Thursday, August 11, 2011
NEWS
Livingston Township Officials Fight Court Ruling Over Affordable Housing (Harris, TheAlternativePress.com) Livingston, Essex County
“True to their word, Livingston Township officials voted last month to appeal a court ruling that required changes in the zoning code and helps clear the way for the building of two new housing developments.”
Camp owner petitions for public hearing on planned warehouse complex (O’Sullivan,phillyburbs.com) Mansfield, Burlington County
“A camp owner is continuing his fight to protect the attraction from the potential environmental impact of a planned 2-million-square-foot warehouse complex on adjacent parcels of farmland.”
EMPLOYMENT
Senior Planner, Economic Development — Newark, Essex County
Monday, October 25, 2010 (Morning)
NEWS
Phillipsburg, Alpha apply for Highlands law conformance, center designations (Staff, Warren Reporter) Phillipsburg/Alpha, Warren County
“Two Warren County municipalities have submitted petitions to the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council for Plan Conformance and have asked for Highlands Center designations, according to a press release issued this week by the New Jersey Highlands Council.”
Robbinsville: Council OKs redevelopment resolution (Degnan, The Messenger-Press) Robbinsville, Mercer County
“The Township Council has declared 90 acres of homes, businesses and vacant land on the south side of Route 33 an an ‘area in need of redevelopment’ — a designation that gives the municipality broad powers to help revive the stalled projects known as Town Center South.”
State uses partnership to help cleanup abandoned tire dumps (Barna, The Gloucester County Times) Trenton, Mercer County
“The Department of Environmental Protection is spearheading the removal of hundreds of thousands of tires from the largest tire dumps remaining in the state, all of them in South Jersey, Commissioner Bob Martin said.”
Mount Olive townhouse development gets planning board green light (Goldberg, The Star-Ledger) Mount Olive, Morris County
“The plan to turn Marveland horse farm into a 284-unit development in Mount Olive has cleared a big procedural hurdle.”
OPINION
The ARC Tunnel project: What’s really in it for us? (Saydah, The Record) Statewide
“The political herd has responded as expected to Governor Christie’s second thoughts on the Access to the Region’s Core tunnel project.”
Housing bill needs repair (Staff Editorial, The Star-Ledger) Statewide
“Everyone hates the state Council on Affordable Housing and its confusing web of regulations for building homes for low- and moderate-income families. But killing COAH only makes sense if its replaced with a more effective program. At a time when housing costs are taking a bigger bite out of paychecks, it’s never been more critical to get it right.”
N.J cannot afford putting off Hudson River tunnel project (Braun, The Star-Ledger) Statewide
“If, as the trite greeting card wisdom goes, life is a journey and not a destination — New Jersey is the right place to live. For decades, it has been far more a transportation state than a garden state. The governor could change all that when he decides whether to shut down the Hudson Tunnel projects.”
The Hudson River tunnel is not worth the money (Post, for The Daily Record) Statewide
“A bridge to nowhere. A tunnel to Macy’s basement. Neither makes much sense, the possible stimulus whimper of building them notwithstanding.”
Friday, October 15, 2010 (Morning)
NEWS
Administration’s Attempt to Promote Privatization Studied By Assembly Committee (Johnson, NJ Spotlight) Trenton, Mercer County
“The Christie administration’s efforts to promote privatization ran into significant opposition yesterday. The plan is viewed by some as a stealth proposal to privatize land-use permitting functions within the Department of Environmental Protection.”
COAH could soon be history (Sedon, The Ridgewood News) Ridegwood, Bergen County
“The New Jersey Senate has adopted a bill that may abolish Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) rules that mandate how many affordable housing units a municipality is responsible for, based on a complex and sometimes questionable calculation.”
Report suggests adding retail to industrial site (Clunn, The Record) North Arlington, Bergen County
“An industrial area targeted for revival should welcome bulk retailers, ballfields and a massive shopping complex, the Planning Board states in a new report that also warns of potential lawsuits.”
JOB
Township of Montclair Planning Board attorney (Montclair, Essex County)
Thursday, October 14, 2010 (Evening)
Gov. Chris Christie, government at standstill in canceled Hudson River tunnel project (Frassinelli, The Star-Ledger) Trenton, Mercer County
“With only a week left before Gov. Chris Christie decides whether to terminate the multi-billion Hudson River train tunnel — again — neither the federal government nor the governor seems to have blinked.”
Regional Plan Association unveils new report on benefits of the ARC Tunnel (Staff, njtoday.net) Newark, Essex County
“Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) today joined with the Regional Plan Association (RPA) at Newark Penn Station to unveil a new study that reveals the ARC Tunnel could reduce daily travel times by up to 30 minutes for thousands of New Jersey Transit commuters throughout the state.”
Release of unapproved N.J. private land-use permitting was a mistake, DEP says (Murray, The Star-Ledger) Trenton, Mercer County
“The Christie administration today blamed “aggressive” staff for prematurely launching a plan to privatize the state’s review of applications to develop protected wetlands and regulated flood plains.”
Thursday, October 14, 2010 (Morning)
NEWS
COAH application deemed complete, then COAH rules invalidated (Zimmer, Suburban Trends) West Milford, Passaic County
“The township’s third-round Housing Element and Fair Share Plan application was recently deemed to be administratively complete by the state’s Council on Affordable Housing (COAH).”
State agrees to give big buck$ to Hamilton, Robbinsville and East Windsor for tree replacement (Abdur-Rahman, The Trentonian) Mercer County
“The state finally saw the forest for trees in Hamilton, Robbinsville and East Windsor.”
Robbinsville: Council eyes smoother path for Town Center South (Degnan, The Messenger-Press) Robbinsville, Mercer County
“The Township Council is set to vote tonight (Thursday) on a resolution aimed at jump-starting the long-stalled development of 90 acres on the south side of Route 33 collectively known as Town Center South.”
Avalon considers affordable housing plan (Leach, The Press of Atlantic City) Avalon, Cape May County
“As the state continues to debate how affordable housing requirements will change in New Jersey, the borough is beginning to work on its own plan to meet the needs of a barrier island community.”
OPINION
New Jersey cannot afford to cancel rail tunnel project (Bressler, for the Times of Trenton) Statewide
“A little more than 24 hours after canceling New Jersey’s commitment to help pay for a second rail tunnel connecting New York and New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie met with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and agreed to rethink his decision. Although the hour-long meeting did not resolve the governor’s concerns about how the tunnel should be funded, it did emphasize one important point: New Jersey has options beyond simply walking away.”
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 (Morning)
Assembly hearing on Christie decision to halt Hudson rail tunnel project postponed (Staff, newjerseynewsroom.com) Trenton, Mercer County
“An Assembly Transportation Committee hearing set for Thursday on Gov. Chris Christie’s decision to halt the construction of the Hudson commuter rail tunnel has been postponed pending the outcome of a two-week review on possibly saving the project.”
Environmental groups worry about Christie agency decisions (Lu, The Philadelphia Inquirer) Trenton, Mercer County
“Two recent decisions by state leaders have some environmental groups worried that the Christie administration is putting business interests ahead of environmental concerns.”
Friday, October 1, 2010 (Afternoon)
NEWS
Township backs state grant for Shore Mall redevelopment (Wompierski, Shore News Today) Egg Harbor, Atlantic County
“Shore Mall is applying to the state’s Economic Redevelopment and Growth (ERG) grant program for assistance with nearly $90 million in planned renovations in the coming years, according to a grant application filed in August by Cedar Shopping Centers, Inc., the company that owns the Shore Mall.”
Unexcelled developer sues township (Knochowski, The Cranbury Press) Cranbury, Middlesex County
“Cranbury Brick Yard LLC filed a lawsuit against the Cranbury Township Planning Board on Monday after the board approved an application submitted by the company, but denied four design waivers.”
PSE&G revises 500-kilovolt capacitor-bank plans at Branchburg switching station (Mustac, The Messenger-Gazette) Branchburg, Somerset County
“PSE&G has pulled its variance application before the Township Zoning Board of Adjustment to construct two 500-kilovolt capacitor banks on 16.5 acres near the company’s existing giant switching station in Branchburg.”
OPINION
Privatizing key N.J. DEP functions will lead to environmental disaster (Tittel, for New Jersey Newsroom) Statewide
“Governor Christie’s corporate takeover of our environment continues. Executive Orders and a Red Tape Review Task Force have targeted fundamental environmental protections and rolled back laws ensuring public health and safety. Now, the administration wants to privatize some of New Jersey’s most important environmental programs.”
Thursday, September 30, 2010 (Afternoon)
NEWS
Conservationists worry that administration is rewriting environmental rules without public consent (Johnson, NJ Spotlight) Trenton, Mercer County
“In a move viewed by some as a stealth attempt to weaken the state’s rules to control stormwater runoff, the state Department of Environmental Protection is quietly soliciting comments on a controversial guidance document to be used by developers to comply with regulations.”
In Hamilton, anger over zoning change (Duffy, The Times of Trenton) Hamilton, Mercer County
“With reservations — and no shortage of grumbling — the township zoning board this week reluctantly approved a developer’s request to lift the age restrictions on an already approved senior housing complex on Kuser Road.”
Morristown, NJ, revamps Speedwell Avenue redevelopment project (Koloff, The Daily Record) Morristown, Morris County
“A driveway leading from a parking lot to a public works garage where garage trucks now go back and forth would become a pedestrian mall lined with restaurants and shops and lead to a park on street yet to be built and surrounded by buildings forming a quadrangle.”
Princeton planned weigh Dinky train fate (Knapp, The Times of Trenton) Princeton, Mercer County
“The Regional Planning Board of Princeton will consider a controversial plan tonight to replace the beloved “Dinky” train with several buses dedicated to rail passengers and others.”
Land by Allentown rezoned for commercial uses (Degnan, The Messenger-Press) Robbinsville, Mercer County
“The Township Council has voted to rezone farmland and residential properties on Route 526 near the Allentown border to for commercial use in an action criticized by residents from neighboring towns who decried the loss of the greenbelt anchored by the 18th century Wittenborn house and farm.”
OPINION
The tunnel: An investment in N.J.’s economic future (Brake, for The Times of Trenton) Statewide
“At Monday’s Assembly Transportation Committee hearing, New Jersey Transit Executive Director James Weinstein confirmed that the multibillion-dollar project now under construction for just about any new transit service improvement to be added to New Jersey’s transit system.”
Gov. Christie’s Tunnel Vision (Staff Editorial, The New York Times) Statewide
“Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey has made a national name for himself by slashing spending on education and other vital services. New Jersey’s children and other vulnerable residents are paying the price. Now he want to stall — and perhaps cancel — one of the most important transportation projects in the country: a new railway tunnel under the Hudson River linking New Jersey and Midtown Manhattan.”
Wednesday, September 29, 2010 (Morning)
NEWS
New deal of MOTBY in negotiations? (Sullivan, Hudson Reporter) Bayonne, Hudson County
“City and regional agencies appear to be poised to dramatically alter the future of Bayonne, negotiating deals behind the scenes that would create and expand container port operations and reduce or eliminate large properties once planned for residential development.”
N.J. Turnpike to receive up to $2B in stimulus bonds (Frassinelli, The Star-Ledger) Trenton, Mercer County
“The prospect of a 35 percent gift from Uncle Sam was too good for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority to pass up.”
OPINION
Stealth RFP Would Put Approving Land-Use Permits in Private Hands (Catania, NJ Spotlight) Statewide
“For all its bluster and brouhaha, the Christie administration is apparently perfectly capable of moving quietly when it wants to. Case in point, a recently released Request for Proposals whose overarching goal appears to be privatizing the review of land-use permits.”
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 (Afternoon)
NEWS
New Jersey to Privatize Land Use Permitting (Press Release, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility) Trenton, Mercer County
“New Jersey is now looking for private companies to review applications and draft permits for all of its land use programs, according to a request for proposal posted today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). The five-year contract would radically extend Governor Chris Christie’s privatization agenda into regulatory decisions traditionally seen as inherently governmental.”
Two more named to fort authority (Davison, Atlanticville) Tinton Falls, Monmouth County
“Two additional members of the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority (FMERA) were in place for the authority’s inaugural meeting on Sept. 28.”
Foreclosure and land redevelopment are hot topics at the Governor’s Conference on Housing and Community Development (Good, The Press of Atlantic City) Atlantic City, Atlantic County
“State housing officials hope grant programs, development incentives and governmental input can improve New Jersey’s housing situation.”
COAH plans shift in Riverside (Coppock, Burlington County Times) Riverside, Burlington County
“The Township’s affordable housing plan is changing, affecting three historic sites and plans to redevelop them.”
RFP
