About the Board
Established in 1931 the Mountain Lakes Planning Board is responsible for managing the Borough’s land use and its zoning, site plan and subdivision ordinances; it can be thought of as the Board of “permitted activities”. It reviews and approves applications for major and minor non-residential site plans and the subdivision of two or more building lots. As the “policy maker” it creates the official map of the Borough and adopts a municipal Master Plan to guide the use of lands within the Borough in a manner that protects public health and safety and promotes the general welfare. Every ten years, the Board reviews and updates the Master Plan.
The Planning Board has nine regular members and two alternates. The regular members include the Mayor, one other Council member and another Borough official (by custom, the Borough Manager). By statue, an Environmental Commission member also serves on the Planning Board. The five additional regular members and two alternates are members of the public. Members are appointed by the Council; with the chairmen and vice chairmen being chosen by the board itself from among the public member group. Terms of office for public members are four years (two years for alternates). The Council members and the Mayor serve one-year terms; the Council member may be reappointed.
Hours: Monday 8:30 – 4:30; Thursday 12:30 -4:30
Board Members
All inquires and/or correspondence for the Planning Board should be submitted to the Board Administrator/Secretary, Cynthia Shaw.
| Name | Term expires | |
|---|---|---|
| Martin Kane (Chair) | 12/31/26 | |
| Bethany Russo (Vice-Chair) | 12/31/24 | |
| Jeff Berei | 12/31/25 | |
| Mimi Kaplan (Environmental Commission Rep) | 12/31/26 | |
| Kelly Holliday | 12/31/27 | |
| John Horan | 12/31/25 | |
| Mitchell Stern | 12/31/24 | mstern@mountainlakes.gov |
| Thomas Menard | 12/31/24 | |
| Khizar Sheikh | 12/31/24 | |
| Nicholas Coppola (1st Alternate) | 12/31/25 | |
| Christopher Ryan (2nd Alternate) | 12/31/24 | |
| Paul Phillips (Planner) | 12/31/24 | |
| William Ryden (Board Engineer) | 12/31/24 | |
| Cynthia Shaw (Administrative Officer/Secretary) 973-334-3131 x 2005 (Bus.) |
12/31/24 | cshaw@mountainlakes.gov |
| Steven Tombalakian (Board Attorney) 973-403-1100 (Bus.) |
12/31/24 | stombalakian@weiner.law |
