Some local residents say that it's worth exploring the "other side of the planning board vote."
Patch Staff
|Updated Tue, Apr 15, 2025 at 1:35 pm ET
BLOOMFIELD, NJ — A new township “master plan” recently got a green light from the Bloomfield Planning Board, but some residents say that it was unnecessarily rushed through the approval process – and it deserved more public input.
The Bloomfield Planning Board voted unanimously to adopt the 2025 Master Plan at their meeting on April 8.
The plan provides an overall blueprint for development in the township, providing guidelines for things like real estate projects, open space and stormwater regulations. View the full document and see supporting materials here.
Mayor Jenny Mundell and planning board chair Alan Laquaglia both had praise for the new plan – which officials say can be amended in the future – with Mundell calling it an “exciting moment for Bloomfield.”
According to a statement from the township, last week’s vote came on the heels of a two-year planning process, which included workshops, surveys and meetings.
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But some local residents say that it’s worth exploring the “other side of the planning board vote.”
Several people recently sent an op-ed to Patch, criticizing the approach that led up to last week’s vote. The signatories included: Gregory Babula, Jane Califf, Diane Doherty, Judith Earley, Ted Glick, Joan Hussey, Satenik Margaryan, Clare Mooney, Susan Mullins, Florence Rollins, Norman Sutaria, Tracy Toler-Phillips and Joy Willis.
Their op-ed stated:
“Voting on Bloomfield’s new Master Plan didn’t get a thumbs up from the majority of residents at last week’s April 8 public hearing who asked for the vote to be delayed and a second town wide meeting scheduled. The reason? Residents were given approximately 20 days to read and comprehend the document, which is about 300 pages.
“The majority of the residents who attended, the one and only opportunity to comment, requested a second meeting and asked the Planning Board not to vote on April 8.
“When the Master Plan process began, in 2023, there were two meetings for residents to attend, one in person on a Saturday and one virtual. Almost two years later, many residents were not able to attend the April 8 meeting for a variety of reasons: those who work shifts, especially 3-11; seniors who do not drive at night or do not have transportation; people away from home for work or on vacation; interpreters for hearing impaired residents; and parents without child care.
“Additionally, many town committees and community groups were not part of the creation of the Master Plan. For example, the Flood Mitigation Advisory Committee and the Bloomfield Center Alliance were not engaged by the Planning Board or Phillips Priess Grygiel Leheny Hughes LLC for input into the Master Plan. The Flood Mitigation Advisory Committee was not formed before the planning began but IS on the town’s list of committees. Finally, emails and calls were not allowed for the April 8 meeting; again leaving out taxpaying citizens.
“Our concern is the way this Master Plan has been rushed through without enough time to read, comprehend and research what is contained in it and for sufficient opportunities to attend a meeting for comments.
“The mayor wrote: ‘This is a living document and can be amended by the board through a public process.’ No one knows what the public process involves and how long amendments would take. When the Planning Board voted, it appeared that they used the concept of amending the Master Plan as the reason for voting ‘yes,’ despite many residents asking, why the rush all of a sudden?
“It is important to note that no one on the Planning Board asked the residents who testified at the hearing any questions regarding their comments and concerns.”
The signatories of the op-ed pointed to an online statement with more details about their objections. View it here.
Residents who want to view the Master Plan documents in person can schedule an appointment with the Bloomfield Planning Board secretary by calling (973) 680-4012 or visiting Room 203 of Town Hall, 1 Municipal Plaza.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Several people spoke about the Master Plan during the public hearing portion of the board’s April 8 meeting.
Watch footage from the meeting below (video is cued to public comment).
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