After not gathering since its re-organization meeting on January 4, the West Windsor Planning Board was back in action on Wednesday, March 7, as it passed an ordinance to impose riparian zone buffers and steep slope regulations by a vote of 9-0. Riparian zones are strips of land that directly abut natural waterways and bodies of water.
Township landscape architect Dan Dobromilsky outlined the ordinance and presented maps showing West Windsor’s green belt, situated in the center of the township. Dobromilsky said the regulations that the ordinance would put in place are concurrent with the green belt, which involves strategic environmental design. A flood buffer would preserve an area of natural vegetation along either side of a stream.
One example Dobromilsky pointed out was that when a tree falls down, it should go through the nutrient cycle of decomposing and replenishing the soil it lands on. Eventually the nutrients in soil are absorbed by plants and those can runoff into nearby bodies of water.
“Having buffers along the stream makes it so that leaves, branches and twigs disintegrate and break down, producing nutrients that make it to the water at a slower pace. That helps animals that live in the stream or alongside the stream. By having vegetation along the edge it filters out other pollutants from the water,” Dobromilsky said.
The ordinance, which was reviewed by the Environmental Commission, was amended to regulate building development around Duck Pond Run, which links directly to the township’s water supply. The riparian zone would be 300 feet wide along both sides of Duck Pond Run and 300 feet wide along both sides of any category 1 (C1) water and all upstream tributaries situated in the same watershed. Dobromilsky said although Duck Pond Run has not yet been designated as a C1 water by the Department of Environmental Protection, the Environmental Commission felt it was important to take precaution now in case that happens in the future.
However, the riparian zone will be required to be 150-feet wide along both banks of any trout production or trout maintenance water. Mayor Hsueh and Dobromilsky each explained that West Windsor has no trout production water, just a trout stocking body of water as part of the Assunpink preserve.
With the ordinance, 150-foot-wide buffers will also be enforced for “any segment of water flowing through an area of soils which could be considered acid-producing.” Dobromilsky explained that in Central New Jersey there is land which could be considered extremely acidic, including a band that runs through West Windsor.
“It could only be dug up if you are digging really deep, but with construction it’s something we are frequently dealing with. When you expose those soils there’s really nothing you can do to buffer them; what you do is basically bury them,” he said.
