Attendees:

Norm Franckle 

Jody Carrara

Bill Weckstein

Bruce Porter

Randy Dickinson

Monique Purcell

Charles Nathanson

John Stanzione

Darlene Richmond

Wally Goodwin

G. Erwin Sheppard

Scott Anderson 

Larry Liggett 

Sharon McCullough

Neil Betchner

Sam D’Agostino

Ed Overdevest

Debi Hollinger

Barney Hollinger

Susan Hoffman

Bill Perdie

Ted Ritter

Robert Brewer

Al Fralinger

Joe Donald

George Garrison

Sam Elwell

Charles Fralinger

Items Distributed:

• WSCRSP Potentials for Economic Development, Executive Summary, January 2003

• WSCR Issues Map

• Fact Sheet #2

• Agenda – Advisory Committee Meeting #2

• Copy of letter to Joseph Donald, OSG, regarding "Concerns About BIG Map"

T. Stanzione initiated the meeting.

J. Donald said that the Western/Southern Cumberland Region project would be one of the first, if not the first, projects to go through Plan Endorsement process. It is intended to be a one-stop shopping process, in which all state agencies participate. There are incentives for towns that go through the process: priority for permitting, state funding, and technical assistance. He said that each municipality has to go through Plan Endorsement process, and each municipal plan must be consistent with the region plan. J. Donald referred to the BIG Map, and said that centers exist, even if the underlying color is red, the BIG map will turn green.

B. Purdie said that DEP welcomes comments on the BIG map. If participants have better data, such as on planned public sewer/water systems, that could be instrumental in changing colors to green. T. Stanzione said that there was a difference of understanding between what J. Donald had said, and what the CDC believed the situation to be. The mayors feel that they have been able to develop a rapport with OSG and DCA, and that the Smart Growth process should be directed through DCA, not DEP. They believe the map is too red. While DEP should be part of the process, its map should not be the determining factor in where growth should go. The mayors will work with OSG as their mediator. J. Donald said that in the end, there will not be two separate maps, as the DEP map will be integrated into the Plan map.

B. Brewer and M. Shiffman presented the Cumberland County Plan Summary.

M.Shiffman, D. Kueper and S. Huffman presented the Regional Profile and Marketing Feasibility Study Report.

B. Hollinger said that the Regional Issues and Municipal Issues Profiles should be revised, as there were a number of mistakes for Maurice River. M. Shiffman said that ORA was waiting for comments from all parties before revising the document. Comments should be sent to ORA as soon as possible.

Members broke up into four groups to review the Regional Vision Matrices. Following are the comments from each group:

• Regional Nature Center should be in Maurice River-Commercial Township-Stow Creek.

• Ecotourist sites need to be linked together into a package to achieve sufficient "critical mass."

• Examples of attractions include Dutch Neck Village in Hopewell, A.J. Meerwald.

• In CR 553 corridor, restaurants can draw crowds on weekends, but are difficult to attract sufficient customers during the week. Need more infrastructure to support tourist services. Loans and marketing assistance are also needed.

• Use of rail for tourist excursion is a low priority.

• There should be an intensive effort to support aquaculture; state regulations are the problem here.

• A redeveloped Bridgeton can support redevelopment efforts elsewhere.

• Winchester & Western has been doing good job. Because rights-of-way for railroads have been ceded in the past, it will be difficult to create new rail corridors.

• Many of the transportation issues can only be addressed through funding.

• The sewerage issues will require greater cooperation from NJ DEP. Efforts to get sewer have been ongoing for three years in Deerfield, and 12 years in Commercial Township.

• A major issue is water supply in the region. There needs to be an effort to identify if there is a dependable water supply deficit; if there is, how can it be addressed? One issue in the study area is that effluent may be put in a river, not recharged to groundwater. If water is taken from one watershed and placed in another, how does that affect ecosystem?

• An off-road vehicle park could be included as an ecotourism activity.

• Legislation to increase payments-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOTs) is needed for state-owned lands and conservation lands.

• Ecotourism efforts should be coordinated with National Park Service Natural Heritage Trail.

• Rest areas and interpretive centers are needed.

• Municipalities should coordinate with federal and state on maintenance program for facilities in natural areas.

• There was a question as to how environmental enterprise zones would work.

• Farmland preservation should be prioritized in conjunction with NJDA Strategic Targeting Project. TDRs and clustering are also needed.

• Methods to improve farmland valuation methods should be coordinated with State Agriculture Development Committee.

• Township/County facilities are underutilized. How should costs be shared?

• Recreational areas need to be marketed.

• Middle management education from county college is needed for agriculture.

• Affordable housing is needed in agriculture areas and for industrial growth.

• Townships need to address COAH obligations to get Plan Endorsement.

• Revenue sharing should be used for regional business park.

• Possibilities for shared services include courts, township professionals, tax collectors, etc. Some townships do not have road departments, and there should be a plan to share manpower and cooperation.

An interim subcommittee meeting was scheduled for April 1, 2003, 6-8 PM, for Natural Areas/Historic/Agriculture. Other subcommittees chose not to have interim meetings.

The next Advisory Committee meeting was scheduled for April 30 at 7 PM.

Minutes Prepared by Daniel Kueper, Orth-Rodgers & Associates, Inc.