Needs Of Hillsborough Aging Residents Will Be Incorporated In Master Plan

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — To ensure residents can comfortably age in place, Hillsborough Township is taking a novel approach to incorporate age-friendly principles while conducting its master plan update.

On May 14, the Township Committee adopted a policy resolution supporting the incorporation of age-friendly design into all municipal plans.

"Hillsborough remains committed to providing a high quality of life for its aging population," according to the resolution.

In New Jersey, the population aged 65 and older has grown by almost 25 percent between 2010 and 2019, and by 32.5 percent since 2000. The population between the ages of 55 and 64 has grown even more dramatically, increasing by 62.3 percent between 2000 and 2019 as the bulk of the Baby Boomers reached age 55, according to the resolution.

To take into account the growing number of younger Boomers, who will reach retirement age over the next decade, Hillsborough is conscientiously planning for the needs of their aging residents.

Concurrent with the master plan update, Hillsborough is working through the Sustainable Jersey Community Design for All Ages Action to develop an age-friendly implementation plan.

Adopting a policy to promote age-friendly design with regard to municipal land-use decisions is a first step toward the development of the plan. This plan will identify improvements to make Hillsborough more livable for people as they age.

The plan will include an age-friendly land use assessment and a community engagement component to evaluate the extent to which the community meets the needs of older adults. It will result in recommendations for housing, transportation, walkability, and other improvements to include as goals in the master plan.

"To continue serving our population of all ages and abilities, we need to take steps to ensure all people have appropriate living options and remain connected to services and public amenities that provide for a high quality of life. We will continue to prioritize our children and senior citizens as they deserve the best future and life. Most notably, the contributions of our senior community are a part of what makes Hillsborough the special place it is and we cannot lose that," said Mayor Robert Britting, Jr.

The Hillsborough Township Planning Board and the Planning & Zoning Department are performing the update to the master plan and receiving free technical assistance from New Jersey Future to integrate the master plan update with the completion of the Community Design for Ages Action to earn up to 25 points in the Sustainable Jersey Program.

"Common age-friendly considerations include making crosswalks safe, providing reliable public transportation for people who can no longer drive, and ensuring that housing options are plentiful and affordable as people downsize while they age. By conducting our master plan update in tandem with an age-friendly implementation plan, our goal is to incorporate these important considerations into all of our planning and decision-making," said Deputy Mayor John Ciccarelli who is a member of the Planning Board.