DEPARTMENT OF REGIONAL PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT

Steering Committee for the Atlantic County Strategic Growth Planning Study

The second meeting for the Steering Committee for the Atlantic County Strategic Growth Planning Study was held on August 28, 2001, at 9:30 a.m. in Classroom 4 of the Tony Canale Training Center in Egg Harbor Township. John Peterson, Deputy Director for the Division of Planning, Atlantic County Department of Regional Planning & Economic Development, chaired this meeting. Attendees are listed on the attached sign-in sheet.

John Peterson and the attendees introduced themselves.

Marion Trail of the Atlantic County Department of Regional Planning & Economic Development narrated a power point presentation with handouts.

John Peterson expanded on the topic of Methodology. Maps were posted on the walls and were also included in the power point presentation illustrating the following for the 3 growth townships - Egg Harbor Township (EHT), Galloway Township & Hamilton Township:

• Municipal Zoning
• Minimum and Maximum Wetland Buffers
• Unavailable Land (EHT only)

The Unavailable Land map will be revised to include more information that will more accurately reflect the amount of available land. Future overlays include sewer service, soil types and commercial areas that do not allow residential development. There have been some limitations with the mapping in GIS because of the amount of information required to produce the maps and the amount of data that is generated.

Wetlands buffers were discussed in depth with regard to:

• Minimum and maximum buffer distances
• Buffer distances with and without PDCs
• PDCs being bought and sold across entire Pinelands region, not just within the county or municipality
• Population densities
• Cost of PDCs ($35,000 - $40,000 / one PDC)

John Peterson discussed the Agricultural Component (Ag) and Ag Conversion to residential and / or commercial lands.

The numbers of building permits in the 3 growth townships were discussed including the following reasons for the differences between the townships:

• Growth zones in Galloway and Egg Harbor Townships are more accessible
• Proximity to Atlantic City (jobs)
• Development along the Atlantic City Expressway and Garden State Parkway (easy access to Atlantic City)

Questions and concerns that were raised by the members of the Steering Committee included:

• Should areas that are already protected be purchased?
• Infrastructure maps - location of sanitary sewer mains dictates location of development
• Rutgers buffer model used for minimum / maximum buffers & PDCs
• Municipalities should develop their own scenario for their municipality with regard to schools, water supply, jobs, etc.
• The Pinelands Commission has negotiated densities up from what municipalities desired
• The County may be able to obtain a follow-on grant for further growth studies
• Have the PDCs done what they were intended to do? Is reduction in use of PDCs due to increased cost of them? The value of land being purchased with PDCs is increasing.

The County anticipates that the next meeting will be a public hearing to be held in October. The meeting was adjourned at 11:00 a.m.