on proposed land use changes and a draft Open Space and Recreation Plan.
On February 10, 2011 the Planning Board will discuss the Master Plan in addition to a few previously scheduled items. The Master Plan discussion will focus on proposed land use changes. Property owners who have requested the Planning Board consider changing the zoning of their property will be invited to give a short presentation on their request. Additionally, Clarke Caton Hintz will present additional changes to the zoning map that the Planning Board may consider. Additional information on the potential land use changes can be found under “Master Plan Documents” on the “Resources” page of this website.
The January 27, 2010 Planning Board meeting has been postponed until February 10, 2010. Please check back soon for additional information on this upcoming meeting.
The Planning Board will be discussing the Master Plan at their next meeting – Thursday January 27, 2011 at 7pm in the Hamilton Township Municipal Building. There will be two topics discussed – the Bicycle and Pedestrian Circulation Study and recommendations for changes to the zoning map.
Parsons Brinckerhoff will give a presentation on the preliminary findings from Bicycle and Pedestrian Circulation Study they are preparing. After a Planning Board discussion of the findings, the public will be invited to give their thoughts. Check back soon to find information from Parsons Brinkerhoff on the “About the Plan” or “Resources” pages on this website.
Property owners who have requested the Planning Board consider changing the zoning of their property will be invited to give a short presentation on their request. Additionally, Clarke Caton Hintz will present additional changes to the zoning map that the Planning Board may consider. The public will be invited to give their thoughts after of the presentations. Check back soon to find a description of all the rezoning considerations on the “About the Plan” or “Resources” pages on this website.
New Survey! There is a new survey posted asking how important each draft Comprehensive Master Plan Goal is to you and how important it is compared to the rest of the Goals. Please follow the link on the “Get Involved” page on this website to complete the survey. You can find other surveys here too – please complete these too if you haven’t already. Thanks!
Mark your calendars! The Planning Board will discuss Draft Goals and Objectives at its December 9, 2010 meeting. There will be a brief presentation by Clarke Caton Hintz on the Draft Goals and Objectives and after a Planning Board discussion of the draft document, the public will be invited to give their thoughts. The meeting will be held December 9, 2010 at the Hamilton Township Municipal Building at 7pm.
The Draft Goals and Objectives are available from The Township Community Development Office as well as on-line at the Hamilton Master Plan website (www.hamiltonmasterplan.com) under the “About the Plan” and “Resources” links.
The Hamilton 2020 Symposium for the Route 33 corridor, held August 6th, went very well. The Township, in conjunction with the Hamilton Partnership, led a nearly four hour session on the strengths, weaknesses and ideas for improvements that resulted in many great ideas for how to improve the business climate, aesthetics and function of Route 33. Click on the “About the Plan” link above for more information.
(July 8, 2010 Update) Thanks to everyone who came to the Master Plan kick-off meeting (June 24th) to learn about the process and/or give their ideas! It was a great meeting and the public input was very helpful. So far more than 130 people have � filled out the first survey asking what the Master Plan priorities should be. These preliminary results indicate that the most popular topics ranked “extremely important” are preservation of open space and farmland (61%), traffic (56%), neighborhood preservation (56%) and jobs and economic development (46%). A new survey asking about recreation in the Township will be posted by July 13th. Go to the “Get Involved” link on the Master Plan website (www.hamiltonmasterplan.com) to complete this new survey or the previous one if you haven’t done so! Another way to get involved is through the forums on the Master Plan website (www.hamiltonmasterplan.com) � at the “Your Thoughts” link – sign up to discuss Master Plan issues and ask questions. The Planning Board is moving forward in gathering information to be used in the Master Plan. The next meeting will be Hamilton 20/20 Symposium, which will address issues along the Route 33 business corridor. Stay tuned for an announcement.
The next scheduled Planning Board meeting to discuss the Master Plan is September 30, 2010 at 7:30pm in the Municipal Building on Greenwood Avenue.
The Master Plan Steering Committee will host the Hamilton 20/20 Symposium on Friday August 6th. All residents and business owners are invited to discuss economic development and redevelopment ideas for the Route 33 business corridor. The Township’s Steering Committee, in association with The Hamilton Partnership, is hosting the Symposium at the Cedar Gardens Banquet Hall (661 US Highway 33, Hamilton, NJ 08619) from 8:00am to 12:00pm. The Symposium will start with a presentation about the corridor, including both its challenges and advantages, and then participants will break into groups to brainstorm about what the Township can do to improve each section of the corridor. Lastly, everyone will reassemble and present their ideas to the entire group for general discussion. The focus of discussions will be on the commercial properties along the corridor and the road itself.
Please come out to share your ideas – we want to hear from you!
Please call either Michael Guhanick (Hamilton Township) at (609) 890-3680 or Beth McManus (Clarke Caton Hintz) at (609)883-8383 if you have any questions.