October 11, 2011
Poll finds support for statewide planning in New Jersey (Kitchenman, NJ BIZ) Statewide
“New Jersey residents support statewide planning to guide growth and development and to protect farms and open space, according to a poll released Tuesday.”
DCA commissioner pledges changes to affordable-housing system (Burd, NJ BIZ) Statewide
“Less than a month after the Department of Community Affairs took full control over the functions of the Council on Affordable Housing, the agency’s head told many of the state’s builders Friday that changes to the system are under way.”
State’s high court to decide if statutes not adhered to in HIllsdale, judicial reviews of development proposal (Firschein, The Record) Hillsdale, Bergen County
“A lawsuit against the Borough’s Planning Board is headed to the New Jersey Supreme Court, challenging what it claimed were derivations from state statutes by the board and lower-court judges in considering a developer’s application.”
An Unofficial Transit Village (Martin, The New York Times) West Windsor, Mercer County
“It took nearly five years to get all aboard, but this township is to have its own ‘transit village’; 800 housing units and a retail center beside its Princeton Junction train station.”
Proposed uptown development causes a stir (Smith, The Hudson Reporter) Hoboken, Hudson County
“A new uptown residential development proposal has neighbors and open space activists up in arms, and the City Council even opposed the plan at Wednesday’s meeting by unanimously passing a nonbinding resolution.”
September 27, 2011
Transit Village ‘A Perfect Fit’ for Summit (Bentey, Summit Patch) Summit, Union County
“A community planning and development consulting firm called the concept of a Transit Village a perfect fit for the city of Summit before the Planning Board at Municipal Hall on Monday night.”
Court upholds billboard ban in Mount Laurel (Coppock, Phillyburbs.com) Mount Laurel, Burlington County
“A lawsuit challenging the township’s billboard ordinance has been dismissed.”
September 9, 2011
Developer buys Asbury beachfront site (Shields, The Asbury Park Press) Asbury Park, Monmouth County
“Asbury Partners, the city’s waterfront developer, has bought the unfinished Esperanza high-rise site from Capital One Bank, which had foreclosed on the property, a company official said Friday.”
The Changing Face of Rail and Bus Security (Saccenti, Berkeley Patch) Statewide
“It was time for a change.”
September 7, 2011
N.J. Turnpike Authority to redirect $1.25B from scrapped ARC tunnel to local road, bridge projects (Frassinelli, The Star-Ledger) Statewide
“Instead of trains, the money is going toward lanes.”
White House: NJ projects in jeopardy if Congress fails to extend transportation funding (Jackson, The Record) Statewide
“More than 1,900 highway and transit projects in New Jersey could be stopped and nearly 23,000 people put out of work in Congress does not approve an extension of the federal transportation funding system this month, the White House announced Tuesday.”
Planning Board, Neighbors Suspicious of Church of God’s Plans (Scarpa, Ridgewood Patch) Ridgewood, Bergen County
“The planning board told Church of God it needed to ‘pull it together’ after finding that countless aspects of its application for two two-story additions were lacking critical information. Beyond that, members of the board-as well suspicious residents-speculated the addition was not what it appeared and Church of God had bigger, more grandiose plans than presented.”
August 23, 2011
U.S. transportation secretary moves to protect $450 million in Northeast Corridor upgrades (Frassinelli, The Star-Ledger) Statewide
“As a longtime — meaning long-suffering — commuter on America’s busiest rail line, John W. Nabial Sr.’s trip to work depends on a chain of events outside his control.”
Court upholds board’s decision to deny pumping station (Schwartz, Pascack Valley Community Life) Mahwah, Bergen County
“The appellate division the Superior Court of New Jersey has ruled that United Water did not establish sufficient reasons as to why Montvale’s Zoning Board should allow the utility variances to construct a pumping station in a residential neighborhood.”
Planning Board Rescinds Re-Zoning of Crossroads Property (Smith Jr., Mahwah Patch) Mahwah, Bergen County
“The council chamber rang out with applause at the Planning Board meeting Monday night, as nearly 100 residents cheered the Planning Board’s decision to overturn the Council’s three ordinances that allowed property near the Shearton Mahwah Hotel to be rezoned as retail space.”
Friday, August 19, 2011
Gov. Christie, N.Y. Gov. Cuomo say OK to scaled-back toll hike (Strunsky, The Star Ledger) North Jersey
“Softening a proposal for unprecedented increases on Port Authority bridges and tunnels, the governors of New Jersey and New York have signed off on an agreement to raise tolls $1.50 next month, followed by additional hikes of 75 cents per year through 2015.
Shopping center proposal causes controversy in Bedminster (MacKenzie, mycentraljersey.com) Bedminster, Somerset County
“A narrow 10-acre strip of land between Interstate 287 and Route 202/206 in Pluckemin section of the township has for years housed a State Police barracks, along with a storage dome for road salt and a garage for New Jersey Department of Transportation vehicles.”
Morristown council introduces revised Speedwell plan (Coughlin, Morristown Green) Morristown, Morris County
“The vote was unanimous, but there were some bumps getting there.”
Zoning Board and Developer Clash Over Colors (Van Embden, Red Bank-Shrewsbury Patch) Red Bank, Monmouth County
“In Red Bank’s designated Antiques District, an area of town that may as well be renamed the ‘Hey, don’t forget about us,’ district, a developer wants to build a colorful, multi-use complex, complete with apartments promising modern living and a first-floor brew pub.”
COURTS
TSI Marlboro, Inc. v. Township of Marlboro Zoning Board of Adjustment (Appellate Division)
United Water of New Jersey v. Zoning Board of Adjustment of the Borough of Montvale et al (Appellate Division)
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Gov. Christie says he’s still undecided on Port Authority toll hikes and PATH fare hikes (Strunsky, The Star-Ledger) Statewide
“A day after public hearings on a proposed toll and PATH fare hike, Gov. Chris Christie said he had not decided on the proposal but told reporters ‘there were more people spoke in favor of the toll hike than against it.’”
Study: Stormwater Basins Harming Barnegat Bay (Nee, Point Pleasant Patch) Jersey Shore
“Stormwater basins built along the Barnegat Bay watershed may be harming the waterway, according to a new study.”
State has no power to block gas pipeline (Reilly, njherald.com) Sussex County
“The state Department of Environmental Protection has no power to stop the natural gas pipeline that is planned to cut through High Point State Park, a state official said Wednesday.”
Solar Farm planned in East Rutherford (Staff, South Bergenite) East Rutherford, Bergen County
“The Planning Board approved zoning changes on Aug. 8 to allow a solar farm east of Route 17 in order to allow Diamond Chemical company to harness its power.”
Rutgers graduate students to take a crack at Raritan waterfront (Cooper, Somerset Messenger-Gazette) Raritan, Hunterdon County
“The future of the town’s river front area is to be envisioned by a group of graduate students from Rutgers University Bloustein School of Planning and Policy this fall. The students will meet with borough officials on Friday to launch the project.”
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.”
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
NJ Transit derailment renews calls for second tunnel under Hudson River to Manhattan (Frassinelli, The Star-Ledger) Statewide
“The area between New York Penn Station and the Hudson River train tunnel resembles a big bowl of spaghetti, with wires and tracks and trains veering in every direction.”
New Jersey’s ‘Live Where You Work’ home loan program comes to Camden (Hester Sr., New Jersey Newsroom) Camden, Camden County
“Camden on Tuesday became the 38th New Jersey city or town to join the state’s Line Where York Work program, which provides low-interest, fixed rate mortgage loans to first-time homebuyers who purchase homes in a municipality where they work.”
Developer, Bordentown Township reach financial agreement on waterfront community (O’Sullivan, phillyburbs.com) Bordentown, Burlington County
“A preliminary financial agreement for a planned $300 million waterfront development requires the township to authorize up to $22 million in bonds for infrastructure improvements throughout the multiphase project.”
Jersey City Planning Board forwards McGinley Square redevelopment plan to City Council (McDonald, The Jersey Journal) Jersey City, Hudson County
“The Jersey City Planning Board tonight approved a recommendation that the City Council adopt the controversial McGinley Square Redevelopment Plan.”
Developer Moving Forward With His Efforts to Open Outpatient Detox Facility in Lawrence Twp. Building (Tredrea, Lawrenceville Patch) Lawrence, Mercer County
“Real estate developer John Simone is employing a dual strategy in his continuing effort to install a drug and alcohol detoxification facility in a vacant building he owns on Federal City Road in Lawrence Township.”
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Affordable-housing advocates back Princeton Junction transit village (Costa, The Times of Trenton) West Windsor, Mercer County
“As the long-debated InterCap transit village at Princeton Junction nears final approval by West Windsor officials, groups that advocate for more affordable housing in the state have joined supporting the 800-unit project.”
Jersey City Planning Board to have public hearing on redevelopment of McGinley Square (Staff, The Jersey Journal) Jersey City, Hudson County
“The Jersey City Planning Board will meet tonight to hear public comments on the controversial McGinley Square Redevelopment Plan, The Jersey Journal reports.”
High marks for Pier Village (Williams, The Asbury Park Press) Long Branch, Monmouth County
“Crack houses, a rat-infested water slide and boarded up arcades. This was the setting where the Pier Village retail and residential complex was built in a city that had endured decades of decline.”
Affordable Housing Proposal Inches Further (Lee, Bloomfield Patch) Bloomfield, Essex County
“In an unanimous vote with all seven members approving, the Bloomfield Township Council approved creating a pilot program Monday night for a proposed affordable housing complex for senior citizens and people with disabilities.”
Lower Township tells woman, 79, to get rid of six chickens she is raising for eggs (Degener, Press of Atlantic City) Lower Township, Cape May County
“When Claire Nagel heard about a national movement toward locally grown foods, she planted a big garden and got some chickens.”
