Hey Middle Township!

WE MUST PUSH BACK ON EXTREME ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION OVERREACH

For the past decade, Middle Township has worked hard to strike a smart balance between protecting the unique rural nature of our community while allowing for responsible, sustainable commercial and residential development. We shepherd this process through our zoning and planning boards, the recent reexamination of our Master Plan and the updating of our Town Center concept that concentrates more dense and commercial development along the Route 9 and Route 47 corridor.

We are sensitive to the environmental challenges that come with development and have partnered closely with The Wetlands Institute, The American Littoral Society, The Nature Conservancy, the Cape May County Open Space Board and others to protect and preserve our marshes, meadows and bayside beaches. Over fifty percent of our 72 square mile community is preserved open space.

We embrace reasonable solutions. But Governor Muphy’s Executive Order 100, issued in 2020, which instructed the Department of Environmental Protection to incorporate predicted future impacts of climate change into the state’s land use regulation is grossly unreasonable.

The state’s projections of sea level rise are based on a controversial 2019 study that projected a sea-level rise of 5 feet by the year 2100. Based on that projection, the DEP would create a new inundation risk zone that puts 54% of Middle Township, 23,652 acres in the inundation risk zone. Many areas that have never seen flooding would be placed in these zones.  

Development within these zones would be subject to much stricter standards than the rest of town. The definition for inundation used by the DEP is an area of permanent standing water all day or twice a day with tides.

These onerous new regulations, over 1000 pages long, would bring burdensome costs not just to new development, but also to any existing property owners in these zones looking to renovate a home or business. These rules would make many properties nearly impossible to resell and drive up the cost of infrastructure improvements for the municipality. They would all but halt job creation and economic development.

Thankfully, the County of Cape May is pushing back against Trenton’s overreach and Middle Township is committed, along with our neighboring communities, to demanding that these regulations strike a much fairer balance between environmental protection and responsible development. 

A county-commissioned report concluded that these regulations would have serious and far-reaching negative consequences for both our beach towns and our mainland communities.

The study was prepared by environmental consultants, the Lomax Consulting Group.

Middle Township acknowledges that climate change and sea level rise are a documented risk to the coastal zone of New Jersey and its barrier island communities. These challenges require thoughtful and well-reasoned responses from all levels of government. The Township continues to respond to the threat of tidal flooding and major coastal storms by practicing the highest standards of coastal resiliency and floodplain management in all Township critical infrastructure and building projects.

Our county has been dealing with flooding, coastal storms and beach erosion since our founding over three hundred years ago. All of the municipalities in Cape May County that are within Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs) have adopted floodplain management ordinances that in most cases go beyond compliance with FEMA’s standards. Our county and local Offices of Emergency Management are well versed in providing the necessary support to our local communities in the approach, duration, and wake of major coastal storms.

In short, we can take care of ourselves. 

Therefore, as the elected representatives of Middle Township, Township Committee joins with our colleagues on the Board of County Commissioners and our partners in neighboring communities to resolve:

1. Middle Township supports the County of Cape May’s requests for a comprehensive and independent analysis of the potential economic and social impacts of the proposed regulations, including a focus on protecting the interests of low and moderate-income families. 

2. Middle Township supports the County of Cape May’s requests that the State of New Jersey engage the Legislature and enact these rules through the typical legislative process, to give the people of New Jersey a voice, rather than through an Executive Order with limited public engagement. 

3. Middle Township supports the County of Cape May’s requests that these regulations be based on a 20- or 30-year timeframe that is adjusted over time to reflect sea level rise and resiliency measures, rather than based on an 80-year projection. 

4. Middle Township supports the County of Cape May’s requests that the State of New Jersey consider the inclusion of a budgetary appropriation to assist towns with the implementation of these rules and further, appropriate funding to implement a State grant program to support coastal resiliency projects that will inevitably incur greater costs due to the higher regulatory standards that includes significantly higher elevation requirements for new roads. 

5. If the State of New Jersey decides to proceed with the expansion of flood hazard areas before FEMA releases the new FIRMs, Middle Township supports the County of Cape May’s requests that the State of New Jersey follow the same practice as FEMA and prepare detailed flood maps, and further hold public engagement sessions across the State, so that communities and residents can clearly understand how these regulations will impact their areas and properties. 

6. Middle Township supports the County of Cape May’s request to forward and hereby order copies of this Resolution to all relevant state and federal agencies.

In my opinion, these arbitrary and onerous regulations are a classic example of massive government overreach. There is no legislation that authorized the NJDEP to require more stringent requirements than the federal regulations that are now in place. These rules as currently written do not consider the economic impact these new standards may have on the ratables, real-estate values, development, and redevelopment statewide, but especially in Cape May County where we have greater than $50 billion in net ratables, and greater than $625 million in State tourism tax revenues produced annually.

Our duty is to fight for the best interest of our taxpayers. These regulations fall into direct oppositions of those interests. We are in this fight, along with our committed partners, to protect home rule, defend our way of life, ensure our ongoing prosperity and demand that laws and regulations be promulgated not by the Governor alone, but through the constitutional process in the State Legislature. 

Chris Leusner

Mayor, Middle Township

August 5th Township Committee Meeting

1. Presentation by Mayor and Committee – July Employee of the Month – Daniel Shustack

2. Presentation by Mayor and Committee – Recognition of Retirement 

• Officer Julio Ruiz
• Officer Gino Castellano 
• Chief of Police Jennifer Pooler 

3. Presentation – Portrait Unveiling – Mayor Timothy Donohue

4. Presentation – Peter Lomax/Lomax Consulting Group – NJPACT/REAL – NJ DEP proposed coastal rules analysis

5. Introduction of Ordinance to regulate the use of houseboats within the Township.

6. Extended the date for payment of 3rd quarter taxes to August 31st

7. Appointment of Administrative Agent for Affordable Housing – Triad Associates

8. Revised the mission and appointed new members to the Recreation Advisory Council

9. Rejected bids for the collection of solid waste, refuse and recycling

10. Awarded bid for reconstruction of Church Road, Rio Grande.

August 19th Township Committee Work Session

1. Ridge Road Construction Update

2. Presentation – Lenore Tedesco/Wetlands Institute – USACE Project Update

3. Presentation – Executive Director - ACMJIF (Joint Insurance Fund) - Renewal visit 

August 19th Township Committee Meeting

1. Introduction of ordinance to adjust sewer service rates and connection fees

2. Appointment of Conflict Engineer – MV Engineering

3. Renewal of membership in Atlantic County Municipal Joint Insurance Fund

4. Certification of review of the annual audit

5. Resolution approving annual Free Yard Sale – September 20th – September 22nd

6. Award of contract for financial services software – Edmunds Gov Tech

7. Award of contract for landscaping services – Douglass Landscaping Services LLC

Middle Township residents are encouraged to attend Township Committee meetings to share their thoughts, questions and concerns with Township Committee. 

Visit the Township website for information on meeting dates and times: https://middletownship.com/

Reeds Beach looking south on Beach Drive

The thousands of cars streaming to Cape May County for some sun and fun all summer, rarely turn right off Route 47 to invade the Delaware Bay beaches of Middle Township. That is just fine for the eclectic collection of souls that enjoy a different, quieter beach experience where horseshoe crabs and migratory birds far outnumber beach umbrellas, lifeguards and banner planes. Beachcombers and birdwatchers love the solitude, dogs are welcome and the sunsets are amazing. And no beach tags!

These tiny hamlets seem frozen in a simpler time. While some properties have been upgraded to rival their beach community neighbors, most homes remain in the cozy bungalow category with sand-blown yards. Many rest uneasily on wooden stilts directly over the tidal flow of the Delaware Bay. 

Kimbles Beach has an interesting mix of upland fields, mature forest, tidal wetlands, and beach habitats all in proximity to one another. On the right side of the road, there is a universally accessible gravel trail. Locals enjoy panoramic views out over the Delaware Bay. In spring, the beach is often busy with migrating red knots feeding on horseshoe crab eggs in a seasonal ritual as old as time. 

Kimbles Beach, Pierces Point, Reed’s Beach and Cooks Beach sprung from a ramshackle community of locals who came to the bayside to enjoy the bay’s fishing, crabbing, beaches and, for the hardy, swimming. Bait shops and fishing piers appeared to support the growing interest in the mid-twentieth century. Before the days of stricter land use laws, the bayside bungalows developed over time and generations of many families passed these sandy cottages down to sons and daughters. 

Goshen Landing Shipyard

Further north, Goshen Landing was settled by Aaron Leaming, who began raising cattle in 1693. By 1710 there was a settlement. Goshen's first industry was a king crab mill and a canning factory. Shipbuilding and lumbering industries flourished. The Tavern House (circa 1725), on the corner of Route 47 and Goshen Landing Road, is one of the oldest homes in Cape May County. At different times it has been a tavern, hotel, dentist office and residence. While significant changes have been made, much of the original workmanship is still evident. Rough-hewn logs still support the house, and wooden pegs hold the rafters in place.

A rich diversity of birds and other wildlife make Reeds Beach a must during a visit to the area. The first European settler at Reeds Beach was William Robinson in the early 1700s. The area was originally called the Cedar Hammocks. From the end of the north jetty, you can see the length of the coastline from East Point to North Cape May. The long, flat stretch of beach at the south end of Reeds Beach offers a great walk, shell hunting and beautiful views of the surrounding meadows, creeks and marshlands. 

At the southern end of the Township, Norbury’s Landing offers a new park, with panoramic vistas of the Delaware Bay. The spot offers unobstructed views far down the beach in both directions and is a good place to scan the bay for birds and bottlenose dolphins. The wide sand flats are a favorite roosting spot for many birds.

The bayside’s biological diversity is home to many biological studies including horseshoe crab spawning surveys and tagging, shorebird research, oyster bed development, egg density studies and beach restoration and resiliency projects.

The Township hosts two thriving wineries near the bayside. Natali Vineyards and Jesse Creek winery are part of a successful and maturing wine industry on the Cape May County peninsula. The unique combination of soil, climate and location offer the most frost-free days and the longest growing season for grapes in the state of New Jersey. 

Middle Township’s seventy-two square miles offers a uniquely diverse collection of hamlets, villages and neighborhoods. From our Atlantic marshlands to our farms, forest and Delaware Bay shores, Middle Township has something for everyone to enjoy, in every season.  

At the August 19th Township Committee Meeting, Mayor and Committee approved an ordinance restructuring the mission of Recreation Advisory Council and appointing nine Township residents as members at large to serve terms ranging from one to three years. The Council will also include one member of the Recreation Department staff, a Township Committee Liaison and a Board Secretary. The initial appointees to the board shall serve terms as follows: (1) Three members: three-year term. (2) Three members: two-year term. (3) One member: one-year term. Two alternate members were also appointed.

The Council will meet at least every quarter, or on such other more frequent meeting dates as the agenda established by the Committee shall provide.

Committee Jim Norris, who oversees the Recreation Department, will serve as the Township Committee Liaison to the Council.

“We look forward to engaging with this revitalized Recreation Advisory Council under the leadership of Council Chairman Warren Wade,” Norris said. “We have ambitious plans to upgrade our fields and facilities in the coming years. Input from a diverse, active and engaged Recreation Council will be crucial to ensuring we meet the recreational needs of all of our residents.”

Newly Appointed Members:

Warren Wade – Chairman

Committeeman Jim Norris – Township Committee Liaison

Sam Caraballo – Recreation Department Member

Pam Gaskill – Board Secretary

At-Large Members

Jamie Cullican

Stephanie Fritsch

Camille Fitzmartin

Craig Lawson

Charles McNeal, Jr.

Dan Loesch

Alternate Members

Shannon Feltwell

Lizabeth Bannon

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Events Calendar

Community gatherings to engage our community

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