September 6, 2011
Asbury group will present waterfront plans next week (Shields, The Asbury Park Press) Asbury Park, Monmouth County
“A waterfront redevelopment plan committee will hold a meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15 in the City Council chambers to present its recommendations for changes to the oceanfront plan to the public.”
Judge tosses remaining Long Branch eminent domain suits (Williams, The Asbury Park Press) Long Branch, Monmouth County
“The four Marine Terrace, Ocean Terrace, Seaview Avenue (MTOTSA) property owners who refused to sign on to the 2009 eminent domain lawsuit settlement have had their cases thrown out of court.”
Walmart Windmills Application On Wednesday’s Zoning Board Agenda (Piniat, Lacey Patch) Lacey, Ocean County
“OnniWind Energy Systems, LLC will be approaching the zoning Board of Adjustment once again on Wednesday, Sept. 7 t 7 p.m. with their plan to install wind turbines in the parking lot of the Lanoka Harbor Walmart.”
Unfinished developments in Hamilton Township cause trouble for neighbors (Landau, The Press of Atlantic City) Hamilton, Atlantic County
“Jeff Hauta bought a brand new home in July 2008.”
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 (Evening)
NEWS
Sen. Lautenberg approaches N.Y. financial firm on funding endangered Hudson River tunnel (Strunsky, The Star-Ledger) New York
“Sen. Frank Lautenberg says he has spoken with a large financial firm about the possibility of private financing for the endangered trans-Hudson rail tunnel.”
Court: Mahwah zoners correct in granting Pilot variance (Pries, The Record) Mahwah, Bergen County
“A Superior Court ruled that the Zoning Board of Adjustment was correct in granting Pilot a variance to redevelop a Route 17 truck stop.”
OPINION
Paying their fair share for the rail tunnel (Plotch, The Record) Statewide
“I once asked a state legislator a question that is relevant when thinking about how to pay for a new Hudson River rail tunnel.”
Eminent domain: Stop dithering (Staff Editorial, The Asbury Park Press) Statewide
“It is becoming increasingly clear that the state Legislature isn’t interested in updating its eminent domain laws to better protect citizens against unwarranted seizure of their property by the government.”
Monday, October 11, 2010 (Morning)
NEWS
Frantic behind-the-scenes dealings could resuscitate Hudson River tunnel project (Staff, The Star-Ledger) Trenton, Mercer County
“The white, twin-engine Gulfstream IV jet lifted quickly off the runway, banking purposefully toward Trenton like a cruise missile seeking its target.”
N.J. has yet to revise its eminent domain rules (Jordan, Asbury Park Press) Statewide
“New Jersey continues to lag in modernizing its eminent domain laws, with dozens of other states having changed their rules in the five years since the Supreme Court upheld the government’s right to take land for private development.”
Nonprofit to return to Mahwah zoning board for variance to operate retreat (Boucicaut, Mahwah Suburban News) Mahwah, Sussex County
“Chai Lifeline, an international nonprofit organization, will be returning to the Zoning Board of Adjustment on Wednesday, Oct. 20, in its campaign to continue using a home on Ramapo Valley Road as a getaway for families with sick children.”
Chatham, NJ, seeks professional planner to discourage franchises (Duffy, The Daily Record) Chatham, Morris County
“Borough officials have looked into the future and decided they need quick help from a professional planner.”
OPINION
Settling infrastructure issues is key to economic prosperity (Medina, for NJ Biz) Statewide
“Only four states are smaller in size than New Jersey, yet the state ranks seventh in terms of economic size, and ninth in population. More than 100 million consumers with a collective purchasing power of $2 trillion live within a 24-hour drive of New Jersey.”
Wednesday, September 22, 2010 (Morning)
N.J. top court rules Long Branch couple will not be paid for beach taken by eminent domain (Spoto, The Star Ledger) Long Branch, Monmouth County
“Beaches created through sand replenishment projects are public property and do not become part of adjacent private lands, the state’s highest court ruled today.”
Raritan Planning Board likely to lift Willow Walk 55-and-older age restriction as result of court ruling (Mustac, Messenger-Gazette) Raritan, Somerset County
“The Planning Board at its next meeting will likely lift much of the 55-and-older age restriction originally placed on the Willow Walk condominium development when it was approved several years ago.”
O.B. looking to change house of worship zoning (Ciraulo, Suburban) Old Bridge, Middlesex County
“Township officials are considering zoning changes that could affect pending building applications for houses of worship.”
Lawrence mulls continued fight against Verizon cell tower (Galler, The Trentonian) Lawrence, Mercer County
“Is the Township Council considering appealing the latest twist in Verizon’s cellular tower lawsuit in the New Jersey Supreme Court?”
Homes for All to build 82 affordable-housing units in Manitou Park (Sastrowardoyo, The Asbury Park Press) Berkeley, Ocean County
“Just past the intersection of Seventh Street and Fifth Avenue in Manitou Park is a new stretch of blacktop, cresting up a slight hill before continuing into the distance as far as the eye can see. The new pavement, as well as two new houses on it, are emblematic of the new road that Manitou Park is taking.”
No decision on Enchantment (Gaffney, The Times of Trenton) East Windsor, Mercer County
“Both sides in the battle over the second phase of the Enchantment age-restricted housing development dug in their heels Monday during the township’s planning board meeting.”
Wednesday, September 8, 2010 (Morning)
NEWS
Plans for smaller temple (Forrest, Parsippany Life) Parsippany, Morris County
“Testimony on the International Swaminarayan Satsang Organization (ISSO) Hindu temple application, which has been majorly scaled back from the original plan, resumed at a recent Parsippany Zoning Board of Adjustment hearing.”
OPINION
Redevelopment reform still lacks (Staff Editorial, The Gloucester County Times) East Greenwich, Gloucester County/Statewide
“A case in East Greenwich Township is a reminder that the Legislature still hasn’t enacted reforms to prevent use of eminent domain by towns too eager to tear down private property and hand it to chosen redevelopers.”
Tuesday, July 13, 2010 (Evening)
Council to discuss possible light rail referendum tonight (Gemignani, The Northern Valley Suburbanite) Tenafly, Bergen County
“The council will consider a nonbinding referendum on New Jersey Transit’s plan to bring electric light-rail service to the borough.”
Remsen Avenue in New Brunswick focus of revitalization plan (Kaltwasser, The Home News Tribune) New Brunswick, Middlesex County
“Plans to give a face lift to the city’s Unity Square neighborhood are beginning to take shape.”
New setback for redevelopment (Frankel, Bloomfield Life) Bloomfield, Essex County
“The township has endured another setback in its quest for redevelopment downtown, with a judge ruling last week it can not use eminent domain to seize private property.”
Thursday, June 24, 2010 (Afternoon)
Eminent domain takes ‘center’ stage (again) (Frankel, Bloomfield Life) — Bloomfield, Essex County
“The planning board has begun the tedious process of approving a sweeping redevelopment plan for Bloomfield Center — although one local merchant is fighting the municipality.”
Borough Unveils Bancroft Plan, Claims No Developer (Dengler, The Retrospect) — Haddonfield, Camden County
“In an unusually busy kick-off to the summer session in Haddonfield, last Friday the town released a draft of a redevelopment plan for the Bancroft NeuroHealth, Inc. tract, should the property become available in the near future.”
Vote expected tonight in Bayonne to set up negotiations to sell to Port Authority a third of Peninsula that had been designated for housing, retail, restaurants, and hotels (Hack, The Jersey Journal) — Bayonne, Hudson County
“Turned away in a previous land deal at the Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey could become the largest property owner at the former military base.”
