By using the regional planning services of the Department of Economic Development and Regional Planning, Burlington County municipalities saved $395,200 in 2013 alone. Twenty-seven of the 40 Burlington County towns availed themselves of this shared service, which would have been performed by outside consultants at the towns’ expense.
“Municipalities just don’t have the staff or the expertise to perform this planning work,” Commission Chairman John Comegno said, “so towns would have had to hire professionals for these planning services. This shared service is putting money back in the hands of cash-strapped towns at a time it’s needed in so many other areas.”
Freeholder Director Leah Arter praised the work: “We’re proud of the tax relief provided by these planning services. Achieving the right balance of growth and preservation requires a sustained, concerted planning effort that is coordinated with the county and its municipalities. This shared service helps towns develop in the right areas, avoid development in the wrong areas, and preserve lands like farmland and open space.”
The towns using this shared service include Cinnaminson, Evesham, Medford, Moorestown and Mt. Laurel.
Many of the planning projects performed for the municipalities consisted of zoning build-out analyses; this analysis is the first step in evaluating the impact of potential development on a community. Other planning projects included master plan reexaminations, land use and redevelopment studies, and land use plan element updates for master plans. A master plan serves as a guide for decisions regarding the future physical development of a community.
Services were provided by one licensed professional planner and two Geographic Information System specialists. The GIS specialist analyzes and manipulates geographic information and data for preparing studies, maps and graphics that are used in developing local planning documents such as master plans and other master plan elements.
For the zoning build-out analyses, for example, the Regional Planning staff developed a computer model that used GIS and spreadsheet programs. For each municipality they examined, planners used that town’s current zoning ordinance and map.
“The long-term benefits towns reap from these coordinated planning initiatives are obvious,” said Comegno, “but because municipalities can access these services at no cost, this shared service ultimately saves taxpayers money.”
The Burlington County Bridge Commission manages the Tacony-Palmyra and Burlington-Bristol Bridges, and through its economic development and improvement authority powers, assists Burlington County municipalities in economic development and community revitalization projects and extends pooled financing options to local governments and nonprofits in Burlington County. These initiatives have resulted in a savings of more than $15.9 million dollars and garnered more than $16.1 million dollars in grant monies for municipalities.
