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 TimesMOUNT 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
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