Thoughts As 2023 Approaches

2022 was an interesting year in New Jersey. Development was strong in South Jersey, particularly in warehousing, which saw thoughtful entries (mostly occurring in existing industrial parks) and ones which threatened rural communities by locating on rural roads adjacent to residential neighborhoods. The issue of warehousing was not solved in 2022, although it was clear that communities were intent on combatting those which had no sensitivity to their surroundings. Large solar installations were held up, largely due to the inability of utility providers to add them to their grids. Good intent was held up by the reality of a lagging industry and infrastructure. Many communities experienced an influx of funding through ARPA, and surprisingly, some towns didn’t know exactly what to do with these dollars. This is where planning would be a great tool to have on hand - identify your needs and plan near shovel-ready projects to address them - always have projects at the ready (Pine Mount would love to help!).

And what will 2023 bring? One thing for sure, absolutely anything can happen - unknowns abound and nothing is an impossibility. If I were a betting man, I would say that 2023 will be a busy year, one in which development interests continue. Bottom line, companies need to pivot to the new realities post COVID, and they are still in this process - this means, new priorities, expansion and new development. Towns should be prepared for new types of development, think cannabis cultivation, micro-manufacturing, accessory dwelling units, domestic tourism among others. South Jersey is positioned for growth - Philadelphia is in flux and surrounding communities should take advantage by attracting companies, professionals and their families.

I am excited, although I am naturally an optimistic person. I am also a realist - nothing in this decade is easy or smooth, but if communities plan for change the opportunities are high for growth.

NJHT Grant Round Opens

Well, the New Jersey Historic Trust has opened up their latest grant round and it includes funding for capital grants, site improvement grant and heritage tourism! The capital improvement grants of up to $750,000 will be awarded along with site improvement and heritage tourism grants up to $50,000 each. This is great news! Historic sites need to have Determinations of Eligibility or be listed on the State Register of Historic Places depending on what type of grant you are seeking. These grants are excellent opportunities to document, plan and rehabilitate/restore your historic sites and resources. Of course, Pine Mount Consulting is ready to assist you in the application process, but the time to act is now - full applications are due on May 2nd.

Takeaways from the 2019 Re-grant Review Panels

One of my favorite projects every year is the re-grant review process for arts and history non-profits in New Jersey. Counties receive block grants from the NJ State Council on the Arts and the NJ Historical Commission to re-grant to smaller non-profits. I am honored to serve on several Grants Review Panels throughout South Jersey. This year these included Gloucester, Burlington, Ocean, and Atlantic Counties. You often see themes or challenges that occur through South Jersey. One of the biggest challenges I see everywhere is how non-profits deal with their historic sites and structures. Sometimes they barely know how to begin - how to research, document and list their structures so they become eligible for State grant funds. Sometimes they may be savvier on this front, but have no clue how to interpret the history represented at their locations or contextualize that history into a fascinating narrative that has wide-ranging appeal. Often, they have an outdated perspective on collections care and are not prioritizing the visitor in their programming.

I view the work I do as a tool to build the competitiveness of these organizations at the state level. If organizations are struggling locally, that means grant funds which South Jersey desperately needs are going elsewhere - to North Jersey or elsewhere. For South Jersey to be competitive we have to take a hard serious look at our deficiencies, recognize and accept them, and figure out what we can do to move beyond them.

If you’re involved in a non-profit that could use this type of conversation, let me know. I’d be happy to help.