L.B. council approves self-assessment report

L.B. council approves self-assessment report
BY KENNY WALTER Staff Writer

LONG BRANCH — The city moved a step closer to achieving urban center designation from the state last week by approving a self-assessment report required to qualify the city to move up a level in the state planning process.

After hearing a presentation by zoning officer Michelle Bernich, the council approved the self-assessment report, an inventory of demographics and resources like public transportation, by a 4-0 vote at the Nov. 24 meeting. Councilman Brian Unger was absent for the vote.

Bernich summarized the self-assessment report for the public and council.

"We put together a municipal self-assessment report with the help of CMX [engineering firm] to address the state plans and goals and see if the city is consistent with them," she said. "The report is a snapshot of where the city is today in many different categories."

Bernich said that the city, which is currently designated as a regional center, will petition the state to move up a level to become an urban center.

"It will see if the city can re-establish itself as a regional center and also to petition as an urban center, moving up another level in the planning process," she said. "The city will be asking the Office of Smart Growth for urban center designation."

Bernich explained the benefits of urban center designation compared to remaining as a regional center.

"The regional center, there is many of them in the state, what that does is allow many of them to apply for different types of funding and grants," she said. "The city has done that in the past.

"There are fewer urban centers, there are currently nine," she added. "Long Branch would be the 10th and that actually elevates the city another level to the top of the state's planning process. It would benefit the city in getting different and more grants," she continued.

A summary on the website of the New Jersey State Planning Commission defines what urban center designation means.

"Urban centers offer the most diverse mix of industry, commerce, residences and cultural facilities of any central place," the summary states. "They are repositories of large infrastructure systems, industrial jobs, corporate headquarters, medical and research services, universities, government offices, convention centers, museums and other assets.

"They are also home to a large pool of skilled and presently unskilled labor that will, with appropriate investment, become among the state's most valuable human resource assets," it continues.

The summary also describes what a regional designation means.

"They often serve as major employment centers and offer regional services, such as higher education, health and arts/entertainment," the summary states. "In rural areas, they may be population centers and county seats, with small business districts serving residents."

The public was given the opportunity to speak at a public hearing on the report at the Nov. 24 meeting, but no one made a motion toward the microphone. However, during the public portion one local business owner addressed it.

"I think it is a positive move on behalf of the city," said Interlaken resident Robert Napoli. "I think it is a great idea to plan for the future."

The 100-plus-page selfassessment is a detailed look at the city, including the city's history of development as well as the city's current demographics.

A large portion of the assessment is an analysis comparing Long Branch to the rest of Monmouth County.

Long Branch had a population of just over 31,000 in 2000 and is projected to have grown to over 40,000 in 2009.

The assessment also shows that the city is more diverse than both the county and the state, with a higher level of blacks, Latinos and other populations. The average city resident is also younger than both the county and state average. The report can be viewed in its entirety on the city's website, www.visitlongbranch.com.

Contact Kenny Walter at

Kwalter@gmnews.com.