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Township passes ground electrical ordinances

By Dana Casadei


Two proposed zoning ordinance amendments regarding site standards for ground mounted mechanicals successfully passed on Tuesday, May 28 at the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees meeting.


“This is exciting, it’s an improvement,” said Andrea Bibby, township deputy director of Planning, Building & Ordinance about the amendments.


The two passed changes will primarily clear up some language and make some slight adjustments to the ordinance.  


One change is that ground mounted equipment will now be required to be five feet from the ground mounted mechanical unit instead of three feet, the current distance. This will allow for better air intake and accessibility for servicing the unit, and has been identified by contractors as the more common requirement from manufactures of such equipment. 


After doing a review of the last five years, it was found that generally the zoning board of appeals (ZBA) has granted the approval of variance requests for this type of equipment when the unit complies with the setback and screening provisions, and is not planned to be immediately adjacent to the building, based on the manufacturer’s specifications. The screening provisions will not be changed with these proposed ordinance adjustments.


The second major change to the ordinance has to do with requests for placement of ground mounted equipment inside accessory structures, like pool houses and generators inside detached garages. With the proposed amendment it will now be allowed to do this type of installation upon demonstrating that the accessory structure complies with the necessary provisions for accessory structures, including height and location standards, instead of having to go before the ZBA.


Air conditioner units, generators, transformers, pool equipment or other related equipment are what are considered ground mounted mechanical equipment.


“I think this makes a lot of sense,” said trustee Valerie Murray. “This is going to take a little bit of the weight off of the zoning board of appeals.” 


Much like it was in front of the board of trustees, the proposed changes received the full support from the ZBA prior to trustee's meeting, as well as the planning commission.



These further clarifications within the ordinance come after last April when the board of trustees approved amendments to the zoning ordinance, adding site conditions for ground or wall mechanical or electrical equipment that are not subject to accessary use provisions. 


“This ordinance has been working out really well with the new language,” Bibby said.


The vote passed 5-0.


Clerk Martin Brook and trustee Stephanie Fakih were both absent from the May 28 meeting.

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