Future Facts
Why Hunterdon County Should Regionalize Its School Districts
January 27th, 2012 by Tim Evans
Via the Hunterdon County Democrat comes word that county leaders are looking into the idea of consolidating the county’s more than two dozen school districts into a single, countywide district. Freeholder Director Rob Walton looked at 18 other counties nationwide with populations and land areas similar to Hunterdon’s and found that those with countywide school systems tended to spend less on public education than the ones in which the county is divided among multiple school districts. He concludes that the potential for administrative cost savings hinted at by his informal investigation makes the idea worth studying more officially. Read the rest of this entry »
Does New Jersey Have Room to Grow?
January 26th, 2012 by Tim Evans
Of New Jersey’s 566 municipalities, more than half (328) had fewer residents as of the 2010 Census than they had at some time in the past, even though the state’s overall population is the largest that it has ever been.- If the population of each of these 328 municipalities were to return to its historical maximum, an additional 760,000 people could be absorbed.
- About 40 percent of this absorption number, or 302,000 people, could be accommodated in just six cities designated as “urban centers” by the State Plan: Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, Trenton, Camden, and Atlantic City. The land in these cities is already fully developed, so restoring them to their peak populations would involve redeveloping vacant and underutilized sites, rather than building on virgin land. (The other two urban centers identified in the State Plan, Elizabeth and New Brunswick, actually have more residents today than at any earlier time, so they do not contribute to the shortfall.)
- More generally, two-thirds (217 out of 328) of the municipalities that presently have fewer residents than at their peak are primarily “built out,” meaning that, based on 2007 data, at least 90 percent of their land area was already developed. These places lost population but retained their developed land, so they could be repopulated simply be refilling that land to its prior capacity. Read the rest of this entry »
Christie Administration Must Commit to Updating Wastewater Plans
January 19th, 2012 by Chris Sturm
Source: Flickr
On Tuesday Gov. Christie signed into law S3156/A4335, which weakens the rules pertaining to DEP adopting new sewer service areas. New Jersey Future opposed the bill, but now that it has been signed we believe there are still ways to minimize its potential negative impacts on both growth patterns and environmental preservation. Read the rest of this entry »
Our Take on the State of the State Address
January 17th, 2012 by Elaine Clisham
We watched Gov. Christie’s State of the State address with great interest today. Here’s our quick reaction (pdf).
We also took part in the Asbury Park Press experts’ liveblog during the speech, which you can find below the video here.
Is Route 1 a Street … or a Road?
January 11th, 2012 by Tim Evans
Route 1 in Mercer County. Credit: Peter Casellini
What’s the difference between a street and a road? Many of us use these terms interchangeably to denote any linear stretch of pavement designed for use by cars. But recognizing the distinction can mean the difference between good and efficient planning and a dysfunctional waste of public resources. Read the rest of this entry »
Public Hearings on State Strategic Plan Begin in February
January 9th, 2012 by Elaine Clisham
The state has announced a schedule of six public hearings on the draft State Strategic Plan released in September. The public hearings represent an opportunity to share your views on where and how New Jersey should grow – and what the state’s role should be in accomplishing this vision. They take place throughout the state, from Newark and Morris Township in the north to Galloway Township in the south, all during the latter half of February and the early part of March. Read the rest of this entry »
Demand Grows for Smart-Growth Work Environments
January 4th, 2012 by Elaine Clisham
Liberty Street mixed-use development in New Brunswick. Photo courtesy of New Brunswick Development Corp.
According to a survey done by commercial real estate firm CBRE of tenants in its New Jersey properties, the three most important amenities sought by firms as they evaluate office space are:
- Easy access to a variety of food choices (22.4 percent);
- Access to transit (16.4 percent); and
- Access to downtown (11.9 percent).
Being able to offer these amenities has apparently become an important factor in a company’s ability to recruit and retain talent, and properties without them are at a serious disadvantage. (This article in Real Estate Weekly sums up well the key findings of the survey.)
This is one more piece of evidence that Garden Staters want more than just a workspace to go to; they want to work in a place that offers them walkable access to amenities, such as food or a dry cleaner or a gym or a bank. The Monmouth University poll co-commissioned by New Jersey Future in September highlighted these same preferences, and similar trends have increasingly been showing up nationwide.
Large organizations have the ability to specify that such amenities be present in order for a property to be considered and, as the Real Estate Weekly article points out, some are even opting to build new facilities in order to ensure these amenities are included. But what of the smaller employers that also need office space but don’t have the clout to make similar demands?
Here in New Jersey, the good news is that even the smallest company doesn’t have to look very far to find those top three amenities cited as “must-haves.” There are many places in the Garden State where these amenities already exist. The state’s traditional downtowns offer a variety of eating options, plus other amenities, and many of them are reachable by transit. (A quibble with the Real Estate Weekly article: its discussion of transit focuses entirely on the need for workers to get from New Jersey satellite offices to larger offices in New York, and doesn’t mention their need to get from their New Jersey homes to their New Jersey offices without a long and arduous commute by car.) In addition, many of these smart-growth places – we looked at Morristown and New Brunswick in a recent report – tend to do better on a property-tax-per-acre basis than some other environments.
These trends offer a winning scenario for all involved. Employers of any size can use a downtown location to their recruiting advantage, and those who select downtown locations will be providing their workers with a variety of food options with a side of local character; with easily accessible amenities; and in many cases with access to transit; and the increased activity will ultimately strengthen the downtown itself.
Permit Extension Bill Threatens Open Space
December 14th, 2011 by Chris Sturm
A bill to allow time extensions for certain development permits has been introduced in both houses of the state legislature. While we at New Jersey Future understand the desirability of deadline extensions during difficult economic times, our position is that they should only be granted in smart-growth areas. We are very concerned that this bill in its current form:
- Creates a new definition of smart-growth areas that includes open space and farmland previously not designated for growth;
- Amends the definition of environmentally sensitive areas, where deadline extensions were not allowed, in such a way that both the Pinelands and Highlands would no longer be off-limits;
- Runs counter to the principles espoused in Gov. Christie’s new State Strategic Plan.
We have opposed the bill in its current form, and have recommended changes that would still allow appropriate deadline extensions in smart-growth areas without jeopardizing our valued open space or environmentally sensitive areas. (Full statement (PDF), issued in partnership with the New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association and the Regional Plan Association.) We look forward to working with all affected stakeholders on amendments to the bill.
New Jersey Future Seeks Nominations for 2012 Smart Growth Awards
December 9th, 2011 by Teri Jover
Do you know of an innovative project, plan or initiative that deserves to be honored for bringing smart growth ideals to light? Consider nominating it for a 2012 Smart Growth Award.
Winners will be selected by jury and recognized at New Jersey Future’s annual Smart Growth Awards celebration on June 7, 2012 at the Newark Club in Newark.
For inspiration, check out the previous winners.
Guidelines and nomination form are available in PDF and Word formats. Deadline for submissions is Friday, February 3, 2012.
Byram Township Wins National Smart-Growth Grant
December 9th, 2011 by Elaine Clisham
A rendering shows Byram Village Center in Byram Township.
Congratulations are due again to Byram Township for its continuing commitment to smart-growth development.
Smart Growth America has just awarded the township a technical-assistance grant, one of 15 awarded across the country from 90 applications. Byram was the only New Jersey municipality to be awarded a grant.
According to the township, the assistance will be provided in the form of
” … a day-long workshop for township officials, volunteers, and other stakeholders in the community[, to] focus on how smart growth improves the business climate and the long-term health of the local economy, increases tax revenues and attracts jobs, nurtures small and mid-size business, and how municipal actions affect positive outcomes. These … principles will then be applied to Byram’s situation, to develop specific strategies for the township.
“The grant is aimed at Byram’s Village Center, where the township’s future commercial and residential development will be located. The Village Center occupies only 2 percent of the township and is the only area of Byram not in the Highlands Preservation Zone. Byram was the first municipality to fully conform with the Highlands Regional Master Plan, including opting-in its Village Center, which was designated the first Highlands Center.
“In [a] letter supporting the township’s grant application, [Mayor James] Oscovitch made note of Byram’s decade-long planning efforts, which have created ‘the vision and framework for a new place. Byram is now on the cusp of seeing all these years of planning actually result in new development, particularly in our mixed-use Village Center Zone. Byram wants to make sure that this development actualizes our vision and promotes the kind of local economy and more stable municipal fiscal structure that are key to a final good outcome.’ “
In June of this year New Jersey Future honored the township with a Smart Growth Award for its Village Center Plan, adopted in collaboration with the New Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council. The plan calls for establishment of a mixed-use town center, in addition to addressing its affordable-housing obligations and providing protection for the natural resources along a scenic tributary of the Musconetcong River.
