NJ Regional Master Plan Benefits all not just the few. Advocate for Conformance Next step Public Comments

If it is possible to work toward a common new year’s resolution goal as a community, in the name of our living space, known as Parsippany, let us encourage and advocate, write and speak to our elected Municipal officials to forward the advancement of the NJ Highlands Master Plan Conformance process. This right of citizenship to advance to the next step of public comments period to educate ourselves as to the benefits inherit in adopting this advanced and great work of necessity, science and land use principals. The Master Plan main element is water, a public trust and inherit right not a commodity or not to be taken for granted. The other element is sustainability, which is related to availability and consumption of both land and its effects on water quality and quantity. Perhaps we think because our water sewer fees are low compared to other Municipalities that somehow no issues are forthcoming. This form of thinking still sees water in the sense of a commodity and not a public trust. Parsippany already pays about $270K to buy up to 124 million gallons regardless of how much they take, like a minimum usage charge on the town’s water & sewer bill. This is because Parsippany cannot meet the demands for its residential water usage. If a drought for example occurs again, one like in the 1960’s where “safe yield” supply is invoked; all bets are off as to the addition charges that may be incurred.  Paying water bills does not supply nor replenish water from sources being depleted from improper land use and sprawl developments.

  The issue of public trust rings true even more so in Parsippany; why? Because we are part of, live in the NJ Highlands great water resource of aquifers and open waters. Although we are in the Planning Zone which requires voluntary conformance, this planning zone has reached a point of maximum stress due to over development and what remains of open space and landscapes undeveloped are better served in their natural resource assets abilities concerning, clean water and air. Further attempts, for example; large development scenarios of re-zoning such as what occurred at ‘waterview’ would be protected by the Region Master Plan of the Highlands, in that a much higher standard of land use would be the threshold a developer would need to appease, not the political ponderings and market speculation themes, that confuse and distort the issues at hand. The State Plan Conformance would also shield Parsippany against lawsuits by developers and cause developers to adhere to and practice higher principals of “smart growth”.

  If we live in a place we should act accordingly, meaning if we live in the NJ Highlands Physiographic Province (formed 600-350 million years ago) we should adhere to good means and ways of being here. We should recognize and respect the place and our possible consequences for not doing so. At this point in time Parsippany has nothing to lose in adopting Master Plan Conformance. The adopting could even direct developers to the redevelopment of gray and brown fields already developed in the township.  Ponder this fact concerning private verses public interest. Current zoning places more than two-thirds of the non-residential floor space in areas that are inconsistent with the State Development and Redevelopment plan. Current zoning envisions future non-residential development in locations that do not have existing utilities.

  The waterview RD rezoning attempt was just one example of the disregard for the common good of  future generations in favor of private speculative unnecessary land use development. The Master Plan would guide growth toward areas less constrained by environmental factors.  We almost lost a natural landscape still intact, providing beauty and integrity to the sense of place and an important element of biodiversity in aquifer recharge, flood protection, and clean air. Yearly one acre of trees absorbs enough CO2 to offset a car driven 26,000 miles and produces enough oxygen for 18 people.

  It time for a change as the election would deem. Let the change be conformance to the Highlands Regional Master Plan. No more waterview fiascos. We can do better, we can unite with the higher power of science and benefits inherit in the Master Plan. Progress is not continued land consumption for corporate sprawl in an uneconomic economy of limitless consumption, but adherence to sound land use principals. Let us unite in the United States, New Jersey land & people.

 The human right to drinking water is fundamental to life and health. Sufficient and safe drinking water is a precondition for the realization of human rights."  "The simple fact is, this model of privatization doesn’t work. You cannot marry the profit motive to something like water or air which people need to survive. We have to take this notion of fresh water out of the market place and say that it belongs to the earth, it belongs to all species, it belongs to future generations, and no one has the right to commodity it for personal gain.