OFFICIAL SITE OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEYConservation Restriction Release Hearing–Township of Galloway, Atlantic County–Partial Release of Conservation Restriction–Stockton University
Requestor: Stockton University
Restricted Property:
Various Lots on the Stockton University Campus
Block 645, Lots 3, 5 and 6
Block 663.01, Lot 55.27
Block 681.01, Lot 10
Block 875.04, Lots 1.01, 1.02, 1.03, 1.04, 1.05, 1.06, 1.07 and 1.08
Block 42, Lots 38, 93, 93.01, 94 and 94.01
Township of Galloway, Atlantic County
Description of Release Request:
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has received a request for a partial release of a Deed of Conservation Restriction. The Conservation Restriction was granted to the Department by The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey (now Stockton University) on October 7, 2010 as a condition of the approval by the Pinelands Commission of the April 2010 Master Plan for the University. Under the Conservation Restriction, about 1232 acres of land owned by the University were restricted from future development. Of these lands, 1005 acres are located on the University campus and 227 acres are located off the University campus.
The boundaries of the deed restricted area were established in the 2010 Conservation Restriction using a color-coded exhibit that was part of the 2010 Master Plan. However, as the Pinelands Commission’s and the University’s facilities staff began to research the base maps that were used for the creation of the exhibit, it became clear that the exhibit lacked the level of accuracy required to determine the precise boundaries of the deed restricted lands at the Galloway campus. In turn, this lack of accuracy was an impediment to implementing improvements to existing infrastructure that are critical to the University’s operation. In order to address these issues, the University and the Pinelands Commission have now agreed to changes to the April 2010 Master Plan and corresponding modifications of the areas restricted under the Conservation Restriction.
The proposed modification will remove restrictions from approximately 33.001 acres of land currently restricted under the Conservation Restriction and impose those restrictions on approximately 35.345 acres of presently unrestricted lands. Overall, the modifications to the Conservation Restriction will result in a net gain of approximately 2.344 acres of deed restricted land.
The lifting of restrictions from lands owned by the University constitutes a “release” of those restrictions under the Conservation Restriction Act. Therefore, in accordance with N.J.S.A. 13:8B-5, the Department, as the holder of the conservation restriction, will be conducting a public hearing on the proposed partial release prior to making a final determination on this request.
Under N.J.S.A. 13:8B-6, the approval of the Commissioner of Environmental Protection is also required for the proposed partial release.
Related Documents:
August 30, 2010 Pinelands Commission Report on the Stockton College April 2010 Master Plan
October 7, 2010 Deed of Conservation Restriction
May 19, 2022 Pinelands Staff Memo to CMP Policy and Implementation Committee
November 2022 Map Set Showing Current and Proposed Restricted Lands
Hearing Date/Time: June 3, 2024 at 6:00 PM
Hearing Location: This hearing will be held online.
Hearing Information:
The public hearing will be conducted remotely and broadcast live on the Pinelands Commission’s YouTube channel.
To view the hearing live, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/live/5BkPElTVmiQ?feature=shared
To provide public comment during the hearing, please call (929) 205-6099 and use Meeting ID 846 9922 3567
Public Comments Accepted Through: June 17, 2024
The Department invites the public to attend the public hearing and present comments on the requested release. Written comments on the proposed release may also be submitted by June 17, 2024 to:
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
Office of Transactions and Public Land Administration
Public Land Compliance Section
PO Box 420
Mail Code: 401-07
Trenton, New Jersey 08625
PublicLandCompliance@njdepwptest.net
Emailed comments are preferred. Please put “CRR1101002 Stockton University” in the subject line of your email.