Tuesday, September 14, 2010 (Morning)
Bradley Beach to build wind turbine with $10G energy grant (Gladden, The Asbury Park Press) Bradley Beach, Monmouth County
“Officials say a $10,000 Sustainable Energy Grant will be used to install a small wind turbine that will generate electricity for the borough’s sewer pumping station at Evergreen and Ocean avenues.”
Millville details wishes for Wawa tract development (Van Embden, The Press of Atlantic City) Millville, Cumberland County
“It’s been nearly two years since the city began discussing what to do with nearly 400 acres of environmentally sensitive land sandwiched between Union Lake and large-scale commercial development.”
Judge to decide Wednesday whether Galloway must allow parole office to be built (Previti, The Press of Atlantic City) Galloway, Atlantic County
“A court decision this Wednesday could thwart efforts to keep a parole office building out of Galloway Township.”
Board recommends smaller development on Roselle golf course (Caroom, The Star-Ledger) Roselle, Union County
“A major apartment development proposal for the Roselle Golf Club, the borough’s largest remaining open space, could be downsized after the planning board recommended significantly reducing the size of the development this week.”
Suspension of N.J.-N.Y. tunnel project may put federal funding at risk, proponents say (Sherman, The Star-Ledger) Hudson County
“Proponents of the $8.7 billion trans-Hudson rail tunnel warned today the 30-day suspension imposed on the massive project could put its federal funding at risk.”
Monday, September 13, 2010 (Afternoon)
NEWS
New Jersey Halts Work On Tunnels To Midtown (Grynbaum, The New York Times) Statewide
“New Jersey officials have abruptly halted new work on an ambitious $8.7 billion plan to build two new commuter rail tunnels beneath the Hudson River, raising concerns about the fate of a project that had been hailed as a potential savior for the region’s overcrowded mass transit system.”
OPINION
Revitalizing Atlantic City benefits the entire state (Florio, for The Star-Ledger) Atlantic City, Atlantic County/Statewide
“Gov. Chris Christie’s advisory commission’s report on how to improve the economic environment in Atlantic City is thoughtful and balanced. The commission’s recommendations focus on how New Jersey can expand both its tourism and economy. This is a goal everyone can and should support, because the entire state will benefit.”
COURT OPINION
Cellco Partnership v. Zoning Board of Adjustment of Township of Lawrence (Appellate Division) Lawrence, Mercer County
The Township of Lawrence Zoning Board of Adjustment denied an use variance application for a 140’ telecommunications tower. Law Division upheld denial. Plaintiff argues that denial was arbitrary, capricious, and unreasonable, and that Law Division misapplied the time of decision rule. Appellate Division now agrees with Plaintiff on the time of decision rule and reverses and remands.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 (Morning)
Private company’s redevelopment of New Brunswick could be model for Atlantic City revamp (Peet, The Star-Ledger) New Brunswick/Atlantic City, Middlesex County/Atlantic County
“In 1976 when the people of Atlantic City danced in the streets to celebrate the passage of legalized gambling, many in downtown New Brunswick dared not even venture outside.”
Wednesday, August 18, 2010 (Evening)
Planning Board Entertains Idea of a Re-Zoning to an Area Abutting Rt. 17 (Kleimann, Ridgewood Patch) Ridgewood, Bergen County
“The Planning Board entertained a conceptual hearing for the possible re-zoning of a property that has in the past been a potential spot for a multi-family housing structure, known as the Baker Housing site.”
ACUA seeking sites for county-wide solar project (Lowe, Shore News Today) Hamilton, Atlantic County
“The Atlantic County Utilities Authority hopes to increase its renewable energy resources in the next five years through a county-wide solar energy project that would place solar arrays on municipal-owned properties near nine of the ACUA’s pump stations.”
Monday, August 16, 2010 (Morning)
West Milford to re-do housing plan (Zimmer, Suburban Trends) West Milford, Passaic County
“The Township Council will be required to amend its application to the state Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) or face being declared in non-compliance with the strict protocol.”
Atlantic County developers finding new ways to offer affordable housing (Ortiz, The Press of Atlantic City) Atlantic County
“Investors were once ready to line up behind low-income housing projects, especially ones that guaranteed tax credits. But the recession and the decline of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac left the market cold.”
Major Island plan OK’d (Comegno, Courier-Post) Burlington City, Burlington County
“A major recreational and educational development plan won approval this week from a management board that oversees the 400-acre Burlington Island in the Delaware River.”
Friday, August 13, 2010 (Morning)
Land Resource picked to redevelop ex-landfill (Bishop, Burlington County Times) Hamilton, Atlantic County
“A Moorestown company has come a step closer in its quest to redevelop an Atlantic County landfill and turn it into a productive property.”
Final downtown plan encourages Absecon drivers to take it slow (Prisament, Shore News Today) Absecon, Atlantic County
“City Council members applied the brakes to a discussion of the Central Business District Streetscape Project at its Thursday, Aug. 5 meeting. It just took a while to decide whether to use speed bumps or rumble strips.”
Monday, August 2, 2010 (Afternoon)
NEWS
In downtown Princeton, a makeover brings hope - New apartments, shop opening (Knapp, Special to The Times of Trenton) Princeton Borough, Mercer County
“The last major phase of a downtown redevelopment project is finally wrapping up and filling up, despite the tough economy.”
Repair projects - $10.5M alloted for 12 of 20 Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission bridges (Staff, The Times of Trenton) Mercer/Hunterdon Counties
“While the superstructures of the bridges over the Delaware River may have escaped relatively undamaged, flood waters of the past decade have taken their toll on the substructures.”
Phillipsburg Town Council sues Phillipsburg Zoning Board over application to convert former convent into dormitory (Wojcik, The Express-Times) Phillipsburg, Warren County
“The town of Phillipsburg is suing its zoning board over approval granted for the conversion of a former convent into a foreign-exchange student dorm.”
Overhauling the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority may hurt throughout New Jersey (Clark, The Press of Atlantic City) Atlantic City, Atlantic County
“The state agency designed to help revitalize Atlantic City through the reinvestment of casino profits has spent nearly $360 million on development outside the gaming resort since its inception in 1984.”
Medowlands Xanadu has two developers seeking to revive stalled N.J. project (Sherman, The Star-Ledger) East Rutherford, Bergen County
“New Jersey is now negotiating with at least two possible developers for the long-stalled Xanadu complex in the Meadowlands.”
OPINION
Editorial: DRPA needs budget diet (Staff Editorial, The Philadelphia Inquirer) South Jersey
“Who can blame South Jersey lawyer Michael Joyce for making sure his daughter didn’t pay the bridge tolls while taking classes in Philadelphia?”
Ratable chase not the answer in Highlands (Millsaps, for The Daily Record) Highlands
“In a July 30 column, R. Gregory Jones attempted to perpetuate the misconception that the ratable chase is the answer to a municipality’s need to provide services to its residents and that the Highlands Act will devastate the tax base in the region’s communities. His predicted ‘reverse doughnut consequence of the Highlands Act’ is the exact opposite of what has been proven in the Pinelands in southern New Jersey.”
COURT OPINION
Curzi v. Harmony Township Land Use Board (Appellate Division) Harmony, Warren County
Issue: defective notice.
Thursday, July 29, 2010 (Evening)
Rockaway Township NJ megachurch: Court upholds Highlands law exemption (Jennings, The Daily Record) Rockaway, Morris County
“A three-judge panel has upheld Christ Church’s exemption from the state Highlands law, denying an appeal from Rockaway Township.”
Absecon Gardens approved with age issue still pending (Prisament, Shore News Today) Absecon, Atlantic County
“What can we do to get the fire suppression system up and move this project forward?” City Council’s representative on the Planning Board Drew Fishman asked Tuesday, July 27.
Wildwood plans solar farm on back-bay landfill (Gilfillian, The Press of Atlantic City) Wildwood, Cape May County
“The city’s former back-bay landfill, once slated to become a housing development named Sunset Cove, could incorporate the sun in another farm - as a solar farm.”
Tuesday, July 26, 2010 (Evening)
Absecon Gardens developer set to appear Tuesday before Absecon Planning Board (Harper, The Press of Atlantic City) Absecon, Atlantic County
“A developer that plans to convert a partially-built, age-restricted apartment complex on New Jersey Avenue to an all-ages condominium complex is on Tuesday night’s Planning Board agenda.
Bill Envisions Solar Farms on Leaking Landfills (Johnson, NJ Spotlight) Statewide
“For decades, state and local officials have been stumped by what to do with hundreds of old garbage dumps that were never properly closed and now threaten water supplies.”
Monday, July 26, 2010 (Morning)
NEWS
World-class ShopRite proposal to be heard by Somerville planning board (Staff, The Messenger-Gazette) Somerville, Somerset County
“The developer of Somerville Town Center will be in front of the planning board next Wednesday, July 28, to unveil plans for a “World Class ShopRite Supermarket” that is to be built on the site.”
Hotel construction begins in Millvile (Landau, The Daily Journal) Millville, Cumberland County
“A year ago, the city was anticipating a host of new hotels coming to the area.”
Bedminster Township officials to review redevelopment concept for state maintenance yard (Coombe, The Bernardsville News) Bedminster, Somerset County
“Today, it’s 9.75 acres of property along the Route 202/206 corridor, soon to be abandoned, and with a long history of pollution.”
N.J. Office of Smart Growth gets a new name, new boss in Lt. Gov. Guadagno (Staff, The Star-Ledger) Trenton, Mercer County
“The Office of Smart Growth, created to coordinate growth in state agencies, will be named the Office of Planning Advocacy, and control will be given to Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, according to a report by NJSpotlight.com.”
New Brunswick’s rebound could be model for Atlantic City (Clark, The Press of Atlantic City) Atlantic City, Atlantic County
“As in today’s Atlantic City, officials in New Brunswick found their city at a crossroads about four decades ago. A new incarnation of the organization and structure that saved that central New Jersey city could be coming to rescue this ailing gaming resort.”
Gov. Christie’s proposed takeover of casino industry may be last chance for Atlantic City revitalization (Staff, The Star-Ledger) Atlantic City, Atlantic County
“It seemed a simple enough idea: Turn Atlantic City’s two main drags into one-way streets so traffic would flow better around the casinos.”
$500K for ‘six points’ clears hurdle (Frankel, Bloomfield Life) Bloomfield, Essex County
“The township is one step closer to receiving a large chunk of change to help improve the notorious ‘six points’ intersection in the center of town, courtesy of New Jersey’s top federal legislators.”
OPINION
Want to stimulate home construction? Repeal the Highlands Act (Mulshine, The Star-Ledger)
“A number of Democrats are upset that Gov. Christie vetoed that $100 million home-buyers tax credit program, among them state Sen. Paul Sarlo.”
AFFORDABLE HOUSING: Bill eliminating COAH would only make matters worse (Walsh, in The Asbury Park Press)
“New Jersey’s housing market is broken. Unfortunately, the Legislature is proposing to make things worse. It is considering legislation that would eliminate the Council of Affordable Housing without providing any alternative way to ensure adequate housing is provided for working families, seniors and people with special needs.”
