Glossary of Terms

In consideration for all who may visit the CRA site including residents and Freshman Developers, we have created a glossary of some of the frequently used acronyms and redevelopment terms.

AOC-- Area of Concern: An area at a site where contamination is identified or suspected.

ARRA-- American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

AST-- Above ground storage tank

BDA-- Brownfields Development Area: An approach whereby DEP works with selected communities affected by multiple contaminated sites (brownfields) to design and implement remediation and reuse plans for these properties simultaneously.

Brownfields-- Any former or current commercial or industrial site that is currently vacant or underutilized and on which there has been, or there is suspected to have been a discharge of a contaminant.

CDBG-- Community Development Block Grant

CRA--Camden Redevelopment Agency

Davis Bacon-- Statutory requirement that persons working on Federal assisted projects be paid at least minimum prevailing wage rates.

DCR-- Debt Coverage Ratio (NOI/Hard Debt)

EA-- Environmental Assessment. Analysis to determine effect of a project on the environment. May lead to an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

EPA--Environmental Protection Agency: The Federal Agency whose mission is “to protect human health and to safeguard the natural environment -- air, water and land -- upon which life depends.”

FONSI-- Finding of No Significant Impact. Environmental Assessment finding that a project will not significantly affect the quality of human life

FY-- Fiscal year

GIS-- geographic information system

HDSRF-- Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Fund: A state program that provides grants and low-interest loans to municipalities, counties and businesses for costs associated with remediating contaminated sites.

HUD-- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

INDUSTRIAL SITES -- In general, properties included in the Industrial Site Inventory are those properties in industrial or commercial zones (with contiguous lots greater than one acre). The objective of the Industrial Sites Inventory is to identify those areas in the City where industrial development can be directed and thrive given environmental, economic and community considerations. This effort will result in the development of a quality industrial site inventory linked to a strategy for locating and developing existing and new industrial operations.

LIHTC-- Low Income Housing Tax Credit

LSRP-- Licensed Site Remediation Professional: Individuals that are licensed by the Department and are qualified to conduct the remediation of contaminated sites in New Jersey without prior NJDEP approval.

Master Plan--The Master Plan establishes broad development goals and objectives for the entire City of Camden. The comprehensive nature of the document allows the city to guide future land use in a manner that promotes public health, safety and the general welfare. The Master Plan does not propose specific projects or detailed developments - rather, it shows appropriate locations and intensities of future development related to housing, retail and commercial uses, community facilities, recreation, transportation, and utilities. Goals and policies associated with economic development, historic preservation, conservation and recycling are also included. Lastly, as the source of official planning and development goals, the Master Plan has primacy in Camden City. Official zoning districts and the Zoning Map are derived from the document, and all smaller scale plans, as well as projects requiring zoning review, must conform to the Master Plan.

MOU-- Memorandum of Understanding

Neighborhood Plan--A Neighborhood Plan is a local plan for housing, community and/or economic development that is stakeholder driven and seeks to improve quality of life and opportunities for a given neighborhood. Neighborhood plans often contain many of the same elements as the Master Plan such as housing, community facilities, recreation and economic development goals. Unlike the Master Plan, however, specific proposals to achieve these goals are included in a Neighborhood Plan and range from policy suggestions to conceptual project plans. Stakeholder involvement is vital to the neighborhood planning process and a community vision is developed to guide all planning objectives. Neighborhood Plans are often amended to the Master Plan once adopted by City Council

NFA--No Further Action: A final remediation document issued by the Department that is a determination based upon an evaluation of the historical uses and/or investigation of a site or subsite that there are no contaminants present or that any discharged contaminants that were present have been remediated to applicable standards or remediation regulations.

NJEDA --New Jersey Economic Development Authority: An independent, self-supporting State financing entity for business and nonprofit organizations

NJDEP--New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection: Vision statement - As national leaders in the stewardship of natural resources, we preserve the ecological integrity of the Garden State and maintain and transform places into healthy, sustainable communities. The Site Remediation Program is a unit within the NJDEP.

NJHMFA--The New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA) is a statutorily authorized entity of the State of New Jersey. The Agency is empowered to raise money by issuing tax-exempt bonds. Since the Agency’s borrowing costs are low, it can pass the savings along in the form of low-interest rate mortgage loans to qualified home buyers. The Agency also is empowered to finance multifamily rental housing and is the allocating agency for the federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit program."

NJRA-- New Jersey Redevelopment Authority: A state financing agency committed to the redevelopment of urban New Jersey.

NSP-- Neighborhood Stabilization Program

PA--Preliminary Assessment: The initial process of collecting data and reviewing available information about a known or suspected waste site or release.

PILOT-- Payment in Lieu of Taxes

RAW-- Remedial Action Work Plan: A plan developed by a responsible party to conduct cleanup work at a contaminated site.

Redevelopment Plan--A Redevelopment Plan is a legal document that dictates general or specific physical changes to a previously improved area. Plans can range in size from a singular site up to several blocks or an entire neighborhood. As legal documents, these plans grant certain powers to public agencies over land acquisition, transfer and sale; therefore, substantial requirements for public notification are built into the plan creation and approval process. Similar to a neighborhood plan, a redevelopment plan depends on input and participation from residents and stakeholders to shape a vision for physical improvement within the plan area, and often focuses on housing, community and economic development, as well as transportation and streetscape improvements, public open space, institutional development, and community facilities. The final plan consists of three important documents:

1) The Area In Need of Redevelopment Study (AINR, or “Study”), which through detailed analyses of physical conditions presents the legal basis for an area to be deemed “blighted” and therefore either:
a) in need of rehabilitation
b) in need of redevelopment
c) some combination of (a) and (b)

2) The Redevelopment Plan (“Plan”), which provides the physical and legal means to address conditions of blight through any of the following: conceptual plans, site plans, strategies or phasing plans, property consolidation or subdivision, property acquisition, development budgets, capital improvements or infrastructure plans, identification of public financing sources, public incentives, brownfields remediation, design principles or standards, development policies, and designation of a redevelopment entity. Furthermore, a Redevelopment Plan sets official zoning designations, districts and boundaries for an area that supersedes citywide zoning designations.

3) The Human Capital Plan (“HCP”) serves as a link between physical improvements from redevelopment on one side, and individual improvements in opportunity and quality of life on the other. The HCP focuses on new opportunities for human and social enrichment that arise from redevelopment, and is formed with substantial and ongoing community input. This ensures that existing residents and stakeholders – not just newcomers – benefit from the physical redevelopment activities happening in a neighborhood.

REO-- real estate owned (in reference to defaulted FHA-insured properties)

RFP-- Request for Proposals. Used to solicit proposals for contracts.

RFQ-- Request for Quotations. Used to solicit price quotes

RI-- Remedial Investigation: An in-depth study designed to gather data necessary to determine the nature and extent of contamination at a site and establish criteria for addressing it.

SI-- Site Investigation: The collection and evaluation of data adequate to determine whether or not discharged contaminants exist at a site or have migrated or are migrating from the site at levels in excess of the applicable remediation standards. A site investigation is developed based upon the information collected during the preliminary assessment.

UCC -- Uniform Construction Code is state code that contains standards governing construction, alteration, renovation, rehabilitation, maintenance, occupancy and use of buildings and structures, including school facilities.

UST-- Underground Storage Tank: A tank located all or partially underground that is designed to hold petroleum products or other chemicals.

Youthbuild-- HUD program to promote apprenticeships for needy youth in building trades