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Commission presses NJDEP for decision-makers on delayed Seaview stormwater plan
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Summary
At an Interagency meeting commissioners said they will press the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to send senior decision-makers to a March 25 meeting as they seek a waiver and clarity on the delayed Seaview stormwater management plan.
Interagency commissioners said at their meeting that they will meet next week with New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) officials to try to resolve delays and secure a waiver for the Seaview stormwater management project.
A lead commissioner (S1) said the group has been asking for a waiver since October and that recent schedule slippage has pushed the likely timeline into fall unless NJDEP grants more time. "I said, you know, I think we may have to go to the press ... he goes, 'whatever you do, I support you,'" S1 said, quoting a recent conversation with Senator Vinh Gopal and recounting the commission's efforts to avoid escalation.
Commission members warned of internal miscommunication at NJDEP that they say has hampered timely reviews. S4 read a list of NJDEP staff notified for the upcoming meeting — including Katrina Angieron, Christina Albaizzati, Catherine Schaeffer, Robert Schust, Natasha Boyd and Henry Goschka — and said the commission wants senior decision-makers present so the agency can provide a definitive answer on the scope and any needed waivers.
The group described past reviews that accepted earlier plans, then later raised additional requirements during enforcement checks. S1 said that has led to repeated resubmissions and delays: "They keep on thinking that we had a requirement for these special MTDs, and we never did," the commissioner said, adding that the commission will press NJDEP to clarify requirements and whether the current plan can return to the originally approved approach.
Commissioners also asked NJDEP to provide notices of approved development, jurisdictional determinations and permit filings so the commission can act as a local second set of eyes. Tammy Miller, who has coordinated with NJDEP, agreed to include a permits representative at a future meeting and the commission said it will request workshops from NJDEP staff to help town construction departments and public-works crews understand applicable regulations.
Next steps: the commission will hold a face-to-face meeting with NJDEP staff next week (scheduled March 25), seek a decision-maker presence, and continue to compile and resubmit documentation where enforcement cases have been closed and need reopening. No formal action was adopted at this meeting; commissioners described the session as preparatory to the NJDEP discussion.
Why it matters: The Seaview stormwater plan affects local shoreline and wetland protections and could shape near-term construction and permit approvals in areas that commissioners say have experienced vegetation removal, erosion and past pollution incidents.
