Manalapan Officer Gets Zoning Board Approval for New Fence

The Howell Township Zoning Board of Adjustment held a brief meeting on Monday evening where one resident was given permission to alter a fence surrounding his home.

Robert Herring, owner of the property, came before the board seeking to put a new six foot fence on his property to replace an existing one and pushing it out into a 25 foot setback.

Herring, a patrolman in Manalapan, explained to the board the reason he was looking for a variance was because he was hoping to use his backyard to house a K-9 that could possibly serve the Manalapan Police Department.

“The six foot fence would be a much better solution to house a police canine,” Ptl. Herring noted. He explained that he wanted for the higher fence for privacy and also so the dog would not scare neighbors, and vice-versa.

Board Chairman Stephen Meier asked why fences were originally limited to four feet high, and Board Planner Jennifer Beahm offered a solution.

“When this ordinance was put into place, it was designed so homes throughout the borough would not be enclosed by such high fences,” she said. “However, I understand the need for privacy in this matter, but I leave the decision up to the board.”

Board Engineer Jack Mallon asked if the fence would follow all other regulations, including distance from the property, and Ptl. Herring said it would meet the requirements enforced by the township.

When asked what type of fence would be installed, the patrolman noted he was planning on putting up a six foot white vinyl fence that would not be see through.

Board member Wendell Nanson then asked what type of training this canine would undergo. Herring said it would be used for primarily tracking.

Ptl. Herring noted while Manalapan does not currently have a K-9 unit, there is a new chief of the department and he was hopeful by taking the initiative to train a police dog, he would be prepared should the program be brought reinstated.

The zoning board members voted to give Ptl. Herring unanimous initial approval for the building project, and wished him luck in his endeavor. A final resolution on the project will be heard at the board’s next meeting.

The next meeting of the Howell Township Zoning Board of Adjustment will be a special meeting next Monday at 7:30 to discuss the ongoing T-Mobile cell phone tower placement.

The proposed pole would be placed on the Christ Church property on Oak Glen Rd. This is a special meeting with the goal being to bring the application to a resolution sometime in the next month or so.