Acting swiftly in response to complaints about deep disturbance among residents — and their dogs and horses — from abuse of new fireworks privileges now allowed by the state, Bedminster Township reports progress on the matter through increased cooperation from its developments’ homeowners associations (HOAs).
In his monthly report at the Aug. 9 board of supervisors meeting, Township Manager Rich Schilling said he had completed meetings with those HOAs, and gained commitments from them to formally advise their residents that development common areas were not to be used to set off fireworks, something that apparently was already against the rules.
Several residents had appeared at the July 12 supervisors meeting to complain about the disturbance and spoke of dogs trembling uncontrollably and horses running amok. That started as early as May and continued through the traditional July 4 celebration.
With Solicitor Peter Nelson noting he had heard about the problem in numerous municipalities, Schilling called on residents to contact their state legislators to intervene on a larger scale, toward their reconsidering if new tax revenue from the legalization “was worth” the problems it was causing.
Meanwhile, supervisors had directed Nelson to prepare ordinances that would at least allow for enforcement of stiff penalties for abusers.
Also at the Aug. 9 meeting, supervisors approved a 17.83-acre extension to their Agricultural Security Area (ASA) district, in the form of two parcels at 72 Log Cabin Road that are owned by Kelsey L. Beers. The approval followed review by the township and county planning commissions, and no comments received as a result of the public notice of intent. The move was noted as required to allow for the intent to preserve the property, said to be among “four or five” properties on the current list of “about 30” targeted by the county for preservation.
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