This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Saving Money is Losing Money and Community Integrity

  From Forge Pond To Waterview saving money is not the issue. How can we keep ignoring the NJ Highlands Regional Master Plan. How can the Town Attorney and Administration ignore the following?

One of the well promoted benefits of Conformance is the legal shield provided by the State. State regulations, or a municipal Master Plan that is substantially in conformance with a State level regional plan has a "presumption of validity", recognized by all courts of law, which puts the burden of proving otherwise on the plaintiff. A self-standing municipal Master Plan has no such presumption, forcing the municipality to defend the validity of its authority in every challenge (i.e. legally demonstrate that its ordinances are neither arbitrary nor capricious). So a suing developer, say, not only has a higher bar to satisfy its claims in court, he is, in effect, suing the State, not the municipality. Plus the State has agreed to provide some level of legal counsel or representation to Highlands conforming municipality.. 

 The most character-changing developments in a community is when a developer sues a town to build an out-of-scope, huge development. What's home rule when the zoning of your community isn't determined by your Master Plan, but by the developer who has the time and resources to win in court?).

Find out what's happening in Parsippanywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

  We don't go to court, we settle and the developer wins, with the help of our illustrious planning board, like what happened at Forge Pond and Waterview. Forge Pond Historical resource may very well have been protected as part of our Historical Resource Inventory under Highlands Master Plan Conformance. It's dam is still not repaired and the pond empty.

  Many benefits can be had from Regional Master Plan Conformance, however if we do not utilized this great work of accomplishment it will never manifest its possibilities for us. Life is not just about money and consumption its about sustainability and community. Sustaining people,sustaining nature it is one cause.

Find out what's happening in Parsippanywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?