Wednesday, March 5.1980

For the Environmental Commission, Year of the Coast’ Has Been A Decade

Hie Herald and TTie Lantern

AVALON — "The Year of the Coast was proclaimed by President Carter, pointing to the unique environmental benefits and requirements of marine wetlands and the barrier Islands of

America's seashores.

Located on one of the Garden State’s 10 barrier islands, this borough is a very environmentally-minded community and perhaps the vanguard of that concern is the Avalon Environmental Commission, Its members help advise the mayor and borough council on various projects designed to protect and enhance the delicate seashore environment. Recently, Yvonne S. Ballenger pointed to the work done by the Commission rtiembers. As chairman, Mrs. Ballenger is responsible for keeping the local gover-

Each year the environmental commission takes charge of dune grass plantings and fertilizing. Fertilization has been in the spring since 1974 when a recommendation was made to the commission that it would benefit the dunes more to spray time-release pellets then so the gentle rains could carry nourishment

to the plant roota.

In her 10 years with the commission* Mrs. Ballenger has planted many dune grass plants personally. She's not alone Each member of the commission gets involved simply because of his or her concern for the borough’s environment. No remuneration is received for any work

done b/ the com m ission.

THE MOST RECENT project overseen by the commission was the planting of

“We need to get the public informed of the need to preserve these wetlands so we can preserve the seashore for our children and grandchildren. ”

ning body abreast of situations that may need attention and also to advise them. WHILE ATTENDING the Governor’s Conference on the Future of the New Jersey Shore, Mrs. Ballenger talked with Bernard Moore, chief of the state's Bureau of Coastal Engineering. Since that meeting, earlier in 1979, the borough has received about $15,000 in state aid for dune stabilization work and dune grass planting. "Mr. Moore told me at that meeting, the reason Avalon was receiving this state aid wds because we have always taken such good care of our dunes and environment." Mrs. Ballenger said. Efforts to preserve the environment are a seeming uphill battle with so many agencies and people involved, but Mrs. Ballenger and her commission doggedly defend their precious charge. Besides Mrs. Ballenger, members of the Avalon Environmental Commission are Mayor Ellsworth Armacost, Robert R. Buzwell, David Ward Jr. Daniel C. Main, Charles Sances, and Mary Off, liaison between the commission and local planning board. "WE CANNOT overstate the importance of the wetlands to the public," Mrs. Ballenger emphasized. "Many don't realize just how important wetlands are to the entire chain of marine life. We need to get the public informed of the need to preserve these wetlands so we can preserve the seashore for our children and grandchildren.”

dune grass and the erection of snowfencing along the shore. The physical planting, this time, was done by a private contractor. The snow fence was placed by borough employees. The project was designed by Thornton Hole, area soil conservationist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Soil Conservation Service. Other projects undertaken by the commission involve constantly monitoring paths through the dunes and checking fencing so it will deter humans from wandering over newly planted dune grass Diamondback terrapins that each spring make their dangerous journey across the boulevards are one of the darlings of the environmental commission. Bumper stickers declaring "I Stop For Turtles" evoke laughter in Philadelphia, but not down here. MANY THOUGHTLESS drivers think it sport to kill them This disturbs Mrs Ballenger. who freely admits. "People must think I’m crazy but I'll get out there and help those poor things across the road." The reason the turtles cross is to lay eggs on higher ground. Once this is accomplished the turtles swim back into the waterways. The environmental commission meets the first Wednesday of each month at 7:30 in borough hall. All are welcome to attend. In fact, the commission would like nothing better than to have a lot of public input about their programs.

Barbershop in Residential Area ‘Legit,’ Says Builder

COLD SPRING - The contractor building a courtapproved barbershop in a residential neighborhood on Shunpike near New England Rd., here says the project is abiding by both local and state regulations and that the shop will be open for business within a week or two. Contractor A1 Maree, who has nearly completed the shop for operator Jane Pearce, was responding to an article in last week's Lantern reporting on the township zoning board's looking into the recent court decision with an eye toward appealing it, if — according to Board vice chairman Robert Smeltzer — the adjudication failed to consider the board's reasons for denying the proposal more than a year ago. MR. MAREE also took exception to the allegation by Ms. Pearce’s nearby neighbor, Robert Logan, that "many strange things transpired” since she and her father Leroy Cooper, who owns the property, first sought permission to establish a business in the residential zone in 1978. Mr. Maree noted last Friday that the township was represented by two attorneys, the building inspector, assistant building inspector and zoning officer at the Superior Court hearing in Atlantic City in early February.

The contractor pointed this out in rebuttal to the statement that Mr. Smeltzer wanted to see the court records to determine if they reflect that the township was "adequately and appropriately represented” before the court. ACCORDING TO Mr. Maree, the judge ruled the township had no authority to yank the building permit after township officials had once okayed it. The builder also said that the "judge seemed to think the (township officials) were discriminating” against the barber shop after they have given a beauty salon, in another residential area of the township a permit. Mr. Maree said that part of the plaintiffs' defense before the court was a list of mercantile licenses that had been issued by the township for businesses including another barbershop in residential neighborhoods. Regarding neighbor Logan’s statement about "strange things" happening leading up to the court decision, Mr. Maree responded that such accusations should be more specific "if he is insinuating that anything was wrong." SINCE THE court’s decision. Mr. Maree said, the building permit has been reissued. "As far as the township goes, we’re legit with them all the way

down the line," he said. He also objected to a statement in last week's article which referred to the barbershop addition to the ranch style home being one-third the size of the structure. "The judge figured it up” to be between a 17 and 18 per cent increase, Mr. Maree said. THE SIZE of the shop, he continued, conforms to state regulations pertaining to barbershops. "If we had been able to put a smaller (barbershop addition) on, we may have done it, but they (the state regulations) govern the size of a barbershop,” he said. He added the same regulations will result in a "small, miniature-size" barber pole being placed outside the shop. It is Mr. Logan’s contention that township zoning ordinances and the zoning board's decision were circumvented during the adjudication process, and that township officials should immediately appeal the decision Mr. Smeltzer is interested in determining if this was indeed the case; if the interests of the township — including the reasons for the zoning board’s denial of the barbershop application — were presented before the court.

Page 23

PRESIDENT

JIMMY E. CARTER

The White House

Washington. D.C. 20500

H202) 456-1414

C -<20

SI

SENATOR

RILL BRADLEY 315 Russell Senate Office Building Washington. D.C. 20510

(202) 224-3274 SENATOR

HARRISON A. WILLIAMS JR. 352 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510

(202) 224-9724

CONGRESSMAN WILLIAM J. HUGHES 327 Cannon House Office Building Washington. D.C. 20515 , '(202) 225-6572 838 Asbury Ave. Ocean City. N.J, 08226

.399-0730

GOVERNOR BRENDAN T. BYRNE State House Trenton. N.J.08625

292-6000

SENATOR JAMES S. CAFIERO 3303 New Jersey Ave. Wildwood. N.J. 08260

522-0511

ASSEMBLYMAN JAMES R. HURLEY P.O. Box 876. 821 Columbia Ave. Millville. N.J. 08332

327-000

ASSEMBLYMAN JOSEPH W.CIIINNICI Bridgeton Ave. Bridgeton, N.J. 08302

451-2276

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