Mayor’s Column — Planning Board’s Master Plan is available online

The Township master plan and a link to the code of ordinances are available for all to review on the Township website.

As in all states, the use and development of real estate is governed by planning, zoning laws and regulations. The primary regulations are found in state statutes known as the New Jersey Municipal Land Use Law and the Voorhees Township Zoning Ordinances. Like other municipalities, every parcel of real estate in Voorhees falls within a particular zoning classification which governs the type of uses permitted such as residential, commercial or industrial and bulk requirements such as building height, set-backs and parking.

Generally, the Planning Board adopts a master plan, which divides the township into different zoning classifications with general requirements and permitted uses in the particular zones. The Voorhees Township Committee passes the actual zoning ordinances, which then become law and include all the requirements for each zone. The Planning Board must review the Township’s development needs at least once every ten years and adopt either a new master plan or a master plan update. The last time Voorhees conducted a full master plan review was in 2005. In 2012, a re-examination was initiated in an effort to keep our codes up to date.

The Township master plan and a link to the code of ordinances are available for all to review on the Township website, www.voorheesnj.com.

** Every Wednesday night is Family Movie Night at the Voorhees Town Center through March. On Jan. 25, enjoy a bite to eat while watching The Secret Lives of Pets in the food court on the 16-foot screen. There will be a different movie every Wednesday. The movie begins at 6:30 p.m. in the child friendly viewing area.

** The Voorhees Breakfast Rotary Club will be holding its annual Voorhees Township Community Service Awards Dinner on Thursday, Jan. 26 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Mansion, 3000 Main Street, Voorhees. The Voorhees Breakfast Rotary Club will honor their Community Service Award recipients for 2016, including the Voorhees Business of the Year, the Voorhees Citizen of the Year, the Voorhees First Responder of the Year and the Voorhees Selfless Student of the Year. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to www.Voorheesbreakfastrotary.org.