1. August 2015
Coastal Environmental
Consulting, LLC prepares
the following types of
applications for
residential, commercial,
public and utility projects:
CAFRA
Waterfront Development
Coastal Wetlands
Freshwater Wetlands
Flood Hazard Area
Tidelands
US Army Corps
NEWS
The Coastal Centers, which were set to expire on December 31, 2015,
will be extended by three years thanks to a recent decision by the
State Planning Commission. On July 15, 2015, the State Planning
Commission adopted Resolution 2015-04 – Adopting the Revised
Regulation Amending N.J.A.C. 5:85-7.21 and Extending the Period of
Certain Plan Endorsements and Center Designations. The adoption
will be effective with publication in the New Jersey Register in early
August 2015.
The new subsection of N.J.A.C. 5:85-7.21 provides that “any
endorsement of a plan, designation of a center, or other approval
governed by subsections (a) through (e) approved by the Commission
prior to September 6, 2008, is extended an additional three years
beyond its otherwise applicable expiration date”. Notably, however,
the extension “in no way prevents a municipality from re-establishing
or amending any endorsement of a plan, designation of a center, or
other approval prior to expiration of such” (46 N.J.R. 2106).
Center designations are of critical importance in the Coastal Zone
where impervious coverage limits under a CAFRA Permit are based
upon a property’s location within or outside of a Coastal Center. The
Coastal Center designation provides a 50, 60, 70 or 80 percent
impervious cover limit in a CAFRA application. Areas outside of
Coastal Centers are restricted to 3, 5 or 30 percent impervious cover
limits. Most commercial projects rely on the higher impervious cover
limit of the Coastal Centers and would not be feasible under a 30% or
lower impervious cover limit.
Coastal Environmental Consulting, LLC has a wealth of experience
preparing CAFRA applications for a variety of project types.
Developers who are redesigning projects to avoid CAFRA jurisdiction
due to the impending expiration of the Coastal Centers may now
want to reconsider. Contact Coastal Environmental Consulting, LLC
for a consultation to evaluate the feasibility of securing a CAFRA
permit for your project.
Coastal Centers