THE STATE WE’RE IN by Michele S. Byers
When standing before a precipice, forward movement sometimes starts by stepping back.
Gov. Christie Whitman, staring into the chasm known as suburban sprawl, stepped back from two major development plans this week. These bold moves are major strides forward for New Jersey’s quality of life.
First, she put a halt to her Treasury Department’s construction of a new facility in suburban Hamilton Township, which would have paved 43 acres of farm fields and moved 775 full-time jobs out of Trenton. I questioned the governor on the Hamilton construction here one month ago, because it undermined both of the two strategies needed to fight sprawl: preserving open space, and investing in the revitalization of our cities.
The Hamilton construction flew in the face of the State Plan, to which the governor had espoused strong commitment. The governor has now committed to finding a home for the Treasury where it belongs, in Trenton, our state capitol.
Second, she announced a proposal to dramatically tighten control of sewer lines and septic systems. Along with roads, sewers dictate where new development can go. New Jerseyans are clear on where we do NOT want development to go: on top of our vanishing open space. But until now the state has refused to step in and protect the public’s interest.
The new proposed wastewater rules will incorporate State Plan goals into the permit process. As the governor stated, they will “take into account the full impact of development. … Not just what it will do to the 200 acres of land where the buildings will go, but what will it do to the entire watershed in that area. What will it do to traffic? How will it affect the water supply?”
If the governor is successful in implementing these new regulations, and preventing Hamilton-type developments in the future, then sprawl may actually be “slowed to a crawl.”
And not a moment too soon. Few of us here in New Jersey have escaped the sound of bulldozers felling trees and farms. The thrust of the State Plan is to focus New Jersey’s development towards our cities and towns, where infrastructure already exists, and where such investment is so sorely needed.
Joe Maraziti, chair of the State Planning Commission, was quoted in The Star-Ledger saying, “Without a strong and explicit linkage between the state plan and the (sewer rules), much of the work that local governments, citizens and our commission has undertaken in identifying areas for growth and conservation will be seriously compromised.”
He’s absolutely right. What are the potential results of these two actions? Nothing short of cleaner water, preserved forest and farmland, thriving wildlife habitat, better parks and trails, lower taxes and stronger communities!
There is much work to be done to implement the governor’s anti-sprawl pronouncements, and you can be sure that opponents will rally. The governor can stand strong against sprawl is if she knows that New Jerseyans are behind her.
Let her know your thoughts. She can be reached at: Gov. Christine Whitman, 125 West State St., P.O. Box 001, Trenton 08625-0001, phone 292-6000, fax 292-3454. You can also contact her at her Web site: www.state.nj.us/governor/contact.htm.
For more information on preserving New Jersey’s land and natural resources, contact New Jersey Conservation Foundation at 1-888-LAND-SAVE, www.njconservation.org.
Michele S. Byers is the executive director of the N.J. Conservation Foundation in Far Hills.