Ordinance 2013-17: Plan Ahead???

It has been proposed that Hillsborough's voters decide whether 20% of the Open Space Trust Fund be used for something other than the purchase of Open Space.

The proposed ordinance generalizes that the 20% is "...to be utilized for the the development and, or improvement of park and recreation facilities that are located on property within the open space and park inventory for recreation, conservation and general open space purposes."

What exactly do they want to do and where do they want to do it?

On May 3rd Committeeman Carl Suraci made a presentation to the Open Space Advisory Committee which included vague suggestions about ball fields, active and passive recreation, and synthetic fields. He couldn't exactly state what those needs were, but reassured those present that they would do a needs assessment later.

The township news release that was supposed to explain the proposal to divert 20% from Open Space purchases states, "If the ordinance is passed [on July 23rd] at a public hearing, the Township Committee will also consider a resolution calling for a study to conduct a thorough analysis of the passive and active recreational needs for Hillsborough Township. The resulting report will provide guidance to prioritizing any improvements."

This proposed ordinance is too general and has too much latitude for unknown persons to make unspecified spending decisions.

Why should a critical use such as purchasing currently available open space suffer for some unidentified and apparently unexplainable recreation use?

Is it that Parks and Recreation needs more money? Then make that an issue on next year's budget, don't play a shell game where the taxpayer has to guess which shell to choose.

This would be a good time for the Township Committee to graciously withdraw proposed Ordinance 2013-17, figure out what exactly is needed and where and how much it cost.

Then, next year, explain specifically what is being proposed, why it is more important than purchasing open space while it is available, and ask the voters what they want to do.

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"Act in haste, repent at leisure." - various

"Unreasonable haste is the direct road to error." - Moliere

"What do we tell our children? Haste makes waste. Look before you leap. Stop and think. Don't judge a book by its cover. We believe that we are always better off gathering as much information as possible and spending as much time as possible in deliberation." - Malcolm Gladwell

Open Space Confusion?

Hillsborough's press release regarding Proposed Ordinance 2013-17 headlined Open Space Fund Expanded Use Proposal contained this surprising statement:

“Over 30% of Hillsborough Township is preserved from development in open space and this ordinance would permit a ballot question to be placed on the upcoming November 5, 2013 General Election, allowing the voters of Hillsborough to weigh in on whether or not the use of funds from the Open Space Fund can be expanded for additional uses,” stated Mayor Frank DelCore during his comments upon introducing the ordinance.

Intuitively this 30% number seemed, well, just wrong.

Research produced an October 2011 report, Preserved Lands in Hillsborough Township showing "Percent of Land Preserved 30.19%" with a breakout of the numbers.

It is this breakout that explains the confusion.

The report's 30.19% - a total of 10,411 acres - includes such properties as lots owned by NJ DEP/DOT, the Hillsborough section of the Somerset County Sourland Preserve, preserved farmland, Duke Farms wetland easements, and private conservation easements. Would Hillsbrough have the right to develop State-owned, county-owned or privately owned land?

Finally there is Preserved Open Space - Hillsborough 1,679 acres.

Interesting. 1,679 acres is 4.8% of Hillsborough's 35,008 acres, not 30.19%, and Open Space is not the same as preserved land.

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Song of the Day: Ball of Confusion by The Temptations (1970)...

Ball of Confusion 1970 by Tushratta

Dedicated to Open Space

The HNJJ crew is not generally terribly religious, but the Christian hymn This Is My Father's World has been on our minds this week. So for this Sunday...

Pay Attention: Open Space Funds Diversion

The Hillsborough Township Committee is considering Ordinance 2013-17:

“SHALL THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE OF THE TOWNSHIP OF HILLSBOROUGH MODIFY AND EXPAND THE USES AND PURPOSES OF THE OPEN SPACE TRUST FUND TO ALLOW FOR NOT MORE THAN 20% OF THE OPEN SPACE TRUST FUND TAX COLLECTED IN ANY ONE YEAR TO BE UTILIZED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND, OR IMPROVEMENT OF PARK AND RECREATION FACILITIES THAT ARE LOCATED ON PROPERTY WITHIN THE OPEN SPACE AND PARK INVENTORY FOR RECREATION, CONSERVATION AND GENERAL OPEN SPACE PURPOSES?”

It sounds pretty harmless, doesn't it?

It sounds like a good thing, doesn't it?
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"Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you got 'til it's gone? They paved paradise and put up a parking lot..."
- "Big Yellow Taxi, Joni Mitchell.

HHS Band Casino Night

Last night the Hillsborough High School Band Parents held their annual Casino Night - more fun than Atlantic City, closer to home, and doing good while having a great time...

HHS Casino Nt 2013 - slideshow

The HNJJ crew enjoyed a few hours of "gambling" with a congenial group while being entertained by band parent Jonni Drue, who does a great Frank Sinatra tribute show called I'll Be Frank.  And fabulous food, too.
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Photographs compliments of Susan Gulliford and George Mariasz who want to disclose that they won a Lawn Care basket compliment of Central Jersey Nursery, Belle Mead Co-op, and Fairway Green.  Thanks.

Belmar Six Months After Sandy

This afternoon two members of the HNJJ crew returned to Belmar six months after Superstorm Sandy hit.  Unfortunately they were not allowed on the beach...

Belmar After Sandy 4/27 - slideshow

But finding that Avon-By-the-Sea's Macaroon Shop was still open made the entire trip worth while.

Hillsborough and the County Access and Mobility Study

The HNJJ crew noticed that the former K-Mart Shopping Center was included as a pilot site in the Somerset County Access and Mobility Study. Two members of the crew had already attended one of the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority meetings and there is a second meeting this evening.

From the Somerset County Press release:

SOMERVILLE – The public is invited to a second meeting on the Somerset County Access and Mobility Study on Tuesday, April 2, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

The program will be held in the third-floor freeholders’ meeting room in the county administration building at 20 Grove St. Free parking is available in the Bernie Field Parking Deck; enter off East High Street.

“The Access and Mobility Study is part of the county’s efforts to support economic growth and investment in the county,” said Freeholder Robert Zaborowski, planning liaison. “We encourage interested citizens to offer their opinions on the progress of the study to date.”

Seven pilot sites have been identified for potential land-use and traffic improvements. They include sanofi-aventis on Route 202/206 in Bridgewater; a hotel site near the I-287 off ramp at Easton Avenue in Franklin; the K-Mart Shopping Center on Route 206 South in Hillsborough; Weldon Quarry off Valley Road in Watchung; Somerville’s East Central Business District between Route 28 and Veterans Memorial Drive; Green Brook’s Village Commercial District off North Washington Avenue; and the Nora Shopping Center on Hamilton Street in Franklin.

At the meeting, the project team will discuss the study goals, the process used to identify and screen the candidate sites and the collaboration efforts of the county, municipalities and partner agencies.

Draft recommendations for the seven pilot sites will be presented, including current status, site issues, constraints to be addressed and the proposed recommendations.

Public comment is being sought before the project team prepares the final study report. For more information, contact Walter Lane at the Somerset County Planning Board at 908-231-7021 or lane@co.somerset.nj.us

Funding for the study has been provided by a grant from the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority.