FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 8, 2009

County to host Panhandle information session
Includes current and future preservation, 
conservation and development needs

MILLSTONE – The Monmouth County Planning Board will hold a public information session and open house about the future development, preservation and conservation of the county’s panhandle area beginning at 6:30 p.m. on May 13 in the Millstone Community Room at 463 Stagecoach Rd.

The event is designed to open up the process of creating a Panhandle Region Plan (PRP) by involving local residents. Anyone who attends the session will hear about the progress to date, have an opportunity to voice concerns and submit comments or suggestions for consideration in the draft plan.

The panhandle is the western-most portion of Monmouth County that includes Allentown, Roosevelt, Millstone and Upper Freehold. The area consists of 20 percent of the county’s land area and is bounded by Burlington, Middlesex, Mercer, and Ocean counties. 

“The goal of a Panhandle Region Plan is to help the communities prepare, both collectively and individually, for sustainable growth while preserving their environmental resources and farmlands and maintaining their unique history and local character,” said Freeholder Deputy Director John D’Amico, liaison to the county Planning Board. 

“Some of the topics already discussed include shared services, taxes, walkable communities, farm and open space preservation, infrastructure availability, traffic congestion, affordable housing, development/sprawl/suburbanization, historic preservation, natural resources and agricultural support mechanisms,” D’Amico said. “We look forward to hearing from residents who may have other ideas or are just interested in what has been discussed so far.”

A Panhandle Regional Collaborative comprising representatives from each panhandle municipality, county and state officials and community stakeholder groups – chambers of commerce, environmental groups, historic and agricultural commissions and cultural organizations – has been participating in the year-long regional study that is being funded by a 2006 Smart Future Planning Grant awarded from the New Jersey Office of Smart Growth.

The target date for completion of the Panhandle Region Plan is July 2009.

Information about the Panhandle Region Plan study is available on the county’s Web site at www.visitmonmouth.com and clicking on the link to the Planning Board or by calling the Monmouth County Planning Board at (732) 431-7460.

#     #     #