Hopatcong to Consider Land Preservation Plan

Will Hopatcong conform to the Highlands Regional Master Plan?

The borough will take its first real steps in exploring the process when Highlands Council Executive Director Eileen Swan meets with the mayor and council 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the municipal building.

Byram recently conformed to the plan, which outlines how to protect about 860,000 acres of undeveloped land in 88 municipalities in Northwestern New Jersey. In Byram, 98 percent of the township became protected against major development while 2 percent was set aside for considerable development and growth.

So far, at least 60 for the 88 Highlands municipalities have submitted a petitions to conform to the Highlands Regional Master Plan, a release said.

Environmental Commission Chairman Jerry Scanlan said he believes the borough should at least see what the plan could provide. He said the plan process could offer Hopatcong money for planning. Scanlan, a former planning board member, listened to a presentation from Swan at one of the board's meetings. The planning board, which has been combined with the zoning board to create a land-use board, later voted to recommend conformance to the council.

At the meeting, Swan said the borough could follow the steps of the conformance process until it either wants to back out or decides to fully comply.

"From what I understand," he said, "I think it's certainly worth pursing because it allows us to do continued planning without a commitment. Without a commitment we have to conform. It's saying that we have to go to the next step. If that's the way it is, I can't undertand why we wouldn't do that, personally."

Swan couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

Read below for more on the Highlands Regional Master Plan.

CHESTER, N.J. — At the December meeting of the Highlands Council, petitions from four more Highlands towns were approved bringing the total to 37 municipal petitions and 2 county petitions that the Highlands Council has approved as conforming to the Highlands Regional Master Plan. In 2011 alone, the Highlands Council approved 30 petitions for Plan Conformance to protect the significant environmental and agricultural resources of the Highlands and also has approved 8 Highlands Centers to encourage growth and sustainable economic opportunities

To date, 60 of the 88 Highlands municipalities have submitted a petition to conform to the Highlands Regional Master Plan. This results in a 97-percent conformance in the Preservation Area (401,903 acres) and 32-percent conformance in the Planning Area (142,422 acres) where Plan Conformance under the Highlands Act is entirely voluntary. Importantly, more than half of the municipalities with lands in both the Preservation and Planning Areas (24 of the 47) have submitted petitions to include Planning Area lands. In addition, 9 municipalities that are entirely in the Planning Area have submitted a Petition for Plan Conformance.

To date the Highlands Council has designated 8 Highlands Centers to fulfill the Regional Master Plan’s commitment to plan for sustainable economic development and redevelopment in or adjacent to areas with the infrastructure capacity for growth. The designation of Highlands Centers provides a focus for economic development opportunities and simultaneously discourages growth in sensitive areas designated for environmental protection and agricultural viability.

“We will continue to plan with municipalities to encourage growth in the appropriate places,” Chairman Jim Rilee stated. “The recognition of Highlands centers will direct state support for these economic drivers of the region, recognizing limited resources we need to be able to focus on areas that have the capacity to sustain growth.”

Also in 2011, seven of Governor Chris Christie’s appointments to the Highlands Council were approved and Jim Rilee, the Mayor of Roxbury Township in Morris County, was appointed as new Chairman of the Highlands Council. Chairman Rilee joined the Highlands Council along with the following new members:

• Timothy P. Dougherty, the Mayor of Morristown
• Michael R. Dressler, Bergen County Surrogate
• Bruce James, Passaic County Freeholder
• James E. Mengucci, a Councilman in Lopatcong Township
• Robert G. Walton, Hunterdon County Freeholder
• Michael J. Sebetich, Professor of Biology at William Paterson University

Regarding land preservation under the Highlands Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) Program, the Highlands Development Credit Bank was provided $10,000,000 in initial capital funding and, in 2011, the Bank completed the third round of its initial purchase program. Through this program the HDC Bank has approved offers in the amount of $6,452,000 to thirteen owners of land in the Preservation Area to acquire the development rights on their properties. Information regarding the activities of the Highlands Development Credit Bank and status of the Transfer of Development Rights Program is available on the Council’s website.

In 2011, the Highlands Council also provided extensive assistance to the municipalities in the Highlands Region including technical assistance and grant funding to complete environmental inventories, build-out analyses, wastewater management plans, affordable housing plans, and designated Highlands Redevelopment Areas to allow for growth in the Preservation Area.

“We endeavor to deliver the statutory requirements of the Highlands Act and provide planning support to Highlands municipalities with a small but dedicated professional staff” said Executive Director Eileen Swan. “We are most proud of the excellent working relationships we have developed with the various municipalities in the Highlands.”

In honor of this partnership between the Highlands Council and Highlands municipalities, Byram Township and the Highlands Council were selected as one of the eight winners of the 2011 New Jersey Future Smart Growth Award. The New Town Center Plan award was given for the Byram Highlands Village Center recognizing Byram Township and their officials and staff, their professional planners at Heyer Gruel & Associates, and the Highlands Council.

Lastly, in 2011 the Highlands Council continued and enhanced the strong commitment to public transparency. Information about the Highlands Council is shared through its website, at regularly scheduled meetings on the calendar page, through Interactive Mapping tools, materials related to Plan Conformance, and information on projects reviewed by the Highlands Council.

The Highlands Council will begin a productive 2012 with a full agenda at their meeting on January 19, 2012 at 4 p.m and the agenda is anticipated to include a proposed Highlands Center for Lopatcong Township, a Petition for Plan Conformance submitted by Montville Township, a proposed exemption determination for Tennessee Gas Pipeline and a Highlands Redevelopment Area designation for Mount Olive Township.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this article said the planning board recommended the council conform to the Highlands Regional Master Plan.