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New Jersey Motorsports Park Consider this - a rural community in southern New Jersey sets out to preserve fifty percent of its total land area as natural open space. The said community has already preserved over 10,000 acres, approximately thirty-seven percent of its landmass, and continues to work with the State and non-profit organizations in the interest of continuing to uphold the fifty percent commitment from town planners. The community is located in a region that has been hard pressed for years. Jobs have been lost and economic development activities have proven less fruitful than expected. Yet the town has consistently upheld its commitment to the environment and embraced the effect open space has on the quality of life in the region. This is the story of the City of Millville, a champion of environmentally sound planning with sincere dedication to open space preservation. Recently the City of Millville introduced and approved an economic development project that respects environmental constraints and is in compliance with every standard set by state, federal, county and local governments - the New Jersey Motorsports Park. Slated to begin construction in the immediate future, this Park is an innovative way to turn Millville into a hub for economic growth while still upholding and preserving the ecological nature of Cumberland County. As President of the Southern New Jersey Development Council (SNJDC), I would like to take this opportunity to express the organization's overwhelming support for the New Jersey Motorsports Park. The SNJDC was established in 1951 as a non-profit organization to promote responsible economic development in the southern eight counties. Over the past 54 years, the Development Council has consistently supported projects that have helped make South Jersey an exciting place to live, work and play. After much review, the SNJDC has concluded that this project is something that the community needs - and wants - and will have a significant impact on economic development in Cumberland County and the entire region. It is our belief that the Millville Planning Board and its elected officials have closely listened to the concerns of residents and members of the environmental community, and have taken reasonable and prudent steps to take those concerns into consideration prior to the adoption of the Millville Motorsports Park General Development Plan. The creation of the Motorsports Park will stimulate economic growth while decreasing the region's unemployment rate. Cumberland County has seen some of the State's worst levels of unemployment in recent years. Since January 2004, the State of New Jersey's unemployment level has hovered around 5.0% while Cumberland County has averaged 7.7% unemployed. Conservative estimates predict this complex will create approximately 1,500 permanent jobs (in addition to 1,000 development phase construction jobs) in a community and region that desperately needs employment. In addition, a substantial tourist attraction will be created in the southern shore region to complement existing tourist destinations in New Jersey. The region already boasts the State's largest Historical District in Bridgeton, picturesque shore towns like Ocean City, Wildwood and Cape May, and the Delaware Valley's fastest growing Arts District, located in Millville itself. The opportunities for tourism are plenty. The addition of the NJ Motorsports Park make them countless. New hotels will be constructed to meet the requirements of visiting car enthusiasts, competitors and spectators. Plans for innovative educational opportunities in the field of performance engineering will be created at local colleges and universities in the surrounding area. Local development and redevelopment projects will be energized in the effort to serve the visitors of the Park. Bottom line – Investment in Millville, Cumberland County. The only thing stalling the momentum of this worthwhile project is a lawsuit being brought against the Millville Planning Board by the Rutgers Environmental Law Clinic. The Clinic apparently has concerns with the placement of the facility, which is hard to grasp as the site is located within an Urban Enterprise Zone, a redevelopment zone and adjacent to the Millville Airport, a site that no one would consider environmentally sensitive. Leaders on both sides of the political aisle have formally called on Rutgers Environmental Law Clinic to withdraw its lawsuit and cease impeding the progress of the New Jersey Motorsports Park. The SNJDC echoes that request. For the City of Millville, Cumberland County and the entire South Jersey region, the construction of the Motorsports Park must move forward as scheduled. Sincerely, Marlene Z. Asselta |
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