Mahwah: A Case Study in Sustainable Cities

By

Peter Russo

A Project Presented to the

FACULTY OF THE M.A.S.S Program RAMAPO COLLEGE

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree

MASTER OF ARTS SUSTAINABILITY STUDIES

Copy Right 2012 Peter Russo

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Abstract The Township of Mahwah has a rich history, dating back to the Native Americans that

first inhabited the area. They lived in a manner that we would consider sustainable

today by only using the natural resources they needed, in respect of nature. As the

European settlers began to develop the area, such sustainable practices became a thing

of the past. Just as the Native Americans had a vision of sustainability, today’s residents

are beginning to share a common vision of sustainability. Through sustainable planning

and education, a more concerted effort can be made to achieve our common goals.

The case study reveals that efforts are being made by the Environmental Commission of

Mahwah to create a Sustainable Addendum to the current Master Plan. This type of

addendum will allow for the implementation of sustainable ordinances. The ordinances

will allow the residents to measure the effectiveness of the addendum and recommend

further improvements to the Master Plan. In addition to the addendum, steps are being

taken to become certified by Sustainable Jersey. The combination of these objectives

will ensure that the Township of Mahwah is taking the first steps towards becoming a

truly sustainable city.

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Table of Contents Abstract iii Introduction 1 Methodology 3 Chapter 1: A Brief History of Mahwah 6 1.1 Native Americans 6 1.2 An Early View of Sustainability 6

Chapter 2 Urbanization 8 2.1 A Sustainable Vision 8 2.2 Prosperity 8 2.3 Walkability 9 2.4 Sustainable Planning 10 2.5 Housing 11 2.6 Transportation 12 2.7 Education 13

Chapter 3: Development of a Sustainable Master Plan 3.1 Water Resources 14 3.2 Land Resources 14 3.3 Sustainable Development 15 3.4 Resource-Based Development 15 3.5 Energy Efficiency 16 3.6 Green Building Development 16 3.7 Environmental Quality 17 3.8 Community Education 17

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3.9 Sustainable Jersey Certification 17

Chapter 4: Water Conservation 18 4.1 Existing Resources 18 4.2 Potable Sources 18 4.3 Water Protection 18 4.4 Water Ordinance 19

Chapter 5 Community 27 5.1 Self-Reflection 27 5.2 Leadership 28 5.3 Whole-Systems Approach 29 5.4 Accountability 30 5.5 The Greening Effect 31

Chapter 6 Next Steps 33 6.1 Sustainable Jersey 33 6.2 Personal Connection 33 6.3 Variables 36

Conclusion 37 Bibliography 38

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Introduction

The Environmental Commission of Mahwah has created two sustainability

objectives. The first objective is to create a sustainability addendum to their current

master plan. The addendum will contain sustainability ordinances focused on such areas

as water conservation, green building standards, and energy efficiency. The second

objective is to become certified by Sustainable Jersey. This will be achieved by

completing specific action items that are based on the Triple Bottom Line theory

(planet, people, and profit). There are 17 towns in Bergen County that are currently

certified in the program, a total of 108 statewide that are certified, and 361 towns that

are registered in the program.

The strategy was to meet with the Environment Commission and establish the

scope of the project, identify the critical stakeholders, examine the standards by which

their work would be measured, and review/assess the outcomes of the project. The

current version of the master plan was written in 1989 and last updated in 2007.

However, it doesn’t include a sustainability plan. Revisions are needed to reflect

changes in technology, environmental factors, population, and economics. The

stakeholders include the Mayor, Town Council, Planning Board, Environmental

Commission, Residents, Community Organizations, and the Business Community.

Progress for the first objective will be measured by the creation and

implantation of the ordinances, such as a water conservation ordinance, energy

efficiency ordinance, solar energy standards ordinance, and storm water and erosion

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ordinance. Progress for the second objective will be measured by the submission of

required paperwork and the completion of designated tasks. In addition to these

objectives, there are nine main sustainability goals: reduce water consumption, reduce

sprawl, increase walkability, responsible development, energy efficiency, green building

standards, promote environmental quality, community education, and certification by

Sustainable Jersey.

Of the nine goals, the case study is focusing on three: water conservation,

walkability, and certification by Sustainable Jersey. A Water Conservation Ordinance has

already been submitted for review. It included the following guidelines: establish a two

day per week watering schedule, create a schedule that will mirror the garbage

collection dates, limit the duration of watering times to 30 minutes, recommend early

morning/late afternoon watering times, and require operational rain sensors on all

irrigation systems – regardless of installation date.

For the goal of walkability, a complete street strategy is being envisioned. It will

focus on providing safe access for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, the mobility

challenged, as well as those that cannot afford a car or choose to live car free. Overall, it

will create a more livable community. The goal of becoming certified by Sustainable

Jersey is well under way. The Environmental Commission has already reached several

milestones such as the creation of a green team, a completed energy audit of one

building, held a community paper shredding day, and submitted an anti-idling

ordinance.

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Methodology

I developed my thesis to answer the question “How will Mahwah’s

Environmental Commission plan and execute the tasks required to create a

Sustainability Ordinance and complete the tasks required for certification by Sustainable

Jersey?”. My research problem was to identify the key sustainability indicators that will

guide Mahwah in achieving these goals. The process of identifying these indicators will

allow me to develop the appropriate best practices for Mahwah’s Master Plan. I have

prepared and submitted a Water Conservation Ordinance and continue to develop the

Sustainability Ordinances. They will be submitted as addendums to the current Master

Plan when completed. Together they encompass the goals of the Environmental

Sustainability Plan, as identified by the Environmental Commission of Mahwah.

The purpose of the Environmental Sustainability Plan is to “provide for,

encourage and promote the efficient use of natural resources and the installation and

usage of renewable energy systems; consider the impact of buildings on the local,

regional and global environment; allow ecosystems to function naturally; conserve and

reuse water; treat storm water on-site; and optimize climatic conditions through site

orientation and design.” (Mahwah Master Plan) The Environmental Commission has

established the following goals and policies as overall guidelines for the plan:

1) To promote land use policies that will encourage the Township to reduce

water use and be self-sustaining with water consumption

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2) To adopt and enforce land use policies that reduce sprawl, preserve open

space, improve transportation options and create compact walkable,

developments wherever possible

3) To encourage sustainable development policies, which seek to protect and

preserve the Township’s environmentally sensitive features by utilizing

energy efficient heating and cooling methods, minimizing waste and

incorporating resource-efficient and recycled materials.

4) To ensure that prospective development is responsive to the Township’s

environmental features and can be accommodated while preserving these

physical characteristics. In particular, the Township seeks to limit

development to that which preserves vegetated steeply sloped topography,

wetlands and floodplains, and retains such natural features as existing

vegetation and habitat for endangered, threatened or rare species.

5) To make energy efficiency a high priority for the Township through building

improvements and retrofitting Township facilities with energy efficient

lighting and water-conservation technologies.

6) To encourage new development and redevelopment projects to be

compatible with the principles of the U.S. Green Building Council.

7) To promote environmental quality through site design, landscaping and

irrigation and maintenance methods sensitive to the ecosystems of the

region.

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8) To engage in community education and outreach programs to consistently

promote an understanding of sustainable programs in the Township and in

the home or business.

9) To become a certified community under the Sustainable Jersey certification

program including maintaining a “Green Team” committee to promote

municipal sustainability programs.

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1 History of Mahwah

1.1 Native Americans

Mahwah is known for its natural beauty and considerable open space. Before

1600, the area was primarily inhabited by the Lenni Lenape Indians. Mawewi, as it was

originally called, meant “an assembly where streams and paths meet” (Bischoff and

Kahn 1979). Before 1600, the Native Americans in Mahwah lived, in what we would

consider today, to be a sustainable existence. They lived off the land by fishing, hunting

and growing crops. They only took what they needed and had a deep spiritual

connection to nature. Besides the elements, the only real threats they dealt with were

from the Iroquois Indians to the North (Bischoff and Kahn 1979). Their lives started to

change once the European settlers began arriving. Bischoff and Kahn (1979) note that

the outward European expansion brought traders and settlers into the area.

Unfortunately, hunting became unsustainable. The demand for furs and skins from the

new settlers meant that much of the animal population in the area was depleted. This

was one of the earliest local examples of consumer demand impacting the sustainable

practices of a community.

1.2 A Vision of Sustainability

The vision the Native Americans had of sustainability was little more than that of

survival, with a healthy respect for nature. Today, our vision of sustainability is more

complicated. Register(2006) studied the role of cities in the evolution of man. He found

that we need to look at the whole system, not just one part at a time. This was the same

motivation of the government of Overtornea, Sweden, which made a commitment to

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develop in a way that was in harmony with nature (James and Lahti 2004). This type of

vision needs to be shared by the community. Glaser, Bruckner, and Bannon (2010)

researched how community and local government could apply resources in an efficient

manner. They reported that citizens who are committed to community are more willing

to accept responsibility for the well-being of their neighbors. In the short time that I

have been researching this topic, I found that commitment, or lack thereof, from the

community to be the toughest challenge in the effort to establish sustainable practices.

Ross(2011) notes that truly sustainable solutions are never applied in a social vacuum,

nor do they emerge from one.

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2 Urbanization

2.1 A Shared Vision

Locally, a vision of sustainability manifested itself in the form of the Hackensack

Meadowlands. Platt(2006), offers in a series of essays, that urbanization caused

tremendous damage to the local ecosystem but acknowledged the efforts to bring

nature back to the area. The case study found that a vision of sustainability can come in

both the form of rehabilitation, such as in the example of the Meadowlands, or in the

case of development. However, it still needs to be a shared vision. I agree with

Register(2006) that to build and maintain an ecologically healthy city, the “shared

vision” needs to be clearly stated in the Master Plan. The case study found that the

Sustainability indicators and action items in the latest version of Master Plan are fairly

generic. I will take Register’s lead and be sure that my recommendations for the next

Master Plan are clear and concise, based on the shared vision of the local government

and the community.

2.2 Prosperity

In terms of visions, they haven’t always been very sustainable. Our vision of

prosperity took an interesting turn during from 2002-2008. As the economy started to

improve, we began to chase some unsustainable “visions”. As we learned after the

recent economic downturn, our visions of grandeur were based on scandals like Enron

and the manipulation of the mortgage industry by our financial institutions. Reeds(2011)

studied the damage caused by urban sprawl and our dependency on the automobile. He

found that many of our old habits were finally starting to come to an end. He mentioned

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the freedom to build where we like, drive where we want to go, and develop wherever

we see fit as the wrong kinds of visions. He believes we’ve finally reached the point as a

society where we accept the fact that our cities/towns/villages need to be rebuilt, as

sustainable communities. While I agree that we need to do these things, I don’t agree

with him that we’ve accepted this as a fact and share a community-wide vision.

The term “sustainability” is more commonly used for marketing purposes in our society,

rather than a vision of the future. In trying to explain what sustainability is and how we

measure it, we tend to lose sight of the vision. Ross(2011) found that when

sustainability is defined by metrics, it reflects a purely physical understanding of how

societies strive to be resilient. However, this type of measurement leaves out the

complexities of sustainability in areas such as environmental justice. The case study

shows that paying particular attention to both the tangible and intangible indicators will

allow for a well-balanced vision.

2.3 Walkability

As the case study continued to evolve, the issue of walkability came into focus.

Since I’m working on the newest version of the Master Plan, I found Register’s(2006)

research to be helpful. He noted that we need to methodically shift from automobile-

dictated development patterns to pedestrian, bicycle, and transit-oriented land uses

and development – and to say so explicitly in the Master Plan. I agree with this theory

but have found it to be a daunting task in reality. Based on our work for Paramus in

Ashwani’s class, attempting to come-up with an alternate means of transportation

and/or walkability options in a retrofit situation, seems almost impossible. In terms of

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my Mahwah project, I haven’t addressed this issue yet. I found the work of

Yvonne(2011) to be more helpful in a practical sense. He said that the aim of planning is

not to avoid any expression of dissatisfaction with planning outcomes. Instead, there

needs to be a degree of confidence that the outcome carries enough support of the

community that it will be considered legitimate.

2.4 Sustainable Planning

While reviewing sources for the case study, I found the work of Dunham-Jones

and Williamson to be insightful. Their research showed that much of suburban

residential housing in subdivisions is often segregated by income since the houses are

built to be around the same size, on the same size lot, and at the same price point. The

same can be said for much of Mahwah. In fact, the neighborhood that I lived in,

Cragmere, was originally designed strictly as single family homes, each on quarter acre

lots with driveways meant to hold 4 cars. As times have changed, along with the

demographics in town, large condo/townhome attached style homes have begun to

dominate the landscape. The shift from single family homes to multi-unit dwellings has

also begun to address the lack of walkability in Mahwah since access to public

transportation and shopping is often a key selling point. Register(2006) found that

creating bike and footpaths, as well as access to transit, created a “vascular” system that

could give residents access to nature. With the amount of open space and number of

public parks in Mahwah, the introduction of this type of “vascular” system could prove

to be a tremendous asset. MacLeod(2003) added that healthy cities have extensive

parks and natural areas, which add diversity and fun.

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2.5 Housing

The trends in housing are largely based on changes in population, in Mahwah

and elsewhere. While Platt( 2006 ) followed the trends in housing, in regards to nature,

Dunham-Jones and Williamson ( 2011 ) projected how the trends in

population/demographics would impact housing. They found that single and childless

households make up a significant portion of the suburban population, with the trend

continuing in the future. They also found that single-person households had doubled

from1950-2000. Since 1950, the size of the average family has gotten smaller, while the

divorce rate has increased.

Some of MacLeod’s(2003) research on mixed use construction is relevant to

recent projects in New Jersey and was of value to the case study. He noted that

sustainable communities have a mix of housing that includes commercial and industrial

so that people are close to their jobs. Currently, a project is underway in Newark that is

modeling this idea. An area near the new arena is being redeveloped with a major hotel

chain as the anchor to the project. In addition to new stores and restaurants, a

“teacher’s village” is being built with a charter school in the same development. In effort

to attract outstanding educators, a program is in place to offer them new affordable

housing that will be in the center of this revitalized neighborhood.

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2.6 Transportation

Transportation has been a major topic in my previous study of Paramus. Their

issues are somewhat unique since they don’t have a downtown area or any relevant

mass transit system. In terms of transportation for my Mahwah project, I compared the

work of Register (2006) and Dunham-Jones/Williamson( 2011). Register (2006) seemed

to have a more positive message and he based his solutions on basic planning ideas that

have been passed down through time. In simplest terms, he said that the best

transportation was the least, that proximity should be the main goal. Whereas,

Dunham-Jones and Williamson (2011) took a more critical view of current

transportation designs.

In Mahwah’s case, it has a centralized downtown area. There are a good number

of homes and businesses within walking distance of the train station, two public parks,

and one school. If this area serviced the entire community, my work would be done.

Mahwah’s borders are spread over several miles with limited walkability options. There

are few sidewalks or designated bike lanes. There is one train station in the center of

town with the stop to the north being Suffern, and Ramsey to the south. There are

public buses with stops along Route 17 and several to NYC but there are no public

transportation options to travel within the town itself. Based on the terrain and

roads/highway system, walkability solutions are limited.

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2.7 Education

Education in regards to sustainability is virtually nonexistent in Mahwah. For the

purpose of the case study, I wasn’t necessarily looking for examples of educational

programs. I was more concerned with how the community at large was being educated

about sustainability. The case study I Mazmanian and Kraft ( 2009) to have offered a

reasonable explanation by saying that the modern environmental movement can best

be understood as the unfolding of three distinctly different but internally similar schools

of thought – the rise of environmental regulation, the period of regulatory reform, and

the transition towards sustainability.

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3 Development of a Sustainable Master Plan

3.1 Water Resources

To promote land use policies that will encourage the Township to reduce water use and

be self-sustaining with water consumption.

The first step in securing Mahwah’s water resources was to develop a water

conservation ordinance. Through a partnership with the town’s Environmental

Commission, the ordinance was submitted and is currently being reviewed by the Town

Council. From there, the following goals were outlined:

Decrease annual rate of municipal, residential, commercial and

industrial water use by 20% by 2020

Write a Storm Water Management Plan

Write a Shared-Use Parking Ordinance to reduce impervious

coverage

Promote water collection projects to business owners and residents

Promote green landscaping practices

3.2 Land Resources

To adopt and enforce land use policies that reduce sprawl, preserve open space, improve

transportation options and create compact walkable, developments wherever possible.

During the early settlement days in Mahwah’s history, a downtown area was

developed. As the local farm owners began to sell property to developers, the

downtown area slowly began to lose its place as the economic and social center for the

community. As new neighborhoods within the town were developed, the walkability

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factor was lost. The following steps will begin to rebuild the sense of community that

was lost due to geographical separation, reduce traffic, and create offer healthy ways to

enjoy the natural beauty of the town:

Design a bike trail along the Ramapo River

Improve the sidewalk layout in the downtown area to extend the

walkability to area businesses

Investigate bus transportation options to allow residents from other

sections of town to access the downtown area in the Cragmere

section

3.3 Sustainable Development

To encourage sustainable development policies, which seek to protect and preserve the

Township’s environmentally sensitive features by utilizing energy efficient heating and

cooling methods, minimizing waste and incorporating resource-efficient and recycled

materials.

The township officials need to set an example if they are to successfully gain the

cooperation of the community in developing sustainable habits. This will be

accomplished by analyzing the current municipal purchasing habits and selecting less

wasteful/more recyclable products. (Still researching)

3.4 Resource-Based Development

To ensure that prospective development is responsive to the Township’s environmental

features and can be accommodated while preserving these physical characteristics. In

particular, the Township seeks to limit development to that which preserves vegetated

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steeply sloped topography, wetlands and floodplains, and retains such natural features

as existing vegetation and habitat for endangered, threatened or rare species.

(Still researching)

3.5 Energy Efficiency

To make energy efficiency a high priority for the Township through building

improvements and retrofitting Township facilities with energy efficient lighting and

water-conservation technologies.

As Mahwah continued to develop, it began to outgrow some of its municipal

buildings. Some of the buildings have been replaced, while others will need to be

retrofitted. The following steps will save energy, promote sustainable activities in the

community, and help offset taxes:

Retrofit toilets/sinks in public schools and municipal buildings

Design efficient alternative energy systems such as solar and

geothermal

Solar panels on municipal buildings

Automatic shut-off lights on municipal buildings

Geothermal heating/cooling options

3.6 Green Building Development

To encourage new development and redevelopment projects to be compatible with the

principles of the U.S. Green Building Council.

Incorporate LEED principles in building ordinances for new and

existing structures

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(still researching)

3.7 Environmental Quality

To promote environmental quality through site design, landscaping and irrigation and

maintenance methods sensitive to the ecosystems of the region.

3.8 Community Education

To engage in community education and outreach programs to consistently promote an

understanding of sustainable programs in the Township and in the home or business.

The Township can utilize its relationship with the MASS program at Ramapo

College to develop and implement a community education program. In order to make

substantial changes in how the township addresses sustainability issues, the residents

need to be involved in the planning and execution of any action steps. A true

partnership between with the Environmental Commission, the Green Team in Mahwah,

MASS students, and residents will ensure long-term success.

3.9 Sustainable Jersey Certification

To become a certified community under the Sustainable Jersey certification program

including maintaining a “Green Team” committee to promote municipal sustainability

programs. (still researching)

Define short and long term goal for certification by Sustainable Jersey

Develop action plan with timeline and responsible parties for each

task

Manage goals and action plan within the administration of the Green

Team

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4 Water Conservation

4.1 Existing Resources

The purpose of the Water Conservation ordinance is to develop and implement

land use policies that will improve the quality of community water resources and

encourage the Township to reduce water use and be self-sustaining with water

consumption. (MMP) The existing bodies of water in Mahwah include the Ramapo River,

Mahwah Brook, Masonicus Brook, Stag Brook, Havemeyer Brook, McMillian Brook, Bear

Swamp Brook, Fox Brook, Fyke Brook, Darlington Brook, Ramsey Brook, Sparrow Bush

Creek, Ho-Ho-Kus Brook, Bear Swamp Lake, Cannon Ball Lake, Silver Lake, and Valentine

Brook.

4.2 Water Supply

The Township relies on ground water supplies as a primary source of drinking

water. The goals for managing the water resources are to protect the health, safety and

welfare of Mahwah residents, ensure a supply of safe and healthful drinking water, and

to protect the ground water resources that provide water to potable water supply wells.

There are 17 Public Community Water Supply wells and 10 sub-watersheds located in

the Township. Currently, Mahwah purchases 30% of its water from United Water.

4.3 Water Protection

The two main targets for ground water protection are:

1) To maintain water quality at high standards set by appropriate agency/to

improve water quality by 20% by 2020

a. Prepare and adopt stream corridor protection ordinance

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b. Prevent pollutants from reaching the waterways by regulating

source of local water pollutants

2) Decrease the annual rate of municipal, residential, commercial, and

industrial water use by 20% by 2020.

a. Prepare and adopt a water conservation ordiance

b. Provide information and guidance to residents and local business

owners on rain water collection and landscaping for water

conservation

c. Provide information and guidance to residents and local business

owners on reusing storm water volumes generated for non-potable

uses such as landscape irrigation, toilets and urinal flushing and

custodial uses

d. Decrease water use is homes, business and the municipality.

Educate residents and business owners of various practices they can

use to reduce the water usage per home/business

e. Use green landscaping practices, use native plants, reduce lawn

area, and use practices that require watering and less pesticide use

4.4 Water Ordinance

The following is an example of a water ordinance for Mahwah:

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TOWNSHIP OF MAHWAH

ORDINANCE NO. XXX-XX AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWNSHIP of MAHWAH IN BERGEN COUNTY, AMENDING THE CODE OF THE TOWNSHIP of MAHWAH, BY ADDING A SECTION ENTITLED XX-XX, WATER CONSERVATION.

WHEREAS, taking steps to ensure clean, wholesome, and adequate water supplies is a high priority in protecting the health, safety and welfare of the TOWNSHIP of MAHWAH; WHEREAS, the water supplies within the TOWNSHIP of MAHWAH should be protected to afford the greatest beneficial use to MAHWAH citizens and businesses, which depend on current water supplies for their livelihood, health, welfare, and economic production; and WHEREAS, the water resources associated with the TOWNSHIP of MAHWAH have been threatened in the past due to drought conditions; and WHEREAS, taking steps to ensure clean, wholesome, and adequate water supplies is a high priority in protecting the health, safety, and welfare of MAHWAH citizens; and WHEREAS, the TOWNSHIP OF MAHWAH recognizes the importance of indoor and outdoor water conservation, protecting our natural resources and promoting alternative water usage methods and; WHEREAS, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:48-2, the TOWNSHIP of MAHWAH has the power to adopt ordinances necessary and proper for the protection of persons and property, and the preservation of the public health, safety and welfare; BE IT ORDAINED by the TOWNSHIP OF MAHWAH COUNCIL of the TOWNSHIP of MAHWAH in BERGEN County as follows: Section 1. The Code of the TOWNSHIP of MAHWAH in BERGEN County 2012 shall be amended by the addition of Section XX-XX, entitled, “Water Conservation Guidelines”, to read as follows:

A. Water Conservation Guidelines for All Users Including Residential, Commercial, Academic, Municipal Properties and Parks & Recreation Fields. Except as may be further restricted in accordance with ( ) below, the use of water within the

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TOWNSHIP of MAHWAH, regardless of the source of water (public or private) shall consider to the following:

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1. All citizens shall be urged to observe indoor conservation measures at all times; and 2. All citizens shall be urged to limit Lawn Watering

a. Limit watering of lawns to 20 minutes three times per week when

rain is absent. b. Water during times of less evaporation at early morning or early

evening.

c. Water shrubs and flowers with a hand held hose with automatic shut off nozzle or soaker hose or drip irrigation. d. Wash vehicles with a hand held hose equipped with an automatic shut off nozzle when not using a commercial car wash. e. Restrictions identified in Section 2 shall supersede those stated in this Chapter when the TOWNSHIP of MAHWAH MAYOR declares a Declaration of Water Emergency; f. In order to encourage participation in water conservation and practice the guidelines set forth in this ordinance, an email blast will be sent quarterly to emphasize the significance of conserving our natural resources. g. State of New Jersey requirements shall supersede when more stringent than TOWNSHIP of MAHWAH Water Conservation Guidelines;

B. Automatic Sprinkler/Irrigation Requirement. Per NJ P.L. 2000, c.107 (see NJSA 52:27D-123.13), operational automatic rain sensor devices are required for all sprinkler/irrigation systems installed after September 8, 2000 to ensure that watering does not occur during periods of rain.

1. In addition, all automatic sprinkler /irrigation systems installed prior to September 8, 2000 must be equipped with an operational automatic rain sensor device by October 1, 2012 making this requirement for all systems; 2. Enforcement of Rain Sensors on Automatic Sprinkler/Irrigation Systems; The automatic rain sensor requirement imposed pursuant to this section shall be enforced by the local authorized official.

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3. Penalties. A warning will be issued for a first offense, and upon the verification for a second offense, green service may be delegated. Any person or business that thereafter violates the water use restrictions imposed pursuant to this section requiring rain sensors shall be subject to the penalty provisions of the Township of Mahwah Ordinance( ).

Section 2. The Code of the TOWNSHIP of MAHWAH in Bergen County 2012 shall be amended by the addition of Section ( ), entitled, “Prohibition of Certain Uses of Water During Emergency Conditions”, to read as follows:

A. Declaration of Water Emergency. A water emergency may be declared:

1. Upon action by Declaration of the Mayor of the Township of MAHWAH: a. Whenever the Municipal Engineer in his or her professional judgment finds that emergency conditions exist within the Municipality, he or she shall recommend to the MAYOR of TOWNSHIP of MAHWAH that a water emergency be declared. Said recommendation shall contain findings which specify which water use restrictions, if any, contained in Section ( ) below are appropriate. Factors which the Municipal Engineer may consider in making said recommendation include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Lack of precipitation for an extended time period; 2. Below-average water levels in municipal streams or other surface water bodies; 3. Declaration of a water emergency by the Governor; 4. Declaration of a water emergency by a surrounding municipality or municipalities; 5. Designation by the New Jersey Department of Environmental of a drought watch or drought warning condition; 6. Below-average water levels in wells monitored by the United States Geological Survey, New Jersey Geological Survey or other wells monitored by agencies of the United States or New Jersey; or 7. Evidence of low or dirty water yields in private wells in the Municipality.

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9. Declaration of a water emergency resulting from infrastructure failure or any other Safe Drinking Water emergency issues.

b. Upon receiving such a recommendation, the MAYOR of the TOWNSHIP OF MAHWAH may accept the Municipal Engineer’s recommendation and findings, or any portion thereof, and declare a water emergency in the Municipality. c. Upon declaring a water emergency the water use restrictions as stated below or as defined by the State of New Jersey, if more stringent, shall take affect until the declaration has been lifted.

B. Water Use Restrictions. Upon declaring that a water emergency exists in the Municipality in accordance with Section ( ):

1. All citizens shall be urged to observe voluntary indoor conservation measures; and

2. Water uses and restrictions including but not limited to the below may be included in a Water Emergency Resolution:

a. The watering of all plant growth, except commercially grown food crops, sod at commercial sod farms and golf courses and nursery stock at nurseries or retail outlets;

b. The washing of vehicles, except for emergency vehicles and by a commercial enterprise whose primary function is car washing, regardless of whether the operation is mobile or stationary or in those instances where a threat to public health may exist;

c. The washing of driveways, sidewalks, decks, patios or paved areas; d. The serving of water in restaurants, clubs, or eating places unless specifically requested by patrons;

e. The use of fire hydrants by fire companies for testing fire apparatus and for fire department drills except as the Municipal Fire Chief deems necessary in the interest of public safety; f. The use of fire hydrants by municipal road departments, contractor, and all others, except as necessary for fire fighting or protection purposes;

g. The use of water for all outdoor recreational purposes;

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h. The washing of outside of dwellings, buildings, or other structures, except windows;

i. The operation of any ornamental fountain or other structure making a similar use of water except as necessary to preserve or support fish and aquatic life;

j. The washing of streets via a street sweeper, except in those instances where Reclaimed Water for Beneficial Reuse (RWBR) is authorized under a valid New Jersey Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NJPDES) Permit.

k. Any other water use activity specified by the MAYOR of the TOWNSHIP of MAHWAH in the resolution required by Section ( ) above which is reasonable under the circumstances considering the nature and extent of the water emergency.

3. The following restrictions may be imposed on the water uses stated in

Section ( ):

a. Limiting all outdoor usage which is not strictly prohibited by this subsection to the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. or between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

b. The watering of any single area shall not exceed thirty minutes per day.

c. Any other restriction specified by the MAYOR of the TOWNSHIP of MAHWAH which is reasonable under the circumstances considering the nature and extent of the water emergency.

4. Any water use restriction imposed pursuant to this subsection may be

amended by the MAYOR of the TOWNSHIP of MAHWAH to add, alter, or delete any restriction in subsection at any time during the water emergency.

5. Any water use restriction imposed pursuant to this subsection shall apply

equally to both users on privately owned wells and users served by a public water system, currently a private water purveyor.

6. Nothing in this subsection shall be read so as to prohibit, restrict or limit

water usage where a bona fide health emergency exists.

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C. Duration of Water Emergency. Whenever the Municipal Engineer in his or her professional judgment finds that the emergency drought conditions in the Municipality have abated, he or she shall recommend to the MAYOR of the TOWNSHIP OF MAHWAH that the water emergency cease. Upon such a recommendation to cease, the MAYOR may declare the water emergency ended and the water use restrictions identified in Section ( ) inapplicable. D. Notice. Reasonable attempts shall be made to notify citizens and residents of the Municipality of the existence of a water emergency, the restrictions imposed, and the penalties for violations. E Enforcement of Water Use Restrictions. The water use restrictions imposed pursuant to this section shall be enforced during a water emergency by the local authorized official. The local authorized official shall enforce violations of the water use restrictions regardless of the source of the water.

F. Penalties. After a warning for a first offense in accordance with Section ( )of this section, any person or business that thereafter violates the water use restrictions imposed pursuant to this section shall be subject to the penalty provisions stated in the MAHWAH ordinance, section 1-5.

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5 Community

5.1 Self-Reflection

When I first entered the program, I was expecting everyone to be “preaching

from their soapbox” but found it wasn’t the case. This had been my view of

environmentalism and I really didn’t know anything about sustainability. I found

sustainability to be the calmer, more rational side of environmentalism. I think it was a

natural evolution of theories and practices that has begun to be embraced by the

mainstream. Perhaps I’m being overly optimistic but I think we’re making progress. I

found that Walker’s( 2005) work helped put my project in perspective. He said that

sometimes our learning comes about as a result of self-reflection and that most people

will take a critical look at their behavior, but living in community seems to accelerate the

process. I believe my own perspective on sustainability has changed, based on my

research. I think Walker’s(2005) theory is essential to getting the community involved

with Mahwah’s efforts to achieve certification with Sustainable Jersey. In spite of my

optimism, Quinn and Dalton’s (2009) work is a little more grounded. They found that

people’s natural reactions towards sustainability include things like “It’s

transformational. It’s revolutionary. It hasn’t been done before in this way”. From what

I’ve learned so far in my brief experience dealing with local politics, these are common

responses. These are also the same types of responses I received from my own company

when trying to engage upper management about sustainable solutions.

I’ve mentioned community in each section because it is the basis of my research.

As its own category, I researched why a community effort is necessary for sustainable

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actions to be successful. Glaser etal. (2010) looked at the idea of having a relational

community. It is one that is less concerned with their shared social and geographical

space and more interested in individuals accepting responsibility for the well-being of

their fellow citizens. In theory it sounds wonderful. In reality, I find it’s often difficult for

neighbors who live within 50 feet of each other to even be civil to each other, let alone

willing to accept responsibility for the well-being of their fellow citizens.

5.2 Leadership

What I’ve found in my professional experience is that strong leadership skills are

what hold a team/organization together and motivates employees to be productive. I

believe these same traits are needed to be a leader in the sustainability movement,

especially to be an effective “change-agent”. For that reason, I researched leadership

ideals that would translate to sustainable communities. Quinn and Dalton’s( 2009 )

study notes that a leader must set a direction, create alignment, and maintain a

commitment to the task at hand. I agree with this theory but have not been able to

identify the local leaders in my own project. Besides having titles, I haven’t actually met

anyone that I could confidently say I would consider a leader. Polhmann (2007)

continues with this theory by saying that social well-being is supported by a vibrant

economy and sustained by a healthy environment. Again, another idea that is good in

theory but it’s easy to lead in times of prosperity. The challenge of being a leader for a

sustainable community, especially in our current economy, is that people are much less

willing to accept change or take risks when there is more to lose. Mahwah was

presented with an excellent opportunity to place solar panels on various municipal

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buildings, utilizing government subsidies, but chose not to. They listened to the

proposal, nodded politely, and simply said no. They only asked superficial questions and

then ended the conversation. I’m still looking for that leader.

5.3 Whole-Systems Approach

As a category in my research, I viewed policy in terms of zoning since it is one of

the main issues at the municipal levels. I found Register’s(2006) work on zoning to be

timely, considering the rash of weather related anomalies we’ve faced in recent years.

He noted that zoning is simply a means of letting people know what they can build and

where and the types of activities they’re allowed to do. He continues by saying that

many of the ecological and social disasters of ill-conceived and poorly applied zoning can

be corrected by planning walkable distances within a city/town, creating inspiring

pedestrian environments, using three-dimensional thinking, looking at whole-system

patterns for long-term results. Locally, we’ve had a blizzard, 4 major floods, a major

hurricane, and a snow/ice storm/weeklong power outage all within the past 11 months.

It was during these “occurrences” that our planning failures became evident. If we fail to

address these “issues”, even though they are likely to happen again in the near future,

can we possibly be planning for a sustainable future? The city of Berkley, as per Register

(2006 ), added an “eco-amendment” to their Master Plan to ensure their critical needs

were being addressed. I don’t think we’re at that point yet in Mahwah but it is

something to keep in mind.

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5.4 Accountability

I found accountability to be the most difficult category to research. It’s easy to

say that we all need to be accountable for our actions but our efforts to follow-thru are

often in shades of grey. Ross (2011) noted that communities treated as dumping

grounds for waste disposal are a world apart from those with access to fresh air, open

space, and clean water. This is true within the borders of Mahwah. The people who live

in the Stagg Hill section are still being exposed to the toxins Ford dumped there 40+

years ago. The EPA keeps coming back to order more small clean-ups. The local

government has not been as engaged with the issue as I would like. At the same time,

people are living in the Rio Vista sub-division/gated community that lies within 3-4 miles

of Stagg Hill. It’s possible that their water is also contaminated or will be in the future

but other than that, they are not exposed to the same dangers. In this case, within the

town I’m researching, Ross is absolutely correct.

In terms of accountability, we normally blame the government for whatever

goes wrong. Register (2006) found that when people blame the city for environmental

damage, they fail to realize that the same number of people in a suburban context

would cause even more damage. They don’t understand the connection between the

arrangement of services and the density of population, adding dense, diverse

communities in with the sprawling suburbs. This is yet another example of why we need

to educate the community on the basics of sustainable planning and policy.

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5.5 The Greening Effect

I always thought that recycling my household waste was a noble effort. I was

doing my part. Sometimes I’d drag the can of recyclables down to the curb, waiting for

that large truck, the one with smoke billowing from its exhaust, to come for my things.

As per Owen (2003), recycling makes you feel good. But he warns that having people

believe that their practice of separating their garbage will have some impact on the

world’s problems is not a good idea. We’ve been trained to think this way. I know from

speaking with DPW members from my own town that our local recycling center is a

money maker. The community loves it because it is well-organized and you’ll never be

turned away, even if you live in another town. You feel good when you leave, like you

did your part to save the world. The DPW feels great when you leave because you just

handed them money. It’s a nice feel-good story but I wonder if it’s just an excuse for

someone to jump back in their gas-guzzler because they think they did their good deed

for the day – sort of like offsetting your carbon footprint.

I’m still looking for a positive message but I keep finding more problems and

failures. Mazmanian and Kraft (2009) point out that focusing on sustainability draws

attention to the failure to incorporate into the building blocks of our economic activity

in society. Their point is duly noted but I believe we’ve known this since the Lenni

Lenape Indians over-hunted the area, depleting the wild animal population in effort to

make more money from the fur trade.

Sustainable communities can be successfully developed if the plan includes key

aspects such as housing, transportation, education, community, policy, and energy. My

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Literary Review has gone in many different directions during the last few months. As my

Mahwah project stalled, my Paramus project picked-up steam and it gave me some new

ideas on how to approach Mahwah. After meeting with the Environmental Commission

recently, my work has taken me in a new direction. While my main goal will remain to

develop the best practices necessary for Mahwah to become certified by Sustainable

Jersey, I will also focus my energy on writing the two ordinances previously described.

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6 Next Steps

6.1 Sustainable Jersey

During the last two years, Mahwah began to take steps towards the goal of

certification. Some of its accomplishments include:

• Creation of a Green Team

• Launched a refrigerator/freezer upgrade program

• Wrote a revision to the Sustainability Master Plan

• Created an Environmental Commission

• Conducted an energy audit for one building

• Conducted an inventory and upgrade of all buildings

• Recommended/approved an anti-idling ordinance

• Built a recycling depot

6.2 Personal Connection

I will continue the work that began in my case study after I graduate. It will

include field study of Mahwah, study of archival and government documents, media

reports, town plans, Zoning laws, participation in local town meetings and other public

events and a demographic study of the town. I will use this data to identify trends,

historical and political influences on current polices, zoning issues, and community

interest and level of interaction with town matters. This will provide insights on the

socio political climate of Mahwah, public opinion and details about the town’s

commitment to change. Further, I will interview town officials and other local leaders to

understand the complex debates on sustainability initiatives in Mahwah. I will also

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conduct a comparative study of Mahwah’s town plans with other towns in New Jersey.

This will provide me the opportunity to examine the sustainability indicators identified

by neighboring towns and their short/long term goals.

I chose to conduct my research on Mahwah for two reasons. The first being that

I believe it will be a value contribution to the community, including Ramapo College.

Mahwah began as a farming community and transformed itself into a successful

manufacturing town, eventually becoming an affluent suburb. Unfortunately, the story

is not that simple. As with any type of change or development at the community level,

there were conflicts. These conflicts started during the pioneer days and continue today.

Mahwah has had a diverse background of people from Native Americans to European

settlers. They have ranged economically from rich to poor. Some lived simple lives in the

mountains, while others in estates. Conflicts arising from race, religion, economic

hierarchy, political affiliation, and land use issues have continued to test the

communities’ resilience. These issues are not unique to Mahwah but will influence its

transition towards sustainability.

On a more personal level, I was born and raised in Mahwah. I have fond

memories’ of my childhood and enjoyed the support of the community. It was the type

of town where you didn’t need to lock your doors, you could ask your neighbors for

anything, and I considered most of my neighbors to be family. I always felt safe and

never needed anything. While I’m grateful for having been raised that way, I realize now

that I was somewhat isolated from some of the social issues that were occurring at the

time.

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The reason why I mention my personal connection to the town is that I still had a

childlike sense of what Mahwah was before I began the case study. I wasn’t aware of

the dumping that Ford did in the Ramapo Mountains, the racial conflicts, or the

commercial/residential development during the last 20 years. I’m the first to admit that

these issues were never on my radar. When I wanted to move back to Mahwah and

started began looking for a house, I was surprised by the changes that had taken place.

All but one of the farms I remembered were now gone. New developments of luxury

homes now occupied the woods that I played in as a child. There were now traffic lights

where previously there were none. I was sitting in traffic in Mahwah for the first time.

Where did all of these people come from? There has also been so much development

on Route 17 that it’s difficult to see the stars at night because of all the lights.

As I began the earliest stages of my research, I realized I needed to identify the

reasons why the town is in its current state. Just as the town has seen various types of

conflicts during periods of change, I found that I’m personally conflicted by these

changes. What concerns me is that the transition towards sustainability will depend on

people like me. Not the new “me”, the student in the Sustainability program, but the old

“me”. The “me” that was very comfortable in my life. I’m worried that the influential

people in Mahwah might not be concerned enough about the environment or the future

prosperity of the town to support a transition to sustainability.

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6.3 Variables

The variables will include demographic categories such as trends in population,

age, religious affiliation, family structure, employment, housing, and education. While

these are all important variables I’ll need to consider when making my recommendation

for Best Practices, they are simply tangible metrics. I’ll also need to consider how they

influence each other in more intangible ways like economic disparity, racial issues,

occupational opportunities, and access to environmental resources, public

transportation, infrastructure/waste management, change in political power/power

shift, and unequal access to resources. It’s important that I select the appropriate

indicators so I can measure/monitor the economic, social, and environmental conditions

that Mahwah is currently facing. I believe this approach will bring more balance to my

research. I plan to examine the relationship between indicators and how they impact

each other. As an example, I will begin by attending Town Council meetings to observe

the members of the community that choose to participate. As an example, each

resident is required to declare his or her name and address before they address the

Council. Being familiar with the town, the addresses will give me an idea of their

economic status. I will also speak with them after the meeting to learn amore about

their concerns. While this is a somewhat superficial observation, it will allow me to

immerse myself in the community issues.

The personal concerns I have about the community are beginning to shape my

research methods. I’m interested in speaking with people who are passionate about the

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town and those that have an interest in sustainability. My current interview list includes

the following but I expect it to grow as the project evolves next semester:

• Eric Fuchs – Executive Director of MEVO Earth, Member of Sustainable Mahwah

• Brian Champion – Business Administrator of Mahwah

• Richard Wolfe – Sustainable Mahwah and Environmental Committee

• Emma Spett – MEVO Coordinator

• Karin LaGreca – Board of Directors for MEVO and member of Environmental

Committee

Conclusion

Based on my literature review and the one interview I conducted thus far, I have

few findings to offer or enough data to analyze. However, the one interview I conducted

gave me some background information on the power structure within the town and

helped me identify some of the key players. I found that the motives differ amongst the

members of the Environmental Committee and Sustainable Mahwah organization, even

though the groups share some of the same members. It seems that a group such as

Sustainable Mahwah might be in a better position to accomplish the goals necessary for

certification since they have fewer boundaries to deal with and it’s comprised of more

“doers than leaders”. I look forward to working with the Environmental Commission in

the future and developing Mahwah into a more sustainable city.

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