The Manalapan Town Commission at its April 8 meeting passed — on first reading — new regulations for the construction of residential tunnels under State Road A1A.
The main thrust of amending the town’s ordinances is to prohibit the construction of the tunnels from the Intracoastal Waterway side of A1A to the beach side during the tourist season — Nov. 1 to April 14 — without advance approval of the Town Commission. The commissioners wanted to amend the town’s ordinances after receiving complaints and experiencing traffic backups the past few months because of two tunnels that have been under construction.
Applicants for tunnel construction also would have to submit a “maintenance of traffic plan” to be approved by a Manalapan building official. It would have to include a provision for at least one off-duty police officer.
At the April 8 meeting, commissioners asked Town Attorney Keith Davis to add language to state that the cost of traffic maintenance, including the cost of the off-duty officer, will be borne by the applicant. Commissioners also clarified a section requiring the installation of secure doors at each end of the passway to make it an optional accessory, changing the word “shall” to “may.”
The amended ordinance was passed with the new provisions. It will come up for a second reading and final approval by the commission, most likely at its May meeting.
— John Pacenti
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