2010 Environmental Resource Inventory

What is Englewood's ERI/NRI?

The Environmental Resource Inventory (ERI), also called a Natural Resource Inventory (NRI), or Index of Natural Resources, is a compilation of text and visual information about the natural resource characteristics and environmental features of Englewood. An ERI is an unbiased report of integrated data. It provides baseline documentation for measuring and evaluating resource protection issues.

The ERI is an objective index and description of features and their functions, rather than an interpretation or recommendation. Identifying significant environmental resources is the first step in their protection and preservation. The ERI is an important tool for environmental commissions, open space committees, planning boards and zoning boards of adjustment. New Jersey Planning Boards are strongly encouraged to adopt the ERI as part of the municipal master plan, either as an appendix, or as part of a master plan conservation element. As part of the master plan, the ERI can provide the foundation and documentation for the development of resource protection ordinances, and resource-based land use planning.

The ERI was prepared to assist Englewood with its smart growth revitalization plan that was initiated in 1995. It was also designed to be included as an Attachment to the Master Plan Land Use Element. As part of the Draft 2009 Englewood City Master Plan, the Englewood Planning Board, with the assistance of the Englewood Environmental Commission, has identified a number of environmentally-related objectives, including:

• Preserve the character of the residential neighborhoods. 
• Develop pedestrian walkways and bicycle paths as the connective tissue in the city, providing access from residential areas to major community resources, including the public library, town hall, Depot Square, Mackay Park, playgrounds, parks and shopping areas. 
• Design and implement a landscape plan at Veterans Memorial Park to enhance the intersection of Demarest and Dean Streets to serve as an appropriate gateway to downtown Englewood. 
• Protect historic neighborhoods. 
• Take full advantage of open space resources, in particular by redesigning Depot Square as a site of community activities, with a landscaped park, an open channel with natural banks, and facilities for an open-air market. 
• Develop municipal and public initiatives to support sustainability in Englewood including waste reduction, energy conservation, water and wastewater conservation, recycling and reuse.

In addition, it is recommended in the Land Use Element to:

• Include the City's inventory of parkland in the Open Space Zone.  Continue to remove blight and create additional pocket parks, gateways, and other open space amenities.

It is the hope of the Environmental Commission that the ERI/NRI will serve as a reference, a planning tool for use by Englewood's Planning Board, Board of Adjustment, and Land Developers to ensure smart growth, and protect the finite natural resources of our city and State.  Below, you can find, and download, the Environmental/Natural Resource Inventory, to include the original 1976 study conducted under the supervision of Professor Ian McHarg.  Professor McHarg is known as the father of the “Map Overlay Method”, the foundation of geographic information systems (GIS), a computerized spatial analysis tool, which revolutionized the way we view the world and our impact upon it. 

In addition to text document, there are also 24 GIS Maps associated with this document.  We have included them, as PDF files, on a separate page.

Visit our ERI Map page.

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about our city.  Together, we make the difference! 

- The Members of the Englewood Environmental Commission