New Jersey: Shore to build

Our state has a plethora of special license plates that raise money for worthy causes. “Conserve Wildlife,” “Animal Friendly” and “Pinelands” are just a few.

A very popular plate you’ll see on any given travel day features a lighthouse and the motto “Shore to Please” along the bottom. This is in celebration of New Jersey’s famous shore and beaches from Sandy Hook down to Cape May.

But if a bill (A3742) sponsored by Assemblyman Van Drew (D-Cape May) becomes law, the plate name will have to be changed to “Shore to Build.”

That’s because this proposed bill would continue sprawl and overdevelopment along our beaches and in our shore communities, something that has occurred for decades and has taken a large toll on water supply and water quality already.

Trying to control sprawl, the state struck a deal five years ago with coastal communities along the Jersey Shore. More than 100 growth centers in 70 municipalities were designated for a five-year term.

The intent was to concentrate growth into these “coastal centers,” and protect environmentally sensitive land outside the centers. Towns were given five years to go through a more comprehensive planning process with the state Planning Commission. This was to make sure that if and when development occurred, it would be based on natural resource and infrastructure capacity, availability of adequate water supply and sewer, and workable transportation systems.

However, the centers were not well designed from the beginning, and included thousands of acres of sensitive natural resources. Also, in the last five years most towns failed to get started on regional planning with the state Planning Commission.

The five-year center designation window closed Feb. 7. Never ones to play by the rules when they can get others to rewrite them, however, some communities took their case to Trenton to legislate away the deadline and extend the growth center designation.

Tim Dillingham, executive director of the American Littoral Society, has a different perspective.

He said, “Given all the overdevelopment of the coast, and the significant negative impacts that it has had on one of our most important natural resource areas, the Legislature should not be carrying water for the developers and builders who simply want more sprawl at the price of our coast. This bill is a developer’s bill, and those supporting it are bowing to those special interests.”

Two national reports – the Pew Ocean Commission and the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy – recently confirmed that our coast and oceans are in trouble, trouble directly related to overdevelopment of the coastal region.

It is time to let the outdated, myopic process of center designation expire. New Jersey’s shore communities must get on with the business of comprehensive regional planning, before it really is too late.

You can learn more about the negative impacts of A3742 and what you can do to help by calling Tim Dillingham at the American Littoral Society at (732) 291-0055 or at http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/cafra. And I hope you’ll contact me at info@njconservation.org or 1-888-LAND-SAVE or visit www.njconservation.org for more information.

Amy Hansen

policy analyst

N.J. Conservation Foundation

Far Hills