Coastal study unveiled to local stakeholders
County study divides region into four subgroups
BY LAYLI WHYTE
Staff Writer

WEST LONG BRANCH - A planning study divides the Monmouth County's Coastal Region into four subregions and focuses on the commonalities among those subregions, according to the project's supervising planner, Joseph Barris.

Barris spoke at last week's Fifth Wednesday Luncheon held at Branches, Monmouth Road, hosted by the Monmouth County Economic Development and Tourism Department.

The next meeting for the stakeholders of the Monmouth County Coastal Study is scheduled for March 15 at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft to discuss the region's profile and build-out analysis.

The Monmouth County Coastal Study is the third phase of a five-region planning study within the county that aims to bring regional municipalities together to prepare for future development and possible regionalization of services.

The two-year study to address the future development of the county's Atlantic Coastal Region was launched earlier this month by local municipal and county officials.

Ultimately, the study will culminate in the Coastal Monmouth Plan [CMP] for the 30 participating municipalities, which include the towns of: Long Branch, Red Bank, Eatontown, Fair Haven, Little Silver, Monmouth Beach, Ocean Township, Oceanport, Rumson, Sea Bright and West Long Branch.

The study will look at all aspects of community planning, including future development, environmental and economic issues, flooding, transportation, shared services and job creation, according to Barris.

He explained that studies of two of the five planning regions, known as Western Monmouth and Bayshore, have already been completed and adopted by the Monmouth County Planning Board and are awaiting approval from the state Office of Smart Growth.

The Coastal Region is the largest region in area and population, with 40 percent of Monmouth County residents living in its 30 municipalities, according to Barris.

The Coastal Region has been divided into four subregions, to make the area easier to deal with, according to Barris.

The subregions are: Northern, North Central, South Central and Southern.

"There are some things that run through all four subregions," said Barris, "and that is what we want to concentrate on."

Barris said that each of the subregions has an arts, culture and entertainment center, which he referred to as ACEs.

"They are each a pull for the region," he said, "and places like Red Bank and Asbury Park are pulling from larger regions like New York City."

Barris said Red Bank is the ACE for the northern subregions, Long Branch for the north central, Asbury Park for south central and Belmar and Manasquan for the southern subregion.

Barris said that each subregion also has areas of redevelopment, because it is an older area and many municipalities are reinventing themselves.

"There is a great need for housing here," he said. "There is a need for affordable housing, but there is also a great desire to live here."

Gateway Corridors were another common feature among the subregions, said Barris, speaking specifically of those roadways which are not only used by coastal residents, but also by visitors to the shore.

"We are all aware of these Gateway Corridors during the morning and afternoon rush hours," he said, "but we become a lot more aware of them, let's say, between May and September."

There are also the often used north/south corridors, such as the Garden State Parkway, and Routes 18, 35 and 71, said Barris, that affect all four of the subregions.

He also explained that a great deal of the development within the entire region is spurred on by the railroad lines that spread throughout the region.

Environmental and economic factors also play into the regional development, and Barris said that in his mind, these two factors are undeniably linked.

"If we want people to sit on their beach chairs," he said, "we better have clean water. If our beaches go bad, it really has an impact on our economy. It affects the fishing industry and marinas."