A bill sponsored by Assembly Republicans BettyLou DeCroce, Jay Webber
and Holly Schepisi that would provide an exemption to local governments
from certain provisions of the Highlands Act when deciding to install
synthetic turf fields was approved by the General Assembly today. At
present, the 2004 law only provides public or private schools the
exemption.
“This legislation represents an opportunity to level the playing
field for municipalities that are restricted by the Highlands Act from
installing synthetic turf for their residents,” said DeCroce, who noted
there are 88 municipalities and portions of seven counties in the
Highlands Region. “The conditions of the municipal fields in some towns
in the preservation area are deteriorating and often unusable and
unsafe. “It is ironic that the schools can install the turf or make field
improvements, but the towns can’t,” explained DeCroce. “If the residents
want to upgrade their municipal fields to a more durable surface they
should be allowed to do so. Affording municipalities the same exemption
that schools already enjoy is common sense and something property
taxpayers deserve.”
The bill, A-3541, would exempt towns from the lengthy, costly and
arduous process of obtaining a permit under the Highlands Water
Protection and Planning Act.
“The Highlands Act remains a model of unfairness and arbitrariness,
and represents the worst government land grab against our communities in
New Jersey history,” said Webber. “This legislation injects a bit of
reasonableness into otherwise bad policy. It offers our local
communities a fair opportunity to provide safe and durable ball fields
on open space, and puts local property taxpayers back in charge of a
decision that affects their own welfare.”
“This bill affords local governments the same chance to upgrade their
facilities and provide the same safe environment for recreational use
as given to schools in the Highlands Region that were grandfathered in
when the Highlands Act was passed,” said Schepisi. “Providing this
exemption to another entity at the local level is fair and will save the
burdensome application-related costs borne by taxpayers. All parents
want their children to play on safe fields, not ones that could
potentially put them in harms’ way and cause serious injury.”
The bill is also sponsored by Assemblyman Gordon Johnson, D-Bergen,
and was released with unanimous approval from the Assembly Environment
and Solid Waste Committee on June 10.
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