Redevelop NJ

Environmental Groups Oppose Sewer Changes

By MICHAEL MILLER | Staff Writer - pressofAtlanticCity.com

 

Environmental groups this week opposed two bills they said would undermine water quality in New Jersey.

The first, A-4347, would extend the lifespan of some construction-permit approvals by more than a year in the wake of the real-estate market collapse and the recession.

The second, A-4345, would give sewer authorities more than a year longer to update their wastewater management plans, which in a way serve as a blueprint for development.

That bill also expands sewer-service areas by including all properties that have site-plan approval, subdivision approval or construction permits, among others, in towns that have not yet adopted updated wastewater management plans.

Smart Growth Coalition Unveils "Economic Development Recovery Strategy" for New Jersey

The Smart Growth Economic Development Coalition has presented a report to the incoming Christie/Guadagno Administration in which it recommends 21 action items to reenergize New Jersey's economy.  The report can be viewed by clicking here.

The top-five recommendations include the following concepts:

• Overhaul the State Planning Process: Create a Master Plan for New Jersey’s Future.
  
  
• Consolidate and Streamline the Business Retention and Recruitment Process, the Financial Incentives Process, and the Land Use Permitting and Approvals Entitlements Process.
  
  
• Analyze New Jersey’s Tax Structure Against Competitor States and Craft a Realistic Plan for Reducing Taxes as the Economy Improves; Start Now by Symbolically Eliminating the Punitive “Headquarters Tax”.
  
  
• End the Practice of Last-Minute Re-Zonings; Abolish the “Time of Decision” Rule.
  
  
• Prepare for the Expansion of the Panama Canal: Immediately Formulate Definite and Realistic Plans for Eliminating the Bayonne Bridge by 2014, then Create Additional International Free Trade Zones.