Highlands Council grant could support land-use rule changes

Township officials are interested in a resolution by the New Jersey Highlands Council that makes up to $50,000 available to support changes to local land-use regulations.

The grants are meant to help municipalities examine local zoning rules to see where they may be vulnerable to inappropriate development, specifically warehouse siting.

Township Administrator William Senande said the township planner is reviewing the resolution to determine if West Milford should apply for the grant.

“We are one of the few towns that are completely within the Highlands Preservation area,” he said. “Changes may not be necessary.”

The Highlands Council’s chairman, Carl Richko, a West Milford resident, said, “As stewards of a region that is the source of drinking water for most of New Jersey, it is incumbent upon the Highlands Council to ensure we’re doing all we can to protect the unique and important resources of the region.

“We encourage our municipal partners to reach out and speak with us about how we may be able to assist them.”

Ben Spinelli, executive Director of the council, said, “The increasing pressure for warehouse development is hitting the Highlands region just like it is hitting the rest of the state, with one important difference – the Highlands is the source of drinking water for most of the state.

“We must protect the environmental resources that are vital to the well-being of the entirety of New Jersey. There are places in the New Jersey Highlands where warehousing may be an acceptable use, but there are others where it is just the wrong type of development.”

In many towns, local zoning permits warehousing as of right so a warehouse developer does not need to go through a lengthy approval process with the Zoning Board. Instead, it can gain site plan approval from the Planning Board.

The Highlands Council’s “Local Zoning Local Control” grant program provides up to $5,000 per municipality to review a community’s current zoning laws to ensure that all potential as-of-right developments permitted meet the town’s vision. An assessment of zoning laws would help identify any deficiencies or issues better-suited for development and redevelopment within a community.

“It’s important for municipalities to understand what their local zoning will allow,” said Spinelli. “Often, ordinances and codes have been in place for years – long before the current administration’s tenure. If a town is faced with an application for a development they feel is not appropriate, they may be shocked to learn they legally can’t stop it.”

The council’s resolution provides funding for up to 10 of these awards. Hope Township in Warren County is the first Highlands municipality to have an approved Scope of the Work in the program.

On completion of a local zoning review and analysis project, a municipality can seek additional funding from the Highlands Council to support any needed changes in municipal land-use regulations.

All of the council’s planning grants are non-competitive and require no matching funds. Eligible expenses include planning, design and engineering costs. Grants are reimbursed-based and require an approved Scope of Work before beginning.

Any municipal government in the Highlands region may apply.

The council also intends to develop Highlands-specific siting guidance to augment the guidance released by the state Planning Commission last fall.