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NJS 45:22A-21 et seq.) to require
community associations to allow the
installation of electric vehicle charging
stations in an owner’s designated
parking space. CAI-NJ recognizes
that electric vehicles continue to prolif-
erate and would like to be friendly to
such endeavors. This bill recognizes the
right of an association to impose rea-
sonable restrictions on such installations
and appears to require associations to
permit access over or under common
property to accomplish the end result.
Such restrictions, however, may not
significantly increase the cost of the
installation or decrease its efficiency or
performance. The bill also provides
that applications for such installations
are to be treated as other architectural
modification requests. Although well
intentioned and the wave of the future,
the bill as presently written requires revi-
sion to adequately project association
interests. Accordingly, CAI-NJ represen-
tatives met, in June, with the prime spon-
sor, along with charging station industry
lobbyists and the builders association.
We are cautiously optimistic that a
compromise can be reached.
A4123/S2522 – Fire Hydrants
Finally, A4123/S2522 would
begin to address the inequity of treat-
ment of fire hydrants on private streets
within community associations. These
bills, introduced last year, and current-
ly pending before the Assembly State
and Local Government Committee
and the Senate Community and
Urban Affairs Committee would
address hydrants serviced by munic-
ipal utility authorities (MUA’s). These
authorities control some but certainly
not all hydrants within community
associations (the balance are handled
by towns directly or by private utilities,
like New Jersey American Water).
However, this bill would be a first step
in the right direction.
If passed, this bill would require
MUA’s to “inspect, maintain and repair,
fire hydrants located on streets and
roads in planned real estate develop-
ments within its service borders in the
same manner and to the same extent
as fire hydrants that are not located in
planned real estate developments are
inspected, maintained, and repaired
by that authority.” CAI-NJ has long
lobbied to get out of the business of
maintaining fire hydrants, on the basis
that this health and safety equipment is
best maintained by those expert in the
field. This bill would address that issue,
but only with respect to MUA territories.
Not addressed in this bill is the
cost of these hydrants, CAI-NJ’s other
wish list item in this regard. At pres-
ent, most associations pay a standby
water fee for the hydrants on their pri-
vate streets. This charge is often sub-
stantial, $1,500 per year per hydrant
in some cases. CAI-NJ continues to
push for whoever provides the water
to either charge the municipality for
same or failing that, at least give the
association the benefit of the lower
water charge charged to municipal-
ities for the hydrants that they pay.
Thre has been no movement yet on
this latter issue.
n
"CAI-NJ has long
lobbied to get out of the
business of maintaining
fire hydrants..."