Wednesday, August 17, 2011
NEWS
Gov. Christie Signs Historic Preservation Bill That Will Bring Over a Million Dollars to Jersey City Projects (Whiten, The Jersey City Independent) Jersey City, Hudson County
“Gov. Christie yesterday signed into law a bill that appropriates more than $1 million in historic preservation funding to four Jersey City projects.”
A Suburban Town Sees Housing Where Retail Rules (Duffy, The New York Times) Morristown, Morris County
“Jordan Eppolito has taken a liking to to his new house here in the Morris County seat, about 30 miles west of New York City. Mr. Eppolito, a 28-year-old entrepreneur who plans to open a pizza shop this fall on South Street, lives in a new condominium overlooking the Morristown Green, the historic park at the center of town.”
OPINION
Christie, deflecting anger, prepares toll deal (Ahearn, The Bergen Record) Statewide
“The melodrama that Governor Christie has been stage-managing with toll and fare increases on Port Authority bridges, tunnels and trains should fool no one. His fingerprints are all over the script.”
Monday, November 29, 2010 (Morning)
NEWS
Ramapo Planning Board to consider housing plan amid opposition (Lerner, Lo Hud) Ramapo, Bergen County
“The town Planning Board will meet Monday to discuss a controversial plan to build nearly 500 homes on 208 undeveloped acres once used as a farm.”
Zoning Board hearings on continuing-care facility in Wyckoff to begin (Weinberger, Wyckoff Suburban News) Wyckoff, Bergen County
“The Zoning Board of Adjustment will begin special meetings for the Christian Health Care Center’s Vista project next month at the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church.”
Age restrictions remain an issue for Absecon Gardens condominium complex (Ramirez, The Press of Atlantic City) Absecon, Atlantic County
“Construction has progressed in recent weeks on the Absecon Gardens condominium complex as crews work to finish the first phase in time for an opening early next year. But still uncertain is how old you’ll have to be to live there.”
OPINION
Tax hike for transportation worth expense (Staff Editorial, mycentraljersey.com) Statewide
“The Christie administration’s efforts to increase the gasoline tax should be lauded. However, they must give the public clear justifications of the benefits of yet another tax burden.”
RFQ
Zoning Board of Adjustment Attorney (Elizabeth)
Thursday, October 21, 2010 (Morning)
NEWS
Christie Denies New Jersey Taxpayers $3.4 Billion Insisting Money Is Saved (Dopp/McNichol, Bloomberg) Statewide
“New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who says he’s trying to save money for residents with the highest tax burden, may cost them $3.4 billion in federal funding that would have improved schools and eased congestion.”
Lautenberg: ARC enhances town/NYC commute (Porter, The Montclair Times) Montclair, Essex County
“Montclair has more train stations — six — than any other New Jersey municipality. Throughout its history, many townspeople have commuted via train to Newark, Hoboken and New York City.”
Ewing Councilman Bert Steinmann on GM money: We can’t screw ourselves (Galler, The Trentonian) Ewing, Mercer County
“Councilman Bert Steinmann, who’s running as the Democratic candidate for mayor, says it doesn’t matter who gets elected on Nov. 2, the important thing is that the GM site off Parkway Avenue be developed for the benefit of Ewing Township’s residents.”
Nonprofit sues Montclair, alleging civil rights violations (Prochilo, The Montclair Times) Montclair, Essex County
“Two legal battles, to be fought in state and federal court, are brewing between a local nonprofit that assists people with mental disorders and Montclair’s municipal government.”
Changes urged for Hackensack downtown (Alvarado, The Record) Hackensack, Bergen County
“The city’s special improvement district wants officials to change zoning regulations along Main Street that will allow for the construction of taller buildings with residential units, outdoor dining and more parking.”
OPINION
Bill to abolish COAH is good news for NJ (Staff Editorial, The Home News Tribune) Statewide
“In the polarized culture of New Jersey politics, there are few areas of agreement. Democrats and Republicans spar over fundamental differences on the role and responsibilities of government; North Jersey and South Jersey fight for their unique interests, and municipalities and counties battle with the state.”
Friday, October 1, 2010 (Morning)
Christie Administration Green-Lights Controversial Highlands Gas Pipeline — Again (Johnson, NJ Spotlight) Trenton, Mercer County
“The state yesterday cleared the way once again for a natural gas pipeline through the heart of the New Jersey Highlands, this time on eight acres of watershed property owned by the city of Newark.”
After meeting, no change to Dinky (Staff, The Daily Princetonian) Princeton, Mercer County
“The plan to replace the Dinky with a bus rapid transit system appeared to face a major setback at Thursday night’s meeting of the Princeton Regional Planning Board, after residents voiced near-universal opposition to the plan.”
Redevelopment ordinance amended to allow parking (Mulshine, The Coast Star) Belmar, Monmouth County
“The Belmar mayor and council voted to amend and supplement the borough’s seaport redevelopment plan at the Sept. 15 council meeting.”
N.J. towns use art to fill vacant stores during recession (Caroom, The Star-Ledger) Statewide
“Since the beginning of the recession, lights have gone dark and windows empty in many downtowns around the state, leaving prime retail locations vacant. Now a growing number of municipalities are fighting the appearance of blight with art.”
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 (Morning)
NEWS
DEP office to mediate disputes with business rather than take them to court (Fallon, The Record) Trenton, Mercer County
“Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin is resurrecting a program that mediates disputes between the agency and businesses such as land developers over everything from permits to fines, officials said Monday.”
No Agreement on DEP’s New Office of Dispute Resolution (Johnson, NJ Spotlight) Trenton, Mercer County
“The Christie administration yesterday said it was resurrecting the Office of Dispute Resolution, once a much criticized section of the Department of Environmental Protection that environmentalists viewed as weakening the enforcement of pollution laws.”
The Future of the ARC Tunnel (Magyar, NJ Spotlight) Hudson County
“Governor Christie’s unilateral suspension of new work on the $8.7 billion mass-transit tunnel into Manhattan sparked speculation that he was considering abandoning the project in order to use the money to replenish the drained Transportation Trust Fund, which underwrites roads and related infrastructure throughout the state. That theory was bolstered a week ago when Christie’s New Jersey Transit chief confirmed that there had been discussions within the administration about doing just that.”
NJ Transit Proposes Downtown Development (Moses, Hoboken Patch) Hoboken, Hudson County
“New Jersey Transit proposed its tentative plan for the downtown train terminal on Monday night during a well attended public meeting at the waiting room in the Lackawanna Terminal.”
Phillipsburg Planning Board gives preliminary approval to solar field on former Ingersoll-Rand property (Wojcik, The Express-Times) Phillipsburg, Warren County
“A 22-acre solar field proposed for the former Ingersoll-Rand property can move forward as long as the project receives town council’s blessing and completes a number of conditions — including repair of the Route 22 entryway to the site.”
Warren County reaches milestone of 20,000 farmland acres preserved (Wichert, The Express-Times) Warren County
“Down a dirt road and into the foggy pasture of a White Township farm, state and local officials traveled today to celebrate a milestone for the agricultural community in Warren County: 20,000 acres of farmland have been preserved.”
JOBS
Senior Planner Heyer, Gruel & Associates, Red Bank, Monmouth County
Associate Planner Heyer, Gruel & Associates, Red Bank, Monmouth County
Civil/Environmental Engineer ARCADIS, Edison, Middlesex County
Senior Environmental Engineer FPC of Huntsville, Edison, Middlesex County
Monday, September 27, 2010 (Morning)
NEWS
New downtown clears another hurdle (Frankel, Bloomfield Life) Bloomfield, Essex County
“Major construction in Bloomfield Center cleared its first major hurdle Thursday night, as the planning board unanimously approved a study declaring the redevelopment block “an area in need of redevelopment.”
Raritan Planning Board lifts much of Willow Walk 55-and-older age restriction (Staff, The Messenger-Gazette) Raritan, Somerset County
“The Planning Board by a unanimous vote lifted a substantial amount of the 55-and-older age restriction originally placed on the Willow Walk condominium development when it was approved several years ago.”
Plainfield marks start of Fourth Ward rehabilitation project (Staff, MyCentralJersey) Plainfield, Union County
“A host of government officials and local residents gathered outside a West Third Street Plainfield home on Friday to mark the launch of a movement to rehabilitate nine blighted properties across the city’s Fourth Ward.”
Bridgewater Planning Board wants T-Mobile to investigate alternatives to cell tower at Green Knoll firehouse (Mustac, The Messenger-Gazette) Bridgewater, Somerset County
“Bridgewater Zoning Board of Adjustment members are asking T-Mobile some tough questions in the company’s application to build a 125-high cell tower at the Green Knoll fire station at the corner of North Bridge Street and Foothill Road.”
OPINION
The best solution in an imperfect world (Kasabach, for The Record) Hudson/Statewide
“It’s the ARC Tunnel or nothing at all.”
Don’t let ARC go off track (Wright & Michaelson, for The Record) Hudson/Statewide
“Two weeks ago, Governor Chris Christie abruptly halted work on the Access to the Region’s Core project, saying he needed greater assurances that the $8.7 billion commuter rail tunnel under the Hudson River could be delivered on budget. This has left commuters and business leaders wondering if the governor is focused on reducing costs, or whether he intends to cancel one of the nation’s most important transit improvements.”
Tuesday, September 7, 2010 (Morning)
Plainfield reviewing ‘landmark’ apartment project (Spivey, mycentraljersey.com) Plainfield, Union County
“Frank Cretella doesn’t mince words when describing the potential tied to his ambitious proposal being considered by the city Planning Board.”
Real estate broker revitalizes Newark’s downtown landscape (Read, The Star-Ledger) Newark, Essex County
“Marta Person Villa stands just off Newark’s famed Four Corners and glances over at the prime retail space still known as ‘Woolworth’s,’ an anchor from another era.”
State will help Somerville fill $5 million gap for ShopRite supermarket with sales-tax giveback (Epstein, The Messenger-Gazette) Somerville, Somerset County
“Borough residents are not the only ones who think Somerville needs a supermarket. The state of New Jersey feels the same way. That’s why the state will help bridge the gap between what the banks will lend and the amount needed to convert the little, old Pathmark into a big, new ShopRite.”
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.”
Wednesday, August 11, 2010 (Morning)
Hanover, NJ looking to rezone Hanover Avenue parcel near Mennen Arena for large retail (Remaly, The Daily Record) Hanover, Morris County
“The Township Committee is poised to rezone land on Hanover Avenue near Mennen Arena and the Morris County Mall to allow large retail stores such as Target and Whole Foods — a move voted down in December 2008 amid concerns about traffic.”
C-Town plan calls for retail, residential mix (Hlavenka, The Independent) Matawan, Monmouth County
“Retail shops, residential units and an underground parking garage are in the works to revitalize Matawan’s downtown.”
Greenway project brings new life to river in South Orange (Khavkine, for The Star-Ledger) South Orange, Essex County
“Not long ago, the East branch of the Rahway River through South Orange was little more than a dump. Shopping carts, tires, and litter lined its bed and banks.”
Thursday, August 5, 2010 (Evening)
After 18 months, CAFRA permit OK’d for several marina projects (Mulshine, The Coast Star & The Ocean Star) Belmar, Monmouth County
“The borough of Belmar’s application to build on the property of the municipal marina has been approved by CAFRA [Coastal Area Facility Review Act] officials after an 18-month wait.”
Pompton Lakes BID is lighting the way to a bright downtown future (O’Connor, Suburban Trends) Pompton Lakes, Passaic County
“The ‘buzz’ heard all across the state is about the breathtaking metamorphosis occurring in the Pompton Lakes business district.”
Opponents of powerline upgrade are happy that project is delayed (O’Dea, The Daily Record) North Jersey
“Opponents are cheering the news that Public Service Electric and Gas Co.’s transmission line upgrade will be delayed by three years because of problems with environmental permits.”
