From the Express-Times:
Warren County municipal officials were urged Tuesday night to oppose the Highlands regional master plan.
At a meeting sponsored by Warren County and Warren County Regional Chamber of Commerce, the 150-person audience was told the plan would be disastrous for the county.
The regional master plan being considered by the state leaves 1 percent of county land within the Highlands’ area open for development, county Planning Director David Dech said. About 74 percent of thecounty is in the region.
Speakers said limited future development would increase the tax burden on existing taxpayers.
“You have 1 percent across the whole county to build and bring ratables in,” said Robert Goltz, the chamber’s president. “We are all going to have to pay higher taxes.”
County government has long opposed the state Highlands Act and organized Tuesday’s meeting at the Warren County Technical School to enlist municipal support. The Highlands Act was enacted in August 2004 to protect 860,000 acres in northwest New Jersey that provide 65 percent of the state’s drinking water.
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Highlands landowners — who made up the majority at the meeting — implored municipal officials not to adopt the regional master plan. Municipalities with land in the section called the planning area can decide whether to adopt the plan while municipalities with land in the preservation area by law have to adopt the plan.Adopting the plan “will diminish home rule,” Independence Township farmer Bob Best said. “You’re going to have to do what Trenton and the (Department of Environmental Protection) says or you won’t run your municipality.”
Independence Deputy Mayor Bonnie Kelsey said adopting the plan would stop any future development in her township. A lot of development in the township has already been stopped because about half the town is in the preservation area, she said.
“If we opt into the regional master plan, it puts our whole town into preservation or conservation,” she said.
From what I have read the DEP will still defer to the Highlands Council in planning areas even if the towns do not opt in. It is written in the legislation so opting in is a bogus deal. The Highlands act is actually a ham-handed attempt to hurry buildout in Northern NJ. I hope Bogatch’s lawsuit has legs.
BTW Bob Best is a good guy and even though his property is in the sewer service area, he cannot develop it. If you are ever on Rte 46 just west of Hackettstown stop in and buy a pie from the guy. The fruit and berry is amazing. Beats Delicious Orchards any day.