Activity Report
October 2003

We continue to work on the County Growth Management Plan development, through subcommittees and large meetings. The draft plan is excellent, but the county freely admits it means nothing without municipalities enacting it via their master plans and ordinances. So, our freeholder Marcia Karrow has sponsored the Environmental Toolbox committee, which will result in creating and providing a series of environmentally protective ordinances for the municipalities to adopt (instead of each of them producing their own). We are also on some of these subcommittees. There are many municipal attorneys and officials involved with this effort; it will likely produce some good results.

The most recent (and very well attended) county meeting illustrated how effective cluster development can be in retaining open space and environmentally sensitive areas for each given development. This could be the best zoning strategy for managing growth in Hunterdon; we will work to promote it.

We have worked on two new matter forms for center designations in Sussex County. These will enable Tom Borden of Rutgers Environmental Law Clinic to represent us in challenging the State Planning Commission decisions.

We will be commenting on a wetlands permit application for the Holland Township Highlands (Shire Road) proposed development, in concert with other organizations.