The Daily Record printed an article yesterday that talked about the possibility that up to 25% of the protected land up in the Highlands area of the state may be up for development. For those of you that don’t know, the Highlands are comprised of North and Northwest New Jersey. It’s a beautiful area of the state that blends nicely into Pennsylvania and does NOT resemble the rest of the images that this nation has of New Jersey. In other words, we have no high-density industrial sites in this part of the state; we’re blessed to have such great forests and green-space instead.
Here is what the Daily Record wrote:
About 100,000 of those acres eligible for development are in the preservation area, that half of the region where nearly all large-scale construction was banned by the 2004 Highlands Act, according to a report released by the council. The rest are in the planning area, where lawmakers envisioned development continuing, where appropriate.
The developable acreage is contained in about 22,500 parcels that fall into one of the four major exemptions written into the law. There are 17 exemptions in all, but the four studied are the ones that would permit the most development. They allow for the construction of a house on a lot in existence at the time of the act or for the reconstruction or addition to an existing home.
What is of most importance is the last sentence. Once again, we have legislation in New Jersey that publicly is touted to end a practice that we would otherwise find to be repulsive (knocking down wildlife areas to build more McMansions), yet in reality it does nothing to solve the problem at hand.
This state needs a strong Chief Executive who will look at this problem and look at the potential of ruining the communities in North and Northwest New Jersey. Yes folks, the type of development that could be allowed in the Highlands will ruin that part of the state – no doubt. This is a part of the state with many rural areas. Rural areas, not suburban areas, though there are some great suburban areas, too. Opening up 100,000 acres of this beautiful protected land for development is just asking for those rural areas to suburbanize.
After watching the Mount Arlington, Landing, and Roxbury areas of Morris County go from rural to suburban areas over the last 20 years, I don’t want to see this happen to other areas in neighboring Sussex and Warren counties. The over-development of these parts of Morris County have pushed families out of home and communities that they literally built with their own two hands. It’s been disgusting to watch.
If there is anyone with any sense in Trenton (HA!), they’ll open up the coffers and buy these parcels – making them protected land.
Joe,
Having witnessed the effects of this legislation, all I can say is that it is flawed and does nothing for property rights. It is draconian in how it has stripped the value of the land in reality while pretending that it still has value. Farmers who borrow against the value of their land have found themselves uunable to borrow.
At the same time we have the second most expensive (statewide) housing costs in the country and there has been no real affordable housing be built due to the self interests of localities who are usually looking for ratables and low impact housing options like agerestricted housing and McMansions. In the north and northwestern counties large lot zoning is the norm so the impact of the highlands legislation is minimal.
I’ve watched communities destroyed and families who have lived in the same area for decades and decades forced to move because of over development in this area of the state.
We need to seriously start looking at redevelopment on a statewide scale – not just in Newark, Trenton, and Camden. There are already built locations that are abandoned and could be liveable if only rehabilitated – even in the rural and suburban areas. Sure, it’s not a sexy issue (rural rehab) for politicians, but it’s needed.
I agree but the cities will never be an attractive option as long as schools are bad and crime is high. I am a planner in NJ and know the issues intimately. I am originally from CNJ and was originally for the Highlands legislation but I have found it to be IMO a taking.