Marathon meeting results in rezoning of land

By: MARK ZIMMARO
Burlington County Times

Pemberton Township Council approved a plan that would allow senior housing in north end of town.

PEMBERTON TOWNSHIP - After nearly seven hours of heated debate, the Township Council adopted a plan that would allow senior housing in the north end of town.

More than 100 residents crammed into Room 10 of the municipal building Wednesday night and more than half stayed well into Thursday morning as they and elected officials argued about the rezoning of the Greenberg dairy farm on North Pemberton Road to make way for a possible major residential development.

The council voted 3-2 in favor of the senior cluster overlay plan, to the dismay of Pemberton First representatives, a grass-roots group that is opposed to developing the farm.

"I thought the people had a voice and I thought this was a government that heard the people, but obviously I was wrong," said Eric Houwen, who lives on North Pemberton Road.
Township officials said that there is no known developer and that the land could remain farmland, if that is what the owner desires. But the majority of residents who live in the area strongly oppose a senior development.

"I wonder whose vision this is?" said Councilman Rick Prickett, a member of Pemberton First who voted against the ordinance, along with Tom Inge. "I'm sad to say, as eloquent and passionate as the residents were tonight, I don't think anyone was listening."

Pending county and state Department of Environmental Protection approval, water and sewer lines can be extended to the Greenberg farm to accommodate high-density housing.
According to planner Rick Ragan, of Ragan Design Group in Medford, a maximum of 270 units can be built on the land, with half of the 134 acres being preserved. If constructed the development would have a 300-foot buffer from North Pemberton Road. A 62-acre portion of the farm that was originally included in the plan was eliminated from development during the meeting.

Ragan also said he would expect a senior housing development to generate significant revenue.
"I understand that Pemberton First is clearly not in favor, but that doesn't mean this is not beneficial to current and future residents of the township," said Ragan, who presented an overview of the township's master plan, which was amended for the first time in 37 years. "The concept is to bring in some ratables that this town desperately needs, and I believe this would have a positive financial impact."

Councilwoman Sherry Scull explained her support for the measure. "During our campaign we talked about the need to develop in Pemberton Township. We're not going to an extreme here, and this isn't going to happen overnight," Scull said.

Some residents at Wednesday's meeting also supported developing the land located at North Pemberton and Arney's Mount roads near Pemberton Borough.

"This is a master plan and not some hodgepodge plan," said Helen Kemp, a Planning Board member and real estate agent in town. "This is a major accomplishment for the township. I am for smart growth and that's what this plan is about."

Some residents said other parts of the 64-square-mile community should be developed first.
"We've had three years to do something about that shopping center in Browns Mills, but we want to invest in developing an area that doesn't need it," Inge said. "We don't need more housing. If you drive up and down almost any street, you will see at least one house on the block in foreclosure. This wasn't the residents' plan."

Groundwater Impact

Septic systems are focus of study in Burlco

By CAROL COMEGNO
Courier-Post Staff

Burlington County is conducting a state-mandated, countywide study of the groundwater impact from septic systems, a comprehensive review that could further limit municipal development.

Until now, municipalities had been responsible for conducting their own waste water management study to determine the extent of sewer service areas, but most have no approved plan.

The state recently changed the water quality management rules, shifting the responsibility for such studies from municipalities to the county.

The county board of freeholders has awarded a $199,450 contract to consultant Camp Dresser McKee for the initial management study, but county officials said there are other costs as well as in-house staff time.

"This will be a comprehensive plan that is going to be expensive to implement, costly for years to come, very restrictive to the way towns can develop and could possibly affect land zoning," said county Freeholder William Haines Jr.

Although the state is giving Burlington County grants totaling about $200,000 to perform the study, Haines said there will be no state money to manage and implement the program once the study is complete.

He said the county has asked the state for an extension beyond Dec. 31 for submission of the study. In addition, state Assembly members Scott Rudder and Dawn Marie Addiego, both R-Burlington, are legislatively seeking a two-year delay.

Statewide, nearly all 566 municipalities have either outdated plans or no adopted plans, according to data from the state Department of Environmental Protection.

"This is about planning for the future to prevent water quality degradation," said Gina Berg, county coordinator of water resources. "We have to determine the capacity of groundwater to carry wastewater from future development. For the most part, our water quality is good except for a few hot spots on the Rancocas and Assiscunk creeks."

Berg said it will expensive to map sewer service areas, determine if current mapping of those areas is accurate, calculate treatment capacity of plants and develop a management plan for areas to be served by septic systems because there is no sewer service.

"For the first time, the proposed water quality management planning rules address the impacts of septic systems on groundwater and establish new standards for wastewater management planning, removing environmentally sensitive lands from sewer service areas," Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson said when the new rules were released.

Berg said the consultant will use rainfall and vacant land in its mathematical calculations to determine the capacity of the groundwater to accommodate the pollutant load, such as nitrates, from septic systems.

Because of environmental restrictions on wetlands and endangered species area, she said sewer service areas are seriously affected.

For example, the state recently designated some grasslands on Centerton Road in Moorestown as a habitat for an endangered bird species, the bobolink. Therefore, it can not be home to a septic system.

As another example, she said Route 206 does not have municipal sewer service. Therefore, if some want to see growth along that highway, the county would have to be asked by a developer to amend the wastewater plan and show the effect of wastewater.

The county will perform the management study for most or part of the 40 municipalities except for the five completely inside the Pinelands, such as Tabernacle and Shamong.

Pam Corolan, executive director of the Mount Laurel Municipal Utilities Authority, said all of its data has been submitted to the county.

She said the local sewer service area used to encompass the entire municipality except for some environmentally sensitive areas and that its sewage treatment plant was built to accommodate a build-out.

However, she said the state then decided to create its own map and was going to pull from the designated area any land that was not sewered or for which there was no sewer permit, such as the Rogers Walk apartment area on Route 73.

"We have met with the county to try to put those areas back into the plan because we believe the state was not using correct data," she said.

Reach Carol Comegno at (609) 267-9486 or ccomegno@courierpostonline.com

Open Space Public Question PASSED

In two separate articles published in the Burlington County Times this week, what was hoped for was approved. The residents of New Jersey, and specifically in Burlington County, approved additional funding for open space preservation.

Open space and partisan elections backed in county

By: FROM STAFF REPORTS

Burlington County Times

Even in tough economic times, Burlington County residents continue to support efforts to preserve what remains of the state's open space.

According to unofficial results, 24,902 county voters cast ballots in support of the state's borrowing $400 million to replenish the now-empty coffers of the Garden State Preservation Trust, which is the chief source of funding for open space, farmland and historic preservation.

Open-space funding approved in New Jersey

By: DAVID PORTER

The Associated Press

When all was said and done, New Jerseyans again decided to spend more green to be more green.

Despite warnings that harsh economic realities would finally lead to a 'no' vote on borrowing money to fund open space programs, Garden State voters approved the measure Tuesday, albeit by a smaller margin than in previous years.

With 98 percent of precincts reporting, 52 percent of voters said yes to the "Green Acres" ballot question that asked them to approve borrowing $400 million for open space initiatives. More than 1.5 million votes were cast.

In 11 previous votes dating back to 1961, New Jerseyans had backed some form of open-space funding, usually by a considerable margin. But a 2007 vote was closer, and a recent Rutgers-Eagleton Poll indicated voters were split over whether to approve the measure this time around.

"I'm so proud of the electorate for voting as they did, particularly in these extraordinarily difficult economic times," said Assemblyman John McKeon, D-West Orange, an open space advocate. "It shows that New Jersey voters are responsible stewards of the environment."

The money has been used over the last few decades to buy land for recreation and conservation, preserve farmland and pay for historic preservation projects. Opponents have said the state must stop borrowing money until it solves its current fiscal woes.

Tuesday's question passed in 15 of New Jersey's 21 counties, and met with the most resistance in the more rural counties of Sussex, Warren and Morris, all of which gave strong support to winning GOP gubernatorial candidate Christopher Christie.

According to McKeon, Christie was sympathetic to open space issues when he was a freeholder in Morris County, but it was impossible to tell whether that would inform his actions as governor.

"I hope philosophically he's intelligent enough to understand this issue not just from a quality of life standpoint, but also from an economic standpoint," McKeon said.

November 04, 2009 12:12 AM

Whose Future is being Plotted?

Pemberton Township is plotting the future
By: MARK ZIMMARO Burlington County Times

PEMBERTON TOWNSHIP - An environmental study of the township's 64 square miles will be conducted to help plan its growth over the next 20 years.

The township Planning Board approved amendments to its master plan in July and is waiting for the Township Council's approval. The master plan outlines the town's developmental goals.

The study will help planners better understand the community's environmentally sensitive areas before physically developing the land once the master plan is approved.

"We need to be able to protect our assets in the township," said Marilyn Loeser, spokeswoman for the township Environmental Commission. "In the end, if we know where we're going we can avoid making mistakes affecting our natural and historical areas. It seems like a very intelligent, chronological way to do things."

The study will take one year and is being supported by a $6,000 grant from the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions, with matching funds allocated from the township.

The township Environmental Commission plans to invite residents to several meetings over the next year to gather information on areas about which officials might lack information.

"The residents will be a huge part of this," Loeser said. "Many of the places in town have no historical documentation and a lot of that information hasn't been shared. We are looking for people with specific local knowledge to come out and share that information to help us understand the area better."

A meeting was held last month that included commissioners, planners, council members and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission. The purpose was to educate local officials on how to gather information and approach specific ecological options.

The finished project, which will be called the Environmental Resource Inventory, will provide information such as soil composition; surface and groundwater resources; archeological sites; plant and animal diversity, including endangered and threatened species; land-use patterns and preservation tactics.

The goal is to protect those resources from being wasted or inadvertently mismanaged.
"It's a lot easier to be able to do things right the first time instead of having to go back and correct problems," Loeser said. "We want to be able to understand all aspects of Pemberton Township before it's too late."

Contact: mzimmaro@phillyBurbs.com or 609-871-8059
October 05, 2009

Does development = Negative Ratables?

Planning funds for Salem County farms at standstill

Saturday, September 19, 2009

By Randall Clark

rclark@sjnewsco.com

ALLOWAY TWP. - The money is out there but the township seems to be at a standstill in its effort to utilize approximately $750,000 in state planning incentive grant funding for farmland preservation, residents believe.

Although farmers continue to apply for this coveted funding here, to date there have been no awards made in the municipality, officials said. Alloway has been eligible for the grant money since about November of 2008, according to resident Sharon Coleman.

She asked during Thursday's meeting for the township committee to proceed with a sense of urgency in getting some of these farms preserved, considering the state's uncertain future acquiring dedicated funding sources.

The State Agriculture Development Board awards planning incentive grants (PIG grants) on a competitive basis to municipalities and counties across New Jersey.

"I'm really perplexed why this project hasn't had the urgency that other issues in our township have," Coleman said, later adding "I know agriculture is a side thing but it seems like it's the ugly sister."

Mayor Edwin Masker said Friday that the township is going to look into what it will take to get this process finished and who can do the job.

Some residents have recently had trouble pinpointing where the township committee stands in the ongoing debate of preservation versus development. The PIG grants issue has further shaken their confidence.

But Masker and committeemen Joseph Fedora and William "Rex" Cobb all gave a resounding support of agriculture Thursday as a necessary function to the township.

"I do think agriculture is important for this township, no doubt about that," Masker said.

"I'd be kind of wrong if I was practicing it and didn't like it," Cobb said. "I don't make a living by my farm but I do grow things and cut down a few trees, so I am for agriculture and farmland preservation."

Fedora added, "It's more than important for this township, I think it's essential."

Though Cobb also said he felt the township is losing vital ground by having so much open space saved. Farmland pays some taxes, open space does not, he said.

"Every piece of land that you use that becomes open space, you lose ratables on it," Cobb said. "We can barely now afford our taxes."

He said when the former Holly Hills golf course became open space the township lost more than $60,000 in taxes, and when Paradise Lake went the same route the township lost more than $57,000 in taxes.

Yet not even building may be the answer, Masker noted.

"I've been told, actually by a Green Acres representative, that any development is a negative ratable, including commercial development," Masker said. "Which is difficult because we all have this elusive ratables chase."

Resident Marilyn Patterson alluded to some figures that she said show just how costly homes are compared to preservation.

She said if Alloway were to abandon preservation and encourage development, every $350,000 home would put it further in debt. Cheaper homes would increase that debt.

The township loses $3,840.50 for each $350,000 home with one school-aged child, she said. More children would increase that loss.

According to Patterson, for the same tax loss created by building a $350,000 house with one child, the township could preserve 642 acres of open space.

"No matter how you look at it, preserving land is always a good financial deal for Alloway Township," Patterson said. "Every dollar that the state or non-profits spend in Alloway Township saves us money."

New Farm Owner Plans ....

Several people were wondering what Linda Perez wants to do with the Wilson Farm .... well here it is!!!

BUILD A SOLAR FARM OR HOUSES

Description
BUILD A SOLAR PROJECT. Transmission lines contiguous to site. Topo, survey maps available. Wetlands delineated and approved by NJDEP. 95 acres open, tillable. Located in the Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ) Location near Springfield Township boarder/Arney's Mountain. Contiguous 28 + - acres available for an additional $850,000. BROKER IS OWNER OF THE 128 ACRES.

See these links with the listings:

http://www.loopnet.com/property/15363937/201-North-Pemberton-Road/

http://www.uslots.com/property/detail/?id=55132

Mrs. Perez touted herself during the Planning Board workshops as a farmland owner. Sure, farmland that can be sold for development like her Eastampton farm which she sold for $1.75M to a developer. The ink wasn't even dry on the settlement papers and she was listing the land for development. We all know what the Township has in store for Region 6, and it doesn't include listening to the residents.

What's Missing from our new Master Plan?

The new master plan doesn't include the items incorporated within the study conducted by the military bases .....

Preparation for Joint Base begins

By: DANIELLE CAMILLI Burlington County Times

MOUNT HOLLY - Cooperation and communication between the military and surrounding communities will be critical in minimizing impacts when activities on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst are ramped up at the nation's first mega-base, a recently released study has found.

The Burlington County Board of Freeholders was briefed last week on the joint land use study that Burlington and Ocean counties began about two years ago. The board is expected to pass a resolution in support of the $300,000 study and its recommendation at its regular meeting this week.

Ocean County already has signed off on the study.

The complete 333-page study can be viewed online at www.jointbasenj.org.

Mark Remsa, Burlington County's director of economic development, said the study was an effort to look at the potential effects on the municipalities around Joint Base and identify issues that need further study.

The study looked at 10 towns in Ocean and Burlington counties: Jackson, Lakehurst, Manchester and Plumsted in Ocean and New Hanover, North Hanover, Pemberton Borough and Township, Springfield and Wrightstown in Burlington.

The study makes a series of recommendations designed to support both the military mission of Joint Base and the needs of the municipalities and their residents by avoiding land-use conflicts.

According to the executive summary of the study, recommendations include:

* Increasing dialogue and collaboration between stakeholders;

* Revising municipal master plans to reflect the new missions at the base, with recognition of "accident potential zones and noise zones";

* Establishing Joint Base priority locations for possible acquisition to mitigate noise complaints in neighborhoods and eliminate residential development within safety zones;

* Implementing noise-reduction techniques and imposing height restrictions via zoning ordinance in key runway areas;

* Developing an economic development subcommittee;

* Addressing infrastructure issues through further analysis of wastewater solutions in towns, examining alternate routes around the base, and exploring transit opportunities for military and civilians;

* Continuing to establish priority locations for farmland and open space preservation;

* Designating Joint Base personnel to attend municipal meetings to foster better communication and awareness.

Remsa said federal Department of Defense funds are available to implement some of the recommendations.

Joint Base combines McGuire Air Force Base, Fort Dix and the Naval Engineering Station in Lakehurst. It is the nation's only tri-service base supporting operations of the Army, Navy and Air Force.

It extends 20 miles from east to west, encompasses 65.6 miles and employs about 22,000 people, according to the study.

The joint installation will bring more than 1,000 jobs and $220 million in construction projects to the region by 2011, officials have said.

According to the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission, which established Joint Base, the new installation must be at full operating capability by Sept. 30. Full implementation must be completed by Sept. 15, 2011, according to the report.

Some efforts already have been announced to make the mega-base more compatible with the community around it. Last summer, the Department of Defense gave Burlington County $1.08 million to preserve farms around the installation.

The money was to be used to preserve about 800 acres in the critical areas in the two-mile-radius buffer zone around Joint Base in the county, officials said.

Email: dcamilli@phillyBurbs.com

July 19, 2009

A Township Disappointment

Pemberton Township amends master plan

By: MARK ZIMMARO

Burlington County Times

PEMBERTON TOWNSHIP - An amended master plan that could change the look of the northern end of town has left opponents feeling betrayed.

The Planning Board unanimously approved amendments, the first in nearly 37 years, to the plan at Thursday's meeting, opening the door for development in areas along North Pemberton, Birmingham and Arney's Mount roads, which are among a small percentage of township land not located in the environmentally sensitive Pinelands.

About a dozen disappointed residents walked out of the meeting after the board's vote.

"I feel like (the Planning Board) didn't listen to us," said Caroline Radice, a member of a grassroots organization called Pemberton First, which opposes the development of farmland. "When they started the study for the master plan, they had visioning meetings and went out to ask residents for feedback about what they wanted to see in their communities. However, the plan they developed doesn't incorporate the residents' feedback at all."

One of their biggest concerns is the former Greenberg dairy farm on North Pemberton Road. Zoning changes would allow public water and sewer extensions, which could accommodate higher density residential and commercial development.

Township officials have said that a 55-and-older housing complex could be one of the projects on that site. The existing zoning for the Greenberg farm is agriculture and permits residential construction at a density of one home per six acres.

Some residents voiced their displeasure with the master plan in the hallway outside the meeting, which did not permit public comment on agenda items.

"They heard us - they just already had their plans," said Eric Houwen, a North Pemberton Road resident. "They already knew what they wanted to do."

Proponents of the changes said the township needs to attract development to help stabilize rapidly rising property taxes.

Mayor David Patriarca said the Planning Board listened to residents' concerns at the last meeting, which was open to public comment. He said the board's decision was based on what the majority of residents wanted.

"They think they're the only ones with a voice," Patriarca said of the opponents. "Each individual has one voice in this town and we hear from many, many individuals who promote development on the north side of town. There are some people out there that you just aren't going to please.

"I think it's a responsible plan. I think it's a plan that mirrors smart growth being pushed by the state and the county. And I think the little bit of development we are proposing will not change the quality of life significantly in that area."

Councilman Rick Prickett, also a member of Pemberton First, said the group has collected more than 100 signatures on a petition opposing the development and is anticipating that several more residents will join the cause.

"I was very disappointed with the decision," Prickett said. "We have over 120 signatures and we plan to keep collecting signatures of people of opposition to development on the Greenberg farm."

The plan will go to the Township Council, which can change zoning. Officials said that there is no known planner and that development could take years.

"Keep in mind this is not something that's going to happen overnight," Patriarca said. "Currently our plan is approved, but nothing can occur before council elects to change the zoning."

July 12, 2009 02:50 AM

Mater Plan Decision is Tonight!

Change in the wind?

By: DAVID LEVINSKY Burlington County Times

Pemberton Township to consider amending master plan.

dlevinsky@phillyBurbs.com

PEMBERTON TOWNSHIP - At 64 square miles in size, there's no shortage of land in this rural township.

But local officials and planners are quick to point out that roughly 90 percent of the township's territory is within the environmentally sensitive Pinelands making it subject to stringent restrictions on what may be built there.

The 10 percent portion outside the Pinelands is mostly picturesque farmland and open space in the township's northern end along North Pemberton, Birmingham and Arney's Mount roads. The land is zoned for agriculture and low-density housing.

That leaves local officials in a conundrum: Do they leave the northern territory alone or preserve it as agriculture and open space or do they approve zoning changes and public water and sewerage extensions to allow higher density residential and commercial development?

Residents could learn their decision tonight when the local Planning Board meets at 6:30 to adopt the township's first master plan amendment in nearly 37 years. (It's at 7:30pm)

Among the amendments proposed is a zoning change to allow senior housing on the Greenberg farm on North Pemberton Road.

The existing zoning on the former dairy farm is agriculture and permits residential construction at a density of one home per 6 acres. The proposed master plan calls for the zoning to be amended to senior housing. The permitted density was not available.

Proponents of the change say it's needed to attract development to help stabilize the township's rapidly rising property taxes.

Opponents worry allowing higher density development on the tract will affect the quality of life of nearby residents and cost taxpayers more for services. They also question the township's need for additional senior housing given the Planning Board has approved a 578-home age-restricted development to rise on Lakehurst Road.

The issue of developing the Greenberg land is not new. In 2000, New York developer David Weinberg of SGS Communities proposed building a 1,050-unit golf course development on the Greenberg land as well as the adjacent Pemberton Metro Airport and Wilson farm. The majority of the proposed homes were to be age-restricted, but some single-family homes and commercial development were included.

The project was believed to have been abandoned by the developer after the then-Republican-controlled Township Council announced it would not consider the required zoning changes and master plan amendments for the proposed development until after a county planning study of the Route 206 corridor was completed.

Planning Board Chairman David Cooper said he was not aware of any specific developer interested in building on the property.

Cooper said updating the master plan is a state requirement and the proposed changes are intended to make the township more attractive to residents and businesses. He said many changes were focused on the northern end of the township because of its potential to attract development to reduce the local tax burden.

"That's a definite goal," Cooper said, adding other land tracts were being rezoned from commercial and industrial to agriculture in order to preserve the rural character of the area.

"We're trying to achieve a balance of farmland preservation and development," he said.

Opponents worry the proposed zoning change on the Greenberg tract will allow additional development. They said any development on the tract should be done under the existing zoning and without extending public water and sewerage to the land.

"Putting water and sewers onto farms will open the floodgates. The next step will be high-density development," said resident Bob Cushmeyer.

Cushmeyer and other residents formed a grassroots group called Pemberton First to lobby against the golf course development. Cushmeyer said the organization became active again after learning about the proposed master plan amendments.

"We've been meeting monthly and we put out a survey and gathered signatures on a petition," he said.

Councilman Rick Prickett, also a member of Pemberton First, questioned why the zoning change is needed. He was unaware of any developer interested in building age-restricted homes on the land and township residents have not expressed a need for additional senior housing.

"It seems like this whole master plan has been developed to get sewers on the Greenberg property. The rest is just fluff," Prickett said.

The newspaper was unsuccessful in reaching Mayor David Patriarca for comment on the proposed changes.

In a guest column published last week in a local weekly paper, Patriarca wrote the new master plan incorporates "smart growth planning" and the Greenberg farm would be rezoned with a 300-foot buffer intended to preserve the "rural character along North Pemberton Road." He also claimed the change was consistent with the county's Route 206 corridor plan.

Burlington County and the state Department of Agriculture have preserved nine properties totaling 619 acres along North Pemberton and Birmingham roads, according to county spokesman Loretta O'Donnell.

She said the Greenberg farm has not been targeted for preservation because the township does not support its preservation.

"Our preservation programs are designed to work with local planning and economic development projects, not against them," O'Donnell said. "The fact that this farm is not targeted is evidence of this policy."

July 09, 2009

Megabase Study Status

Study on military megabase in New Jersey completed

By Edward Colimore

Inquirer Staff Writer

On the negative side, there's the noise of aircraft and artillery. There's the economic disruption of their neighbors' rising and falling fortunes, and traffic headaches such as that caused by the shutdown of a main road after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

But for 10 Burlington and Ocean County towns, the pluses of having McGuire Air Force Base, Fort Dix and Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst in their midst far outweigh the minuses.

The municipalities are seeing local development and job creation spurred by the hundreds of millions of dollars in investment spent on runways, hangars, housing and other projects at the military's 60-square-mile installation, set to become known officially as Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in October.

Military and state and local government officials, who have held high-stakes discussions over their shared future in recent years, last week announced completion of a $300,000 joint land-use study that calls for improved communication and coordination.

"We want to keep the military here," said Brandi Bartolomeo, the study's project manager, who works for PS&S, a Warren, N.J., engineering firm. "It's a huge boost for the economy of New Jersey. And now we have a road map to move forward."

The 333-page study, funded mainly by the Defense Department, provides recommendations to preserve a buffer zone around the base, improve traffic flow, reduce noise, encourage cluster housing developments, and coordinate business development.

The report - involving the nation's only contiguous Air Force-Army-Navy megabase, 10 towns and two counties - is the first of its kind, said Ed Fox, a regional planning coordinator for the Burlington County Economic Development and Regional Planning Department.

More than 22,000 people work at the three bases, which are surrounded by Wrightstown, New Hanover, North Hanover, Pemberton Borough, Pemberton Township and Springfield Township in Burlington County, and by Lakehurst Borough, and Manchester, Jackson and Plumsted Townships in Ocean County.

With creation of the joint installation, "this is an opportune time for all parties to find out where the common issues are," Fox said. "Municipalities don't want incompatible uses, like buildings near artillery or runways."

The study calls for new traffic patterns to offset road closures, possible public transit, and zoning that would impose building-height restrictions near key runways.

Its recommendations seek to protect all parties, said Mark Remsa, director of the Burlington County Economic Development and Regional Planning Department.

"The military encourages communities to do cluster [housing] developments so they don't sprawl" too close to the bases, Remsa said. "These are smaller-lot developments."

Burlington County has preserved tens of thousands of acres of land near the bases and hopes to preserve more.

While some communities, such as New Hanover, hope to protect their rural character with outside funding, built-out municipalities, such as Wrightstown, hope to provide services to the area's growing civilian and military populations.

More than $500 million in construction has begun at the bases with more investment on the way. Wrightstown is planning a multimillion-dollar town center, including a hotel, a restaurant, retailers and possibly medical offices.

"Wrightstown is trying to be a commercial center," said Mayor Tom Harper. "We're looking to complement the bases and benefit the people living around them."

Harper said he would like to see the joint base and municipalities designate liaisons who would be unaffected by changes in political and military leadership.

He also hopes to have an ordinance passed that would require real estate agents to inform prospective home buyers when a house they're looking at is in an area planes and helicopters might fly over.

"The main thing is to stop housing and development so the planes can land comfortably and without bothering people in the houses below them," he said. The military "wants a buffer zone."

The recommendations of the study will be implemented by a committee made up of the affected parties. The municipalities may make changes in master plans and zoning, but are not required to.

"The study is good," Harper said. "Now, it's time to implement it."

Will it move forward?

Restaurant application to be heard

By: MARK ZIMMARO

Burlington County Times

PEMBERTON TOWNSHIP - An application from a township councilman to open a restaurant and bar in Browns Mills will be heard by the planning board this week.

Thomas Inge has sought approval to open his sports bar and restaurant called the Hornet's Nest on Lakehurst Road for more than two years and recently was denied a request for a site-waiver plan in February 2008.

Now a year later and with the restaurant almost finished, Inge is requesting a minor site plan waiver from the township planners Thursday night.

"People in this town talk all the time that we need rateables," he said. "It's amazing what I have had to go through to try to open this restaurant here in Browns Mills. I wouldn't have had this problem in any other town. I wouldn't have to deal with Pinelands issues or an administration that doesn't want to keep the town underdeveloped."

Pemberton Township Mayor David Patriarca, a member of the planning board, declined to comment because the application has yet to be heard.

Inge said his first permit to redo the city water lines involving the building was granted in November 2006. In February 2007, he received his first construction permit to start changing the former library into the restaurant.

After what Inge estimates to be nearly $300,000 worth of improvements to his $175,000 purchase of the building, the restaurant remains closed. In December of 2007, Inge was issued a stop-work order from the township citing two violations.

Inge applied for a site waiver the following month but was denied when the planners said the project did not meet the necessary criteria to obtain the required waiver. The board said Inge did not receive proper approval from the Pinelands Commission and his property lacked sufficient on-site parking.

The 5,000-square foot building consists of a bar and restaurant on the first floor with $40,000 worth of big screen televisions. The upstairs is a banquet hall, which according to Inge, has a 50-inch flat screen that can be used for presentations. The Hornet's Nest is located next to Inge's former bar called Pine Village Tavern, which closed in February due to financial problems.

Inge has declared bankruptcy and if he is approved by the planning board for the variance to open the restaurant, he will have to appear in front of a bankruptcy judge and prove he has a financial plan to reorganize. If he is denied the waiver, Inge will be forced to sell the building at what he considers a significant loss.

"This is the last chance," Inge said. "If I don't get approved, I won't have another choice. Definitely and without a doubt I will have to sell it to pay the mortgage. There is no more money left after paying all these fees and attorneys, which is ridiculous."

Email: mzimmaro@phillyBurbs.com

Does the County & Township Plan Agree?

This may be of interest to those following the mission of Pemberton First since it entails a portion of the North Pemberton Road area and the Draft Master Plan's proposed zoning changes along 206.

At the Joint Land Use Study meeting, an official suggested that interested parties should inquire and read up on the studies listed on the Burlington County website. To do so, click here!

Draft plan approved for Route 206

By CAROL COMEGNO • Courier-Post Staff • January 8, 2009

MOUNT HOLLY — Burlington County's freeholders on Wednesday tentatively approved a draft plan to help towns along the rural Route 206 corridor balance land preservation and development.

Now the plan goes to a steering committee of representatives from 13 municipalities in the corridor for review and subsequent public hearings.

The vision statement for the Northern Burlington County Growth and Preservation Plan calls for a "balance of town and country" that will enable the communities to remain the county's last major farm belt.

It provides a framework for municipalities to address land use, housing, economic development, transportation, agriculture and other issues in a region making up nearly 150,000 acres near the Pinelands and two military bases.

"There is a dual, long-term goal here," said Freeholder-Director Joseph Donnelly. He said the plan should guide towns in their own land preservation and development efforts, while also helping them avoid land-use conflicts with neighboring municipalities.

"We can't dictate but we can work with the towns toward their individual goals," said Freeholder William Haines, who noted community goals can differ.

For example, he said, Springfield has 10-acre zoning for homes in order to avoid development but other towns would like to see some growth within their borders.

The plan was four years in the making, and reflects input from residents and officials in the affected area.

The plan calls for concentrating development into existing or new villages, said Mark Remsa, the county director of economic development and regional planning. That approach will avoid sprawl and preserve farmland and open space, he said.

He said that goal can be reached through a planning and zoning tool known as Transfer of Development Rights -- a tactic already adopted by the townships of Chesterfield, Mansfield and North Hanover.

County officials, who have focused on farmland preservation in this corridor, will continue to target an additional 10,000 acres. Of the 28,000 acres the county has preserved over the past 20 years, 21,000 are in this region.

The area also has strong potential for housing and commercial growth, according to the report. Under current zoning rules, the number of housing units could reach 39,363 units by 2035, an increase of 19 percent from the present.

"The question is not whether that is good or bad but how you plan for it if it happens," Remsa said.

If the corridor plan eventually is approved by the state, municipalities will be eligible for state planning grants to help reach goals.

Reach Carol Comegno at (609) 267-9486 or ccomegno@courierpostonline.com

Can we take the situation under control?

Hopefully our Township will go after the money.... take some of the properties and improve them so they can be utilized to meet, what the Mayor says, is a need for housing in our community.

$51.4M approved to help stabilize real estate market

By DEBORAH HIRSCH • Courier-Post Staff • February 4, 2009

The federal government Tuesday approved $51.4 million for stabilizing New Jersey neighborhoods hard hit by foreclosures, the state Department of Community Affairs announced.

Forty municipalities across the state, including 11 in the tri-county area, considered statistically at risk of continued market deterioration are eligible to apply for the grant until Friday. The money can be used for acquiring, demolishing or rehabilitating property, as well as land banks.

Even though the funding was just officially approved, the program was announced last winter as part of a state Housing and Economic Recovery Act. Along with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funding, the state allocated $12 million in grants for certified counseling agencies to help homeowners restructure their mortgages in order to stay in their homes and $500,000 for the state Administrative Office of the Courts to provide foreclosure mediation services.

According to the N.J. Administrative Office of the Courts, nearly 48,000 residential properties filed for foreclosure in 2008. Of those, 2,552 were in Burlington County, 3,302 in Camden County and 1,693 in Gloucester County.

At least five local municipalities are already finalizing applications for a cut of the stabilization funding.

Lindenwold Mayor Frank Delucca said the program seemed custom-designed for some of the apartment complexes on Gibbsboro Road. Two of the five complexes are very close to foreclosure, he said. The town has been trying to find money to fix up those properties for at least five years, he said.

"This just didn't come overnight," he said.

Through this program, he said, the city could theoretically join with a designated developer to take over the property and "get it back on its feet."

Bill Jenkins, director of housing and community development for Burlington City, said he's hoping to take over seven vacant homes and an abandoned eight-unit apartment complex in the historic Yorkshire neighborhood. With the federal grant money, he said, the city could rehab those homes and sell them at market rate. The apartment building could be converted into four, two-bedroom condos.

"In a good market, a property like that, an investor comes along and buys it," Jenkins said. "Then with the rising cost of real estate, he enjoys a rental or a flip. In the last year and a half, there's no juice for that type of industry."

Willingboro Township Administrator Joanne Diggs said officials there were also planning to apply for money to renovate single family homes that had been abandoned.

Olivette Simpson, director of housing for the Camden Redevelopment Agency, said the city was requesting about $1 million to acquire up to 50 properties in the Cramer Hill neighborhood. They selected that neighborhood because there's a lot of other redevelopment efforts going on there, she said. Simpson said she'd also heard of two other nonprofits and a private developer in Camden that were thinking about applying for the grant.

Elwood Martz, the housing administrator for Pennsauken, said the city could potentially rehab as many as 20 homes and raze four or five with the grant money.

Other eligible towns in the area are: Clementon, Lawnside, Paulsboro, Pemberton, Pine Hill and Winslow.

Local governments, developers and nonprofit organizations may apply for the grant. The state plans to award the funds before the end of March.

Reach Deborah Hirsch at (856) 486-2476 or dhirsch@camden.gannett.com

Will clustering help save our Pinelands?

A new fight over how to save the Pinelands

By Jacqueline L. Urgo

Inquirer Staff Writer

The commission governing the New Jersey Pinelands has approved a measure aimed at preserving more open space by clustering residential development, triggering a battle with environmentalists who say the policy would damage the region.

A Sierra Club leader said clustering may pose "the single largest threat ever" to the ecologically sensitive forests and farmlands.

The amendment to the Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan will take effect in April if Gov. Corzine approves. It mandates that municipalities approve new homes on smaller lots than are typically used now.

The master plans of some municipalities in the seven-county, 1.1 million-acre Pinelands reserve currently require that homes be built on more than one acre - which spreads development over larger areas.

Clustering homes allows the rest of a development's land to be preserved, owned and maintained by a homeowners' group, a nonprofit agency, or a municipality, according to the amendment.

Another provision permits existing farmland to be used for clustered development while the rest of the property remains agricultural. It also says agricultural use on property may be expanded up to 50 percent if conditions are met.

The Pinelands Commission says the rules would conserve space and leave larger parcels for preservation in areas already designated "forest" and "rural development," and direct growth to "appropriate" areas such as those close to roads and other infrastructure, commission spokesman Paul Leakan said.

There are 35 municipalities in "forest" areas and 27 in "rural development" areas spread throughout Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Camden, Cumberland, Gloucester and Ocean Counties. More than 53 percent of the Pinelands reserve is already considered permanently preserved.

"The idea is to avoid fragmentation of the forest and, in the long run, allow for development within these classified areas that makes more sense environmentally," Leakan said. "Our goal is to protect the resources, not degrade them."

John C. Stokes, executive director of the Pinelands Commission, called the measure essential to maintaining the character of the region.

"These changes will be vital to helping to preserve and maintain the essential character of the Pinelands environment, while preventing the proliferation of homes on large lots scattered through the Pineland 'forest' and 'rural development' areas," Stokes said in a statement.

"By requiring the clustering of residential development in these areas, we will permanently protect large contiguous areas of environmentally sensitive land that contains high water-quality resources and protects important habitat for characteristic and rare Pinelands plants and animals," Stokes said.

But critics say the plan could spur greater residential development in the environmentally sensitive zone. And clustering could increase groundwater pollution, said Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey chapter of the Sierra Club.

He said he was working with the New Jersey Conservation Fund and other groups to fight the new regulations.

"With this plan we're seeing the biggest threat to the Pinelands we've ever seen in the history of the Pinelands," Tittel said. "It actually promotes growth in areas where growth should not promoted."

He said he the plan contradicted the Pinelands Commission's mission by allowing more homes on smaller lots.

"You could have a piece of land where, before, you had three or four houses that could be built because of master-plan restrictions, that now could have 11 or 12 houses built," Tittel said.

He also contended that building homes closer together in rural areas - which rely on individual septic systems rather than public systems to dispose of human waste - could leach greater concentrations of nitrates and other harmful matter into the environment more rapidly.

Septic systems have been used for decades in rural areas because homes and businesses are usually farther from one another than they are in urban areas, and the separation allows for the slower absorption of nitrates, Tittel said.

The state Department of Environmental Protection, however, has indicated the new clustering regulations would meet its requirements for septic systems in rural areas, according to the Pinelands Commission.

Leakan said the commission staunchly supported the new measure because - contrary to environmentalists' concerns - it is meant to preserve the Pinelands, not to promote growth. "It does not disrupt large parcels with scattering development but clusters it into smart-growth areas," he said. "With this new measure we are still talking very moderate amounts of growth. The density in these areas is still extremely low compared to the rest of the state."

Woodbine Mayor William Pikolycky called the new regulations a step toward smart growth in his Cape May County borough. By clustering homes, he said, the municipality can save on road construction and maintenance and on fuel for services such as trash pickup and school buses.

But Hammonton Mayor John DiDonato said that until the new measure was in place, it would be hard to know what effect it would have on his municipality. Hammonton, in Atlantic County, is a combination of forested and farm areas.

"We are certainly opposed to massive amounts of growth in those areas, but that's not to say that this would promote that," DiDonato said. "We just have to remain mindful of what any growth can do to an environmentally sensitive area like the Pinelands."

The Pinelands Commission unanimously approved the measure Jan. 16, but it won't take effect until Corzine approves the minutes of that meeting, probably in early April, Leakan said.

A spokesman said that only in very rare cases would the governor not accept meeting minutes, thereby vetoing them. The Governor's Office had no comment on the Pinelands case while it is being reviewed.

---

Contact staff writer Jacqueline L. Urgo at 609-823-9629 or jurgo@phillynews.com.

Is farmland protection positive to our future?

Sustaining Agriculture in Urbanizing Counties (extremely large .pdf), released on December 16, 2008, sought to identify conditions under which farming may remain viable in agriculturally important areas that are subject to substantial development pressures.

The report is comprised of 15 county level case studies from 14 different states, and is arranged into chapters covering production inputs, marketing, farmland protection and outlook for the future. Some of the key findings and recommendations to emerge from the report include:

• Farmers were more likely to be positive about agriculture’s future in their county, if they regarded local government as sympathetic, or at least even-handed in resolving conflicts between farmers and non-farmers.

• State governments should enable, and local authorities should operate, effective programs for purchasing development rights to farmland, thereby, either adding to the base that agricultural zoning supports, or, achieving what zoning fails to realize.

• Local governments should apply zoning policies (e.g., large minimum-lot requirements, cluster zoning, urban growth boundaries) that help to preserve an adequate land base for farming.

• There are often insurmountable obstacles to young or beginning farmers purchasing and renting land, especially if they are not related to the current farm owners .* Public and private agencies should encourage farm families to plan carefully for the transfer of ownership and management to their children or other relatives.*

• Public and private agencies should encourage the launching and sustainability of farm enterprises likely to be profitable on the urban edge and on small acreages- such as high value specialty crops or livestock.

Click here to view the American Farmland Trust report.

County Farmland Acreage Decreases

Two news articles address the decrease ... is this a positive or a negative? You decide!

Burlco leads drop in farm acreage

CourierPOstOnline.com • February 5, 2009

TRENTON — Farm acreage in the Garden State fell by 9 percent from 2002 to 2007, with the steepest drop in Burlington County, the state Department of Agriculture said Wednesday.

Across the state, 733,450 acres were used for farming in 2007, down from 805,682 acres five years earlier, according to new figures from the U.S. Census.

Burlington County saw a 23 percent decline, falling from 111,237 to 85,790 acres in the five-year period. Farmland fell by 15 percent in Camden County, to 8,760 acres, and by 8 percent in Gloucester County, to 46,662 acres.

The average size of a farm fell in each county, but the overall number of farms increased slightly, the figures showed. The agricultural census is conducted every five years.

Census: County farmland vanishing
By: DAVID LEVINSKY
Burlington County Times

Burlington County officials say preserving farmland and supporting local farmers is more important than ever in light of a new federal agricultural census that indicated the county lost nearly a quarter of its farmland over a recent five-year period.

Released Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture census shows Burlington County's total acreage of farmland dropped 23 percent from 111,237 in 2002 to 85,790 acres in 2007.

Total acreage of farmland decreased in 16 other New Jersey counties as well, but Burlington County's was the largest drop, according to the census.

Statewide, the total acreage of farmland decreased 9 percent from 805,682 acres in 2002 to 733,450 acres in 2007.
Burlington County Freeholder William Haines Jr., a cranberry farmer who oversees the county's Department of Resource Conservation, said the loss of farmland was further proof of the importance of the county's farmland preservation program.

The program uses money from a countywide dedicated tax to purchase easements from farmers that permanently protect their land from development. The farmers continue to own and operate the farms, but deed restrictions prevent the land from being used for anything but agriculture.

During the same five years measured in the census, the county preserved a total of 7,825 acres of farmland, officials said. Through last year, the county had preserved some 28,000 total acres.

"What this tells me is that we were right to start (preserving) years ago," Haines said about the census results. "We need to continue to be aggressive because the housing market will return. All this does is motivate me to work harder."

Despite the loss of acreage, the census showed the county remains a top producer of fruits, berries and other agricultural products.

The county's total acreage of soybeans ranked second in the state and its acreage of berries ranked second, according to the census.

The total market value of all agricultural products grown or raised in the county was $86.3 million, ranking the county fifth among the 21 New Jersey counties.

"County farmers don't have the massive land base to grow on, but they are still producing plenty with the land they have," said Ray Samulis, county agricultural agent with the Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

He said county farmers are growing diverse and highly valued crops that are in demand. Many county farms have also developed agri-tourism attractions such as corn mazes, markets and farm tours as a new source of revenue.

The census calculated that county farmers earned $1.9 million in revenue from agri-tourism in 2007, up from $1.09 million in 2002.

Samulis said close to half the full-time farmers in the county now sell products at farm markets or their own farm stands.

Haines said the county is home to a strong group of skilled farmers who want to keep the industry alive.
"We've got people who know how to farm and will do it," Haines said. "That's why land preservation is so important. We need to maintain as large a land base as we can."

He said non-farmers benefit from the farmland preservation because farms generate tax revenue but require few costly public services.

Pemberton Planning Board Draft Master Plan

At the last meeting of the Planning Board they once again discussed the draft master plan as presented to the board and made (almost in its entirety) available to the public on the township website. The board directed Ragan Design Group to summarize the changes that are to be proposed for the draft plan and present them to the Planning Board members at the regular meeting for April 2nd. It is not anticipated that these comments will be provided to the public in a manner that encourages comment at the meeting on the 2nd, but we can cross our fingers!

We encourage everyone to attend to hear whether or not their comments have been considered and implemented within the proposals to be presented that night. The regular board meeting begins at 7:30 pm. We hope to see many residents at the April 2, 2009 meeting at 7:30 pm in Room 10 of the Municipal Building.

Impact of Age-Restricted Housing Changes??

State may lift age-restrictions on some housing
Monday, March 16, 2009
BY RYAN TRACY
Special to the Times

As developers across the state hesitate to break ground on projects that looked more profitable in better economic times, experts say housing reserved for residents "55 and older" is in all-too abundant supply in New Jersey.

The glut has led state lawmakers to consider a bill that could allow developers to remove age limits on already-approved housing without starting the municipal approval process anew.

If the state tosses builders a lifeline and allows them to market the homes to a wider market, supporters of the proposed law say, 55-and-over projects that currently stand dormant could become active construction sites, creating much-needed jobs.

Yet in advance of a vote on the measure in the state Assembly today, some local officials are crying foul.
They say such age-restricted developments were often approved because of their relatively low impact on local schools and other taxpayer-funded government services. Remove the restrictions, they argue, and property owners will foot the bill.

In Hamilton, Mayor John Bencivengo drafted a letter last week pleading with state lawmakers to vote against the plan.
He said age restrictions on two Hamilton developments with a combined 431 housing units could be removed under the proposed law.

"This is absolutely ridiculous. We don't have any more room in these schools," Bencivengo said in an interview last week. "What's the sense of having the planning board in the local town if this is what the state can do? The reason we approved this in the first place is be cause it was senior housing."

Under the proposal, developers who already have approval for a 55-and-over community would have a two-year window during which they can apply to the local planning or zoning board for removal of the age restrictions.

To be eligible, "a developer must agree to set aside a percentage of the units in the development, not to exceed 20 percent, for the provision of affordable housing," according to a summary of the bill. Developments would only be eligible if the owner has not se cured a single deposit on any of the homes.

Assemblyman Joseph Malone, R-Bordentown, one of the bill's sponsors, said the legislation wouldn't allow for major changes to the housing projects, but rather allow the developers to market homes to "middle-income" residents.

"There's no demand for senior housing. Nothing is being built," Malone said. "The most important economic engine in the state of New Jersey is the housing industry. If we can give them a small incentive to start going back to work, you'll see a massive difference in the economy of the state."

According to Jeffrey Otteau of Otteau Valuation in East Brunswick, age-restricted "homes that are being built now or that have approvals but have not yet been built account for somewhere between 15 and 18 years of supply in the market."

"Right now, these projects are not even financeable (with) the age restrictions in place," Otteau said.
Stephen Shaw, past president of the New Jersey Builder's Association and owner of Shaw Built Homes, said the "the project is going to look the same from the street ... it's just you're able to market it to a much broader segment of buyers."

He said towns could expect residents with "one or no kids," leaving a minimal impact on schools.
Otteau agreed, saying that "households with children do not want to live in small, two-bedroom homes" like the ones found in the 55-and-over communities.

But Bencivengo said Hamilton "can't afford one more kid."
"I'm sorry that the market changed, but we can't pay the bill for people that are in the development business," Bencivengo said.

Enchantment Villas, a 123-unit project on Kuser Road and the 308-unit Brandywine project on Klockner Road are the two age-restricted communities currently approved but not yet built in Hamilton, according to the township.

Malone said the township's planning board would have the option of rejecting a developer's request to convert the age-restricted units.

Bencivengo said he feared that if Hamilton did so, it could face a battle in the courts.
Contact Ryan Tracy at (609) 989 -- 5723 or rtracy@njtimes.com.

Slight Increase in State Aid

County hit hard by budget cuts

By: DAVID LEVINSKY

Burlington County Times

All but three Burlington County municipalities will receive less state aid in the 2009 fiscal year than they do in the current year - and 30 will have their aid reduced by more than the state average of 2 percent under Gov. Jon Corzine's budget proposal.

The figures were released Friday by the state Department of Community Affairs, three days after Corzine unveiled a state budget that cut state aid for municipalities by $32 million.

Information released by the DCA indicated the cuts were based largely on each town's wealth and existing tax rates. Towns considered wealthy, and with low tax rates, received the largest percentage cuts - 5 percent. Towns with what the state considers high tax rates and low wealth received no reduction in aid.

In Burlington County, the largest aid cuts were the 4 percent decreases to Chesterfield, Cinnaminson, Hainesport, Mansfield, Moorestown and Mount Laurel. All six were labeled as having high incomes and moderate taxes, according to the DCA.

The smallest aid reductions were the 0.5 percent cuts to Beverly and Willingboro. Both those towns were labeled low income, with moderate tax rates.

Bordentown City, Mount Holly, Palmyra, Pemberton Borough and Riverside made up the remainder of county towns with aid cuts below the state average.

Bass River, Pemberton Township and Woodland Township received net increases in total aid because all or large amounts of their territory is in the protected Pinelands Reserve. That qualified them for additional municipal aid to offset the loss of tax revenue there.

Burlington City received the most state assistance, with $5.8 million in state aid, followed by Burlington Township, with $5.3 million, and Willingboro, with $4.4 million.

Fieldsboro's $11,504 in total state aid was the lowest amount among Burlington County towns.

DCA Commissioner Joseph Doria defended the governor's budget Friday by stressing that the cuts were necessary, while still protecting the most needy.

"While this budget is lower than the one the governor proposed in his first year in office, it does reaffirm his commitment to maintaining essential services and protecting those in need of assistance during these difficult economic times," Doria said in a statement.

Cinnaminson Committeeman Anthony Minniti lashed out at the Democratic governor for the decrease to his town, arguing the governor was penalizing municipalities that have managed their finances well.

"Cinnaminson has worked tirelessly to keep our taxes in check and we've been a leader in shared services; the reward we've received from Corzine is to be further penalized," the GOP committeeman said Friday. "It shows how upside down the priorities are in the state of New Jersey and why change is needed in Trenton."

Moorestown Mayor Dan Roccato also criticized the aid cuts, which he said would force Moorestown residents to pay for poor fiscal management by state lawmakers.

"The system in Trenton is so broken and the financial decisions are so out of step with reality that we at the local level end up having to fix their mess," said Roccato, a Republican.

"We're at the end of a very bad food chain and I find it insulting that their action or inaction means Moorestown taxpayers will pay more."

Evesham Mayor Randy Brown, a Democrat, defended the governor's budget and said Evesham's 2.5 percent aid cut was manageable.

"In the economic environment we're in today, to only lose $100,000 [aid] is a bit of a relief," Brown said, adding that Corzine didn't reduce state aid to school districts.

"We know the local taxpayers in Evesham won't be looking down the double barrel of a large tax increase from the schools or municipality," Brown said.

Pemberton Township Mayor David Patriarca, a Democrat, said he was relieved his town escaped a decrease, particularly since the local budget he proposed already called for a local purpose tax increase.

"We were glad not to see the 2 percent cut," Patriarca said. "If we had that on top of what we're already facing, I don't think we could take it."

Town /2008 /2009/ % change

Bass River $394,683 $528,224 +33.8

Beverly $347,161 $345,425 - 0.5

Bordentown City $483,158 $475,798 - 1.5

Bordentown Twp. $1,163,352 $1,127,048 - 3.1

Burlington City $5,971,008 $5,821,737 - 2.5

Burlington Twp. $5,470,151 $5,333,397 - 2.5

Chesterfield $697,686 $669,778 - 4.0

Cinnaminson $2,479,985 $2,417,073 - 4.0

Delanco $520,653 $507,671 - 2.5

Delran $1,649,352 $1,608,305 - 2.5

Eastampton $550,464 $536,703 - 2.5

Edgewater Park $871,620 $849,830 - 2.5

Evesham $4,149,298 $4,046,956 - 2.5

Fieldsboro $114,363 $111,504 - 2.5

Florence $1,742,318 $1,698,760 - 2.5

Hainesport $517,789 $497,168 - 4.0

Lumberton $1,654,401 $1,613,055 - 2.5

Mansfield $673,667 $646,720 - 4.0

Maple Shade $2,204,261 $2,149,154 - 2.5

Medford $2,637,430 $2,578,988 - 2.2

Medford Lakes $373,383 $364,048 - 2.5

Moorestown $2,444,470 $2,346,536 - 4.0

Mount Holly $1,911,826 $1,873,590 - 2.0

Mount Laurel $3,700,262 $3,552,296 - 4.0

New Hanover $1,013,321 $980,388 - 3.3

North Hanover $1,014,011 $981,056 - 3.2

Palmyra $686,561 $676,263 - 1.5

Pemberton Borough $126,758 $124,909 - 1.5

Pemberton Twp. $3,605,825 $3,610,367 +0.1

Riverside $993,179 $973,316 - 2.0

Riverton $297,283 $289,851 - 2.5

Shamong $811,017 $783,309 - 3.4

Southampton $1,618,089 $1,557,224 - 3.8

Springfield $550,259 $536,509 - 2.5

Tabernacle $868,915 $838,325 - 3.5

Washington Twp. $1,267,597 $1,231,715 - 2.8

Westampton $843,724 $822,807 - 2.5

Willingboro $4,405,460 $4,383,433 - 0.5

Woodland $1,376,813 $1,388,531 +0.9

Wrightstown $489,060 $476,833 - 2.5

County total $62,690,613 $61,354,600 -2.1

State total $1.611 billion $1.578 billion - 2.0

Source: New Jersey Department of Community Affairs

Email: dlevinsky@phillyBurbs.com

March 14, 2009 06:25 AM

Local Farm PRESERVED!

County preserves 90-acre alpaca farm
By: DANIELLE CAMILLI
Burlington County Times

The freeholders Wednesday approved the preservation of a 90-acre alpaca farm in Pemberton Township.

The board purchased the development rights for a permanent easement and deed restriction that will ensure Fenwick Manor Farm on Pemberton-Browns Mills Road remains in agricultural use, officials said.

The total easement value is about $265,083 and is owned by Stephan and Katherine Thompson.
They raise alpacas and produce grain crops on the farm.

The county will use U.S. Department of Defense grant funding to offset Pemberton Township's share of the purchase. The land is near Fort Dix, making it eligible for the grant, which funds preserved farms in a military buffer zone, officials said.

"Our farmland program has been effective in preserving land in the buffer zone which contributed to saving the bases from closure by reducing conflicting land uses," Freeholder Bill Haines Jr. said.

Last year, the county received more than $1 million in federal funds to continue preservation around Fort Dix and McGuire Air Force Base. Those funds are being used to preserve about 800 acres on several farms in the "the most critical areas of the buffer zone," officials said.

Democratic Freeholder Mary Anne Reinhart voted against the purchase. She said she did not have enough specific data on the land deal and was uncomfortable taking a position. She also said she wants to further familiarize herself with the county's farmland preservation program.

Email: dcamilli@phillyBurbs.com
March 12, 2009

County Officials Question Farm Program

Farm auction under scrutiny
By: DANIELLE CAMILLI Burlington County Times

When the Burlington County Board of Freeholders auctioned off eight preserved farms last month, the sales generated more than the professional estimate.

The auction, and the funds it raised, however, came under scrutiny Wednesday at the board's meeting as its members voted to authorize acceptance of the winning bids and execute the contracts of sale.

Freeholder Mary Anne Reinhart either abstained or voted no on each of eight resolutions. Her fellow Democrat, Freeholder Chris Brown, joined her in voting against two of the bids.

He questioned whether the bids were high enough to warrant the sale of the parcels. Brown said he would have liked to see additional appraisals on the properties to better determine the value of the land now that it is deed restricted and cannot be developed.

The bids, however, were accepted by a majority vote.
The county purchased the eight farms, with a total of 715 acres, for nearly $16.7 million. Last month, it sold the land with deed restrictions that prohibit development unrelated to agriculture for about $3.5 million at the public auction.

County officials set confidential minimum bids for each and then auctioned them to the highest bidder. The minimum bids were set after considering the appraised values of the deed-restricted farms, which were assessed at the time the county purchased them, officials said. The county also consulted with farmland and real-estate professionals to come up with the number.

Most were sold for more than the minimum bid, but the county did accept two under the threshold. Brown and Reinhart voted against accepting those bids. Reinhart abstained on the other six contracts.

Brown said he didn't think the county should be buying land for $6 million and selling it at auction for about $625,000, as was the case for the former Pettit Farm in Pemberton Township.

He said determining the value of the land once the development rights are removed "seems to be subjective rather than empirical. I think we could have received more funds."

Reinhart also took issue with the properties that were sold for less than the minimum. She said she feared the county was "not getting top dollar" for the land because of the recession in the real estate market.

Reinhart, who took office in January with Brown, also said she did not have a full understanding of the program and wanted more information.

County officials have said the bids that didn't meet the minimum were only slightly lower.
Freeholder Jim Wujcik said he was confident the county was fairly compensated.
"We relied on the best information from our professionals," he said. "+An open, public auction is the best indicator of what the market would bear."

Freeholder Bill Haines agreed, adding it was never the goal of the program, and specifically the auction, for the county to recoup its cost for the land purchases. The land has a lower value because it no longer can be developed.

He also said that, unlike the fluctuating value of home prices in the economy, farmland assessments do not change drastically.

In addition, Haines said there are other benefits to the sale, including returning the properties to the tax rolls, making the land productive again and turning over maintenance to private owners. In addition, the proceeds of the auction are returned to the county's farmland preservation program and used for additional acquisitions.

"I'm entirely satisfied we achieved all of our program visions," Haines said.
Last month's auction was the second the county has held. In 2006, the freeholders sold six farms totaling 964 acres for $6.5 million.

Email: dcamilli@phillyBurbs.com
March 12, 2009

School Funding Remains Constant

Ten school districts to get more state aid
By: DAVID LEVINSKY AND DAVID MACCAR
Burlington County Times
Others will receive the same amount as last year under Corzine's proposed budget.
dlevinsky@phillyBurbs.com
dmaccar@phillyBurbs.com

Ten of Burlington County's 41 public school districts will receive small increases in state aid under Gov. Jon S. Corzine's proposed state budget, and the remaining districts will receive the same amounts.

The state aid figures were released Wednesday afternoon by the state Department of Education and are based on a new school funding formula instituted last year, officials said.

No districts received cuts, and 170 districts statewide got increases, according to Lucille Davy, state commissioner of education.

In Burlington County, Bordentown Regional, Burlington Township, Chesterfield, Delanco, Delran, Eastampton, Florence, Medford Lakes and Riverside will receive 5 percent increases in their total state aid, according to the figures.

The Burlington County Institute of Technology will receive a 2 percent aid hike.
Pemberton Township will continue to receive the most state assistance in the county with $83.1 million in total aid, followed by Willingboro with $39.9 million and Lenape Regional High School District with $30.9 million. All three are receiving the same amounts of aid as last year.

Chesterfield's $380,242 in total state aid is the smallest amount among Burlington County school districts.
Statewide, Corzine's budget calls for an estimated $300 million increase in aid to school districts, Davy said.
"Despite the global economic crisis, [Corzine] has protected education and made clear that educating our children to the high standards we expect here is a top priority," Davy said.

Eastampton Superintendent Robert A. Krastek said Wednesday that he was pleasantly surprised by the increased financial help, but he warned that cuts still might be needed in the district budget. He said he planned to discuss the cuts at a board meeting next week.

"Obviously [the aid increase] will help our budget this year," Krastek said. "We were expecting for it to be a difficult year because of the economic climate and this will certainly help."

Rancocas Valley Regional Business Administrator Robert Sapp said he was thankful his district received the same amount of aid as the previous year.

"You're always hoping for more, but I'm not complaining," Sapp said.
Municipal aid amounts for towns and cities are expected to be announced today.
March 12, 2009 02:20 AM

Preschool Program Gets a Boost

Preschools to get $77 million more in state funds

By MICHAEL SYMONS
Gannett State Bureau
Noticeable among the reams of spending cuts being unveiled in Gov. Jon Corzine's new state budget is a $77 million jump in spending on preschool programs.

Education Commissioner Lucille Davy said $52 million will expand existing programs for 3- and 4-year-olds in the so-called Abbott districts. Another $25 million will be dangled as an incentive to other districts to improve or introduce pre-K.

The state's school funding formula adopted last year requires pre-K programs to be phased in over a six-year period, for all students more than 100 districts and for any students eligible for free- or reduced-price lunches in all districts by 2013.

Districts that commit to using some of the extra federal Title I aid being awarded through the recently enacted federal stimulus bill for preschool can also receive a portion of that $25 million, Davy said.

"If they're willing to use some of their new money from the feds, then we're willing to provide them with additional money to help them begin that expansion," Davy said. "This definitely allows for the beginning of the phase-in, which is how this was contemplated when the governor talked about this last year."

In all, 310 New Jersey school districts are projected to be sharing less than $183 million in stimulus-related Title 1 grants. Another 265 are receiving nothing from that aid category.

The state share will probably exceed the federal contribution, Davy said. No local money would be needed in 2009-10, she said.

"It is going to be funded without local resources," Davy said. "We're not asking the local community to commit any money locally to these programs. They are going to be state-funded in this case and federally funded with some of these new dollars that are flowing in directly to the school districts."

Davy said incentive funds can help districts expand preschool programs to full-day, hire certified teachers or adopt a research-based curriculum. Such programs would not be mandatory for children to attend.

Davy said she and other state education chiefs met Tuesday in Washington and that most of the talk was about surviving budget cuts, not expanding programs.

"I actually didn't hear any of my colleagues yesterday talking about expanded early childhood right now," Davy said. "Most people are trying to hold down what they have in place. We are very, very fortunate. That's not to say that no one else is going to expand pre-K next year. But I'm telling you that most of the conversation that I heard was, 'How will we maintain what we have right now?' "

Reach Michael Symons at msymons@gannett.com

Local Farms Bought!

County auctions preserved farms

By: MELISSA HAYES Burlington County Times

MANSFIELD - The Burlington County Board of Freeholders sold eight preserved farms at auction Thursday for a combined $3.52 million.

The farms, totaling 715 acres, were sold with deed restrictions that prohibit development unrelated to agriculture.

This was the second farmland auction. In 2006, the freeholders sold six farms totaling 964 acres for $6.5 million. The proceeds are used to preserve additional farmland.

"I was pleased," Freeholder Bill Haines said, adding that everyone who purchased land is a farmer.

The freeholders set minimum sale prices, which are kept secret. Haines said all but one parcel met the minimum bid, but that doesn't mean the buyer will lose the land.

"We'll talk about it, but it wasn't that different, [the price] was very close," he said.

The county hired Max Spann to conduct the hour-long auction at the Rutgers EcoComplex. More than 200 people attended the event.

The farms were sold through a bidder's choice process, where the highest bidder picks which farm he wants. That farm is then taken off the table and there is another round of bids until each farm is sold.

Chris and John Probasco were the highest bidders with $750,000. They chose the largest of the available farms, the 202-acre former Armstrong farm in Mansfield.

The Probascos both have houses on a farm in Chesterfield, but also farm in North Hanover, Springfield, Mansfield, New Hanover and Eastampton. John Probasco said they wanted the plot because of the acreage.

"We're constantly in a state of expansion to stay competitive," he said.

They farm corn, wheat, soybeans, potatoes, spinach and pumpkins.

The Armstrong property also comes with two houses, which the family plans to rent.

In the second round, Timothy Gower of Southampton was the high bidder with $625,000. He chose the 120-acre C. Petit farm in Pemberton Township, which includes a country farmhouse, barns and silos.

The county purchased the farm for $2.55 million in 2006.

Carmen Infante of Millstone, Monmouth County, was the highest bidder in the third round with $645,000. He selected the 127-acre former Bell Farm in North Hanover. The county purchased that farm for $2.5 million in 2007.

Infante purchased two other farms in North Hanover over the last four years. He farms sod, soybeans, spinach, wheat and trees and shrubs.

Phil DePaulis of Rumson, Monmouth County, was the fourth highest bidder, paying $345,000 for the 49-acre former Orchard Enterprise Farm in Chesterfield. DePaulis owns Garden State Nursery adjacent to the farm. He said he plans to grow trees on the site and hopes to one day build a home there.

The county purchased that farm for $1.53 million in 2007.

Chesterfield Mayor Larry Durr bid $320,000 for the 69-acre former Blaetz farm in Pemberton Township. The county purchased the farm, which includes a house, for $1.05 million in 2006.

Ed Allen bid $300,000 on the former Conover farm in Pemberton Township. The 27-year-old was the youngest bidder and said he plans to move into the ranch house on the property. His father Ed Allen and brother Thomas Allen plan to farm it.

"That's the one we were going for," he said. "I got lucky. I didn't think we were going to get it."

The county purchased the 50-acre farm for $1.18 million in 2005.

The 36-acre former Ashmore farm in Florence sold for $270, 000, followed by the 62-acre former William Pettit Sr. farm in North Hanover, which was the last to sell at $265,000. The county purchased the farms for $700,000 and $899,414 in 2007 respectively.

The freeholders must approve the bids for the sales to be final.

"Our objectives were achieved," said Mary Pat Robbie, director of the county's Resource Conservation Department. "The farms were preserved and they went into the hands of farmers, some young farmers. That's important to us."

Email: mhayes@phillyBurbs.com