Townships in the Pinelands are scrambling to submit comments on the clustering of new developments within their municipalities as Saturday's deadline to do so approaches.

The Pinelands Commission announced last week at a meeting that in addition to changing the Land Capability Map, it was proposing changes that would make clustering new developments mandatory.

Clustering involves building new properties in rural or forest areas on one-acre lots close to one another, rather than scattering new homes dozens of acres apart.

"This clustering thing snuck up on us," said Buena Vista Township Mayor Chuck Chiarello. "I don't think anybody realized the changes until now."

According to a letter the township submitted to the commission, Buena Vista opposes clustering because it doesn't "blend well with our existing pattern of development" and should be optional and not mandatory.

"The potential for use on those lots goes down drastically," Chiarello said.

Chiarello said that people who own several acres in these areas won't be able to develop their property as they wish.

The plan may not affect properties that were purchased before the Land Capability Map was first released in 1979. Those properties might be allowed to follow land-use rules that were in affect before the map zoned the Pinelands.

Mullica Township also has sent a resolution to the commission, citing how the clustering mandate "is out of place and out of character for a rural, Pinelands community."

Other townships affected by development designation changes and clustering are a bit more cautious. The maps showing the changes are preliminary overviews for counties and don't distinguish where one development area ends and another begins.

"We really haven't seen that much development in our forest areas," Hamilton Township Mayor Charles Pritchard said. "But (clustering) might be the impetus that gets them moving."

Although comments are due Saturday, more detailed maps won't be made available for at least a few more weeks, according to Paul Leaken, a spokesman for the Pinelands Commission.

"A lot of people really want to know what we're looking at, but we haven't even made the proposal yet," Leaken said.

Although Leaken could not comment on any of the specific concerns of the townships, he said that every single one would be addressed.

"It's absolutely true that all of these comments on the record will be taken into our account," Leaken said.

Proposed changes to the Land Capability Map revealed by the Pinelands Commission on Wednesday could strengthen preservation requirements for thousands of acres in Atlantic County.

The very preliminary reclassifications varied greatly by county. Atlantic County would be most affected, while Cumberland and Ocean counties would experience very little change.

"These are all moving targets," said Larry Liggett, director of land use and technology programs for the Pinelands Commission. "Even when we finish this map, things will start to change."

Many areas in Atlantic County, especially Buena Vista, Egg Harbor and Hamilton townships, would be reclassified as forest area. These ecologically important areas are largely undeveloped. In many cases, reclassifying areas that allow some development would end up limiting development to approximately one home every 28 acres.

Hamilton Mayor Charles Pritchard said mayors have not seen the proposed changes but that he is scheduled to see the new maps today. He said one concern would involve property that would be listed in a forest area.

"It sounds like that would have a dramatic impact on landowners in that area," Pritchard said.

Buena Vista Township Mayor Chuck Chiarello said he plans to attend a seminar today on the changes. But he said the township is concerned about the effect of changing nearly 5,000 acres from a rural development zone to farm area slated for preservation.

"We are happy to be a Pinelands community, and our residents appreciate the beauty," he said. "But also it keeps our town from growing and a tax ratable base from growing."

Egg Harbor Township Mayor James "Sonny" McCullough did not attend the Pinelands Commission meeting and said he was not aware that the township would be within the proposed zoning change area.

"Anything the Pinelands (Commission) will do to reduce our residential quotas is a positive for Egg Harbor Township," he said, decliningdeclined to comment any further until he has reviewed the proposal.

Deputy Mayor Stanley "Jake" Glassey, said, "If they drop the (number) of homes with it, it's great. If the (building) ratio comes down, it's great."

It appears the changes to Galloway Township will not have very much of an effect, according to Mayor Tom Bassford, who said he expects to know more today after township planner Tiffany Cuviello has reviewed the proposed map.

Proposed changes to the Land Capability Map, which has not been redrawn since 1979, are based on current ecological data. The changes presented at Wednesday's meeting are based on 2002 data, which Liggett said was outdated in many cases.

In one example, Liggett showed an aerial photograph of the town of Barnegat by Bay Avenue and the massive development expansion that had occurred between 2002 and 2008. He said a proposed reclassification in development designation might not hold up based on 2002 data.

Although based on older data, many township and municipal officials who attended Wednesday's meeting said they believe the changes presented made sense.

"I don't have a problem with their methodology," said William Pikolycky, mayor of Woodbine and vice chairman of the Pinelands Municipal Council. "We will also evaluate all the areas with the data sets we have."

John Stokes, executive director of the Pinelands Commission, said the changes are based on regional data and that people should contact their local municipalities to determine if the changes specifically affect their towns or their property.

"If any of our towns ask for help, we'll provide that analytical data to them," said John Peterson, deputy director of the Department of Regional Planning and Development for Atlantic County.

Staff writers Emily Previti and Michelle Lee contributed to this report.

E-mail Ben Leach:

BLeach@pressofac.com

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TRENTON - The Council on Local Mandates struck down a requirement that rural municipalities pay for their State Police coverage, calling it an illegal, unfunded mandate at a hearing Wednesday morning.

There is no appeal of the decision under the state constitution.

"I'm excited, to say the least," said Buena Vista Township Mayor Chuck Chiarello, who attended the hearing. "But I'm not going to say anything is over, even after it's over. We now have to decide what we are going to do next."

Council Chairwoman Sylvia B. Pressler said the eight-member council ruled that the requirement that 89 towns with part- or full-time State Police patrols pay a collective $12.6 million ran afoul of the 1996 state constitutional amendment that state mandates require state funding.

The decision removed 700 words from the 316-page state appropriations bill signed into law in June.

She said the council would explain its reasoning in a written decision, expected by the end of the month.

State Police spokesman Lt. Gerald Lewis deferred to the Attorney General's Office regarding funding alternatives and whether the shortfall would have an impact on patrols and enforcement. Attorney General's Office spokesman Lee Moore declined comment beyond saying the office was reviewing all options to reverse the decision.

Gov. Jon S. Corzine also declined comment on the ruling or the impact on state finances Wednesday afternoon, saying he wanted to confer with Attorney General Anne Milgram.

But he told reporters, "It's just indicative of the difficult choices that are going to be ahead for my office - the Governor's Office, the Legislature - and in difficult times people aren't happy with the outcomes or the choices, but the fact is the money isn't there to be spent."

Local elected officials from both parties cheered the ruling.

State Senate Majority Leader Stephen M. Sweeney and Assemblymen John J. Burzichelli and Douglas H. Fisher, all D-Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester, said in a news release that it is a "win for rural taxpayers."

Burzichelli is one of five legislators who sponsored the "Rural Police Services Relief Fund" in May that would require the state pay the value of local property taxes on their facilities into a fund that is later divided among rural patrol towns. The bill remains in committee.

Similarly, state Sen. Jeff Van Drew and Assemblymen Nelson T. Albano and Matthew W. Milam called it a victory, saying the decision protects the rights and wallets of thousands of families.

The three, all D-Cape May, Cumberland, Atlantic, had sponsored legislation in June that would have offset State Police costs with a $40 surcharge on all motor vehicle violations. The bill also remains in committee.

In Atlantic County, state Sen. Jim Whelan, D-Atlantic, said he is happy for towns that had relied on the services.

"My concern is now do other towns decide to do away with their police department and let the state provide coverage?" he said.

Republican Atlantic County Assemblymen John Amodeo and Vince Polistina applauded the decision in another news release. They both suggested the state take the $12.6 million from the Special Municipal Aid program, which they said "only rewards a select group of seven politically connected cities which cannot balance their own budgets."

The rural patrols issue, which factored in budget discussions in 2003 and again this year, resurfaced in the spring, after state budget proposals would require rural towns contribute $20 million towards State Police services.

Municipalities complained that the proposal ran afoul of the 1921 State Police Act that created the agency in part to offer policing services to municipalities too small to afford their own department.

The final budget reduced the overall contribution to $12.6 million, with an additional $5 million available to those that enter into cost-sharing agreements by Dec. 15.

Attorney William John Kearns Jr., who represented the state League of Municipalities at the hearing, argued that merely reduced the unfunded mandate to $7.6 million.

Deputy Attorney General Brian Flanagan, who represented the state, argued the reduction was constitutional because it was part of the state budget, which is itself a constitutional requirement. Constitutional requirements are exempt from the unfunded-mandates issue. He also argued it was not an unfunded mandate because other state municipal aid would easily cover the difference.

He referred questions to the Attorney General's Office after the hearing.

While the decision delighted many local mayors whose municipalities are covered by State Police, some wondered how the state would come up with the money apparently needed for rural patrols.

Estelle Manor Mayor Joe Venezia said the state should consider a $5 assessment on traffic tickets, saying it could raise $25 million.

Not all local officials agreed, however.

Folsom Borough Mayor Tom Ballistreri said in a statement released Wednesday by the Atlantic County Republic Committee that he is opposed to that idea but pleased with the council's decision.

WEYMOUTH TOWNSHIP - Court cases involving this small rural municipality are increasingly likely to be heard in Buena Vista Township next year instead of Estell Manor, where they've played out for more than 40 years.

The Township Committee voted 2-1 Wednesday night to give initial approval to the court merger. Mayor Frank Craig and Amelia Messina voted in favor, Edward Benish against. Final approval from Weymouth could come at the Nov. 5 committee meeting.

Even if each township approves a separate ordinance, they need to cosign another document, an interlocal agreement that solicitors for both governments are preparing. Buena Vista Mayor Chuck Chiarello estimated all approvals could be in place by mid-November, in time for the new court arrangement to begin Jan. 1.

Estell Manor court officials will meet Oct. 27 to see whether cutting back from two monthly sessions to one would offset the financial loss of Weymouth's likely departure, Mayor Joseph Venezia said Thursday. The city is considering other options, Venezia added.

Estell Manor's government building is two and a half miles south of Weymouth's. Buena Vista's is nine miles to the north.

Buena Vista's court meets twice a month at 6 p.m. Chiarello said the sessions would not need to begin earlier to accommodate Weymouth cases.

Weymouth is the only participant in a court-merger study this summer to agree to join Buena Vista. Estell Manor and the boroughs of Buena and Folsom have passed. Buena and Folsom operate their own courts; Estell Manor's court hears cases from Weymouth and Corbin City. The latter municipality is considering leaving Atlantic County to merge completely with Upper Township in Cape May County.

NEWTONVILLE - When Ralph E. Hunter Sr., the founder of the African American Heritage Museum of Southern New Jersey here, went to elementary school in the 1940s in Philadelphia, his classmates made fun of him when the teacher read the book "Little Black Sambo."

"I didn't listen," said Hunter about when the teacher read the book in class. "Kids made me feel bad about it."

Later, when he was an adult, Hunter was in North Carolina to play golf, and he walked into a shop that sold a "Little Black Sambo" book. He purchased the book, so that other people wouldn't be exposed to it - but he didn't throw it away.

For the first time, Hunter read the book.

Hunter realized it was originally a story about a boy's encounter with tigers in India. The history of the story itself was a fascinating tale, as there were 22 different versions of the book published. Hunter, who was already a chronicler of his family history, started to collect black memorabilia from the 19th and 20th centuries with the Sambo books as his first pieces.

After 35 years, Hunter, has more than 3,000 pieces in his collection.

"I bought things for years. At antique shops, I would buy a couple of pieces, and I would leave my name there. I've been to 100 different locations," Hunter said. "I took money out of my 401K. I mortgaged my house two different times. My kids thought I was crazy."

In 2003, Hunter opened the museum, which celebrates its fifth anniversary on Saturday.

"This is the positive part of African-American life," said Hunter, 70, who added that the museum features nothing about lynching or other negative things. "You can walk away with something more than grief or a feeling of sorrow. It's a learning experience."

The museum includes permanent exhibits, as well as special displays, such as the current exhibits on Nelson Mandela and works by black artists.

But Hunter works to keep even the permanent exhibits fresh for frequent visitors. He rotates pieces from the museum's collection of historical artifacts and memorabilia in and out of displays, so someone returning to the museum has a good chance of seeing something new.

The museum is located in the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center along with a day care and senior citizen center. Buena Township Mayor Chuck Chiarello said the museum has added to the life at the center for the past five years.

"People from Newark, Camden and even other states have come to the museum. He has helped many up-and-coming artists," Chiarello said.

Hunter, a retired import-export retailer, estimates he has driven at least 61,000 miles during the last five years on museum business. He is either driving to bring a traveling version of the museum to a school or driving to pick up more historical artifacts from someone.

Hunter opened the museum with his 3,000 items. The museum's collection has since grown to 11,000 items.

"People are writing my name on the back of pictures all around the country," said Hunter. "They have the value of history for the person, a city or a church ... maybe, not today, but 50 or 100 years from now."

In the past five years Hunter has learned that running a museum isn't always easy.

"It wasn't curated. It was just things hanging on the wall. But five years ago, you felt my passion to do better," said Hunter.

Still, Hunter knew what he wanted - that visitors walking through through the museum would be told a story, starting with the most recent significant African-American events to a journey back into the past.

Every day Hunter would drive from his home in Atlantic City to the museum. Some days, no one would show up, and the museum was only open for two months during its first year. Hunter said his breakthrough idea was to have new artists showcase their works every 30 days, giving people who had visited the museum and liked it a reason to come back.

"I have made 40 friends I would normally not know," said Hunter about all the artists who have shown their work at the museum over the years.

One of them is artist Richmond Garrick of Willingboro. Garrick learned about Hunter's museum when he approached the Noyes Museum of Art in Oceanville about a show of his work. Garrick, who currently has an exhibit at the Atlantic City Art Museum, did his first southern New Jersey exhibition in January 2007 at the heritage museum.

"For me, it was a privilege having the African American Heritage Museum on my resume. It opened a lot of doors," Garrick said.

On Saturday, the museum will hold a fifth anniversary celebration, where money will be raised through a silent auction and art sale. Among the artists whose work will be on sale is Paul Keene, a self-described "abstract realist" from Philadelphia.

For the future of the museum, Hunter said he would like for people to consider donating their family history to the museum, including photographs.

Anne Glapion, an Egg Harbor Township resident, exhibited her paintings at the museum in February 2007 and later became a volunteer and board member. Hunter asked her to be on the board to help with the art component.

"I was aware of it (the museum), but I had never been out to see it. I was very impressed with what Mr. Hunter was trying to do. To me, it really fills a void. We don't have anything else like that," said Glapion, 57. "It's really needed for our kids, families, black, white or whoever. African Americans have been very important in this country. Our children should know that."

Fifth anniversary celebration

Saturday: 5 to 9 p.m.
The African American Heritage Museum of Southern New Jersey: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, 661 Jackson Road, Newtonville.

Tickets: $55 per person or $100 for two. Can be purchased at www.aahmsnj.org/aahm_ev.htm.

Regular hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, but call to confirm at 609-704-5495.

When John Stokes presented plans at last week's Pinelands Municipal Council Meeting to change the Pinelands Land Capability Map - a color-coded chart that divides land in the reserve into one of nine categories - questions immediately arose.

No specifics were available about which towns will be affected or to what degree the categories will be switched.

The map designates which sections of the Pinelands National Reserve are cleared for development and which ones must be protected based on ecological data. But the map has not been redrawn since 1979, and based on new ecological data, the Pinelands Commission believes the map is outdated. "It is not a museum piece," said Stokes, executive director of the commission. "It's not cast in stone."

With the advent of its environmental monitoring program, the commission looked at hundreds of environmental indicators - water quality, fish and toad populations, and vegetation, for example - and determined that between 30,000 and 50,000 acres in the Pinelands need to be reclassified. That's only 3 percent to 5 percent of the 1 million acres that make up the Pinelands, but Stokes said the changes could affect every county that is part of the reserve.

"It's not as if we're throwing away the old map," Stokes said. "We're taking a look at the old map to see where we can refine it."

The current map is available on the commission's Web site. Stokes said the commission hopes to have a more detailed map of possible changes available to the public by the end of the month. Municipal officials are scheduled to get a look at the changes Oct. 22-23.

Stokes advised the public to ask questions about the changes to see how it will affect specific properties.

Want to know more

Current Pinelands Land Capability Map:

www.state.nj.us/pinelands/landuse/capab/