•STEP ONE
KNOW YOUR TOWN
Environmental planning for municipalities begins with the preparation of an “environmental
inventory” documenting those existing, natural, and man-made environmental
features that influence and affect land use planning decisions.
Key environmental inventory elements include:
- Topographic characteristics
- Geological and soils characteristics
- Hydrologic characteristics
- Surface water quality and noise characteristics
- Infrastructure elements
- Existing land uses
- Vacant lands survey
- Historically and/or archaeologically significant features
- Ecologically special areas
- Local master plan recommendations and zoning
- State and county master plan recommendations
•STEP TWO
DEFINE YOUR TOWN'S PRESERVATION AND LAND DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES
Some common natural resources preservation objectives include:
- Surface water quality protection
- Groundwater quality protection
- Preservation of flood prone lands
- Preservation of wetlands as natural areas
- Preservation of upland woodlands as natural areas
- Preservation of historic resources
- Preservation of scenic resources
- Minimization of soil erosion
- Preservation of agriculture
- Maintenance of ground water recharge
- No increase in stormwater rates or volumes
- Protection of noise sensitive areas from noise generators
- Minimization of air quality hot spots
- Development of greenways for protection of stream corridors
- Preservation of scenic ridgelines
- Preservation of scenic quality along rural roads and highways and ridgelines
- Preservation of mature trees
- Encouragement of continued agricultural uses
Some common land development objectives include:
- Encouragement of high quality commercial and industrial areas, designed to broaden the town's tax base, and increase local availability of jobs, goods and services
- Encouragement of high quality residential communities
- Development of high quality public services and recreational facilities
•STEP THREE
DEVELOP STRATEGIES FOR REALIZING YOUR TOWN'S PRESERVATION AND LAND
DEVLOPMENT OBJECTIVES
Some common strategies include:
- Carrying capacity zoning
- Cluster zoning districts
- Well head protection areas
- Stream corridor protection areas
- Central Business District designations
- Industrial zone designations
- Ridgeline protection areas
- Historic district or building designations
- Natural area/scenic resources designations
- Agricultural districts
- Transfer of development rights
•STEP FOUR
IMPLEMENT YOUR TOWN'S PRESERVATION AND LAND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES
Implementation generally involves the following three activities:
- Amendments to the master plan to include the preservation objectives defined in Step Two and the proposed strategies outlined in Step Three
- Amendments to the zoning and land development ordinances to permit and encourage the use of the implementation strategies
- Local participation in the site plan and subdivision review process in
order to assist developers in understanding preservation objectives and
strategies
Thonet Associates Inc.
14 Upper Kingtown Road
Pittstown, New Jersey 08867
ph: 908.238.0473 / fax: 908.238.9164
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