From the Daily Record:
All eyes on the Highlands Council
So, what will the vision for regional planning in the Highlands look like on Thursday when a state council finally unveils its master plan?
There will be protection zones, conservation zones, agricultural zones, specially planned areas and the zones where development would be permitted, according to water and septic rules.
There will be 300-foot buffers surrounding all waters, from the largest lake to the narrowest stream.
Rules will allow for clustering development on farmland, but with most soil in the region considered prime, it’s unlikely many farms could take advantage of this.
And further complicating matters is the question of whether those municipalities that have a choice will agree to subject themselves to the new regulations. About half the 800,000-acre region — including all of 19 Morris municipalities and portions of 13 others — is in the planning area and not required to follow the regional master plan.
“There are going to be people who really want to do it,” said Candace Ashmun, a 27-year member of the Pinelands Commission, which is responsible for regional planning in that South Jersey area. “The first two or three are really going to be hard. Obviously, it’s a new thing for the municipalities. They’re going to want the incentives.”