The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission

One DeKorte Park Plaza

Lyndhurst, NJ 07071

201-460-1700

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                                                               January 8, 2004

 

Contact:         Chris Gale, Public Information Officer @ (201) 460-4692 OR cgale@meadowlands.state.nj.us

 

Meadowlands Commission Approves New Master Plan, Setting the Stage for Future Preservation and Revitalization

 

New Jersey Meadowlands Master Plan Up For Approval

 

LYNDHURST, N.J. – Five miles from Manhattan’s Times Square, a 30 square-mile region of marshes known as the New Jersey Meadowlands is about to experience a renaissance, thanks to the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission’s dedication to smart growth.

 

At a historic meeting today, the NJMC approved two initiatives, and introduced a third, that will change the course of economic growth and environmental preservation in the Meadowlands, one of the country’s largest urban wetlands systems. “Thanks to today’s announcement, the New Jersey Meadowlands will become a shining example of Governor McGreevey’s Smart Growth vision,” said Susan Bass Levin, NJMC Chairman and Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs. “Our new Master Plan - the first in more than 30 years – reinforces Governor McGreevey’s commitment to curbing uncontrolled growth and protecting New Jersey’s open spaces.  Together with our municipal and county government partners, we will make the master plan’s vision a reality.” 

 

“The new master plan is a bold effort to give the salt marshes and Hackensack River the protection and wildlife management they need and deserve,” said NJMC Executive Director Robert Ceberio. “At the same time, we are bringing people to the area to enjoy our natural treasures, we are cleaning up polluted and blighted areas, and we are pursuing ambitious redevelopment projects that compliment the urban wilderness our district offers.”

The New Jersey Meadowlands Master Plan calls for the preservation of the 8,400-acre Meadowlands urban wetlands ecosystem.   The Master Plan is also designed to revitalize areas that are polluted or blighted into strong points of economic and community-oriented growth, setting the stage for redevelopment with a potential market value of $5.6 billion and the creation of 56,250 new permanent jobs.  The plan will establish places for fishing, boating and walking; and calls for the completion of the Meadows Path, 26 miles of trails that stretch from Little Ferry to Kearney, and the Secaucus Greenway that stretches from Ridgefield to Jersey City. 

 

In support of the new Master Plan, the NJMC today also approved new regulations and a new zoning map, and introduced a regional transportation plan to further encourage smart growth in the Meadowlands District.  This streamlined set of regulations will give district municipalities an enhanced role in charting their own future.

 

The Regulations and Zoning Map details zoning and land use regulations, which will give the master plan its teeth. The rules set the stage for redevelopment, which over 25 years will include 24 million square feet of commercial space and 2,750 hotel rooms. When added to other redevelopment initiatives, the regulations will help create a $73.1 million positive fiscal impact for the district’s 14 municipalities. The regulations will also establish a broad green zone along the Hackensack River and will mandate that municipalities be the first to see plans for future construction.

 

The Meadowlands Mobility 2030 transportation plan is a wide-ranging document that covers mobility planning both within and outside of the district.  The document merges existing and future projects into one comprehensive plan, and investigates rail expansion, better roads, bus rapid transit (BRT), the movement of freight, and augmented satellite parking to pick up traffic before it hits the Meadowlands. A public comment period on this plan begins today.

 

Together, these three initiatives will give the NJMC the ability to move forward with the New Jersey’s smart growth agenda, and protect the District’s natural treasures while ensuring greater economic vitality throughout the region.