Highlands Council Releases Buildout Analysis for 17 Towns in Planning Area
By: Henry T. Chou, Esq.
On July 16, 2009, the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council (Highlands Council) released its "buildout analysis" for 17 municipalities located in the Highlands "Planning Area." While the Highlands Act had designated the Planning Area as a "growth" region, the actual buildout analysis paints a far different picture for the 17 municipalities in Warren and Hunterdon County, including Allamuchy, Pohatcong, Bloomsbury, Califon, Glen Gardner, Milford, Clinton and Tewksbury Township.
The Highlands Council's buildout numbers are puportedly based upon an analysis of available land, utilities and infrastructure, as well as input from municipal planners. Nonetheless, the buildout figures conflict with and reduce the buildout analyses prepared by other state agencies such as the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH), which has assigned affordable housing obligations to municipalities based upon dramatically higher buildout estimates.
For example, the Highlands Council's buildout analysis for Clinton Township, a municipality located in a suburban planning area designated for growth under the State Development and Redevelopment Plan, is a mere 18 residential units. On the other hand, COAH has assigned Clinton Township an obligation of at least 247 affordable housing units for the "Third Round" compliance period (2004-2018). How Clinton will build 247 affordable housing units when it cannot even build 18 units is an issue that will have to reconciled promptly between the two state agencies.