Najarian Associates Inc.

Scope Of Work

County: Atlantic

Town: Galloway

Najarian Associates provided expert testimony, specialized environmental modeling, and civil engineering design services in support of a large-scale residential development project located in the Historic Village of Smithville, Galloway Township, New Jersey.

Four Seasons Residential Development

The project began back in the 1980s when a CAFRA permit was obtained for a large-scale residential development at the environmentally sensitive site. After being sued over this permit, NJDEP retained Najarian to provide expert testimony and specialized storm water modeling services. Subsequently, the permit was upheld.

In the late 1980s, the project stalled due to economic conditions, and partially built neighborhoods were abandoned. In the mid-1990s, K. Hovnanian Companies re-initiated the project and retained Najarian to provide engineering and environmental services.

Technical Services

Najarian worked with the project attorneys to successfully negotiate an agreement with NJDEP (and the environmental groups) that allowed use of the prior CAFRA permit. To this end, Najarian revised the wildlife management plan and re-instituted the stream and groundwater monitoring program. The monitoring data, which extended from 1988 into 2010, demonstrated no significant developmental impacts.

Major Permits Obtained

Besides CAFRA, Najarian Associates resolved all environmental permitting issues, including:

Endangered and Threatened Species

Freshwater Wetlands

Flood Plain Delineations

NJDEP Land Use Program Regulations

Soil Erosion and Sediment Control

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requirements

In addition, Najarian prepared all site plan applications (municipal, county, regional) and storm water management plans.

Planned Improvements

To date, Najarian has successfully designed more than 1,350 homes on the 3,000-acre Four Seasons at Smithville site, along with recreational features and a public park. Additional designed improvements included the following:

Najarian Associates strategically designed the villages to be clustered on less environmentally sensitive portions of the site with intervening wetlands, stream corridors, and natural areas.

Najarian added significant utility extensions to provide services to the villages, including new and upgraded sewage pump stations.

The firm designed and constructed 7,000 feet of new county road.

Najarian resolved several unanticipated on-site problems. For example, when a pair of bald eagles nested briefly, Najarian provided the required agency negotiations to set an appropriate buffer.

Najarian provided the necessary modified designs when a pond’s breached berm along Mattix Run required replacement. The firm demonstrated that the outfall structure was not a dam under NJDEP definitions and designed a new structure to conform to applicable Flood Hazard Area Rules.

The project’s storm water management system incorporated wet ponds that were stocked with fish and supported fishing.

Project Results

After almost 30 years, Galloway Township officials and residents are delighted with the high quality design, recreational amenities, and upgraded infrastructure provided by Najarian’s residential development project team.