S2577

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen) that would permit developers to convert age-restricted units to non-age-restricted units as long as they set aside a portion of them for affordable housing was approved 21-14 today by the full Senate.

Under the terms of the bill (S-2577), for a developer to be eligible for conversion they would have to set aside a percentage of the units in the development, not to exceed 20 percent, for the provision of affordable housing.

FREEHOLD – Three bills sponsored by Senator Ellen Karcher which would help preserve more open spaces in Monmouth and Mercer counties were signed into law today by Acting Governor Richard Codey.

“Preserving our state’s open space is critically important in the face of encroaching development and suburban sprawl,” Senator Karcher said. “Here in Monmouth County, we’ve seen the face of sprawl in the last 20 years, as once-open farmland and forests have been rezoned for commercial and residential development at an alarming rate.”

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Ellen Karcher which would appropriate $75 million to fund park development and open space acquisition, including $20.5 million for projects that include municipalities within her 12th Legislative District, was approved by the Senate Environment Committee yesterday.

“Going into the Memorial Day weekend, we recognize just how important a healthy State parks and open space system is to our economy,” said Senator Karcher, D-Monmouth and Mercer. “Well-maintained parks and historic sites, and pristine tracts of open space, are the crown jewel of New Jersey, giving us an inseverable link to our past or a direct connection to nature, and fueling the tourism engine that drives New Jersey’s economy. A greater investment in the State’s park system and open space will improve the quality of life for New Jerseyans living within our communities, and will create an even greater draw for tourists to appreciate the historic relevance and natural beauty of the Garden State.”