STATE PLANNING

YEAR IN REVIEWAUGUST 2000

Fiscal Years 1999 & 2000 Annual Report

New Jersey Office of State Planning

New Jersey Is a LeaderIn Smart Growth Efforts

www.state.nj.us/osp

the leadership of CommissionerJane M. Kenny of the Departmentof Community Affairs. The sup-port of Commissioner Kenny andGovernor Whitman has enhanced,and put a spotlight on, the workof the Office of State Planningand the State PlanningCommission.

In April 2000, GovernorWhitman received two nationalawards. She received theAmerican Planning Association’stop award, for DistinguishedLeadership for an Elected Officialand an award from RenewAmerica for environmental sus-tainability.

In 1999, the governor wasawarded another Renew Americaaward, which was accepted inDetroit by Commissioner Kenny.

Among the governor’s mostsignificant planning-relatedaccomplishments cited by theAPA in April 2000 were: imple-menting a state ballot initiativeoverwhelmingly approved by thevoters in November 1998 to pre-serve one million acres of openspace and farmland over the nextdecade, and initiating state fund-ing to help counties and munici-palities do smart growth planning.

Saving Land, MoneySmart growth means growing

in ways that makes more efficientuse of land and infrastructureimprovements, while protecting

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR & CHAIRMAN

Dear Citizen of New Jersey,New Jersey’s blueprint for smart growth, the State Development and

Redevelopment Plan, lays out how to accomplish three key ideas for howwe use our land rather than gobble it up by wasteful sprawl.

They are:● invest money and effort first in our existing cities and towns;● create compact, mixed-use centers and new, real communities

where people have more choices and where people want to live, work and raise a family; and

● grow in ways that conserve precious farmland, open space and natural and historic resources.

The State Plan is a living document that presents strategies for our stateto grow in ways that make sense – and also saves billions of tax dollars.

This period has been an exciting and exceptionally busy one for the NewJersey State Planning Commission and its staff arm, the New Jersey Officeof State Planning. The Commission has benefited from the strong leader -ship of Governor Christine Todd Whitman and Jane M. Kenny,Commissioner of the Department of Community A f f a i r s .

Governor Whitman and Commissioner Kenny have given their personalattention and commitment to the work of the State Planning Commissionand the Office of State Planning. For example, Commissioner Kenny has

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Fiscal ‘99-’00 and ‘98-’99 have been a particularlybusy and exciting time in thehistory of the State Plan aswell as its position both withinthe state and outside its bor-ders.

The Office of StatePlanning has benefited under

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established within the Department of Community Affairs a new unit, headedby Martin Bierbaum, devoted on a full-time basis to increasing aware n e s sand compliance by state agencies with State Plan principles. State Planteams have been established in various departments and training sessionswith state employees have proven enlightening and successful. Cooperationand communication between and among state agencies has improved andhas benefited counties and municipalities throughout New Jersey.

The fundamental land-use decisions that we make in local planningboards from High Point to Cape May, in 21 county seats, in 566 municipalities and in countless local, county, regional, state and federalagencies, affect us all. They are something that each of us as a resident ofNew Jersey needs to care about. Our future depends on it.

These decisions touch our daily lives. They determine whether we live invibrant, safe, healthy, revitalized cities and towns. They determine whetherwe have an abandoned factory or a vacant underutilized lot on a city cor -ner, or instead, in its place, affordable housing or thriving local businesses.

As Governor Whitman said, “New Jersey’s historic initiative to preserveone million acres of open space in the next decade is only one part in keep -ing the ‘garden’in the Garden State.

“Saving farmland and open space,” she said, “requires better designingand smarter planning of our cities and suburban areas.”

The State Plan being adopted in early 2001 by the Commission reiteratesand clarifies the goals, policies and objectives of the 1992 State Plan.

Upcoming public hearings in all 21 counties during December andJanuary present an opportunity for residents to learn more about the state’ssmart growth efforts and to comment on how they want to chart NewJersey’s future.

This is a historic, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for citizens to voice andinfluence what they want New Jersey to be, and look like, in the future. Wecan no longer afford to follow the development patterns of the past becauseland is an exhaustible commodity.

How we grow affects intangibles like quality of life, but it also affects ourpocketbooks. Planning wisely is also a way to plan financially wisely. TheState Plan makes good, old-fashioned common sense.

I urge you to get involved in the decisions of your local and county plan -ning boards and government officials. Your children and your grandchil -dren, and their children and grandchildren, will thank them in the futurefor what you do today.

Sincerely,

Herbert Simmens, DirectorOffice of State Planning

Joseph J. Maraziti, Jr., ChairmanNew Jersey State Planning Commission

MESSAGE continuedCommissioners1999Joseph J. Maraziti, Jr., ChairmanMichele Byers, Vice ChairDianne R. BrakeArthur R. Brown, Jr.James A. DiEleuterioRichard FritzkyJerrold L. JacobsJane M. KennyCharles M. KuperusPaul J. MataceraEileen McGinnisGualberto MedinaDouglas H. PalmerLisa ScarinciKenneth SchererRobert C. Shinn, Jr.James Weinstein

2000Joseph J. Maraziti, Jr., ChairmanMichele Byers, Vice Chair Dianne R. BrakeArthur R. Brown, Jr.Thomas DallessioDavid FisherCharles E. “Sandy” HanceJane M. KennyRoland MacholdJerrold L. JacobsCharles M. KuperusAnthony MarchettaGualberto MedinaDouglas H. PalmerKenneth SchererRobert C. ShinnJames WeinsteinBarry Zagnit

Legal counsel: Daniel J.Reynolds, Senior DeputyAttorney General, New JerseyDepartment of Law and PublicSafety

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This new municipal park along the waterfront in Red Bank provides public access to a natural amenity, the Navesink River.

Throughout fiscal 1999 and2000, word spread among NewJersey municipalities about thebenefits of participating in theState Plan process. More than250 communities have proactive-ly stepped forward to be part ofthe process.

This includes the nearly 80municipalities that have been des-ignated as centers by the StatePlanning Commission, or areincluded in an endorsed regionalplan.

See complete list of designated cen -ters and endorsed plans on page 23.

Public and municipal partici-pation is at the heart of the phi-losophy of the State PlanningCommission.

The benefits of incorporatingState Plan concepts, policies andstrategies into local master planscome in two broad categories.First, a community can use thestate planning process to create acomprehensive dialogue withstate agencies, county govern-ment and even neighboring com-munities to gain consensus on thepublic facility, environmental andother improvements necessary toachieve a community’s goals. Nolonger will a community have todeal separately with each stateagency on projects and plans.

Second, very tangible andmeasurable benefits will be real-ized. Planning for compactdevelopment and redevelopment— the creation of communities ofplace — located to minimize

impacts on farmland and environ-mentally sensitive land, will saveour residents 175,000 acres ofland and $5 billion of infrastruc-ture capital and operating costsover 20 years.

This will happen whileimproving water quality andwithout harming our economy. Aportion of these benefits canaccrue to communities with thecomprehensive, coordinated p l a n-ning the State Plan advocates.

To provide strong incentivesto communities to participate inthe state planning process, munic-ipalities and counties that havetheir plans endorsed by the StatePlanning Commission are entitledto greater priority to receive fund-ing, permit review, and technicalassistance from state agencies.

Center Designation, EndorsementProvide Benefits to Communities

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Eighteen programs at the stateand regional level provide priori-ty assistance to State Plan centersand communities with endorsedplans.

Municipalities across NewJersey are choosing to utilize theState Plan to enhance their ownlocal planning objectives. T h eplan is flexible and can be used bycommunities to promote conserva-tion, development or redevelop-ment or, in most communities, acombination of these objectives.

One-stop ShoppingLong Branch is a good exam-

ple of a community using the StatePlan as a tool for revitalization.The shore community used thec e n t e r-designation process as aspringboard to achieve a first-of-its-kind combined permitting forits local permits as well as CoastalArea Facility Review A c t(CAFRA) requirements. It’s akind of one-stop shopping thatcuts red tape and saves money andtime. In the process, Long Branchis enhancing its ability to attractprivate concerns to invest tens ofmillions of dollars to revitalize thec i t y, in order to leverage infra-structure investments from stateagencies.

A municipality that is usingthe State Plan and the center- d e s-ignation process to create a newtown center is Wa s h i n g t o nTownship in Mercer County. T h egrowing community is concentrat-ing development in a new modeltown center on Route 33, whileprotecting the farmlands and envi-ronmentally sensitive lands in agreenbelt around the town center.

State agencies are meetingregularly with the township tocoordinate permits and supportinfrastructure investments toinsure the success of this uniquee ffort. The developer brokeground on the project in May andconsumer interested was high,with 50 home purchases the firstd a y.

Another important way thatNew Jersey’s diverse municipali-ties can use the services of theO ffice of State Planning is throughrequesting a “no obligation”review of their master plans.Pohatcong and Bedminster, forexample, used these master planreviews to guide their planningprocess, and ultimately to defendprovisions in their plans and ordi-nances against legal challenge.

In June 2000, a state appealscourt affirmed a Superior Courtj u d g e ’s decision involvingBedminster Township. In thedecision, the appellate judges sup-

Washington Township in Mercer County is creating a new town center. Amongthose celebrating the groundbreaking last May are township Planner RobertMelvin, far left; Mayor Nancy Tindall, center, holding the shovel with developerThomas Troy of Sharbell Development Corp.

Public and municipal participation is at the heartof the philosophy of the

State Planning Commission.

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ported reliance on the State Plan inmaking local land-use decisions.

State Planning CommissionChairman Joseph J. Maraziti, Jr.,said the unanimous appeals courtdecision “should serve to give areal boost of support and confi-dence to municipalities through-out New Jersey who are doing thehard work that underlies thor-ough, smart-growth planning.”

The judges affirmed a lowercourt ruling issued by SuperiorCourt Judge Robert E. Guterl inOctober 1999 in the case of Kirbyv. Township of Bedminster. Theland owner, F.M. Kirby, chal-lenged two ordinances involvingzoning and lot-size averaging inthe Somerset County communityof Bedminister Township.

The State PlanningCommission voted in February2000 to seek court approval toparticipate as an amicus curiae -or “friend of the court” - in theappeal of Judge Guterl’s decisionthat was brought by the landowner. The role of an amicus isto provide a court with the benefitof a particular background, expe-rience or input that the other par-ties in a case could not provide.

Zoning is Local“The real significance of this

case from the viewpoint of theState Planning Commission isthat the trial court judge’s opinionmade repeated references to theState Plan in reviewing the rea-sonableness of the municipality’splanning decisions,” according toChairman Maraziti. “Ourinvolvement in this case shouldnot be mistakenly viewed as sup-port for any particular zoning

requirement. TheState Plan is not asubstitute for localzoning. That isentirely a localdecision for eachmunicipality.”

Marazitiadded that theCommission sup-ports comprehen-sive planning bymunicipalities andcounties.

In other areasof the state, com-munities such asMorristown, RedBank, Newton,Vineland,Millville, theWildwoods,Hightstown andmany others havebeen interested inhistoric preserva-tion and revitalizing their down-towns, and have benefited fromfunding from various state agen-cies, based in part on their statusas designated centers. Ruralcommunities such as Plumstedhave benefited from support fortheir efforts at maintaining farm-land and open space around theirhistoric settlements.

The Office of State Planningstands ready to share with munic-ipal officials how other communi-ties are using the state planningprocess and how the office canassist localities achieve theirgoals to make their communitiesmore livable, vital and economi-cally strong.

New Jersey’s traditional downtownsare being revitalized. Red Bank is justone such town making a comeback, thanks to increased invest-ment, mixing of uses and people outon the street.

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The Governor gave towns additional tools, in the form of $3 million inn e w, smart growth planning grants administered by the Department ofCommunity A ffairs in conjunction with the Office of State Planning. T h estate Legislature agreed to include those funds in the fiscal 2000 budget.

In March 2000, Governor Whitman announced the awarding ofmore than $2.4 million in 21 new, smart growth planning grants to help92 municipalities and seven counties chart their futures in ways thatcurb sprawl.

“These grants will allow municipalities and counties to develop plansthat will lead to more livable and sustainable communities,” the Governorsaid in announcing the $2,405,085 in grants at the Salem CountyCourthouse in Salem on March 22. Sustainable communities are those thatprotect today’s resources so they are there for the future.

“Smart growth doesn’t mean no growth. It means building where itmakes sense and preserving land as much as we can. It means striking abalance,” the governor added. “We want future generations to have a placeto work, but also a place to play. We want them to breathe the freedomfrom excessive government regulation, but we also want them to inhaleclean air. And while we want them to achieve the American dream, wehope it’s a beautiful place still worthy of their dreams.

“Smart growth is about building that future - a future of profitabledevelopment, livable communities and environmental integrity,” she said.

Seven, or a third of New Jersey’s counties, were awarded grants formulti-jurisdictional projects. The Sussex County proposal involves all24 of its municipalities. The other counties and the number of munici-palities involved in county-led cooperative planning projects are:Mercer, 13; Middlesex, 12, Monmouth, seven; Hudson, seven; Atlantic,six; and Salem, five.

“I’m proud of the level of commitment to smart growth that we areseeing around the state,” said Governor Whitman. “Communities areserious about fighting sprawl, and I’m pleased to say that they arecrossing municipal borders to work together on regional solutions.”The largest awards announced by the Governor are:

● $300,000 to Sussex County for a countywide strategic plan;● $250,000 to Atlantic County for a growth management plan;● $250,000 to Monmouth County for its Route 9 corridor project;● $225,000 to the City of Trenton for its Canal Banks/West End

community schools planning; and● $200,000 for the Hudson County Riverfront Wa l k w a y.

Another $3 million is included in the state budget for fiscal 2001.Many communities have taken an interest in this new program and havefiled grant applications.

Smart Growth GrantsHelp 92 Municipalities

Smart growth doesn’t meanno growth. It means

building where it makessense and preserving land

as much as we can. Itmeans striking a

balance.Governor Whitman

Note: Complete informationabout the smart growth plan-ning grants program and grantrecipients is available on theOffice of State Planning website at www.state.nj.us/osp

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In February 2000, a committeerecommended that the StatePlanning Commission identify theHighlands region in seven north-western counties as a “specialresource area” for coordinatedland-use planning.

The Plan DevelopmentCommittee unanimously voted torecommend to the fullCommission that it adopt languagethat incorporates the 1,000-square-mile Highlands province in theState Plan as the first “specialresource area.”

The State Plan adopted in 1992has no such language deeming any“special resource area” in New

J e r s e y. If, when the Commissionadopts the new, revised plan inearly 2001 and includes the lan-guage, the Highlands would be thefirst such “special resource area.”

The Highlands stretches overan area spanning 90 communitiesin Morris, Sussex, Hunterdon,B e rgen, Warren, Passaic andSomerset counties.

The designation would recog-nize that the Highlands province“is an area or region with uniquecharacteristics or resources ofstatewide importance, ... which areessential to the sustained wellbeing and function of its ownregion and other regions or sys-

tems ... and the quality of life forfuture generations.” Such systemscould include environmental, eco-nomic, and social systems.

The recognition as a “specialresource area” should stimulateand support collaborative planningto sustain the value of theH i g h l a n d s ’ resources. The intentof the recognition is to launch acoordinated regional planninge ffort, which includes local com-munity leaders, state and federalagencies, as well as interestgroups, and members of the public.

The state budget for fiscal2002 includes $300,000 for plan-ning involving the Highlands.

Highlands:A Special Resource Area

Visitors to Hawk Watch in Rockaway Township, Morris County, can enjoy this spectacular view of just part of the 1,000-square-mile Highlands region. Acquifers in this area provide drinking water for about half the state’s population.

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Community design is vitallyimportant for both functional andaesthetic reasons. The design ofour communities and their envi-rons - the ways in which buildings,streets, activities and open spaceare physically organized and relat-ed - is critically important to all ofus. Design can be a powerfulinfluence of human behavior and

e ffect whether a place is a commu-nity that people want to live, work,play and raise a family.

Quality design is essential to asustainable future and to long-termenvironmental quality, economicv i t a l i t y, and community stability ofNew Jersey.

New Jersey is at the forefronton this issue, being the first state in

the nation to use design in itsgrowth-management tool kit. Of13 states with statewide land-useplan, New Jersey is the first statewith design policies included in itsState Plan.

The physical design of ourcommunities and their environs —the way in which space is physi-cally organized — is key to the

Designing New Jersey:Focus on Physical Planning

The publication is a celebration of the manyexamples of enduring

community design foundin the state and of thedesign principles that

guided their development.

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State Plan implementation andcritical to the full achievement ofits goals and objectives. Physicaldesign is on a par with coordinatedplanning and strategic investmentsin terms of its importance to StatePlan implementation. The plancontains 17 separate policies relat-ed to design.

Physical design can be a pow-erful influence on human behavior,promoting or deterring people’sinteractions with each other andinspiring a sense of security orapprehension. A w e l l - d e s i g n e dcommunity is a giant asset.

The Office of State Planningpublished its exciting, new publi-cation, Designing New Jersey, in2000. The author is architect andplanner Carlos Rodrigues,Manager of Special Projects. T h epublication is a celebration of themany examples of enduring com-munity design found in the stateand of the design principles thatguided their development.

At its annual awards dinner inJune, the New Jersey PlanningO fficials cited the book for anaward for a publication that made asignificant contribution to planning.

New County Manu a lThe promotional and educa-

tional efforts concerning theimportance of design have alsoincluded funding and technicalassistance to the HunterdonCounty Planning Board. Earlierthis year, it published PreservingCommunity Character inHunterdon County - A C o m m u n i t yDesign Handbook.

The “how to” manual includesplanning tools and techniquesfound in the State Development

and Redevelopment Plan and dis-cussed in a community designworkshop conducted in 1998.During the workshop, local off i-cials, developers and interestedresidents create site designs forresidential and nonresidentialdevelopments using various plan-ning and design tools.

The manual offers a step-by-step process for developing com-munity design guidelines. It alsocontains examples of specificguidelines that municipalities canincorporate into their own land-useordinances. In addition, itdescribes a planning techniquecalled “open space zoning,” whichis aimed at preserving farmlandand open space in rural HunterdonCounty and to provide more com-pact patterns of growth.

“The handbook also offersanswers to commonly askedquestions concerning the legalityof design guidelines, the strengthof deed restrictions and conserva-tion easements for open space,and wastewater treatment optionsassociated with open space zon-ing,” according to the book’sintroduction.

The Hunterdon County hand-book on using design to preservethe character of a rural but grow-ing county also was cited for anAchievement in Planning award bythe New Jersey Planning Officials.

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Municipalities and countiesare reaching across their politicalborders at an increasing pace,working on cooperative, jointplanning efforts that benefit morethan one community.

In the first half of 1999, forinstance, the State PlanningCommission was thrilled toapprove two county plans - onefor highly urbanized HudsonCounty to the north and ruralBurlington County to the south.

In January 1999, at a meetingin Jersey City, the Commissionunanimously approved theHudson County StrategicRevitalization Plan.

The Commission endorsed aplan for an “urban complex,”which is an urban area composedof an urban center and two ormore adjacent municipalities.While Jersey City is the core, theother 11 municipalities in HudsonCounty are as equally denselypopulated and it is hard - at leastfor outsiders driving through -where one town ends and theother starts.

H u d s o n ’s strategic revitaliza-tion plan, championed by CountyExecutive Robert Janiszewski, is ablueprint aimed at revitalizingHudson County and implementingthe State Plan in the 12 municipali-ties that are part of the plan.

The Hudson plan identifiesareas for 169,000 new jobs and63,000 new residents projectedfor the year 2020. It has devel-oped a series of indicators tomeasure progress in meeting thegoals of the plan, and a detailed

implementation strategy for alllevels of government.

In April 1999, the Commissionenjoyed a well-attended and enthu-siastic meeting in the historic townof Roebling, in Florence To w n s h i p ,to endorse the Burlington CountyRoute 130-Delaware RiverCorridor Plan.

In Burlington, county and localo fficials from 12 communitiesalong the Route 130 corridor andthe Delaware River produced arevitalization plan that implementsthe vision, goals and objectives ofthe State Plan, to make it real andto improve the quality of life and toresuscitate the local economy.

Willingboro is already startingto see exciting, major results, withthe revitalization of the defunctWillingboro Plaza shopping center.

Joseph J. Maraziti, Jr., chair-man of the State PlanningCommission, frequently cites theBurlington and Hudson models asexamples for other counties to fol-low in developing plans that takeinto account a region.

“ To g e t h e r, we can create a bet-ter New Jersey, a more healthy andlivable place, through planning,cooperation and coordinated action.This is the essence of the State Planand its strategies for smart growth,”said Chairman Maraziti.

The Office of State Planning isworking with Bergen, Camden,Cape May, Cumberland,G l o u c e s t e r, Hunterdon, PassaicSalem, Somerset and Warren coun-ties to develop proposals for smartgrowth grants that would lead tostrategic, regional plans.

Towns, CountiesAre Working Together

Together, we can create abetter New Jersey, a morehealthy and livable place,

through planning,cooperation and

coordinated action. This isthe essence of the State

Plan and its strategies forsmart growth.

Joseph J. Maraziti, Jr.

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In the northwest region of thestate, Sussex County is using its$300,000 smart growth grant todevelop - with maximum publicparticipation - a countywide strate-gic growth management plan incollaboration with county’s 24municipalities and other interestedp a r t i e s .

Sussex County proposed toformulate this plan that will find abalance between economic devel-opment and environmental protec-tion, recognizing the rights ofproperty owners and the need toinsure the public good. A S t r a t e g i cGrowth Advisory Committee of 17people has been created by thecounty freeholders to guide theplanning process.

R t . 9 Effort Under WayAnd to the east, the Route 9

Corridor Collaborative is underw a y. It is an effort by theMonmouth County Planning Boardto bring together affected munici-palities, agencies and other org a n i-zations with common interests andconcerns regarding transportation,development and growth in thebusy Route 9 corridor. T h eg r o u p ’s objective is to identify andprioritize specific transportation,housing, economic developmentand social problems related to thegrowth and development in thec o r r i d o r, develop and prioritize aseries of solutions and strategies toaddress the issues.

U l t i m a t e l y, a RegionalStrategic Plan will be developedwhich will be submitted to SPC forendorsement. The municipalitiesinvolved are: Englishtown,

Farmingdale, Freehold, FreeholdTownship, Howell, Manalapan,and Marlboro, along withDepartment of Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n ,New Jersey Transit, North JerseyTransportation Planning A u t h o r i t yand the Office of State Planning.It has been expanded to other stateagencies, such as the Commerceand Economic GrowthCommission and the Departmentof Environmental Protection.

Atlantic County, with the helpof a smart growth grant, is alsoembarking on a regional strategicplanning effort.

The historic city of Roebling is part of the Rt. 130/Delaware River Plan.

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Throughout a highly interactivepublic process known as cross-acceptance, the State PlanningCommission has listened to NewJ e r s e y.

The State PlanningCommission doesn’t presume toknow what’s best for our towns andvillages, suburbs, cities and farms.The Legislature, in adopting theState Planning Act in 1985, createdthe process called cross-acceptance.In simple terms, it means a compar-ison of local and county plans todetermine the degree to which theyare consistent with the State Plan,and a negotiation process to achievethe highest level of consistency pos-sible between and among plans.

Four years ago, before the StatePlanning Commission and itsadministrative arm, the Office ofState Planning, even started updat-ing the State Plan, they wanted tohear from the citizens of this state.

The Commission examined the1992 State Plan and its applicationby government at all levels and theprivate sector. It held meetingswith state agencies and private-sec-tor representatives, and went toyour communities, conducting 10“Listening to New Jersey” meetingsaround the state.

This dialogue led to the creationof the Preliminary StateDevelopment and RedevelopmentPlan released in the summer of1997. This document enhanced thebasic concepts in the current planby adding a vision statement for2020, indicators to measureprogress in meeting State Plangoals and techniques, and clearerstrategies on how the plan can be

implemented. New design policiesto enhance the livability of existingand planned communities wereadded also.

The 21 counties were asked toreview their own plans and theplans their municipalities and com-pare them to the Preliminary StateDevelopment and RedevelopmentPlan.

Issues Nego t i a t e dThis comparison phase resulted

in reports from each of the 21 coun-ties. Based on these reports, whichhighlighted areas of agreement anddisagreement with the State Plan,some 40 public negotiation meet-ings were held. In addition to themore than 1,000 mapping and poli-cy issues presented by counties andmunicipalities, several hundredpublic comments and suggestionswere considered by the StatePlanning Commission.

With the vast majority of theseproposed changes accepted by theCommission, the result was theInterim Plan, which was approvedunanimously by the Commission onMarch 31, 1999.

The final plan is expected to beadopted by the Commission early in2001, following an independentassessment of the fiscal, social, envi-ronmental, infrastructure and inter-governmental impacts of the InterimPlan. The Center for Urban PolicyResearch at Rutgers University wasretained in August 1999 to completethe impact assessment, which isrequired by state law. The assess-ment was completed at the end ofS e p t e m b e r.

Five presentations by CUPR onthe impact assessment before a seriesof 21 public hearings - one in eachcounty - will be held on the newState Plan prior to the Commission’sadoption. Until then, the 1992 planremains in e ffect.

Plan Adoption

State Planning Commission Member Charles Kuperus and Commissioner JaneKenny of the Department of Community Affairs at Interim Plan adoption meeting.

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Spotlight on Planning:Chesterfield

A cutting-edge, smart growthproposal by ChesterfieldTownship - which would accom-modate growth in a new, plannedvillage and preserve the characterof the village of Crosswicks andthe hamlets of Chesterfield andSykesville - received enthusiasticsupport by the Commission inApril 2000.

The Commission approvedthe petition filed last year byChesterfield Township, culminat-ing a decade-long local planningand consensus-building effort.

A major component ofChesterfield Township’s plans is avoluntary Transfer ofDevelopment Credits (TDC) pro-gram to preserve agriculturallands in the 21.61-square-miletownship in northwesternBurlington County.

Of the 13,830 total acres inthe township, more than 6,600 ofthem are preserved. About 2,900vacant acres in the township willbe eligible for transferring devel-opment potential to the plannedvillage, which is designed forfuture growth.

The TDC program is outlinedin the township’s master plan,which underwent a comprehen-sive revision before adopted inOctober 1997. Under the transferconcept, a “receiving” area is des-ignated to receive developmentcredits from a “sending” areaconsisting of the township’s vastagricultural lands.

According to the township’spetition, the new, planned villagelocated about 2.5 miles southeast

of the New Jersey Turnpike’s Exit7 will be a “compact, mixed-resi-dential community with a core ofmixed uses for the economic,social and cultural activities of allof Chesterfield Township.”

The new village wouldaccommodate a mix of compact -as opposed to typical suburbansprawling - land uses includingcommercial, office, public andrecreational uses. In addition,there would be walkable neigh-borhoods containing a wide vari-ety of housing types includinglow- and moderate-income hous-ing units.

The area would be served byCounty Route 660 (Old YorkRoad) and County Route 528(Bordentown-Chesterfield Road)and by a system of secondarystreets. In order to promote masstransit, Chesterfield is anticipat-ing light-rail transit three milesaway. The proposed light-railline will provide service betweenCamden and Trenton, throughexisting communities along theDelaware River.

TDR Is Vo l u n t a ry

Since the Transfer ofDevelopment Credits program isv o l u n t a r y, success is only assuredif landowners transfer their credits.H o w e v e r, Chesterfield To w n s h i po fficials are confident that will behappen. Chesterfield off i c i a l shave been working on the transferconcept in conjunction with theBurlington County Office of LandUse for more than 10 years.

Herbert Simmens, Director ofthe Office of State Planning, saidthe work done by Chesterfield inanalyzing traffic impacts is amodel for other communitiesthroughout the entire state. Thetownship hired traffic engineerMel Lehr to do a township-widetransportation study, which wasincorporated into the 1997 masterplan. The purpose of the studywas to develop recommendationsfor maximizing transportationefficiency in the township whilealso minimizing the effects offuture growth.

The study compared two dif-ferent future scenarios. Oneshowed transportation needs ifdevelopment continued under theexisting zoning code; the otherprojected transportation needs ifthe Transfer of DevelopmentCredits program were implement-ed and funneled future growthinto a new village.

In other words, the study com-pared the transportation impactsof center-based development ver-sus sprawl. The study providesvaluable input to the growth-man-agement debate in the state,according to Simmens. He saysthe study was the first he’s heardof in New Jersey that looks at thefuture implications of dependenceon automobiles that compared am u n i c i p a l i t y ’s existing zoning aswell as an alternate vision of acompact village center.

“This makes a very powerfulargument to communities aroundthe state for center-based devel-opment,” he added.

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The Office of State Planning, in accordance with one of the man-dates of the State Planning Act, annually summarizes the progress of thestate towards providing housing and capital needs in New Jersey.

This information is also provided to state, county, and municipalagencies and governments to assist in implementing the State Plan.Information provided includes land use and impact models, trendstracking, forecasts, and scenarios based on population, employment,housing, and land development.

This information, as well as additional resources, is intended to helpgovernment officials and planners determine the best course to take tobalance economic growth, enhance the quality of life for residents, min-imize strain on existing facilities and infrastructure, and preserve envi-ronmental and historic resources.

Housing TrendsSingle-family housing remains the most popular form of residential

construction in New Jersey.Eighty-three percent of dwelling units built over the past 10 years

have been single-family units, with an average of approximately 23,000units a year for the past 10 years, and 25,000 units a year for the pastfive years. However, the number and share of multi-family units hasbeen increasing since 1996.

Counties with the most residential construction activity for the pastfive years continued to be Ocean, Monmouth, Middlesex, Burlington,and Somerset counties.

Dwelling Units Authorized by Building Permits, 1985-1999

198519861987198819891990199119921993199419951996199719981999

55,01557,07450,32540,26829,92918,00814,77721,67627,74626,98624,56124,17328,01831,34531,976

37,47542,25335,87327,68420,21712,96012,83718,38223,34123,69719,78820,85323,47225,45925,129

17,05014,56914,41912,5849,4664,9841,9222,9854,3103,2894,7733,3204,5465,8866,847

31%25%29%31%32%28%13%14%16%12%19%14%16%19%21%

Source: New Jersey Department of Labor, May 2000

%Multi-Family

TotalMulti-Family

TotalSingle-Family

Total DwellingUnits

AuthorizedYear

Statewide Housing and Capital Needs

YEAR IN REVIEW

15

Forecasts of population,employment and housing havebeen developed by multiple organ-izations for the years between1990 and 2020.

In March 2000, the U.S.Bureau of the Census released1999 estimates of the populationof New Jersey by county. TheNew Jersey Department of Laborpublished statewide projections ofpopulation and employmentgrowth for the 2008 horizon yearin June 2000. The RutgersEconomic Advisory Service pre-pared population, housing, andemployment projections in April2000 for the state and its 10 laborareas based on current growth trends. The long-range projections ofpopulation, housing, and employment prepared by the New JerseyDepartment of Transportation in 1994 are the most recent projectionsintegrating full review and comment by counties, municipalities, stateagencies and other groups.

The results of the ImpactAssessment Study, completed inlate September by the RutgersUniversity Center for UrbanPolicy Research, and the 2000census are expected to producenew sets of projections in 2001.

The U.S. Bureau of the Censusestimates the 1999 population ofNew Jersey to be 8,143,412, anincrease of more than 413,000people from the last census popu-lation of 7,730,188 in 1990.

New Jersey’s population is pro-jected to have increased approxi-mately 3 percent to between8,253,772 and 8,392,000 by 2005.The New Jersey Department ofLabor projects this growth toincrease to 8,607,500 by 2008.

This is one example of mixed-use development. The residential space of store-front buildings, such as Tom’s Deli on Asbury Avenue in Ocean City, are beingrehabilitated with help from a New Jersey Housing and Mortgage FinanceAgency program called “Upstairs Downstairs.”

People like Tom Williams have beenable to sell their traditional home andmove back over the store of Tom’sDeli in Ocean City. Residencesabove commercial developmentcan create safe, convenient, live-work places that are in line with goalsof the State Plan.

Forecasts of Population, Employment,Housing and Land Demand

STATE PLANNING

16

In addition, forecasts of total non-agricultural employment wererecently published by Rutgers and the New Jersey Department of Labor.

The Office of State Planning estimates that employment was3,506,582 in 1990 and 3,444,751 in 1996. The June 2000 estimates ofthe New Jersey Department of Labor showed 1998 employment to be3,800,800.

Rutgers and the Department of Transportation estimates done in1994 for 2005 are 4,118,000 and 3,935,107, respectively. Under both2005 projections, employment in the state would increase a minimum ofapproximately 500,000, or 14 percent from the 1996 Office of StatePlanning estimate.

Rutgers and the Labor department project that by 2008, employmentwill increase to 4,204,000 and 4,243,300, respectively.

Rutgers and the Department of Transportation forecasted housingneed for 2005.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 3,075,310 dwelling unitsexisted in New Jersey in 1990.

Approximately 250,000 building permits were issued between 1990and 2000. Rutgers estimates that over 150,000 building permits will beissued between 2000 and 2005. Therefore, by 2005, Rutgers and thestate transportation officials project that there will between 3,476,838and 3,665,858 housing units, respectively.

These projections suggest an increase of at least 400,000 units, orover 13 percent, and as many as almost 600,000 units, or nearly 20 per-cent.

In a preliminary analysis of early aerial photography provided bythe New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the Office of

NJ Growth: Population Projections by US CensusRutgers Economic Advisory Service and

New Jersey Department of Transportation

US Census Series A(2000)

US Census Series B(2000)

Rutgers Projection(2000)

NJDOT Estimate(1994)

Source: New Jersey Department of Labor, May 2000

2005

Projection

8,392,000

8,387,000

8,391,400

8,253,772

Census1999

Estimate

8,143,412

8,143,412

8,143,412

8,143,412

Census1995

Estimate

7,965,523

7,965,523

7,965,523

7,965,523

Census1990

Count

7,730,188

7,730,188

7,730,188

7,730,188

Change

Percent

3%

3%

3%

1%

Change

1999-2005

248,588

243,588

247,988

110,360

YEAR IN REVIEW

17

State Planning estimated that 166,500 acres were con-sumed by development during the period from 1986 to1995, yielding an average of 18,500 acres per year.

The preliminary findings also estimated that1,772,000 acres of land remained undeveloped andunpreserved, and potentially available for new develop-ment, as of 1995.

The Office of State Planning will finalize this analy-sis in FY 2001 when the digital land-classification dataproduced from these photographs by the Department ofEnvironmental Protection becomes complete for theentire state.

Meanwhile, a study released by the United StatesDepartment of Agriculture in December 1999 had esti-mated that 283,200 acres were developed over the peri-od 1992 to 1997, but the findings were withdrawn bythe agriculture department in April 2000 due to an errorin the study methodology. New findings were expectedto be released in September 2000.

Capital Needs The Office of State Planning did a preliminary

assessment in April 2000 of long-range infrastructureneeds, based on existing agency reports.

The preliminary findings estimated the costs of pres-ent needs to be $45.8 billion and prospective needs to be$19.7 billion through 2020 (in 1999 constant dollars). Present needsconsist of backlog needs (to correct existing deficiencies to serve exist-ing residents and jobs) and rehabilitation needs (for recurring, periodicimprovement or replacement of capital facilities to keep existing infra-structure in service).

However, needs associated with projected future growth as estimat-ed by the Impact Assessment Study will be included in theInfrastructure Needs Assessment to be adopted with the State Plan earlyin 2001.

Low-income Housing Tax Creditsmade this attractive developmentpossible. Ninety-three families rent inWinding Ridge in Neptune, a town-house-style community where chil-dren including this roller-skater canplay on safe streets.

STATE PLANNING

18

Redevelopment of NewJersey’s cities and towns is get-ting more and more emphasis byboth the Office of State Planning,which serves as staff to theBrownfields Redevelopment TaskForce, and the State PlanningCommission.

The BrownfieldsRedevelopment Task Force is an11-member commission createdby the 1995 Brownfields law andchaired by DCA CommissionerJane M. Kenny. The Office ofState Planning serves as staff tothe Task Force and BrownfieldsProgram Director JoAnn Petrizzoserves as its secretary.

The work of the Task Forcereinforce the Office of StatePlanning’s existing roles in coor-dinating state- and local-agencyprograms to facilitate brownfieldsredevelopment.

The BrownfieldsRedevelopment Task Force workalso enhances the Office of StatePlanning’s roles in maintaining aGeographic Information Systeminventory for marketing brown-fields sites, as well as workingwith other agencies to promotespecific brownfield sites for rede-velopment. However, the promo-tion of specific sites is in the con-text of coordinated and integratedlocal redevelopment plans.

The Task Force organized inSeptember 1999 and formed twoworking subcommittees: thePolicy and LegislativeSubcommittee and the Marketingand Data Subcommittee.

The Task Force, and the twosubcommittees, meet quarterly onalternating months. An intera-gency Brownfields Team, com-prised of representatives of vari-ous state agencies, meets monthlyto discuss brownfields issues andto assist the Task Force.

M a ny A g e n c i e sA re Invo l ve d

Staff from the following stateagencies sit on the BrownfieldsTeam: Governor ’s Office ofPolicy and Planning; New JerseyCommerce and EconomicGrowth Commission; New JerseyEconomic DevelopmentAuthority; New JerseyRedevelopment Authority, depart-ments of EnvironmentalProtection, Treasury,Transportation, and Agriculture;New Jersey Housing & MortgageFinance Agency; New JerseyEnvironmental InfrastructureTrust; and the New JerseyCouncil on Affordable Housing.

In December 1999, theBrownfields Redevelopment TaskForce adopted a set of goals andstrategies to further its work.

In the fiscal 2001 budget, $15million was appropriated forbrownfields redevelopment. Thegrant fund will be part of theUrban Site Acquisition Programand will be used for acquisitionand/or cleanup of certain siteswhen there is a gap in financing.

In addition, the following hasbeen accomplished in the past year:

Redeveloping Cities, Towns and Brownfields Sites Is Getting More Emphasis

Redevelopment of NewJersey’s cities and towns is

getting more and moreemphasis by both the

Office of State Planning,which serves as staff to theBrownfields RedevelopmentTask Force, and the StatePlanning Commission.

YEAR IN REVIEW

19

● Developed a New JerseyBrownfields Resource Guide andTeam Directory with compendi-um of state contacts;● Developed and distributed aquestionnaire, sent to 820 stake-holders (government officials,community representatives, not-for-profits, environmental inter-ests, consultants, developers, real-tors, attorneys, financial institu-tions) including approximately 40organizations. One hundred eightresponses were received and areport of the results is available;● Briefings with local community,business, and stateindustrial/office propertiesgroups;● Held several educational ses-sions including Governor’sHousing Conference and NewJersey State League ofMunicipalities;● Working with the North JerseyTransportation Authority and U.S.Environmental Protection AgencyBrownfields Demonstration Pilotsfor inventory collection and toensure coordination of databases;● Prepared a draft protocol forverification of inventory data;and● Created an action plan for mar-keting of priority sites.

The Brownfields Resource Guide, published by the Office of StatePlanning for the New Jersey Brownfields Redevelopment Task Force, isa useful handbook. It explains how the brownfield redevelopmentprocess works in New Jersey, describes the federal and state incentivesand provides contact information for each.

For additional information about brownfields, call JoAnn Petrizzo,Program Director, at 609-633-7536. For a copies of the Guide, call herassistant, Nicole Destin, at 609-292-5436.

STATE PLANNING

20

The Office of State Planninghas been participating in theongoing efforts of the RegionalI n t e rg o v e r n m e n t a lTransportation CoordinatingStudy Commission. OSPDirector Herbert Simmens sitson the commission.

The commission, created bythe Legislature through a resolu-tion passed by both houses inNovember 1998, is charged withdeveloping recommendations toincrease regional and interg o v-ernmental transportation deci-sion-making. It is also charg e d

with identifying incentives topromote such cooperation.

The 18-member commissionwas formed in response toexplosive growth in certainregions of New Jersey, resultingin increased development, con-gested highways and disjointedeconomic development.

At the end of fiscal 2000, thecommission was completing aninterim report that would con-tain recommendations. Underthe law creating the commis-sion, the interim report would bethe subject of a public hearing.

Under the leadership of Director Herbert Simmens and DeputyDirector Thomas K. Wright, the Office of State Planning was reorgan-ized into four distinct functional units.

They are Comprehensive Planning, directed by Wright; PlanningAssistance, directed by Assistant Director Chuck Newcomb, who isalso South Jersey unit manager; Public Affairs, spearheaded byKathleen Bird, Manager of Public Affairs; and Office Services, over-seen by Carol Schulz, chief of office services.

Comprehensive Planning includes special projects including designwork, urban community education, environmental projects, brown-fields, research and Geographic Information Systems and cartography(maps).

Planning Assistance includes the staff planners who provide ongo-ing assistance by working closely with municipalities and countiesthroughout the state. The staff planners also help review applicationsand guide the state’s new Smart Growth Planning Grant Program.

Public Affairs is responsible for media and public outreach efforts,maintenance of the office web site, responding to press inquiries, leg-islative contact, and graphics coordination.

Office Services includes all support for all office functions includ-ing purchasing.

State PlanningStaff Restructured

Commission Working onTransportation Funding Ideas

YEAR IN REVIEW

21

The Office of State Planninginitiated a multi-year project tocreate a “planning toolbox,” NewJersey Planning Plus, to assistlocal and regional planning efforts.

This toolbox consists ofGeographic Information Systemand Internet applications that willenhance and extend the office’sexisting demographic and impactassessment models. The newtools will also enhance and facili-tate citizen involvement in theplanning process, as well asorganize and apply an extensivecollection of demographic, envi-ronmental and infrastructure data.

The focus of the initial effortwas to determine what elementsshould be included in the toolboxand to evaluate new elements,technologies and techniques thatmight be applied.

The Office of State Planning,in consultation with Dr. RichardBrail and other faculty membersat Rutgers University’s BlousteinSchool, obtained advice fromexperts in land-use modeling,computer simulation and visuali-zation, environment science,computer science, systems-dynamics engineering, and geo-graphic information systems, aswell as from potential users of thetoolbox.

In addition to several targetedresearch papers and memoranda,major products of this effortincluded: ● A two-day conference on defin-ing characteristics of “quality ofplace” for use in indicators andmodeling.

● A conference on state of the artcomputer simulation techniquesfor visualizing future develop-ment and its impacts.● The development of prototypeGIS software to project futureland-development patterns.

In related efforts:● The Office of State Planningupdated the statewide Hazard andVulnerability Analysis under con-tract with the New Jersey Officeof Emergency Management andthe Federal EmergencyManagement Agency. This proj-ect enables hazard-mitigationplanning to be a more effectivecomponent of the planning tool-box. Office of State Planningstaff assisted the state and federalemergency management agenciesin assessing the Tropical StormFloyd flood emergency ofSeptember 1999.● The Office of State Planninginitiated an update of the the stateDepartment of EnvironmentalProtection’s 1994 water-supplyplanning model for the update ofthe State Water Supply Plan.● In addition, the Office of StatePlanning initiated a major rewriteof the code for its existing demo-graphic and impact-assessmentmodels to be compliant with cur-rent Windows software and togenerate thematic and GeographicInformation System maps ofresults.

Planning ToolboxIs Under Construction

22

STATE PLANNING

The following staff members joined the Office of State Planningin 1998, 1999 and the first half of 2000:

Kathleen Bird, Manager, Public AffairsPhilip Collins, Research AssistantNicole Destin, Brownfields SupportJoseph Donald, Area Representative, Planning Assistance UnitPaul Drake, Area Representative, Planning Assistance UnitEdward Fox, Area Representative, Planning Assistance UnitGloria Frederick, Program Director, Urban Community EducationKarl Hartkopf, Database/GIS SpecialistTheresa Oros, Secretarial SupportJoAnn Petrizzo, Program Director, BrownfieldsMichael Reilly, Research AssistantEllen Shoshkes, Senior Urban DesignerThomas K. Wright, Deputy Director

Staff Changes

the environment and its valuablenatural resources. The twinaspects of smart growth are revi-talizing cities and towns in waysto encourage redevelopment andinfill - including of brownfieldssites - while also discouragingsprawl in suburban and ruralareas through more compactdevelopment.

Fiscal year 1999 brought tocenter stage open space andfarmland preservation, withGovernor Whitman leading anational movement to save ourfarms, forests, fields and historictreasures. Governor W h i t m a n ’sambitious program to preserve amillion acres - about half of theundeveloped land in New Jersey- was approved overwhelminglyby the voters, along with scoresof local and county open spacetrust fund ballot questions.

Legislation to create theGarden State Preservation Tr u s twas passed by the Legislatureand signed into law by the gover-nor during 1999.

Preserving our open space,our agricultural industry and ourhistoric heritage is an importantto the vitality and viability of oururban communities as it is in ourvast, rural stretches.

The reclaiming of our brown-fields sites in our state capital,Trenton; the redevelopment ofour traditional commercial down-towns in places like Newark; andthe preservation of a 1,000-acrefarm in Cumberland County, areequal and complementary com-ponents of State Plan.

In December 1999, the A PArecognized New Jersey as onlyone of six states nationally for itssmart growth planning eff o r t s .

O ffice of State Planning DirectorHerbert Simmens was on hand forthe press conference inWashington, D.C. New Jersey’se fforts are detailed in a chapter ofthe A PA’s report, PlanningCommunities for the 21st Century.

The report on planningstatutes and related legislativeactivity singled out New Jersey -along with Maryland, Oregon,Rhode Island, Tennessee andWashington - for leadership inmodernizing their planning lawsin order to address urban sprawl,farmland protection, public tran-sit, affordable housing and otherlivability issues, according to theA PA .

In fiscal 2000, GovernorWhitman made implementation ofthe State Plan an even higher- p r o-file item on her administrat i o n ’sa g e n d a .

NJ is a Leader continued from page 1

YEAR IN REVIEW

23

Designated Centers and Endorsed PlansAs of June 28, 2000

Atlantic City, AtlanticNew Brunswick, MiddlesexCamden, CamdenNewark, EssexElizabeth, UnionPaterson, PassaicJersey City, HudsonTrenton, Mercer

Chronological Listing

Regional Centers (RC), Towns (T),Villages (V), Hamlets (H)

Urban Centers; 6/12/92 Endorsed PlansRoute 130-Delaware River CorridorStrategic Plan, 4/28/00 P a rt i c i p a t i n gMunicipalities: Beverly City,Burlington City, Burlington Tw p . ,Cinnaminson Twp., Delanco Tw p . ,Delran Twp., Edgewater Park Tw p . ,F l o rence Twp., Palmyra Boro u g h ,Riverside Twp., Riverton Tw p . ,

Hudson County Urban Complex,1/27/00 P a rticipating Municipalities:Bayonne City, East Newark Boro u g h ,G u t t e n b e rg Town, Harrison To w n ,Hoboken City, Jersey City, Kearn e yTown, North Bergen Twp., SecaucusTown, Union City, Weehawkin Tw p . ,West New York To w n

Hopewell, Mercer (V); 9/24/93Newton, Sussex (RC); 9/24/93Woodstown, Salem (T); 10/29/93Ridgefield, Bergen (T); 5/20/94Millville-Vineland, Cumberland (RC); 5/20/94Dover, Morris (RC); 12/2/94Mendham, Morris (V); 2/24/95Hopatcong, Sussex (T); 4/28/95Princeton Borough & Twp., Mercer (RC); 9/29/95Morristown, Morris (RC); 12/1/95Long Branch, Monmouth (RC); 5/1/96 Bridgewater-Raritan-Somerville, Somerset (RC);5/29/96Red Bank, Monmouth (RC); 5/29/96Cranbury, Middlesex (V); 6/26/96New Egypt, Plumsted, Ocean (T); 7/24/96Andover, Sussex (T); 12/4/96Metuchen, Middlesex (T); 3/26/97Hightstown, Mercer (T); 3/26/97Cape May Point, Cape May (V); 4/23/97 Stafford, Ocean (RC); 9/24/97Freehold Borough, Monmouth (T); 10/22/97Elmer, Salem (T); 12/3/97Oxford, Warren (V); 1/28/98Gloucester City, Camden (T); 1/28/98Wanaque, Passaic (T); 2/25/98Bloomingdale, Passaic (T); 2/25/98Wildwood-North Wildwood-Wildwood Crest-WestWildwood, Cape May (RC); 4/22/98Washington Twp., Mercer (T); 4/22/98Totowa, Passaic (T); 6/24/98Bernardsville, Somerset (T); 4/28/99Washington Borough & Twp., Warren (T); 5/26/99Vincentown, Southampton Tw p . , Burlington (V), 9/22/99City of Cape May, Cape May (T), 10/27/99Borough of Stone Harbor, Cape May (T), 10/27/99

Borough of Avalon, Cape May (T), 10/27/99City of Salem, Salem (RC), 12/1/99Delmont, Maurice River Township, Cumberland (EV),2/2/00Dorchester-Leesburg, Maurice River Township,Cumberland (EV), 2/2/00Heislerville, Maurice River Township, Cumberland(EV), 2/2/00Mauricetown Station, Maurice River Township,Cumberland (EH), 2/2/00Port Elizabeth – Bricksboro, Maurice River Township,Cumberland (EV), 2/2/00Atlantic Highlands, Monmouth (T), 3/29/00Haledon, Passaic (T), 4/26/00Transfer of Development Credits (TDC) Receiving A r e a ,Chesterfield Township, Burlington (PV), 4/26/00Crosswicks, Chesterfield Township, Burlington (EV),4/26/00Chesterfield, Chesterfield Township, Burlington (H),4/26/00Sykesville, Chesterfield Township, Burlington (H),4/26/00Manasquan, Monmouth (T), 5/24/00Bound Brook/South Bound Brook, Somerset (T),6/28/00Manville, Somerset (T), 6/28/00Village of Hope, Hope Township, Warren County (V),6/28/00Mount Herman, Hope Township, Warren County, (H),6/28/00Tuckerton, Borough of Tuckerton and Little Egg HarborTownship, Ocean (T), 6/28/00Mystic Island, Little Egg Harbor Township, Ocean (T),6/28/00Parkertown, Little Egg Harbor Township, Ocean (V),6/28/00

STATE PLANNING

YEAR IN REVIEWNew Jersey Office of State PlanningDepartment of Community AffairsP.O. Box 204Trenton, NJ 08625-0204

FIRST-CLASS MAILUS POSTAGE

PAIDTrenton NJ

Permit No. 21

Participation and inclusion are critical to the success of the State Plan in mak-ing tomorrow’s New Jersey even better than today’s.

The State Planning Commission recognizes that only a collaborative approachthat involves all levels of government, the private sector, interest groups and citi-zens, will yield a State Plan that we can embrace as our own.

The State Plan isn’t about dictates from Trenton. The State Plan is a true part-nership in the best sense of the word, which will produce consensus for future action.

You need to become involved, and there are many ways in which you canbecome part of the solution. Among the ways are:

Come to a meeting of the State Planning Commission. Our meetings are opento the public and members of the public are encouraged to speak.

Go to a county planning board meeting or local planning board meeting in yourc o m m u n i t y. Find out what your elected and appointed officials have in mind forthe future of your area.

Write to your legislator, your local, county, state and federal officials, urg i n gthem to do everything possible to plan for a New Jersey that grows smart.

Many organizations across the state are involved in suggesting ways to shapethe State Plan and to implement it to an even greater degree. Participate in sucho rganizations.

If you’re in the private sector, use the State Plan to shape development andinvestment decisions.

If you’re a local official, urge your planning board and governing body to dis-cuss in detail what the State Plan says and how it stacks up to your local master plan.

Contact the State Planning Commission and the Office of State Planning withany questions or comments you have.

How You Can Get Involved HOW TO

CONTACT USYour voice counts.

We want to hear from you. Call us. Write us. Or e-mail us.

The public is invited to all meetings ofthe State Planning Commission,

which are open to everyone andscheduled and publicized in plenty

of time for you to attend. Please contact the Office of StatePlanning for more information. You

may reach us at609-292-7156.

We have a toll-free information linefor an up-to-date list of future

meetings. Call 1-800-522-0129.

Write to us at: New Jersey Office of State Planning

P.O. Box 204Trenton, NJ 08625-0204

Visit us at: New Jersey Office of State Planning

33 West State Street, 4th floorTrenton, NJ 08625

Or e-mail us at: http://www.state.nj.us/osp