How can Firstech Environmental help with your CAFRA Permit?

The CAFRA permitting process can be complicated and daunting for the homeowner or developer, architect or engineer. Firstech Environmental personnel can prepare your CAFRA permit application package for submission to the New Jersey Department Protection Agency. Our personnel are experienced in both the CAFRA General Permits for residential properties and Individual Permits for commercial property applications.

What is CAFRA?

In 1973, New Jersey enacted the Coastal Areas Facilities Act (CAFRA), which is designed to protect the vital shore areas of New Jersey from being overdeveloped. In accordance with CAFRA, residential development, commercial development, industrial development, and public development in these areas are regulated through permitting from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

Where are the New Jersey CAFRA zones?

The CAFRA zone extends through eight counties of New Jersey, from the coastline of Middlesex County south to Cape May County, west following the Delaware River to Salem County.

Freshwater Wetland and CAFRA Permit Applications 

Customer: Confidential
Client: Ocean County, New Jersey

Firstech Environmental personnel have prepared New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection permit applications required for the construction of a 75,000 square foot commercial warehouse and office space facility with associated parking. The property was located within the Coastal Area Facility Review Act (CAFRA) zone and was encumbered by freshwater wetlands. A CAFRA Individual Permit, Freshwater Wetlands Letter of Interpretation, and Transition Area Waiver - Buffer Averaging Plan were required for the site, prior to the intended development. The permit applications were completed following procedures consistent with the Freshwater Wetlands Protection Act (N.J.A.C. 7:7A), CAFRA (N.J.A.C. 7:7) and the Rules on Coastal Zone Management (N.J.A.C. 7:7E).

The scope of work included:

• An environmental evaluation of the property that included the delineation of the freshwater wetland boundary with consecutively numbered survey flags. This assessment included a subsurface evaluation of the site completed by the advancement of 24 soil borings to a depth of approximately ten feet to determine the lithology underlying the property. Vegetative, hydrologic, and subsurface characteristics were recorded on Field Data Sheets.
  
  
• A review of environmental maps available for the property, including the U.S.G.S. Topographic Map, the Ocean County Soil Survey, and the NJDEP Freshwater Wetlands Maps
  
  
• A review of aerial photographs to determine the history of the property as well as the surrounding area
  
  
• Coordination with the Project Engineer to design the required surveys for the permit applications. Firstech Environmental personnel also designed the Transition Area Waiver - Buffer Averaging Plan that was utilized to alter the shape of the wetland buffer area in order to maximize the development potential for the property.
  
  
• Preparation of the CAFRA Individual Permit Application which included an Environmental Impact Statement illustrating the compliance of the proposed project with all applicable policies of CAFRA and the Rules on Coastal Zone Management. The application also included Soil Boring Logs, copies of all available maps of the property, site photographs, aerial photographs, the Land Use Regulation Program Application Form, an Authorization of Access Form, the required legal notices, a Certified list of all property owners within 200 feet of the site, proof of mailing for all legal notices, and proof of mailing for all permit applications.
  
  
• Preparation of a Freshwater Wetlands Permit Application package in accordance with the Freshwater Wetlands Protection Act. The desired freshwater wetland permits included a Letter of Interpretation and a Transition Area Waiver - Buffer Averaging Plan. This application package included a Wetland Delineation Report, a Transition Area Waiver Compliance Statement, Field Data Sheets, copies of all available maps of the property, site photographs, aerial photographs, the Land Use Regulation Program Application Form, an Authorization of Access Form, the required legal notices, a Certified list of all property owners within 200 feet of the site, proof of mailing for all legal notices, and proof of mailing for all permit applications.

The CAFRA Individual Permit application was approved in its entirety with only minor revisions that limited the paved areas of the Property. The Letter of Interpretation verifying the wetland boundary as delineated by Firstech Environmental personnel and the Transition Area Waiver - Buffer Averaging Plan were approved without modification.