BOROUGH WINS, RINGWOOD CITIZENS LOSE,

IN LAND USE CASE

On November 6, 2000, Judge Frank Donato ruled in favor of the Borough of Ringwood in the lawsuit brought against the Borough by Skylands CLEAN.

This ruling is a disappointment for CLEAN. But more importantly, it is a setback for Ringwood residents - as well as the 2 million residents who get their water from our reservoir system - whose quality of life deserves much better protection than what the current, special-interest zoning provides for. Affected also are the many thousands of people who value and enjoy the Highlands for recreation and relaxation. This decision underscores just how much in jeopardy is the last wilderness area in New Jersey is.

The judge's decision leaves everything as is. Instead of working in the public interest on modern criteria for smart growth and good planning, the Borough fought for the status quo. Along with other issues, the urgent need to protect steep slopes and to deal with stormwater runoff, both of which impact on the watershed and the quality of our drinking water, remain unaddressed. Allowable densities are far too high for Ringwood's environmentally-sensitive terrain. Scenic ridgelines and viewsheds remain unprotected.

In his ruling, Judge Donato did not address any of these critical environmental impacts, nor the serious flaws in the current zoning, detailed by CLEAN during the trial. Instead, he noted the "absence" from the case of the party primarily responsible for safeguarding the watershed - namely the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission (NJDWSC), which operates the Wanaque and Monksville reservoirs.

Ironically, ever since the Ringwood Mayor and Council enacted the awful zoning ordinance of 1996, CLEAN has been unsuccessfully urging the NJDWSC to take an active role in protecting the watershed land from the impact of inappropriate zoning and development around them. We sincerely hope that now that the DEP has designated the NJDWSC to be the guardian of the State's Watershed Management Area 3 (encompassing the Wanaque and Pequannock watersheds), the NJDWSC will at last get involved in protecting the watershed. Although CLEAN believes there are appeal-able issues justifying an appeal of in Judge Donato's ruling, the effort to protect the sensitive environment and the watersheds it supports really requires the active involvement of the NJDWSC.

As we continue our efforts to get the NJDWSC activated, we will work at the local level on getting proper zoning and companion ordinances enacted. We call upon the Planning Board and the Mayor and Council of Ringwood to fulfill their promise to revisit the zoning ordinance in question as well as to explore other needed companion ordinances, in an open and public process. We are ready, as we have done all along, to participate in this process in a constructive and positive way. Skylands CLEAN will not rest until residents have the appropriate zoning and ordinances they expect and deserve. CLEAN will also continue to monitor the conduct of public officials with a view towards preserving the integrity of the processes of municipal government.

Now that the trial is over, Borough officials are complaining about the money they spent defending their position. But if the zoning ordinances served the public interest, rather than the narrowspecial, development interests as they do, CLEAN would never have had to initiate the lawsuit. Borough officials really have no one to blame but themselves, and it is they who are accountable for wasting taxpayer money.