FREEHOLD – The Monmouth County Planning Board has been awarded the American Planning Association New Jersey Chapter’s Outstanding Planning Education Award for its first two technical assistance outreach brochures for municipal planning. 
 
“We are proud of the Planning Board for creating these terrific tools for municipal planners and we are more proud that they have been recognized by their peers in the planning field,” said Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry, who is also a Planning Board member. “People are better able to understand complex local planning procedures once we remove some of the mystery surrounding the process.”
 
This user-friendly, how-to series was designed to assist planners at the local level by making the process less complex and continue the county’s outreach efforts by encouraging the people to get more involved at various stages of planning for their community.
 
The award presentation took place at the American Planning Association New Jersey Chapter annual conference in New Brunswick in early November. Accepting the award on behalf of the county Planning Board were Bonnie Goldschlag, deputy director, and staff members Zunilda Rodriguez, project manager, and Joseph Barris, technical adviser for the project.
 
The first volume, Master Plan Re-examination Report Procedures, included a step-by-step procedural checklist, quick reference guide, fast facts on essential information and additional resources. The second volume, Master Plan and Official Map Procedures, included information about legal requirements and basic procedural recommendations for plan and map elements in the same easy to follow format as the first volume.
 
“Many local decisions on development, growth, preservation and conservation are governed by various types of laws and procedures,” said Freeholder John D’Amico Jr., liaison to the Planning Board. “For Monmouth County’s efforts to be recognized by the American Planning Association is terrific. But our citizens are the real winners because these technical assistance brochures are a must-have for anyone interested in learning how all the pieces in local planning fit together.”
 
To guide citizens and community leaders through the various procedures, three additional technical assistance booklets are under development and scheduled to be released over the next year. Topics include zoning ordinances and maps; redevelopment area investigations and plans, and noticing. Each volume will include a quick reference guide, fast facts on essential information, referenced resources and a step-by-step procedural checklist.

 

“These outreach brochure manuals will serve as an invaluable daily resource to planning boards, zoning boards of adjustment, governing bodies, attorneys, municipal clerks, land use administrators and board secretaries and planners alike,” D’Amico said.
           
All Monmouth County municipalities receive a copy of each volume as it is completed. The booklets are accessible through the Planning Board section of the county’s Web site at www.visitmonmouth.com. For additional information, contact the Planning Board at (732) 431-7460. 

 

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