RMP Updates
Far Hills Borough, Somerset County
Far Hills Borough is submitting a request for the following RMP Updates in this Petition for Plan
Conformance.
The Existing Community designation appears to sprawl out from the Village across an adjoining very low
density area that includes developed residential lots that are larger than 10-acres in area, and which are
served by individual on site septic systems. As designated in the Borough, this Existing Community
designation is inappropriate and may lead development and high intensity growth into areas of the
Borough where no water or wastewater infrastructure currently exists, and which would encourage
development and inappropriate growth beyond Village boundaries into the countryside. This is not called
for in any local planning documents and the lot sizes suggest a conservation zone LUCM designation.
•
The underlying land use pattern of areas lying to the north and east outside of Far Hills
Village (as characterized by existing high-density neighborhoods and urban street patterns), are
more appropriately designated Conservation or Protection Zone. This area includes residential
lots greater than 10-acres in area on Sunnybranch Road, which do not reflect RMP Existing
Community densities.
•
In Far Hills Borough, the Existing Community Zone designation sets the stage for
inappropriate expansions of infrastructure that may induce unwanted growth. RMP policies may
inadvertently set the stage for future changes in this area, a well-established and stable land use
pattern. Existing Village boundaries establish a well-defined and carefully planned ‘hard edge’
limit between the center and countryside. As designated in Far Hills, the LUCM Existing
Community Designation could potentially adjust the urban boundary beyond existing limits.
Based upon what appear to be errors in aerial interpretations of actual on-the-ground conditions,
the Borough requests a map update to correct this designation.
Highlands Draft Regional Master Plan
Land Use Capability Map and Existing Zoning
Far Hills Borough,
Somerset County, NJ
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October 2008
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Parcels in Question
Far Hills Zoning
Protection Zone
Conservation
Conservation Constrained
Existing Community
Existing Community Constrained
Lake Community
This map was developed using New Jersey Department of
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Data Sources:
NJDEP, New Jersey Highlands Council
Somerset County Planning and Development
Banisch Associates, Inc.
B A N I S C H
A S S O C I A T E S, I N C.
Planning and Design
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