Chiusano appointed to COAH Committee his main interest: abolishment of  RCA’s 

    SPARTA (4/24/08) - Assemblyman Gary R. Chiusano (R-Sussex, Morris, Hunterdon) has been named to serve as one of the Republican members of the Joint Committee on Housing Affordability.

      In addition to working with the committee on reviewing housing affordability rules Chiusano has expressed a real concern about the Third Round Rules for the Council On Affordable Housing (COAH).  “This is an important quality of life issue in Northwest New Jersey and I am anxious to get working on it so my constituents’ voices can be heard,” he said.

   “Since I have been a member of the Legislature I have heard from a lot of concerned residents, business owners, and local officials about this issue,” he said    

    He also has expressed concern about proposed new rules which include eliminating Regional Contribution Agreements (RCA’s).

     “Municipalities in my district have had a lot of success with RCA’s,” Chiusano said.  “Conservationists and local officials are concerned about the prospect of trying to comply with stringent and burdensome COAH regulations without the option of doing RCA’s.  They are fearful this will significantly increase property taxes and cause accelerated development of already dwindling open spaces.

       Other issues Chiusano hopes to see discussed by the committee are low-income housing requirements in the Highlands, the impact of excessive, newly proposed fees on businesses and job growth, including the situation confronting ThorLabs in Sussex County, as well as the recent flawed study by COAH in Morris County. 

     That study identified areas for potential court-mandated housing in people’s backyards, on the grounds of Picatinny Arsenal, a highway rest area, the median on I-287 and even in some areas that, by law, are permanently preserved as open space.

    “Confronting these issues and many others are important to get them out in the open so taxpayers understand what is happening on housing issues,” Chiusano said.   “I believe my background in business and finance, as well as having served in local and county governments make me well qualified to be a productive voice on this committee.”