December 25, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 5 Franklin Lakes Borough council approves golf course ordinance by Frank J. McMahon The Franklin Lakes Council has approved the rezoning ordinance that will permit the development of residential homes on the 131-acre High Mountain Golf Club property. At last week’s council meeting, several residents com- mented that the golf course is an asset to the borough. Citizens also cited concerns about the impact of the devel- opment on the environment and the need for open space, but five of the six members of the council who were present at the public meeting voted to adopt the ordinance. Mayor Frank Bivona explained that it is not the borough council’s choice and they would like to see the property remain a golf course. However, he said the owners of the golf course are selling the property, and the borough is trying to keep the density of the housing to be built there as low as possible. The ordinance will permit the development of the golf course into 60 single family homes, 160 carriage homes, and 55 affordable housing units. The plan to develop the site has been the subject of dis- cussion between borough officials and Toll Brothers, Inc., the contract purchaser of the property, since March of 2012, when the sale of the golf course was made public by the current owners. The council agreed to a draft ordinance at its Nov. 7 work session meeting and the ordinance was then sent to the planning board for its review and recommendations. January 1 reorganization scheduled The Franklin Lakes Mayor & Council will hold a spe- cial meeting at noon on New Year’s Day at the borough’s municipal building on DeKorte Drive to reorganize the borough’s government for 2014. The annual reorganization meeting will be attended by approximately 100 people, many of whom have held elec- tive office in the borough in the past. The highlight of the reorganization meeting will be the annual address by Mayor Frank Bivona in which he will thank the community for its support during the past year. Bivona is expected to recognize the borough volunteers and discuss the management of the town’s budget, the ser- vices that were provided to the community, the improved communications in the borough -- which recently received an award from the New Jersey League of Municipalities, the purchase of the Temple Emmanuel property on McCoy Road for special needs housing, and the plans to develop the 131 acre High Mountain Golf Club property. Bivona will also outline his goals for 2014. The mayor will swear in Ann Swist and Joseph Cadicina, two new council members who were elected in November to replace Councilman Frank Pedone and Councilwoman Nathalie Lota who did not seek reelection this year. In addition, he will administer the oath of office to fire department and ambulance corps officers and the council member the governing body selects to be council presi- dent for 2014. He will also announce the chairpersons of the various council subcommittees and the appointment of various staff and professional positions, and the members of various borough boards, committees, and commissions. The meeting will also have a public comment portion during which members of the public may voice their com- ments to the mayor and council. Following the meeting there will be light refreshments and an opportunity for those in attendance to socialize. F.J. McMAHON The planning board held several meetings to review the ordinance and made 11 recommendations to the council, which were reviewed with the developer. The planning board also held a special meeting at which two amend- ments were made to the borough’s master plan to make the ordinance consistent with the amended master plan. During the special meeting of the planning board on Dec. 12, Bivona advised that the developer had agreed to eight of the planning board’s recommendations, but said no to two of them and compromised on one of them. The developer did not agree to reduce the four develop- ment identification signs at the corners of Franklin Lake Road and Ewing Avenue, and they did not agree to inte- grate the affordable housing units or relocate them to a fringe area of the site. The developer did compromise on the height of the affordable housing units, agreeing to 42.5 feet in height, rather than the proposed 45, to maintain the aesthetic appearance of those buildings. In addition, the traffic pat- tern created by 15 of the 17 new homes that was going to empty onto Van Houten Avenue was changed to cross a (continued on page 17)