P bli H
Public
Hearing
i
West Milford Township
Petition for Plan Conformance
Introduction to West Milford
West Milford
Background Statistics
„
„
„
Incorporated:
p
1834
Population: 27,746
Land Area: 51,848 acres /
81 sq. mi.
i
„
„
„
„
Preserved Lands: 33,378 acres
Wetlands: 5,353 acres
Total Forest: 40,390 acres
F
Farmland:
l d 347 acres
1930
West Milford Township - 2007
West Milford Township
Significant Highlands Statistics
„
P
Preservation
i A
Area L
Lands:
d 51
51,846
846 acres – 100%
„
Protection Zone – 46,392
46 392 acres – 89.5%
89 5% (Roads 3%)
Existing Community Zone – 3,889 acres – 7.5%
Conservation Zone – 0 acres – 0%
„
„
„
„
„
„
Highlands Open Water Protection – 30,543 acres – 59%
Forest Resource Area – 50,860 acres – 98%
Conservation Priority Areas – 12,181 acres – 23%
Special Environmental Zone – 2,398 acres – 5%
West Milford Township
B k
Background
dS
Statistics
i i – Land
L dU
Use
NJDEP Land Use/Land Cover (2007)
Residential (Single & Multi Family)
Commercial (Retail)
Industrial & Transportation & Utilities
Agriculture (Crops & Plantations)
Recreational Lands (Public & Private)
Extractive Mining
Other Urban or Built
Built-Up
Up Land
Subtotal Developed Lands
Mixed Forest
Shrub & Scrub
Mixed Wetlands
Barren Lands
Wt
Water
Subtotal Natural Lands
Total
Pres
Percent
5 202
5,202
10.0%
405
0.8%
648
1.3%
531
1 0%
1.0%
270
0.5%
66
0.1%
324
0 6%
0.6%
7,446
14.4%
34,852
67.2%
184
0 4%
0.4%
5,351
10.3%
139
0.3%
3 874
3,874
7 5%
7.5%
44,400
85.6%
51,846 100.0%
West Milford Township
p
Passaic County, New Jersey
PETITION FOR PLAN CONFORMANCE ADMINISTRATIVE RECORD
12/8/09
12/
2/4/10
2/9/10
12/
12
/23/
23/10
1/20/
20/11
2/4/11
2/10/
10/11
2/17/
17/11
Petition for Plan Conformance Submitted
Petition Deemed Administrativelyy Complete
p
Petition Posted to Highlands Council Website
Draft Consistency Report Sent to Municipality
Final Draft Report Posted to Highlands Council Website
End of Public Comment Period (Start 1/20/
20/11)
11)
Final Report Posted to Highlands Council Website
Highlands Council Public Hearing
Highlands Municipal
Build--Out Report – Modules 1 & 2
Build
„
The Report uses a Limiting Factor Analysis to examine
Land--Based, ResourceLand
Resource-Based, and Utility
Utility--Based Capacities
Capacities..
„
Th Highlands
The
Hi hl d Municipal
M i i l BuildB ild-Out
Build
O
R
Report
for
f
W
West
Milford was completed by the Highlands Council in
collaboration with the municipality prior to a finding of
Administrative Completeness of the Petition
Petition..
„
The Report is dated July 2009 and was posted to the
Highlands Council website on July 23
23,, 2009
2009..
„
Staff RMP Consistency Finding:
Finding: CONSISTENT
Housing Plan – Module 3
„
„
Summary of West Milford Township’s Fair Share Obligation
„ Rehabilitation Share: 66 Units
„ Prior Round Obligation: 98 Units
„ Growth Share Obligation: 47 Units
Summary of West Milford Township
Township’ss Fair Share Plan
„
„
„
„
Rehabilitation Obligation: 20 units have been funded, and the remaining 46
units are proposed to be funded, through the Passaic County Department of
Community Development program;
Prior Round Obligation: 98 prior round credits have been completed through
11 existing projects;
Third Round Obligation: 14 credits have been completed through the use of
excess prior round credits. The remaining 33 units are proposed through a
scattered site municipally sponsored development and accessory apartment
program.
Staff RMP Consistency Finding: CONSISTENT
Environmental Resource Inventoryy
Module 4
„
„
„
Describes & Illustrates Highlands Resources, Resource
Areas, and Special Protection Areas in the Municipality
West Milford’s Submittal Based on Highlands Council
Model Environmental Resource Inventory
™ All Applicable Narrative Portions Retained
™ All Applicable Exhibits Included
Staff RMP Consistency Finding: CONSISTENT
Master Plan Highlands Element
Module 5
„
„
„
Incorporates RMP Goals & Objectives into local planning
planning;;
provides basis for effectuation of RMP
W
West
Milf d’ Submittal
Milford’s
S b i l Based
B d on Highlands
Hi hl d Council
C
il
Model
™ All Applicable
pp
Narrative Portions Retained
™ All Applicable Exhibits Provided
Staff RMP Consistency Finding: CONSISTENT
Highlands Area Land Use Ordinance
Module 6
„
Sets forth regulatory provisions that protect Highlands
Resources and effectuate the policies, goals, and objectives of
RMP at the local level
level..
West Milford’s Submittal Based on Highlands Council Model
™ All Applicable Narrative Portions Retained
™ All Applicable Exhibits Provided by the Highlands
Council (Parcel(Parcel-Based)
„
Staff RMP Consistency Finding: CONSISTENT
„
Municipal Petition for Plan Conformance
Module 7
„
Consists of all Petition Supporting Materials
Materials:: Petitioning
Resolution/Ordinance, SelfSelf-Assessment Report, List of Current
Planning Documents, Highlands Implementation Plan &
Schedule
„
West Milford’s Submittals Based on Highlands Council Models
™
™
™
„
Resolution ((Preservation Area)) Complete
p
Self--Assessment Report Accurate & Complete
Self
Highlands Implementation Plan and Schedule Complete
Staff RMP Consistency Finding: CONSISTENT
West Milford’s Petition for Plan Conformance
Public Comments Received
„
The public comment period for West Milford’s
Milford s Petition for Plan
Conformance opened January 20,
20, 2011
2011,, and closed February 4,
2011.. Notice was given in area newspapers as well as on the
2011
Highlands Council website and through the Highlands Council email alert system.
system.
„
Comments received from:
„ Kevin Walsh, Esq., on behalf of the Fair Share Housing Center
„ Julia Somers, New Jersey Highlands Coalition
West Milford’s Petition for Plan Conformance
Public Comments Received
Comments submitted byy Fair Share Housing
g Center:
„ Summary of Comments: The Fair Share Housing Center objects to reliance
on the Highlands build
build--out numbers for calculating the township’s fair share
obligation
g
of affordable housing.
g
„ Summary of Response: These comments specifically relate to matters that are
pending before the Appellate Division in litigation filed by Fair Share Housing
Center. The Petition should be approved
pp
conditioned upon
p achievingg and
retaining compliance with the Fair Housing Act. In addition, the response
clarifies that the Build
Build--out Report is based upon the Highlands Act and RMP
Requirements.
West Milford’s Petition for Plan Conformance
Public Comments Received
Comments submitted by Julia Somers, New Jersey Highlands Coalition:
„ Comment:
C
I will
It
ill take
k considerable
id bl resolve
l by
b the
h T
Township
hi to meet iits
affordable housing obligations.
„ Response: The Township’s Housing Element and Fair Share Plan have been
d
determined
i d to b
be consistent
i
with
i h the
h RMP
RMP. The
Th Council
C
il recognizes
i the
h
constraints placed on the Township regarding affordable housing and will work
with the Township to fulfill their obligations.
„
„
Comment: The Coalition supports the development of Water Use and
Conservation Management Plans (WUCMP) and asks when they will begin and
completed.
l d
Response: The WUCMPs that will be established for municipal conformance
will begin after completion of the Council’s ongoing pilot program. This will
enable
bl th
the Council
C
il tto utilize
tili the
th benefits
b fit off those
th
projects
j t to
t be
b applied
li d to
t new
planning efforts.
West Milford’s Petition for Plan Conformance
Public Comments Received
Comments submitted by Julia Somers, New Jersey Highlands Coalition:
„ Comment:
C
Th C
The
Coalition
li i notes that
h W
West Milf
Milford
d continues
i
to seekk C
Center
designation with the Office of State Planning. Because it is entirely
Preservation Area, it is appropriate that the Township stop pursuing Center
designation from that agency.
agency
„ Response: West Milford is an entirely Preservation Area municipality and thus
must conform to the Regional Master Plan. Through Plan Conformance they
may seek center designation but that center would still be subject to the
Highlands Act, Highlands DEP rules and the Highlands Regional Master
Plan. We will work with West Milford to address this.
Petition Disposition
West Milford Township’s Petition for Plan Conformance
Staff
ff Recommendation:
d
A
APPROVE
WITH
T CONDITIONS
T
PROPOSED CONDITIONS
„
„
„
„
„
„
Adoption of Approved Checklist Ordinance
Adoption of Completed Environmental Resource Inventory
Adoption of Completed Master Plan Highlands Element
Completion and Adoption of Highlands Land Use Ordinance
Adoption of Updated Zoning Map
Wastewater Management Plan
Petition Disposition
West Milford Township’s Petition for Plan Conformance
Staff Recommendation: APPROVE WITH CONDITIONS
PROPOSED CONDITIONS, Continued
„
„
Compliance
p
with Fair Housing
g Act (COAH
(
Certification).
) This
condition requires updates on COAH proceedings and Council review
of any proposed changes to the Fair Share Plan and Housing Element.
Update/Development
p
p
& Implementation
p
of:
„
„
„
„
„
„
Water Use & Conservation Management Plan
Stormwater Management Plan (updates only)
Habitat Conservation and Management
g
Plan
Highlands Redevelopment Area Planning Program
Land Preservation & Stewardship Program
Right
g to Farm Ordinance
West Milford’s Petition for Plan Conformance
P i
Previous
Hi hl d P
Highlands
Protection
i F
Fund
dG
Grants
„
Fair
i Sh
Share Planning
l
i G
Grant for
f the
h ddevelopment
l
off a Housing
Element and Fair Share Plan is complete.
„
Municipal Pilot Planning Project Grant to explore
redevelopment opportunities and an ecoeco-tourism plan is
complete.
„
Initial Assessment Grant,
Grant, the report is complete
complete.
„
Water Use and Conservation Management Plan pilot grant
is ongoing.
West Milford’s Petition for Plan Conformance
F
Future
Highlands
Hi hl d P
Protection
i F
Fund
dG
Grants
„
Highlands
g
Implementation
p
Plan and Schedule – Grant fundingg
is proposed for the following:
„
Water Use and Conservation Management Plan for two
additional subwatersheds, with the Highlands Council serving as
the lead for this project.
„
Highlands Redevelopment Area Planning to initiate
planning to examine potential for redevelopment areas
consistent with the Regional Master Plan.
Council Deliberation
West Milford Township