New Jersey Highlands Council Build Out Analysis

CHESTER, NEW JERSEY – The New Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council released a 'Build Out Analysis' today defining developable land within the Highlands region in accordance with the Regional Master Plan (RMP).

The 'Build Out Analysis' indicates that the RMP policies, when fully implemented in the Highlands Region, allow for resource protection and smart growth development that is protective of Highlands’s water quality and quantity.

The analysis conducted by the New Jersey Highlands Council relies on extensive new and existing data that will benefit from further analysis and refinement over time. “The Highlands Council will work with municipalities during the RMP conformance process as they perform local build out analyses that will better reflect local conditions that cannot be assessed at a regional level.” Eileen Swan, Executive Director, explained, “The Highlands Council is fully committed to partnering with our municipalities to refine the build out analysis by drawing upon their knowledge and experience concerning local circumstances.”

Read the FULL press release >>

New Jersey Highlands Council Awards Grant

CHESTER, NEW JERSEY – The New Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council awarded the Town of Clinton, Hunterdon County, with a Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) Feasibility Grant for $23,500. It is the third municipality in New Jersey to receive this grant from the Highlands Council.

“The TDR program is a valuable land use and planning tool that allows for sensitive land to be preserved while directing development to areas where it would be the most appropriate,” said Eileen Swan, Executive Director of the Highlands Council. “To encourage municipalities to participate in this program and conform to the New Jersey Highlands Regional Master Plan, the Highlands Act provides funding mechanisms, such as this grant program. We are happy that the Town of Clinton applied for this grant, and we look forward to working with the Town in the future in the TDR program.”

Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) is a land use tool that permits the transfer of development potential from areas identified for preservation, called sending zones, to areas that are more appropriate to accommodate increased growth, called receiving zones. Landowners in the sending zones receive compensation for the transferable development potential of their property that has been restricted in support of preservation. Payment for this lost development potential comes from purchasers who buy credits representing the lost development potential of parcels in the sending zone. The credits then entitle the purchaser to build in a receiving zone at a density greater than that permitted in existing zoning.

The Town of Clinton will use this grant for planning design analysis and an economic analysis for the potential of TDR in the municipality. The area of study for receiving sties would include areas where there are underutilized lands and buildings, as well as vacant or undeveloped lands, in the town’s commercial zone. Other tracts of land in the Town of Clinton will be analyzed as sending zones as these lands have environmental constraints such as steep slopes, carbonate rock, and floodplains.

Recognizing that planning for a receiving zone involves costs, the New Jersey Highlands Council established a $1 million Voluntary Receiving Zone Feasibility Grant Program in the spring of 2007. This grant program is designed to assist municipalities in assessing the potential for locating a receiving zone within their communities. Eligible municipalities, which need not be within the Highlands Region but must be in one of the seven New Jersey Highlands counties, will receive both financial support and technical assistance from the Council. To date, two municipalities have been awarded grants under the program while several others are currently preparing applications. Lopatcong Township in Warren County was awarded a $25,000 TDR Feasibility Grant, and the City of Clifton in Passaic County received a $40,000.

As specified by the New Jersey Highlands Act, receiving zones under the Highlands TDR Program are voluntary. To encourage municipalities to designate voluntary receiving zones, the Highlands Act provides a number of benefits to municipalities in the Planning Area that conform to the Regional Master Plan(RMP) and establish a receiving zone which provides for a minimum density of five (5) dwelling units per acre for the residential portion of the receiving zone. Planning Area municipalities that meet these criteria may:

• charge up to $15,000 per unit impact fee for all new development within the voluntary receiving zone
• receive up to $250,000 in an enhanced planning grant to offset the planning and other related costs of designating and accommodating voluntary receiving zones
• receive a grant to reimburse the reasonable costs of amending municipal development regulations to accommodate voluntary receiving zones
• receive legal representation by the State in actions challenging municipal decisions regarding TDR, provided that certain pre-requisites are met
• receive priority status in for any State capital or infrastructure programs

For municipalities outside of the Region but within the seven New Jersey Highlands counties, they are entitled to the same benefits above except for legal representation and priority status. Importantly, municipalities outside the Region must receive plan endorsement from the New Jersey State Planning Commission to participate in the Highlands TDR Program.

Any municipality in the seven counties of the New Jersey Highlands Region (Bergen, Hunterdon, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex or Warren) interested in applying for a TDR Feasibility Grant should contact Lindsey Interlante, Manager of Grants Administration, at (908) 879-6737.

NJ Highlands Council Wins Environmental Award

CHESTER, NEW JERSEY – The New Jersey Highlands Council received the 2007 Environmental Achievement Award from the South Branch Watershed Association (SBWA) during the Association’s 48th Annual Dinner Meeting, held Friday, March 28th at the Copper Hill Country Club in Ringoes, New Jersey.

"It is a great honor for the Highlands Council to receive this award from such an established and respected environmental organization," said John Weingart, NJ Highlands Council Chairman. "We did our best to design a process for developing the Highlands Regional Management Plan that would be as smart and open to the public as possible, and it is particularly gratifying to see that process recognized by the Watershed Association. We look forward to continuing to benefit from their input as we implement the Highlands Plan."

William Kibler, the Executive Director of the South Branch Watershed Association, praised the New Jersey Highlands Council and staff in their efforts on preparing the Regional Master Plan.

“The Council and staff put tremendous effort into the draft Regional Master Plan, including conducting numerous public hearings and accepting and reviewing an immense volume of public comments,” Kibler said. “The process of developing the draft Regional Master Plan has been an excellent example of open government. The Council and staff have ensured that the public is informed and involved in the process of preparing and revising the Plan.”

Other recipients at the awards ceremony included Commerce Bank, which received the 2007 Corporate Achievement Award honoring outstanding environmental efforts by a corporation, and Aimee Swain and Jackie Parrinello, who received the Hermia Lechner Award for outstanding volunteer service to the SBWA.

Michelle Ruggiero of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was the event’s guest speaker and addressed the topic, “Know the Bear Facts.”

“The professionalism and enthusiasm of the Council members and staff while dealing with a controversial and very challenging mandate are a great credit to the Highlands Council,” added William Kibler. “Their efforts to ‘protect, restore, and enhance the quality and quantity of surface and ground waters,’ in the New Jersey Highlands will have a great impact on the environment of our watershed for generations.”



Pictured above at the South Branch Watershed Association Annual Awards Dinner on Friday, March 28th, are (left to right) William Kibler, Executive Director of the South Branch Watershed Association; Jim Hill, President of the SBWA; John Weingart, Chairman of the New Jersey Highlands Council; and Eileen Swan, Executive Director of the New Jersey Highlands Council.



“The Highlands Council and staff are grateful for the South Branch Watershed Association’s acknowledgement of the process of creating the Regional Master Plan and the transparency we have provided at every step of the process,” said Eileen Swan, Executive Director of the Highlands Council. “We are in the very busy final phases of adoption for the Regional Master Plan, and it is easy to forget to appreciate all of the work we've done. I would like to thank the SBWA for this award and for the opportunity for all of us to look back on what we have achieved. I urge the Council and staff to look forward to the great things we will accomplish in the future.”

About the South Branch Watershed Association (SWBA)
The South Branch Watershed Association is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to protecting the environment in the watershed of the South Branch Raritan River. For over 40 years, SBWA has been assisting municipalities, schools, community groups, and citizens with protecting natural resources through education and outreach. Programs offered by SBWA include a volunteer stream monitoring program, biannual stream clean-ups, informational workshops, community well testing programs, and in-school in-field environmental education programs. SBWA also serves as a clearinghouse for public information regarding local environmental issues.

Author Feather Schwartz Foster to speak at the Chester Library

CHESTER, NEW JERSEY – Feather Schwartz Foster, author of “LADIES: A Conjecture of Personalities” is scheduled to speak at the Chester Library to discuss some of America's First Ladies, why they were “new”, and what prompted change.

Foster will be appearing at the Chester Library, Main Street, Chester, New Jersey at 7:00pm, Tuesday, March 5th. The program is free of charge, and a book signing will follow.

According to the author, “A decade after the Civil War saw women less as the wispy, languishing types of the ante-bellum years, and becoming more like the strong, athletic figures typified by the ‘Gibson Girl..’ Education for women had become mainstream, employment opportunities were opening up, and, no surprise, women actually wanted to learn and to work and to achieve.”

Ladies: A Conjecture of Personalities is a book of voices. In it, First Ladies between Martha Washington and Mamie Eisenhower tell their own stories – or, to be more exact, whatever they want – in their own words and in their own styles. It crosses boundaries between fact, conjecture and, most importantly, centuries. Through dialogue-boxes, the Ladies talk to each other across Eternity, where anything is possible. The Modern First Ladies, from Mrs. Kennedy through Mrs. Clinton participate in commentary. “The old gals talk to the reader and they talk amongst themselves. They talk about their husbands, and their children, and the White House, and the times they lived in. And, of course, politics." said Foster.

It is an entertainment, not a tome. “Of course ‘LADIES….’ Is a work of fiction,” says Foster. “After all, it is truly a conjecture of their personalities. But it is all based on the facts of their lives, the lives of their husbands and the times they lived in. Most biographies of First Ladies are dull – full of ‘almanac stuff.’ This books livens things up – especially when the Ladies cross the centuries through Eternity and talk to each other.”

Author Feather Schwartz Foster has been an “amateur” presidential historian for three decades. Following a long career in advertising and having written a score of children’s musical shows, she has decided to draw on her thousand-volume personal presidential library and her love of history by penning “LADIES: A Conjecture of Personalities”.

Her second novel, “Garfield’s Train” was recently published and deals with President James Garfield’s death in Long Branch, in 1881. A children’s book, “T: An Auto-Biography” about a Model-T Ford was also recently released.

Author/lecturer Feather Schwartz Foster has made more than 200 presentations about the “old” First Ladies to various groups throughout the state of New Jersey.

For more information, visit Feather Schwartz Foster's website >>
Or call 908-753-6999.

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New Jersey Highlands Council Grant Program

CHESTER, NEW JERSEY - The New Jersey Highlands Council today allocated $1.5 million in grants to provide municipalities and counties in the Highlands Region with financial and technical assistance as they take steps to address conformance with the Highlands Regional Master Plan.

The Plan Conformance Grant Program will be available to all municipalities and counties with lands in the Highlands Region to examine the implications of conformance with the Regional Master Plan (RMP). These funds will allow municipalities and counties to initiate the Plan Conformance process and assess the benefits of Plan Conformance. These grants will be available after the adoption of the RMP.

“As the Highlands Council moves to adopt the Regional Master Plan, local officials are seeking more information about how the Plan will affect their communities, as well as what costs will be associated with conforming to the Plan,” said John Weingart, Chairman of the Highlands Council. “The Legislature, in creating the Highlands Act, set aside substantial grant funds for municipalities and counties to help pay for the advanced planning required by the Act.”

Of the 88 municipalities in the Highlands Region, 52 have land within the Preservation Area and all seven Highlands counties have land in the Preservation Area. Grants will also be made available to the 36 municipalities located entirely in the Planning Area. While Plan Conformance is optional for these municipalities, these grants will assist them in evaluating the benefits and costs associated with the process and allow them to make an informed decision.

The New Jersey Highlands Council has set aside a total of $1,500,000 for the Plan Conformance Grant Program to be distributed in grants up to $15,000. These funds will allow for the initial review of local master plans and ordinances and environmental resource inventories, with an eye towards bringing plans and ordinances into conformance with the RMP, as well as establishing the next steps in the Plan Conformance process. These grants also will fund the preparation of reports to determine the benefits of Plan Conformance and any recommended RMP updates and map adjustments to the Highlands Council to ensure municipal information is accurate and up-to-date.

“Municipalities in the Planning Area have a decision to make, and these grants are designed for them to work with their professionals to arrive at that decision,” said Eileen Swan, Executive Director of the Highlands Council. “We hope that municipalities in the Planning Area will look to the incentives we offer, including the grants, technical assistance, and legal protection, and strongly consider Plan Conformance with the Highlands RMP.”

To date, the New Jersey Highlands Council has approved more than $3.6 million in grant funds for Municipal Partnership Pilot Projects, COAH Planning, County Zoning and Parcel Analysis, County Digital Elevation Analysis, County Wastewater Capacity Analysis, County Approved Project Analysis, Sustainable Agriculture and Transfer of Development Rights Feasibility.

In addition to grant funds, the Highlands Act offers a number of incentives to encourage municipalities in the Planning Area to join the Council’s mission to protect the natural resources and foster a strong economy for this Region. Conformance to the RMP includes a strong legal shield – one of the strongest levels of legal protection in the state. The Highlands Act provides a, “strong presumption of validity,” to master plans, land use ordinances and local decisions by municipalities and counties that conform to the RMP. Legal representation is also included in certain instances.

Plan Conformance also includes automatic qualifications for State aid, planning and technical assistance for smart growth policies offered by the state Office of Smart Growth. It provides priority funding opportunities under Green Acres and State Farmland Preservation for municipalities that have adopted Transfer of Development Rights ordinances.

The New Jersey Highlands Council will be preparing guidelines for the Plan Conformance Grant Program and once completed will be sending grant applications to all municipalities and counties in the Highlands Region.

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Monthly Meetings For New Moms and Moms To Be

CHESTER, NEW JERSEY - Plaza Family Care, P.C. Offers Monthly Meetings For Moms, Moms To Be.

Expecting your first baby? Expecting another child but forgot a few things about newborns?

Do you have questions about feeding, cord care, circumcision, immunizations, siblings, sleeping, SIDS, safety or almost anything else to do with the care of a young baby? Or do you just want to pick the brains of a pediatrician for just a few minutes?

Plaza Family Care. P.C. offers a monthly series of free meetings for moms and moms to be, as well as for fathers and fathers to be. Plaza Family Care has two locations, at 657 Willow Grove Street (in the West Wing of Hackettstown Regional Medical Center) in Hackettstown, New Jersey and at 245 Main Street, Chester, New Jersey.

Plaza Family Care’s board certified pediatricians have over 100 years of combined experience to share.

For further information about the meeting times, locations and reservations, or Plaza Family Care in general, call 908-850-7800 or visit www.plazafamilycare.com

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New Jersey Highlands Council Capacity Crowd

CHESTER, NEW JERSEY - A capacity crowd filled the room for the first public hearing for the final draft of the New Jersey Highlands Regional Master Plan, held Wednesday night at the Morris County Haggerty Education Center in Morristown, New Jersey.

Approximately 150 members of the public, including land owners, farmers, developers, environmental activists, and other concerned individuals attended the event. More than 40 people testified during the three-and-a-half hour hearing.

“An important part of the process of creating and adopting a Regional Master Plan for the Highlands is obtaining public input,” said John Weingart, Chairman of the New Jersey Highlands Council. Public comment has already helped the Council improve the draft Master Plan from an earlier version and we look forward to refining it further based on the additional input we are receiving this month.”

There are two remaining public hearings that will take place at the following times and dates:

Today - February 11, 2008 from 6 p.m. to end of public comment at the Passaic County Community College, One College Blvd., Paterson, New Jersey.

February 13, 2008 from 6:30 p.m. to end of public comment at the Voorhees High School, 256 County Rt. 513, Glen Gardner, New Jersey.

Read the full press release(PDF) from the
New Jersey Highlands Council >>

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New Jersey Highlands News - Regional Master Plan

CHESTER, NEW JERSEY - The New Jersey Highlands Council's first public hearing for the Final Draft Highlands Regional Master Plan begins tomorrow.

Two additional public hearings will follow on Feb. 11 and Feb. 13

The Highlands Council will hold the first of three public hearings for the Final Draft Regional Master Plan tomorrow at the Morris County Haggerty Education Center, 53 East Hanover Avenue, Morristown, New Jersey from 4pm to the end of public comment.

There is no pre-registration for this session, and members of the public who intend to speak are asked to sign in for the record and are encouraged to submit a written copy of their comments.

The two remaining public hearings will take place at the following times and dates:

February 11, 2008 from 6pm to end of public comment at the Passaic County Community College, One College Blvd., Paterson, New Jersey.

February 13, 2008 from 6:30pm to end of public comment at the Voorhees High School, 256 County Rt. 513, Glen Gardner, New Jersey.

The public comment period will officially close on February 28, 2008. The New Jersey Highlands Council is also accepting comments via e-mail and regular mail.

Send Comments to:

New Jersey Highlands Council
Attn: Final Draft RMP Comments
100 North Road - Route 513
Chester, New Jersey 07930

Morris County's Midtown Secret

MOUNT OLIVE, NEW JERSEY -
Flanders NJ News recently reviewed the Metro Grille restaurant and cocktail bar in Flanders, New Jersey.

The Metro Grille came under new ownership in November of 2007. If you haven't tried it yet, you should. Simply Delicious.

Read the full Restaurant Review >>


Metro Grille
380 US Highway 206 South
(between Flanders and Chester)
Flanders, New Jersey 07836
(908) 879-0051

Modern International cuisine, including sushi


Morris County New Jersey Food & Spirits reviews restaurants, diners, deli's, bars, and pubs within Morris County, NJ for Flanders NJ News. Read all reviews >>

NJ Highlands Regional Master Plan

CHESTER, NEW JERSEY - Yesterday, the New Jersey Highlands Council announced the commencement of a 90-day public comment period for the Highlands Regional Master Plan(RMP - Final Draft 2007). Three public hearings have been scheduled for February 2008 for open public comment.

“The Final Draft of the Regional Master Plan is an exciting example of regional planning in New Jersey,” said John Weingart, Chairman of the Highlands Council. “The Council members and staff have worked hard to prepare a plan will protect, enhance and restore the valuable resources of the Highlands as required by the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act. While this draft plan already reflects changes suggested by the public during the Council's many hearings and lengthy comment period earlier this year, we wanted to provide another opportunity for input. We invite the public including interested stakeholders to review the new final draft and suggest potential improvements for the Council to consider before adopting the Regional Master Plan."

Publication of the Highlands Regional Master Plan(Final Draft November 2007), the accompanying technical addenda and/or Land Use Capability Series maps are now available on the New Jersey Highlands Council's web site >>

The New Jersey Highland's Council will hold three public meetings regarding the Regional Master Plan on the following dates:

• February 6, 2008 from 4pm to end of public comment at the Morris County Haggerty Education Center, 53 East Hanover Ave, Morristown, New Jersey.


• February 11, 2008 from 6pm to end of public comment at the Passic County Community College, One College Blvd., Paterson, New Jersey.


• February 13, 2008 from 6:30pm to end of public comment at the Voorhees High School, 256 County Rt 513, Glan Gardner, New Jersey.

The public comment period will officially close on February 28, 2008. If you are unable to attend one of the scheduled public meetings the NJ Highlands Council is offering the following two additional ways to submit your comments:

• Via Email - RMPComments@highlands.state.nj.us


• Via Snail Mail -
  
  Attn: Final Draft RMP Comments
  Highlands Council
  100 North Road - Route 513
  Chester, New Jersey 07930

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