On October 20th, 2003
The Cape May County Planning Board
Celebrated 50 Years of Service

THE CAPE MAY COUNTY PLANNING BOARD WAS ESTABLISHED BY THE CAPE MAY COUNTY BOARD OF CHOSEN FREEHOLDERS - OCTOBER 20, 1953.  Motion offered by Freeholder Walter Treen,

seconded by Freeholder Sol Needles, Jr.

The April 6, 1954 minutes indicate that Herbert H. Smith of Community Planning Associates, Princeton, N.J. was in attendance and described the work of other county and municipal planning boards.

Those minutes also list the three most pressing matters:

1.  Parkway entrances and exits
2.  Land use and abuse
3.  Off-street parking

The Planning Board has resided in the following locations:

1953            Third Floor, County Jail Building
1968            County Court House, Second Floor
1975            County Library Building, Second Floor
1992            County Administration Building, Crest Haven Complex

First Planning Board

William A. Haffert, Chairman
Edmund O. Howell
John J. Kay
Walter A. Keppler, County Engineer
Herman K. Kimble
Lawrence M. Lear
Howard Tenenbaum
Walter H. Treen, Freeholder
Henry H. White

First Planning Director - John Holland

Over the years, the Planning Board was directly involved in the creation of the following county organizations:

County Park Commission - Letter recommending this was sent by the  Planning Board to Freeholder Board on December 20, 1960.

County Fare Free Transportation System - Staff arranged for the purchase of the first busses for this program.

County Municipal Utilities Authority - involved in allocation program, landfill location, recycling program, etc.

County Cultural and Heritage Commission - filed and received grant for first County historic sites inventory.

County College - Planning Board conducted studies in early sixties on the creation and need for a county college.

County Farmland & Open Space Program - Planning Board recommended Ballot question and drafted program guidelines.

FACTS FROM THE PAST

Today it is universally accepted that the "Resort/Tourist Economy" is our number one industry.  This was recognized as an innovative concept in the County Planning Board's first "Resort Economy Study" in 1962.

Route 55 has been in the minutes of the Planning Board since early 1968. 

The Planning Board was asked by the Board of Chosen Freeholders to begin preparing an analysis of future county hospital needs in 1969.  The population projections developed were eventually used to justify expansion of Burdette Tomlin Memorial Hospital.

The County Planning Board and staff produced a widely-used documentary film on Cape May County, entitled "Sea Fever" in the 1960's.  The film was presented to many government and civic groups and aroused considerable interest in planning in Cape May County.

A proposal for a deepwater oil port and tanker unloading facility off Cape May County's coast was studied extensively by the board and staff in the late seventies.  The plan never materialized.

Around 1980, the Department of the Interior proposed leasing the rights for offshore oil and gas drilling off the New Jersey coast.  The planning staff and board studied the permitting and monitoring process for this program and comment extensively on proposed federal guidelines whenever practical.  After minimal exploration, the oil companies showed  no interest.

In the early eighties, a proposed floating nuclear power plant was discussed for the Jersey coast.   The staff performed extensive research and informed the Board and Freeholders about the proposal, which was eventually abandoned.

Over the years, the Planning Board and staff has served as technical/professional consultants to many municipal planning boards and helped them prepare local master plans and development ordinances.

The Planning Board has reviewed approximately 6,000 subdivisions and 4,000 site plans in 50 years of service.