Ho-Ho-Kus June 19, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 5 Planners still welcome input on master plan by Jennifer Crusco Nearly a year ago, Ho-Ho-Kus Planning Board Chairman John Hanlon asked the general public to provide information that could be used in the borough’s master plan – and that invitation still stands. The master plan update is still in progress, he reported, and input is welcome. Hanlon, who is also the borough’s historian, specifically asked for photographs and suggestions for improvements in areas that range from ideas for road improvements to recommendations for downtown parking. Last week, Hanlon noted that the board is still trying to have the master plan finished by August. However, he said it might be possible to continue working beyond the August deadline due to recent changes. “Bergen County no longer works on statistics from the census,” Hanlon said, pointing out that this time-consuming process has been left to local officials. “Still – we are about 90 percent done,” he said, adding that various elements of the plan are now in rough draft form. According to Hanlon, the current master plan update will include various new items, such as how to access borough information online, and an expanded history section. The history section, he said, will include information from personal interviews, details about the borough’s Cheelcroft neighborhood, and new information about the borough’s race track, which was well-used for many years before it was developed for residential use. He noted that anyone who reads the master plan entry regarding the borough’s lightning detection system would be able to read about the original proposal and then view related photographs. Hanlon pointed out that the document will eventually be available online and residents will be able to read and download whatever sections they find useful or interesting. When Hanlon first made the request for residents’ assistance, he noted that a board member suggested the addition of relevant photographs to the master plan. The historian noted that the addition of photographs of the town, including those depicting floods, would be added to the master plan for future reference. Last year, Hanlon indicated that the planning board members would again be reviewing and updating the master plan themselves. Although the plan will ultimately be reviewed by a consultant before it is adopted, the planning board is again doing the majority of the work on the document. Hanlon estimated that having the board work on (continued on page 27)