August 22, 2011
Amended Speedwell Redevelopment Plan Introduced (Dunphy, Morristown Patch) Morristown, Morris County
“It wasn’t a public hearing, but several audience members still expressed their opinions on the newest version of the Speedwell Redevelopment Plan, which was introduced by Town Council Thursday night.”
Ringwood on track to adopt Highlands Act (Fallon, The Record) Ringwood, Passaic County
“Seven years after the Highlands Act was passed, Ringwood is poised to adopt the strict land use regulations that block major developer and allow only limited redevelopment.”
No hotel in Morris Twp.: Honeywell cuts plan, lowers height, number of townhouses (Staff, Morris NewsBee) Morris, Morris County
“A large hotel that would have greeted drives coming into the township on Park Avenue as part of the new Honeywell housing/office project is no more.”
Appleview hearing continues (LaMarca, Hudson Reporter) North Bergen, Bergen County
“The Hudson County Planning Board’s hearing on the proposed Appleview condominiums in North Bergen, near the Guttenberg border, will resume Sept. 21. Their second meeting Wednesday continued with questioning of the project’s engineer by an attorney for opponents of the project.”
Monday, August 8, 2011
NEWS
Stranded in ‘food deserts,’ hundreds of thousands of N.J. residents lack access to healthy, fresh food (Staff, The Star Ledger) Statewide
“One of Heather Cooke’s favorite meals is a fresh garden salad. But finding the ingredients for the dish in her Hamilton neighborhood isn’t easy.”
N.J. revising its energy policy (Jordan, The Asbury Park Press) Statewide
“New Jersey is overhauling its energy policy for the second time in three years as states make more-frequent rewrites to keep up with technology changes and ideological shifts.”
OPINION
Fight Over the Highlands Continues (O’Dea, Mahwah Patch) Highlands
“Seven years after its enactment, the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act remains a point of contention for pro-environment supporters and property-owning critics.”
COURTS
Price v. Himeji, LLC and Union City Zoning Board of Adjustment (Appellate Division)
Reverses Law Division and reinstates Board’s approval of the development.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Hunterdon among counties offered $3.248 million for Highlands land preservation (Staff, Hunterdon County Democrat) Hunterdon, Morris, Warren, Passaic Counties
“The New Jersey Highlands Development Credit Bank (HDC Bank) has made offers to preserve another 130 acres of land in Morris, Warren, Passaic and Hunterdon counties, providing up to $3,248,000 to landowners in the Highlands Preservation Area.”
Zoning Board rejects plan for drug, alcohol rehab facility (Staff, The Hammonton News) Hammonton, Atlantic County
“The Zoning Board voted 4-3 to reject a use variance that would have allowed an impatient drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility to open on the White Horse Pike.”
Public on Master Plan: Protect Neighborhoods, Promote Business, Keep It Simple (Bergen, Ocean City Patch) Ocean City, Cape May County
“Ocean City’s Planning Board invited the public on Wednesday night to share their thoughts on the future of the island — and about 20 people answered the call.”
Bike and walking studies gear up in Monmouth, Ocean (Higgs, The Asbury Park Press) Monmouth, Ocean Counties
“As Red Bank goes, so goes Monmouth County, at least when it comes to using the same interactive online and in-person format the borough used to gather information for the borough’s Bike and Pedestrian report.”
Middle Township Committee Gives Nod to New Master Plan (McGuire, Cape May County Herald) Middle, Cape May County
“They grew a proverbial line in the sand, as well as the streets, the woods, and wetlands, too. But at the end of the day, Middle Township Committee unanimously passed Ordinance No. 1392-11, Chapter 250 Zoning, which officially adopted the township’s new master plan.”
Officials Call On Residents To Help Fight Proposed Development (Antonelli, Cranford Patch) Cranford, Union County
“It’s going to take more than a legal appeal by the Cranford Township Committee to prevent 360 residential units from being built on Birchwood Avenue. The entire township must come together in opposition, officials said during a special meeting Tuesday night.”
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
2 Wanaque residential developments do not need to comply with 2004 environmental standards, court panel rules (Baxter, The Star-Ledger) Wanaque, Passaic County
“Two residential developments in Wanaque Borough do not need to comply with environmental rules under the state Highlands Act, a Superior Court panel ruled today.”
New Golden Triangle deal moving forward (Russell, mycentraljersey.com) East Brunswick, Middlesex County
“A negotiated agreement has been worked out between the township and Toll Brothers for the property known as the Golden Triangle that will bring retail space, including a big-box store, and 200 to 400 residential units to the site bordered by Route 18 and Tices Lane.”
Board Pushes Aquatics Center Decision to September (De Bellis, Berkeley Heights Patch) Berkeley Heights, Union County
“Residents appealing the zoning approval for the proposed Berkeley Aquatic Center’s new 51,000-square foot facility on the border of Warren and Berkeley Heights argued that the facility would not be consistent with permitted use under municipal ordinances at the zoning board meeting on Monday night.”
Thursday, December 16, 2010 (Afternoon)
NEWS
NJ Supreme Court rejects Rockaway Twp. appeal of Christ Church exemption (Jennings, The Daily Record) Rockaway, Morris County
“The New Jersey Supreme Court has declined to hear Rockaway Township’s appeal of Christ Church’s exemption from the state Highlands Law.”
COURTS
Cortesini v. Hamilton Township Planning Board (Appellate Division) Hamilton, Mercer County
“This appeal involves the grant by defendant Hamilton Township Planning Board (Board) to defendant Wal-Mart Real Estate Business Trust (Wal-Mart) of land use approvals for the proposed renovation of an existing Wal-Mart store. The primary argument presented by plaintiffs, who are property owners in Hamilton Township, is that the Board’s resolution authorizing this renovation is invalid because the approvals did not include a bulk variance authorizing the nonconformity of parts of the existing Wal-Mart parking lot with the parking area setback requirement of the Hamilton Township zoning ordinance. We reject this argument because the nonconformity with the parking area setback requirement is a feature of the existing Wal-Mart parking lot that was authorized by the subdivision and site plan approvals granted by the Board in 2001 and 2002, and the proposed renovation will not increase or otherwise affect that nonconformity. Therefore, plaintiffs’ challenge to the land use approvals granted by the Board for this renovation constitutes an untimely collateral attack upon the land use approvals the Board granted in 2001 and 2002 for construction of the original Wal-Mart store.”
Thursday, November 4, 2010 (Morning)
NEWS
Christie: Don’t even bother with housing bill (Rao, The Philadelphia Inquirer) Trenton, Mercer County
“As Assembly bill that would bring substantial changes to how affordable housing is regulated in New Jersey won’t have Gov. Christie’s support. The governor Wednesday vowed he would veto the measure, which would phase in a 2.5 percent fee on nonresidential developments to subsidize low-cost housing, if it were passed.”
West Milford councilman backs repeal of Highlands Act (Adfely, The Record) West Milford, Passaic County
“Councilman-elect Luciano “Lou” Signorino wants to step up the township’s fight to revise the state’s Highlands Act, which restricts local development to protect the state’s drinking-water resources.”
OPINION
West Amwell residents don’t want a solar farm (Hurley, for the Hunterdon County Democrat) West Amwell, Hunterdon County
“Over six years ago, our family moved to West Amwell. We fell in love with its rural beauty. The backyard of our home abuts the most gorgeous farmland. There honestly has not been a single day that I have not looked out at that splendor and felt gratitude.”
Monday, October 25, 2010 (Afternoon)
NEWS
Gov. Christie needs more time to decide fate of Hudson River tunnel (Staff, The Associated Press) Trenton, Mercer County
“New Jersey’s governor is expected to take at least another day before announcing whether the nation’s largest public works project will continue or die.”
OPINION
Chester Township does not need Highlands Act (Drysdale, for The Daily Record) Chester, Morris County
“I attended the Highlands Council meeting where the council voted to approve Chester Township’s application to opt into the Regional Master Plan.”
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 22, 2010 (Morning)
Officials: NJ-NY tunnel cost estimate is $9.77B (Delli Santi, The Associated Press) Trenton, Mercer County
“The cost of building a rail tunnel between New Jersey and New York City is estimated at $9.77 billion, some $4 billion less than the worst-case estimate the governor of New Jersey cited when he canceled the project two weeks ago, three government officials told The Associated Press on Thursday.”
ARC tunnel was on budget through August, documents show (Rouse, The Record) Statewide
“Public documents say a Hudson River tunnel project that Governor Christie terminated on the basis of cost overruns was on budget as of Aug. 31.”
New Jersey Rail Tunnel Needs Tighter Oversight, Federal Document Says (Dopp/Keane, Bloomberg) Statewide
“New Jersey began its stalled $8.7 billion rail tunnel without proper oversight and faces ‘significant risk’ of overruns, according to a document from the Transportation Department inspector general’s office.”
Highlands Act: Chester Township, N.J., is first Morris town to get Highlands OK (O’Dea, The Daily Record) Chester, Morris County
“The township that hosts the office of the New Jersey Highlands Council today became the first Morris County municipality to adopt the master plan written by that body for the region.”
Hawthorne aims to spruce up rail neighborhood, end parking woes with ‘transit village’ concept (Shrestha, The Record) Hawthrone, Passaic County
“The goal is to end a parking nightmare brought on by the local rail station, and in doing so improve pedestrian access to the business district around the station.”
Thursday, September 30, 2010 (Evening)
N.J Assembly approves extension of town master plan requirement to 10 years (Murray, The Star-Ledger) Trenton, Mercer County
“New Jersey municipalities would be allowed 10 years between reviews of their master plans under a bill approved by the Assembly today.”
Highlands compliance a ‘milestone’ for Byram (Bouchal, NJ Herald) Byram, Sussex County
“Byram Township has become the first municipality to have its petition for basic conformance to the Highlands Regional Master Plan approved by the Highways Water Protection and Planning Council.”
Russo makes presentation before Meadowlands for suitability of Meadow Crossing (Anderson, South Bergenite) Lyndhurst, Hudson County/Meadowlands
“Land use and planning officials from the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission (NJMC) heard testimony from Russo Development about the suitability of their proposed apartment complex in Lyndhurst, called Meadow Crossing, on Sept. 22, but no formal determinations were made and it could be months before the project is ultimately approved or denied.”
