PARSIPPANY — At its most recent meeting, the New Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council approved a petition for Plan Conformance for the Morris County Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills. Approval of the Petition provides the municipality with access to funding and the expertise of the Highlands Council staff in support of efforts to implement priorities in the township’s recently revised Master Plan.
“Highlands Council staff have been working with township officials for some time discussing their needs primarily related to water availability,” said Maryjude Haddock-Weiler, Highlands Council Planning Manager. “Through these conversations, we came to better understand the township’s goals and how we could help advance them. The town is particularly eager to get to work on developing a Water Use and Conservation Management Plan (WUCMP) and Stormwater Management Plan (SWMP), and we’re very happy to be a part of that work.”
In 2018, Parsippany-Troy Hills launched an effort to create a new master plan for the community. After an extensive process of public outreach and planning analysis, the 2020 Master Plan was adopted. The Master Plan establishes a series of goals, strategies and recommendations for the Township’s future. The goals include preservation of community character, mitigation of transportation problems, enhancement of parks and open spaces, protection of environmental features, utilization of sustainable development practices, wise management of water and sewer services, protection of cultural and historic resources, and support for regional growth management planning.
“The Parsippany-Troy Hills 2020 Master Plan aligns very well with the Highlands Regional Master Plan,” explained Highlands Council Chairman Carl Richko. “Parsippany is the largest municipality in the Highlands Region by population. It’s also located entirely within the Planning Area of the Highlands, where conformance with the RMP is voluntary, so we’re very pleased that the town recognizes the benefits of conformance.”
“I’ve always believed that it was a mistake to withdraw from the Highlands Council several years ago, which is why my administration has worked from Day 1 to achieve Highlands Act conformance. The acceptance of our petition is a recognition of the township’s work towards water quality protection, sustainable land use, and environmental defense,” said Mayor Michael Soriano.
The Highlands Plan Conformance process provides a framework for municipalities and counties in the Region to integrate the land use and resource management requirements of the 2004 Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act into local planning and regulatory documents. Grant funding is available to support reasonable expenses associated with this work.
In addition to the WUCMP and SWMP, the Parsippany-Troy Hills Plan Conformance draft “Implementation Plan and Schedule” specifies funding for development of an Historic Preservation Plan and Open Space/Recreation Plan among other priorities. All funding is reimbursement based and contingent upon availability of funding and approved scopes of work.
Today’s approval by the Council brings the total number of approved municipal petitions for Plan Conformance to 50. Additional details about the Township’s Petition, including Highlands Council recommendations and specific funding allocations related to Plan Conformance implementation, are available in the “Final Consistency Review & Recommendations Report” and the “Highlands Implementation Plan and Schedule,” which can be found along with all other township Petition materials on the Parsippany-Troy Hills Township by clicking here.
Actions taken by the Council at this meeting will take effect following the Governor’s review and consideration of the meeting minutes, up to 10 business days from receipt of the minutes. Materials related to this meeting including resolutions, presentations, audio and minutes are posted by clicking here.
The Highlands Council is a regional planning agency, established in 2004 with the passage of the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act and charged with implementation of the Act.
Additional information is available by clicking here.
