def #229

def #229 10/26/09

JOINT LAND USE STUDY STAKEHOLDERS REAFFIRM WORK

OCEAN AND BURLINGTON County officials will join with representatives from the newly formed Joint Base McGuire- Dix-Lakehurst and the Pinelands Commission to reaffirm their commitment to assist in implementing recommendations outlined in a Joint Land Use Study.

The officials, which include Freeholders from Ocean and Burlington Counties, the 10 municipalities surrounding the Joint Base, the Pinelands Commission and Joint Base representatives will come together to sign a Memorandum of Understanding during a ceremony scheduled for 10 a.m., October 28 at the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.

“This gathering is a ceremonial event where all of us who have been committed to the success of the bases that have long been part of our communities are now pledging our continued support to the mission that now includes Navy Lakehurst, Fort Dix and McGuire Air Force Base which make up the Joint Base,” said Ocean County Freeholder John P. Kelly, who serves as Director of Law and Public Safety. “With the bases combined, it is imperative we continue to work together to support this very important mission which is key to our homeland security as well as our local economies.”

Ocean County took the lead in overseeing the process that has resulted in the completed Joint Land Use Study. The study will serve as the framework for long-term relationships between the military and surrounding communities.

The United States Department of Defense provided a grant to perform the study around the three military bases located in Central New Jersey. “The joint base is bringing with it hundreds of millions of dollars in new construction and hundreds, if not thousands, of new military and civilian jobs,” said Burlington County Freeholder Director Joseph B. Donnelly. “But we need to ensure that the elevated activities on the base over the next 10 years work harmoniously with the towns and their land use plans, that transportation issues are addressed, and that any new residential and commercial development addresses both the communities’ needs, as well as those of the military.”

The study provides a regional approach to land use as it affects the military bases and the surrounding communities. The benefits of the study include reviewing the needs of the military bases and the needs of the surrounding communities and working together to merge those needs.

“This ceremony signifies our commitment to the communities surrounding Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst,” said Colonel Gina Grosso, Joint Base and 87th Air Base Wing Commander. “We will continue to work with our community partners to ensure a mutually beneficial development.”

While land acquisition and preservation are important components of a Joint Land Use Study, equal attention is paid to compatible uses, which would support base operations including investigating potential public-private partnerships in the areas of high-technology, education, training, and research.

The JLUS Final Report contains a number of recommendations, which if implemented, would resolve concerns identified during the JLUS process. The JLUS implementation recommendations encompass a number of strategic short, medium, and long-range techniques to resolve military and civilian issues within the two-mile Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst radius. These include improved communication and coordination, development review, noise and safety hazards, housing and economic development, transportation, utilities, and natural resources.