Coastal study: What lies ahead?
30 municipalities will participate in study of future growth
BY CHRISTINE VARNO
and LAYLI WHYTE
Staff Writers

A comprehensive study that looks at the future of Monmouth County's coastal region has been launched by local municipal and county officials.

The two-year study will examine future development of the Atlantic coastal region inhabited by 40 percent of the county's total population.

Ultimately, the study will culminate in the Coastal Monmouth Plan (CMP) for the participating 30 municipalities, which include Long Branch, Red Bank, Eatontown, Fair Haven, Little Silver, Shrewsbury Borough, Monmouth Beach, Ocean Township, Oceanport, Rumson, Sea Bright and West Long Branch.

The study will look into all aspects of community planning, including future development, environmental and economic issues, flooding, transportation, shared services and job creation, said Joseph Barris, the project manager for the study, in an interview last week.

"I know it sounds vague," said Barris, supervising planner for the Monmouth County Planning Board, "but it has to be broad because we're not focused on any specific municipal projects, but looking at the entire region."

Barris explained that it is important to identify issues from the regional perspective, because the towns involved are contiguous and will share the responsibility for solving problems that arise.

"They [the municipalities] know the specific information about these issues," he said. "The point is to open up to their perspectives and document their concerns and problems."

Barris is being assisted by Maser Consulting, Red Bank, in developing the CMP.

One Fair Haven councilman said his town is on board with the county to develop the plan.

"This [CMP] is great," said Jon Peters last week. "It is nice to see a coordinated county-wide effort."

Peters added that Fair Haven has a plan of its own in the works.

"We are conducting a master plan that is proactive," he said. "We have been proactive in trying to get into Smart Growth.

"Monmouth County has had problems with overdevelopment. We are trying to keep Fair Haven a livable community," Peters said.

Peters said he plans to work with the county on the CMP and already has taken inventory on several issues in Fair Haven that he would like to bring to the county's attention.

"We have some issues on the river with stormwater management," he said, adding, "We are trying to revamp our downtown area and River Road, which is a county road.

"Our plan is to develop a more walkable community. We are also looking to put in for a grant for trails," he said.

Fair Haven's engineer, T&M Associates, are reviewing the master plan, which costs approximately $16,000, according to Peters.

"We have also been reaching out and received a Smart Growth grant from the College of New Jersey to revitalize the downtown area.

"The long-term pattern of growth in the county has caused problems and this is a way to deal with it.

"We are trying to reach out to surrounding towns. We would eventually like to do a bike path from Sea Bright to Red Bank. That would go right though three towns. It would be great to have the county's support."

The county study's kickoff meeting took place at Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, on Nov. 20.

Eatontown Mayor Gerald Tarantolo said Monday that he attended the kickoff meeting, and he has formed a subcommittee of the Eatontown Planning Board to attend future meetings on the CMP and participate in other aspects of the study.

"The first order of business of the subcommittee," he said, "is to sit down and complete the questionnaire given to us at the kickoff meeting."

The questionnaire, according to Barris, will provide information to be used to prepare a regional profile. Municipalities have been asked to send in the completed questionnaire by Dec. 15.

Tarantolo said his hope is that any plan that results from the study will accurately reflect future development in the borough.

"I'm looking forward to working with the county on this project," he said. "The fact is that other municipalities adjacent to Eatontown affect us. Sprawl is a factor. We are not isolated. Whatever we do impacts other communities, and whatever other communities do impacts us."

The future of the Fort Monmouth property is also a major issue for Eatontown, said Tarantolo, since 450 acres of the fort's 1,125 acres are located within the borders of Eatontown.

"It's going to have to be addressed," he said, "as far as land use, redevelopment and development."

Gail O'Reilly, Red Bank's deputy borough administrator for special projects, represented the borough at the kickoff meeting, and said Tuesday that she is excited about this study strengthening the connections between "state agencies, county activity and local needs."

O'Reilly said that one of the issues relevant to Red Bank discussed at the initial meeting was the fact that Red Bank is a host community for many regional services such as Riverview Medical Center.

"We are a host community to so many services that meet the needs of the region," she said. "There is currently no appropriate way to address the cost of providing those services. We have the highest count of tax-exempt properties in the county. We have $67.5 million worth of tax-exempt properties in the borough. I know Tinton Falls gets some relief for hosting the county landfill. We're looking at the cost to the municipality for hosting these services."

O'Reilly also said that another issue she hopes will be addressed goes beyond the borders of Red Bank.

"The ability to provide affordable options for housing our citizens throughout the whole life cycle is important to us," she said. "Is it possible to find suitable housing choices? There is a difference between housing affordability and affordable housing. Where do our young people go after they graduate college? We want to find a way to help people 'age in place.' "

The regional study was initiated by the Monmouth County Planning Board and will be fully funded by a $290,000 Smart Futures Grant through the state's Office of Smart Growth.

Other coastal participating communities in the CMP include the following: Allenhurst, Asbury Park, Avon, Belmar, Bradley Beach, Brielle, Deal, Interlaken, Lake Como, Loch Arbor, Manasquan, Neptune City, Neptune Township, Sea Girt, Shrewsbury Township, Spring Lake, Spring Lake Heights and Wall.

Representatives from some 60 stakeholders participating in the study include Monmouth University and the Surfrider Foundation.

"The goal of the Coastal Monmouth Plan is to help those communities prepare, both collectively and individually, for sustainable growth, while at the same time protecting their environmental resources and maintaining their unique local character," Freeholder Lillian G. Burry said in a press release from the county.

"It's a bottom-up approach," Barris said. "We're going to look at what they already have on the books such as their master plans, future development or plans for shared services."

At the November meeting, participants broke into four groups representing subregions within the coastal study area, including north, south, north central and south central, according to the release.

Each group was given the task of identifying and prioritizing issues of greatest concern to their respective subregion.

Topics discussed at the meeting included: flooding, transportation, environmental protection, impacts from future development, shared services, economic development and job creation.

"The undertaking by the Planning Board gives coastal towns an opportunity to work with their neighbors to develop and pursue common planning goals as well as a forum in which to discuss issues of regional significance," Burry stated in the press release.

The plan is expected to be complete in January 2008.

The kickoff meeting was the first of many that will be held over the course of the study that will be guided by the Coastal Monmouth Regional Collaborative.

The collaborative includes representatives from each municipality, county and state officials and community stakeholder groups.

In addition to two public information sessions, two newsletters will be published and distributed in each town to inform the public of the study's findings.

Barris said that although most of the meetings would not be considered public forums, the public is encouraged to attend and participate in the study to whatever extent possible.

A Web page that will contain more extensive information on the plan is being developed and will be accessible through the county Web site at visitmonmouth.com.

Similar studies have taken place in two of the five planning regions identified by the Monmouth County Planning Board, including the Western Monmouth area, for which the plan has been finished and adopted, and the Bayshore area, for which the plan was adopted in September.

"This is the county's third and largest regional study to date," Burry said.

"Our goal now is to get the towns that didn't assign anybody to attend the first meeting, to come to the next one," said Barris, adding that the second meeting is planned for February.

Barris said once the municipalities voice their concerns and plans are developed to address the issues, the plan will be brought to the state Planning Commission for "plan endorsement."

"A lot of the constituency don't know each other, so at least at the meetings we have they will have a chance to discuss shared issues and how things will effect their neighbors," Barris said.

shared services and job creation, said Joseph Barris, the project manager for the study, in an interview last week.

"I know it sounds vague," said Barris, supervising planner for the Monmouth County Planning Board, "but it has to be broad because we're not focused on any specific municipal projects, but looking at the entire region."

Barris explained that it is important to identify issues from the regional perspective, because the towns involved are contiguous and will share the responsibility for solving problems that arise.

"They [the municipalities] know the specific information about these issues," he said. "The point is to open up to their perspectives and document their concerns and problems."

Barris is being assisted by Maser Consulting, Red Bank, in developing the CMP.

One Fair Haven councilman said his town is on board with the county to develop the plan.

"This [CMP] is great," said Jon Peters last week. "It is nice to see a coordinated county-wide effort."

Peters added that Fair Haven has a plan of its own in the works.

"We are conducting a master plan that is proactive," he said. "We have been proactive in trying to get into Smart Growth.

"Monmouth County has had problems with overdevelopment. We are trying to keep Fair Haven a livable community," Peters said.

Peters said he plans to work with the county on the CMP and already has taken inventory on several issues in Fair Haven that he would like to bring to the county's attention.

"We have some issues on the river with stormwater management," he said, adding, "We are trying to revamp our downtown area and River Road, which is a county road.

"Our plan is to develop a more walkable community. We are also looking to put in for a grant for trails," he said.

Fair Haven's engineer, T&M Associates, are reviewing the master plan, which costs approximately $16,000, according to Peters.

"We have also been reaching out and received a Smart Growth grant from the College of New Jersey to revitalize the downtown area.

"The long-term pattern of growth in the county has caused problems and this is a way to deal with it.

"We are trying to reach out to surrounding towns. We would eventually like to do a bike path from Sea Bright to Red Bank. That would go right though three towns. It would be great to have the county's support."

The county study's kickoff meeting took place at Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, on Nov. 20.

Eatontown Mayor Gerald Tarantolo said Monday that he attended the kickoff meeting, and he has formed a subcommittee of the Eatontown Planning Board to attend future meetings on the CMP and participate in other aspects of the study.

"The first order of business of the subcommittee," he said, "is to sit down and complete the questionnaire given to us at the kickoff meeting."

The questionnaire, according to Barris, will provide information to be used to prepare a regional profile. Municipalities have been asked to send in the completed questionnaire by Dec. 15.

Tarantolo said his hope is that any plan that results from the study will accurately reflect future development in the borough.

"I'm looking forward to working with the county on this project," he said. "The fact is that other municipalities adjacent to Eatontown affect us. Sprawl is a factor. We are not isolated. Whatever we do impacts other communities, and whatever other communities do impacts us."

The future of the Fort Monmouth property is also a major issue for Eatontown, said Tarantolo, since 450 acres of the fort's 1,125 acres are located within the borders of Eatontown.

"It's going to have to be addressed," he said, "as far as land use, redevelopment and development."

Gail O'Reilly, Red Bank's deputy borough administrator for special projects, represented the borough at the kickoff meeting, and said Tuesday that she is excited about this study strengthening the connections between "state agencies, county activity and local needs."

O'Reilly said that one of the issues relevant to Red Bank discussed at the initial meeting was the fact that Red Bank is a host community for many regional services such as Riverview Medical Center.

"We are a host community to so many services that meet the needs of the region," she said. "There is currently no appropriate

"It's going to have to be addressed," he said, "as far as land use, redevelopment and development."

Gail O'Reilly, Red Bank's deputy borough administrator for special projects, represented the borough at the kickoff meeting, and said Tuesday that she is excited about this study strengthening the connections between "state agencies, county activity and local needs."

O'Reilly said that one of the issues relevant to Red Bank discussed at the initial meeting was the fact that Red Bank is a host community for many regional services such as Riverview Medical Center.

"We are a host community to so many services that meet the needs of the region," she said. "There is currently no appropriate

way to address the cost of providing those services. We have the highest count of tax-exempt properties in the county. We have $67.5 million worth of tax-exempt properties in the borough. I know Tinton Falls gets some relief for hosting the county landfill. We're looking at the cost to the municipality for hosting these services."

O'Reilly also said that another issue she hopes will be addressed goes beyond the borders of Red Bank.

"The ability to provide affordable options for housing our citizens throughout the whole life cycle is important to us," she said. "Is it possible to find suitable housing choices? There is a difference between housing affordability and affordable housing. Where do our young people go after they graduate college? We want to find a way to help people 'age in place.' "

The regional study was initiated by the Monmouth County Planning Board and will be fully funded by a $290,000 Smart Futures Grant through the state's Office of Smart Growth.

Other coastal participating communities in the CMP include the following: Allenhurst, Asbury Park, Avon, Belmar, Bradley Beach, Brielle, Deal, Interlaken, Lake Como, Loch Arbor, Manasquan, Neptune City, Neptune Township, Sea Girt, Shrewsbury Township, Spring Lake, Spring Lake Heights and Wall.

Representatives from some 60 stakeholders participating in the study include Monmouth University and the Surfrider Foundation.

"The goal of the Coastal Monmouth Plan is to help those communities prepare, both collectively and individually, for sustainable growth, while at the same time protecting their environmental resources and maintaining their unique local character," Freeholder Lillian G. Burry said in a press release from the county.

"It's a bottom-up approach," Barris said. "We're going to look at what they already have on the books such as their master plans, future development or plans for shared services."

At the November meeting, participants broke into four groups representing subregions within the coastal study area, including north, south, north central and south central, according to the release.

Each group was given the task of identifying and prioritizing issues of greatest concern to their respective subregion.

Topics discussed at the meeting included: flooding, transportation, environmental protection, impacts from future development, shared services, economic development and job creation.

"The undertaking by the Planning Board gives coastal towns an opportunity to work with their neighbors to develop and pursue common planning goals as well as a forum in which to discuss issues of regional significance," Burry stated in the press release.

The plan is expected to be complete in January 2008.

The kickoff meeting was the first of many that will be held over the course of the study that will be guided by the Coastal Monmouth Regional Collaborative.

The collaborative includes representatives from each municipality, county and state officials and community stakeholder groups.

In addition to two public information sessions, two newsletters will be published and distributed in each town to inform the public of the study's findings.

Barris said that although most of the meetings would not be considered public forums, the public is encouraged to attend and participate in the study to whatever extent possible.

A Web page that will contain more extensive information on the plan is being developed and will be accessible through the county Web site at visitmonmouth.com.

Similar studies have taken place in two of the five planning regions identified by the Monmouth County Planning Board, including the Western Monmouth area, for which the plan has been finished and adopted, and the Bayshore area, for which the plan was adopted in September.

"This is the county's third and largest regional study to date," Burry said.

"Our goal now is to get the towns that didn't assign anybody to attend the first meeting, to come to the next one," said Barris, adding that the second meeting is planned for February.

Barris said once the municipalities voice their concerns and plans are developed to address the issues, the plan will be brought to the state Planning Commission for "plan endorsement."

"A lot of the constituency don't know each other, so at least at the meetings we have they will have a chance to discuss shared issues and how things will a ffect their neighbors," Barris said.