Even if one were to wave a magic wand and make these business-friendly changes, it’s way too late. NJ is operating in a state of virtual bankruptcy and servicing its debt is beyond anything changes like these could address. The world is changing, and location is no longer an issue. Businesses can be anywhere now and will always seek the lowest possible cost in terms of employees and real estate. It’s hard keeping anything in the USA, even in its lowest cost areas, when these businesses (or really competing businesses) can operate in places in China, the Philippines, India, etc. If NJ didn’t have such a massive debt load, it could probably ride this transition for many years, but we do have it, and the can is only kickable for so long until financial reality kicks in.
Carl GoldbergPublished 6:47 a.m. ET Aug. 10, 2017 | Updated 1:49 p.m. ET Aug. 10, 2017
A new study suggests that New Jersey could expand its economy by $150 billion and create a quarter-million new jobs over the next decade by making a number of policy changes regarding business operations in the state. The report by consulting firm McKinsey says that the state needs to nurture young businesses, improve roads and mass transit options and better tailor incentives to promote growth.
This is correct as far as it goes, but the report barely scratches the surface on why New Jersey is struggling to gain younger businesses and misses a looming economic crisis. The why is best explained by Rutgers professors James Hughes and Joseph Seneca. They write about how New Jersey successfully evolved from an urban manufacturing-based economy to one that made the state an economic success story based on suburbanized information and research-driven employment.
“The baby boom will soon be yesterday’s workforce. Tomorrow’s workforce will be dominated by a new, expansive generation… such young creatives… currently do not find the car-culture suburbs in which they grew up an attractive place to live, work and play,” according to Hughes and Seneca.
“Suddenly, New Jersey’s greatest core advantage in the late twentieth century — a suburban-dominated, automobile dependent economy and lifestyle — is now regarded as a disadvantage,” they add.
Judge ruled South Brunswick must build 3,000 units of affordable housing, but township wants decision set aside due to ‘appearance of impropriety’
New Jersey’s only municipality to receive its affordable-housing obligation from a judge’s order is continuing to appeal that number, even as construction is underway on the first new developments since the Supreme Court got back in the middle of the Mount Laurel housing controversy. The township is claiming the Superior Court judge was compromised by a relationship with the developer.
It’s been almost two-and-a-half years since the state’s highest court took control of affordable housing matters away from the “moribund” New Jersey Council on Affordable Housing and tossed it back to the courts, which had been the original deciders of low- and moderate-income housing claims following the Supreme Court’s landmark Mount Laurel rulings. In those cases, which date back to 1975, the court ruled that municipalities must zone for their “fair share” of their regional need for affordable housing.
The cases have been slowly winding through the Superior Courts throughout the state. The Fair Share Housing Center, the Cherry Hill-based organization leading the legal efforts to get more homes built, has reached settlements with 120 municipalities to construct more than 36,000 units from Bergen to Camden counties. Construction has even begun on projects in Woodbridge, Cherry Hill, Westfield, and Edison, welcome news to housing advocates after the process had been stalled by lawsuits and lack of action by COAH for about 16 years.
Other municipalities remain in the courts. For instance, a Mercer County judge is expected to rule within the month on the obligations for several communities in Mercer.
“For the naysayers who don’t believe court-forced overdevelopment in New Jersey impacts environmentally sensitive areas please read this article.” , Assemblywomen Holly Schepisi
APPEALS COURT APPROVES HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IN HIGHLANDS
TOM JOHNSON | AUGUST 7, 2017
Court defers to DEP’s expertise regarding wetlands, endangered species, and impact of proposed sewer connection on water quality
A state appeals court approved a much-contested plan to build a housing development in the Highlands, setting aside concerns by opponents that it would adversely impact environmentally sensitive land and habitat at the 85-acre site.
The court found the state Department of Environmental Protection acted properly in approving a scaled-down 204-unit housing development in Oakland on High Mountain, a scenic vista in the heart of the Highlands.
The project initially goes all the way back to 1987, when the Bi-County Developers brought suit against the borough to build the development as part of a builder’s remedy to erect some low- and moderate-income housing.
The court’s ruling on Friday is the latest twist in a dispute that predates the 2004 enactment of the Highlands Act, which sought to more closely monitor development within the region. The New Jersey Highlands Coalition and New Jersey Sierra Club, which brought the suit, argued the project should not have been exempted from the act due to being grandfathered in.
The environmental groups also argued that permits for the project should not have been granted because of concerns about wetlands, endangered species, and a proposed sewer connection’s impact on water quality.
In siding with the DEP and the developer, the court deferred to the agency’s expertise on those issues in reaching an agreement in 2014 to grant permits for the project. That decision reversed a ruling by the Corzine administration, which had blocked the project, until contested by the developer.
My hat goes off to her but she seems to be lonely in this fight. I don’t see any uproar from anybody else on the Republican side at least. Democ-rats agenda will continue the path of destruction in the name of socialism. Socialism tries to narrow the gap by destroying the rich so they can come come closer to the poor levels instead of trying to bring up the poor and increase their standards. In the end Bergen County and Ridgewood in particular will suffer terribly. We live in times of sadomasochism. These libs don’t care that even their living standards will go down and that of their children as long as their brain is happy with bringing “equality” to the world.
Edgewater NJ, One year ago today, a fast-moving fire sparked by a maintenance worker’s blowtorch climbed up the walls and through unsprinklered spaces of the Avalon Edgewater apartment complex.
The blaze was first reported at 4:22 p.m. on Jan. 21, 2015, sending 500 first responders to the Russell Avenue complex.
Ridgewood NJ, For the second time in 28 days Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi’s attempt to get the State Assembly to relieve municipalities from over development arising from court-mandated housing requirements was denied.
The court mandated over development endangers Bergen County quality of life and will require many towns to build unneeded housing in a state with a declining population .
Schepisi said , “I’m very disappointed that the speaker again blocked my efforts to relieve municipalities of this incredible burden. The only roadblock helping our communities is Democrats’ continued refusal to take action,”
Earlier Schepisi asked Speaker Vincent Prieto to post her bill package addressing court-mandated affordable housing before today’s special voting session, but was again denied.
From the Assembly floor at 1 a.m. on July 4, Schepisi urged the legislature to suspend all affordable housing litigation until the end of the year so the legislature could address the issue. Her effort was voted down 44-26 along party lines.
“This is a bipartisan issue that has turned into a potential disaster for our towns and our constituents. Just ask the mayors from Democratic towns outside of my district who have asked me for help instead of their own local Democrat legislator,” continued Schepisi (R-Bergen).
“Maybe Democrats aren’t listening to their mayors, councils and constituents because Phil Murphy funds the non-profit suing our communities and forcing unwanted development. It’s not what is best for towns, our environment and our schools; it’s what is best for their party.”
On June 19 Schepisi introduced an eight bill package shifting all municipal obligations to the state and recalculate obligations based on reasonable need. It also makes changes to how affordable housing is administered to best help communities.
“I have introduced a package that addresses all of the concerns I have heard from mayors on both sides of the aisle. And it ensures that affordable housing will be built to accommodate the needs of the residents of this state,” concluded Schepisi.
Schepisi’s affordable housing package includes:
• Amending the state constitution to require the state calculate affordable housing obligations (ACR250).
• Increasing the numbers of senior and special needs housing that can count towards the affordable housing obligations in the State.
• Requiring COAH and Courts to take into account environmental considerations, municipal infrastructure, school and emergency services department capacities
• Allowing municipalities to provide preference to their own residents in need of affordable housing
• Requiring COAH to administer affordable housing obligations (A5025).
• Allowing municipalities to challenge obligations administered by COAH (A5026).
• Requiring COAH calculate obligations based on reasonable need factors and imposing a population increase cap (A5027/A5028).
• Eliminating the exclusion of urban aid municipalities from obligations (A5029).
• Amending the state constitution to prohibit exclusionary zoning and clarify municipal affordable housing obligations (ACR249).
• Prohibiting the builder’s remedy in exclusionary zoning litigation (A5030).
Ridgewood NJ, no surprise here that state Democrats are funding over building in Bergen County and looking to destroy the quality of life ,turning the county into another borough of Manhattan .
“Anyone who follows me knows I have been fighting to bring rational discussion to the over development crisis impacting most of our communities. As a result I have been labeled a racist, xenophobe and a whole host of awful and untrue things by a non profit organization Fair Share Housing Development. Imagine my surprise today when I saw that their top donor list includes gubernatorial candidate Phil Murphy! And we wonder why our communities are receiving no help from their representatives in Trenton.” , Assemblywomen Holly Schepisi .
In Ridgewood this blog has long warned of over development , even warning residents to not vote for a Hudson County Mayor .
Unfortunately the warnings went unheeded and after the “3 amigos ” reign of terror in the Village is now faced with 4 major high density housing developments that will deplete the Village of Resources , pressure water,sewer, fire ,police and education as well as lower property values and increase tax rates.
THANK YOU Mr. Bramnick. I know chances are minimal that anything will come out of your effort but it is a nice feeling to know that someone really cares.
Ridgewood NJ, Assemblywomen Holly Schepisi shared Assemblyman Jon Bramnick’s post. In a satement on Facebook Schepisi said , “We keep fighting the good fight. Thank you Leader Jon Bramnick for understanding the urgency of providing immediate legislative solutions to the threat of over development in our communities.”
Assemblyman Jon Bramnick — New Jersey State Assembly Member for District 21
During next week’s July 31 Assembly voting session, Republican Leader Jon Bramnick plans to urge an emergency vote blocking court-imposed high-density housing.
“I am aggressively moving forward to protect towns and help mayors and councils stop court-mandated high-density housing by urging my colleagues to pass Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi’s legislative solution,” said Bramnick (R-Union). “With every passing day municipalities are incurring unrecoverable expense from these unnecessary lawsuits. This is a bi-partisan issue that has dire consequences. The legislature should take action now.”
Bramnick will work to move Holly Schepisi’s Assembly bill 4666 for an emergency vote, requiring support from 60 legislators to pass.
Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood Master Plan is set to get an update. In what seemed like news to many Ridgewood residents the Village Master Plan has not been updated in 30 years .
A master plan is a guiding document that sets zoning throughout a municipality, but also offers a vision and objectives for shaping the look and traffic circulation of a community.
master planner Robert Moses
The 1983 Master plan represented the vision of Ridgewood at that time . A lot has changed in the Village in 30 years and this may open the door for a major up date in all elements .
Yes a lot has changed ; like the Valley Hospital H-zone and of coarse the massive increase high density housing in the Central Business District all of which many residents thought happened because of changes in the Master plan.
Mayor Susan Knudsen called ,”this is the most exciting thing that we are ever going to do “.
The Master Plan document is divided by main topics, called “elements”. A Master Plan has three components for a master plan 1) the goals and objectives 2) land use element this is the element that most closely corresponds with your zoning map and zoning regulations and 3) the housing plan element .
On Tuesday night the Ridgewood Planning Board formed a four-member master plan subcommittee, assigned with spearheading efforts to revise the village’s comprehensive land-use document in its first complete overhaul since 1983.
$250,000 has been set a side in the Village budget to do a proper master plan and the entire process could take over one year .
Lawyers argued Monday over whether a former state judge who handled affordable housing cases should have at least one of his rulings overturned because of his relationship with a developer.
In Trenton, a lawyer for South Brunswick Township squared off against a half-dozen others representing developers and affordable-housing advocates. The township is seeking to have affordable housing rulings made by now-retired Middlesex County Superior Court Judge Douglas Wolfson vacated because of what it alleges is the appearance of a conflict of interest: Wolfson’s acceptance of vacations from, and current representation of, Edgewood Properties.
While on the bench, Wolfson handled litigation involving the township, but not Edgewood Properties, according to documents. And Wolfson recused from cases that came before him involving Edgewood.
Nevertheless, Wolfson for years has had personal and professional ties to Edgewood, and South Brunswick claims Wolfson’s decisions in other affordable housing cases could work in favor of Edgewood or its primary owner, Jack Morris, even though he has no projects pending in the township.
Trenton NJ, At 1 am on the 4th of July Assemblywomen Holly Schepisi finally had an opportunity to force a vote on her bills which would help our towns in their fight against forced over development. Not surprising, but certainly disappointing, the Bergen County democratic members of the Assembly all voted to stop my legislation from moving forward. Chairman Jerry Green gave a speech as to why he won’t move the bills forward stating among other things that the legislature should essentially cede its duties and obligations to the Courts. Schepisi has asked for a copy of the video of his speech which she will circulate promptly. The attached link is a copy of her speech.
The passing of the infamous bike path should be a cautionary and oft-repeated tale.
The bike path is a prime example of why Aronson dragged us down into the place where we are now. He wanted to “improve” the Village to suit his own myopic view of what a modern day town should look like. He neither sought nor obtained consensus, merely a chorus of well meaning but unbalanced followers who likened what Aronson was doing to the Seventeen Century rebuilding of France.
Don’t get me wrong, bike paths and accessibility are great ideas, but when you build a bike path, you should base it on the needs of the bike rider, not simply the whimsical fancy of a transient politician. When you do the former and not the latter, you end up exactly as we have ended up with a path to nowhere.
As someone observed, the bike path fiasco will be repaired.. The cost of this boon google is the hundreds of thousands of dollars of tax money spent on the project, the hundreds of hours of school and work commuters’ time spent on the Ridgewood avenue back ups, and the constant risk to public health and safety.
On the other hand, Aronson’s other pet projects inflict injury that might never be repaired.
Now, we face the same ills presented by the mutti-family apartment projects pushed through by Aronson. The addition of hundreds of new families downtown concentrated on two streets running along the train tracks and the train station, will increase our tax burden, strain our administrative resources and risk the health and safety of our school children and elderly pedestrians. All to satisfy the whims of a wanna-be politician and the motives of profit-driven developers. As with the bike path, we have the toxic blend of poor planning and mis-guided intentions. Sadly, the monstrosities about to be built will not be fixed as easily as a bike path.
The garage under consideration by the present council is similarly ill-advised , No one has really articulated why we need it, other than to whine about the need to drive around looking for a weekend space or to spout the fantasy that a parking garage will “save” our downtown. Yet, the current council seems inclined to go build for building sake – – exactly the same approach taken by the prior Council..
Ridgewood NJ, the Council discussed the Hudson lot options . Bob Rooney Village CFO gave the following options 1) sell the lot on Hudson Street, 2) lease property to garage builders . Which is only available for non profit s 3) Award a contract for design 4) declare Hudson Street as a redevelopment zone with no restrictions.
The Village Council chimed in with both Bernie and Jeff said own and build , the Mayor said redevelopment seemed impractical.
A new “Walker Study ” was needed due to the all the new development projects and on going urbanization of the Village adding additional traffic and congestion. Bob Rooney said “Walker” would not have to start from scratch but revise their numbers .
Councilwomen Walsh tackled the elephant in the room by stating the parking garage will end up being filled by Central business district tenets instead of shoppers and commuters . Bob Rooney pointed out that the previous Walker report had already laid out the allocations for how many spots must be allocated to what type of parking .
