Tuesday, July 20, 2010 (Evening)
EHT Site OK’d for solar power project (Wompierski, Shore News Today) Egg Harbor Township, Atlantic County
“Despite some changes, plans are still on for a solar energy farm to be built in Egg Harbor Township to power Pleasantville Middle School and High School, according to John Spurlock, vice president of business development for Energenic, a subsidiary of South Jersey Industries.”
Green light for green energy - Montgomery Township OKs solar program (Fair, NJ Times) Montgomery, Somerset County
“With a solar energy program approved this week by township officials, sunshine on their shoulders makes them happy.”
Monday, July 19, 2010 (Morning)
NEWS
North Jersey towns consider easing curbs on commercial signs (Yellin, The Record) North Jersey
“Some towns may ease sign restrictions in an effort to boost business for merchants who lament they are losing sales because the laws hamper their ability to lure customers.”
Charters Derailed in Areas of New Jersey (Resmovits, The Wall Street Journal) Statewide
“New Jersey is preparing to announce the confirmation of at least six new charter schools this week, but proposed charters in Princeton, Teaneck and Flemington won’t be on the list, dealing a blow to a movement to widen school choice to affluent districts.”
Essex House Proposal Pulled from Planning Board Agenda (Wilwohl, West Orange Patch) West Orange, Essex County
“The controversial Essex House proposal appeared to hit a snag Tuesday as the West Orange planning/zoning board pulled the project from its Thursday night meeting agenda, Patch has learned.”
Area governments defying New Jersey Highlands Act considering their positions (Novak, The Express-Times) Highlands
“The refusal of the nation’s highest court to hear area landowners’ legal arguments against the constitutionality of the 2004 Highlands Act ended that group’s battle last month.”
OPINION
Planning wisely is the key (Riggs, for The Courier Post) Statewide
“Like most homebuilders, K. Hovnanian Homes embraces open space as a benefit to our quality of life. But, like so many good things in life, open space has to fit into a balanced plan.”
Looking for “justness” in the Highlands (Post, for The Daily Record) Highlands
“Your recent editorial, ‘Status Quo in the Highlands,’ opines that there may be easy answers on paper to the Highlands central problem of fairly compensating landowners who lost considerable equity in their property, but not in reality.”
Programs That Need Fixing (Part II) (Kennedy, nj.com) Statewide
“Last week, I summarized several New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control(DNREC) water quality programs that, for a variety of reasons, are not fully protecting our water resources. This week the discussion continues by focusing on some of the problems inherent in our existing land use and coastal programs, and, more specifically, on issues related to wetlands protection.”
RFP
Planning Board Attorney (City of Passaic)
Thursday, July 8, 2010 (Morning)
Homeowner: Bernards Twp. Zoning Rules Unclear, Unfair (Arthur, The Basking Ridge Patch) Bernards, Somerset County
“Most of the July 7 Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting dealt with an issue involving the wording of a Bernards Township zoning ordinance with regard to impervious coverages. The application was for a backyard pool – one that had been built differently than the original approved plan.”
Group fears technicality may kill charter school application (Cusido, The Times of Trenton) Plainsboro, Middlesex County
“A technicality kept a controversial application for the first Mandarin-English public charter school in New Jersey from being heard at a meeting of the township’s zoning board last night.”
Gov. Christie to borrow $1.4B to fund N.J. transportation projects (Fleisher, The Star-Ledger) Trenton, Mercer County
“The Christie administration plans to borrow $1.4 billion this year to pay for transportation projects, though it has not laid out a plan to fix a funding crunch that could stop work across New Jersey.”
Streetscape is still underway in Pompton Lakes (Scott, Suburban Times) Pompton Lakes, Morris County
“Streetscape work has resumed along Wanaque Avenue and may be just weeks from completion.”
Tuesday, July 6, 2010 (Morning)
Princeton Divided Over New Charter School (Resmovits, The Wall Street Journal) Princeton, Mercer County
“A charter school planned for Princeton-area children has hit a roadblock on a zoning issue, prompting a debate in the affluent community over whether charters are even needed in high-performing districts.”
Andover Borough housing project hits another roadblock (Augenstein, The New Jersey Herald) Andover, Sussex County
“The 590-home development once proposed by Beazer Homes has hit another stumbling block, though this time it’s state water rules, not outright opposition, that could stymie the long-planned but unfulfilled project.”
PATH stations to receive $200M in upgrades to better commuters’ train rides (The Associated Press) North Jersey/New York
“Get ready for extreme makeover, mass transit edition.”
Some oppose new apts. near gas line (Tirella, The Hudson Reporter) North Bergen, Hudson County
“The North Bergen Planning Board began hearing testimony June 24 from a developer who wants to build 60 residential units near a high-pressured Transco gas pipeline and near the Galaxy Towers Condos in Guttenberg.”
Legislators pledge vigilance in fort reuse plan (Davison, The Atlanticville) Monmouth County
“With the bill that would create the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority approved by the state Senate and Assembly on June 28, 12th District legislators look toward the next steps in the property’s rebirth.”
PATH says $1B makeover can keep riders off the roads (Davis, The Record) North Jersey
“Benches, posters, pavilions and retail shops will soon beautify the bleak, cramped and pale PATH stations that commuters say make for some of the worst train rides in the region’s transit system.”
Turnpike to consider advertisements on toll plazas (Rouse, The Record) Statewide
“The New Jersey Turnpike Authority plans to explore corporate sponsorships at rest areas and toll plaza advertising, among other proposals, to generate transportation revenue.”
