BACKGROUND:
The township adopted an Open Space Preservation Plan in September of 2019 as an addendum to the Township Master Plan. The Preservation Plan outlines both the vision and policies which the Township intends to pursue. The township is now moving forward with the next step on how to implement the Plan and that includes amendment to development regulations. No single approach can fully implement an open space preservation plan. Employing multiple tools and approaches is required. In particular, the cooperation of private property owners and developers is essential.
The first tool to implement the Preservation Plan is an amendment to the Open Space Preservation Development Option (OSPDO). OSPDO is a development technique that allow flexibility in design by allowing the grouping of homes in a clustered area of the site that is best suited for development, and preserve open space in other portions of the site.
The existing OSPDO ordinance provides very limited flexibility, presents barriers to use, and does not encourage the use of the tool. The revisions to the OSPDO is to increase flexibility, reduce barriers, and encourage use for a multitude of areas of the township.