BRICK – An ordinance that establishes various regulations applicable to the keeping and housing of pigeons and dove-like birds was introduced during the most recent Township Council Meeting.
Councilwoman Melissa Travers said the township’s Land Use Committee recommended the ordinance as requested by Code Enforcement.
“Brick Township Code does not specifically address pigeons” she said. “The township code is being amended to include the following changes,” Travers said.
The ordinance defines pigeons and doves based upon their biological order, limits their number per household and locates pigeon coops and enclosures not less than 25 feet from any dwelling.
The proposed ordinance does not allow for more than 25 birds being kept on the property unless they are contained in a covered enclosure with all applicable zoning setback lines followed.
Also, none of these birds can be raised or bred for the purposes of human consumption.
During Mayor’s Comments, Mayor Lisa Crate said that a new business in town, Monmouth Integrative Counseling Services on Drum Point Road, is offering a free online grief group for the holiday season.
“For a lot of us, the holiday season is a joyous time. We’re excited; we can’t wait to see family; but sadly for a lot of people in our community it’s really not a joyous time, and it’s sad, and we have people who need to talk to people,” she said.
For the online grief group, visit their website at micsmentalhealth.com. Scroll down to the bottom for an area where you can sign in, she said.
“It’s a 10-week meeting schedule that started in November, prior to Thanksgiving, but you can sign up at any time. If you’re interested or you know a family member or a friend who may benefit from that, I highly recommend checking out their website and getting some free services while they’re available,” Mayor Crate said.
The mayor said that just prior to the Council Meeting, she had attended a Green Acres meeting where “we talked about a bunch of things we’re looking to do around town.”
One of the group’s objectives is to locate funding for sidewalks off Princeton Avenue. She said anyone using Windward Beach Park can see that once you enter the park, the sidewalks disappear and it becomes a little hazardous getting to the bandshell area.
The meeting also prioritized locating funding to replace the safety surface materials at the playgrounds there.
A Green Acres survey handed out at the meeting revealed that residents want to preserve as much open space in town as possible.
The mayor said that from 2000 until 2024, some 732 acres have been preserved by the township, and some 1,570 acres in total have been preserved. This number does not include open space that is owned by the county, state and federal government.
Mayor Crate also invited the public to attend the township’s menorah lighting ceremony to be held at Town Hall on December 26 at 5:30 p.m.
“We do a ceremony inside, which is very informational and interesting. We sing some songs and then we go outside, and we’ll be lighting the second candle on the menorah since Hanukkah starts on Christmas Night,” she said.
The next Council Meeting will be on Friday, December 27 at 10 a.m.
