Borough of Franklin Lakes

COUNTY OF BERGEN
DE KORTE DRIVE
FRANKLIN LAKES, NEW JERSEY 07417
201-891-0048
FAX NO. 201-848-9453

PRESS RELEASE

August 5, 2008

Franklin Lakes…The Franklin Lakes Environmental Commission cordially invites

residents of the borough to attend its meeting on August 25, 2008 at 7:30 P.M. in the Municipal
Building. At this time the Commission, Mayor Maura DeNicola, members of the Borough
Council and the Borough Administrator will meet with representatives of the Association of New
Jersey Environmental Commissions (ANJEC) to announce the “kickoff” of its Environmental
Resource Inventory project.

Franklin Lakes applied for and was awarded a Smart Growth Planning Grant from
ANJEC to fund 50% of the cost of the study. It will be the town’s first examination of its
environmental, historic and cultural resources since 1974. Tom Lambrix, chair of the
Environmental Commission stated, “After a period of rapid growth and development, it is
important that the town identify how those changes have affected its environmental quality.” The
ERI will include an inventory of the present state of the town’s waterways, wetlands, soils, steep
slope areas, open space, well heads, and threatened species habitat in order to provide
information for the maintenance and improvement of the Borough’s environmental quality. The
outcome of the ERI will be shared with the public and the town’s officials, including the
Planning Board, which will be helpful in aiding in the Board’s decision-making. The study’s
conclusions will also integrate current county, regional and state land use initiatives such as the
Highland Regional Master Plan.

The Environmental Commission has awarded a contract to conduct the ERI to Princeton
Hydro, LLC. Princeton Hydro is an environmental consulting firm with experience in site and
natural resource inventories, water quality assessments, subdivision and development reviews
and analysis, and open space preservation related services. The study to map the town’s
environmental resources will take a year to complete, during which Princeton Hydro will meet
periodically with the Commission, the borough’s Governing Body and the Planning Board to
discuss the project’s progress and its findings to date. When the ERI is completed, the data will
be in digital interactive format to ease the process of accessing the information for its use in
making sound planning, preservation, and future development decisions. It will also be posted on
the borough’s website.

Mayor Maura DeNicola added, “We are excited to be initiating this important
environmental project, which will give us critically needed information about the state of our
town’s environment. An important aspect of the yearlong study is the active participation by the
residents of Franklin Lakes. To that end, the Commission will have a booth at the town fair in
September where residents can learn more about the ERI.” In addition, the commission meetings,
usually the second Monday in the month, are open to the public.
 ANJEC is a non profit organization, helping environmental commissions, individuals,
and local and state agencies to preserve natural resources and promote sustainable communities
in New Jersey. ANJEC was formed in 1969 and is based in Morris County.

Contacts: Environmental Commission: Tom Lambrix 201-891-1816

Ed Wolynic 201-337-8650
Borough Administrator: Greg Hart 201-891-0048 ext.1201