It just got easier for Clinton Township Residents to install a pool!

Check out this article posted in the Hunterdon County Democrat
Tuesday March 24, 2009, 3:14 PM:

Residents of Water's Edge who want a swimming pool may soon be able to get the permits they need without first having to go the Board of Adjustment.

That's good news for Arlene Wetzel. When she applied for the zoning permit she needed before a construction permit could be granted, township construction official Michael Wright turned her down. That's because swimming pools aren't specifically permitted in the township's AH-3 zone.
Ms. Wetzel and some of her neighbors then appeared before the Board of Adjustment in January. By a narrow 4-3 vote, the board agreed with Mr. Wright that pools are not permitted in the zone.

Water's Edge is a project of about 100 homes built next to Spruce Run Reservoir on 46 acres off Route 31 at Marianne's Corner. The 2,000- to 3,000-square-foot homes are built on 10,000-square-foot lots.But after reviewing opinions from Township Engineer Cathy Marcelli and geotechnical expert Joe Fischer, Township Council voted March 11 to direct them to work with planner Michael Sullivan to draft an ordinance that would allow pools.A new ordinance may not necessarily mean everyone who wants a pool will be routinely granted a permit. That's because the ordinance will still require homeowners to comply with the township's setback requirements and township rules that limit impervious cover to 50% of a property's area.But for many residents, the new rules will make it "a permitting process. There will be a clear path through," said Mayor Kevin Cimei.The path won't be clear enough for Tom Casey. A vice president of sales for Anthony & Sylvan Pools, he objected to council's agreement with Mr. Fischer that a geotechnical engineer should approve each application. He told officials that he doesn't know of any municipality in the 18 states where he does business that require such approval.Mr. Casey said that although Mr. Cimei called the requirement "reasonable, my question is how relevant" are the rules?"We are not a manufacturer. We are a builder," Mr. Casey said. All the company's pools are steel reinforced and approved by a structural engineer, he said."The township has had sinkholes," answered Township Attorney Kristina Hadinger, often the result of underground limestone formations. Last year, a 14-foot-deep hole appeared on Belvidere Avenue and cost about $30,000 to repair."It just happened," she said, "It wasn't triggered by any apparent activity on the site." While Ms. Hadinger cautioned that she's an attorney and not an engineer, "What we learned from this experience is that these things can happen spontaneously."The draft ordinance will go to the Planning Board for review before it is considered by Township Council.