Highland Park Releases Comprehensive 'Green Plan' to Become New Jersey's First Sustainable Community

Dec. 20, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

EDITORS NOTE: ATTENTION ENVIRONMENTAL, NEWS EDITORS, for more information, contact Meryl Frank, mayor of Highland Park, 732-777-6000; Clinton Andrews, chair, HP Green Community Working Group, 732-932-3822, ext. 721; or Randall Solomon, executive director, New Jersey Sustainable State Institute, 732-932-5680, ext. 695.

HIGHLAND PARK RELEASES COMPREHENSIVE GREEN PLAN

TO BECOME NEW JERSEYS FIRST SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY

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NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. The Highland Park Green Community Working Group presented the states first Green Community Plan to the Borough Council during Tuesdays meeting. The governing body received the plan and public comments, and will consider next steps in future meetings.

Highland Park has been working to become more sustainable for several years, said resident Clinton Andrews, chair of the working group. This plan begins to coordinate our many activities so that we will think and act more effectively. It will help us keep on track.

Mayor Meryl Frank said, This plan is another expression of our commitment to improving the quality of life and our environment in Highland Park. It lists the short-term actions we have to take right now to protect the environment and save money and resources, and also provides the long-term framework we need to deal with such issues as global warming.

Randall Solomon, executive director of the New Jersey Sustainable State Institute (NJSSI) at Rutgers Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, added, Although there is a lot of local activity on these issues in New Jersey, Highland Park is the first to adopt what I consider a comprehensive plan to guide them toward a sustainable future.

Highland Park has dedicated itself to becoming a green community that supports a healthy and sustainable environment, economy and society, Andrews observed. To achieve this vision, the borough created a Green Community Plan as a navigation tool for its journey toward sustainability. The strategic document outlines its goals vis-a-vis economic, social and environmental issues, and lays out a comprehensive plan of actions and policies.

The Green Community Plan evolved during a multiyear process that started with the mayors Highland Park 2020 policy vision in early 2003, followed later in the year by formation of the Highland Park Green Community Working Group. In 2006, the borough received a grant from the Office of Smart Growth in the state Department of Community Affairs to develop a model plan for a green and sustainable community. The borough hired NJSSI as a consultant to help create the plan.

The plan establishes goals for a green Highland Park to achieve, including a healthy environment, healthy people, a strong community, convenient transportation, and fairness and equity. Indicators of the boroughs progress toward those goals have been selected so that progress can be tracked, Andrews said.

Highland Park already has begun and even completed some of 50 proposed actions under the plan. These include:

Proposed ordinance revisions for solar access preservation

Waiving permit fees or granting tax abatements for green improvements

Requiring installation of sidewalks on properties undergoing renovation and

Requiring pervious paving materials

More aggressive enforcement of existing laws should focus on anti-litter, anti-idling,

anti-noise, and sidewalk and alley maintenance ordinances, Andrews said. He added that borough operations should include environmentally preferable purchasing practices; continued efforts to provide traffic calming, pedestrian zones, bike lanes, and shuttle buses; and training of municipal officials in the latest green building, purchasing, operations, and maintenance practices.

Also, public outreach and engagement activities should include providing information on green landscaping, remodeling, backyard habitats, home cleaning, energy audits, and purchasing; establishing an annual Freecycle Day; regular green home and garden tours; regular local hazardous waste collection days; and additional Green Challenges.

Next steps following the plans publication are to seek its acceptance by the borough, and to assign responsibility for implementing recommendations. The Green Community Working Group or a successor should track and report on overall progress. Many of the issues identified in this plan, such as global warming and equity, will need attention over many years, Andrews admitted. Because sustainable development is a journey and not a destination, this plan will be used as an ongoing guide to the boroughs actions and will be updated on a regular basis.

To read the plan, visit, www.greenhp.org.

Contact: Steve Manas

732-932-7084, Ext. 612

E-mail: smanas@ur.rutgers.edu

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