Cases
Representative Legal Matters: Public Sector Clients: Nearly twenty (20) years of experience serving as general counsel to municipal utilities authorities.
Represent a municipality before NJDEP over regulatory compliance issues
over upgrades to municipal water supply system.
Experienced in h
ling redevelopment efforts, in the preparation of developer's agreements for selected redevelopers,
with developer's construction cost sharing
reimbursement agreements associated with related upgrades
expansions of sewer facilities.
Represented municipal water
wastewater utilities in all aspects of the their operations, including water supply
regulatory issues involving the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, as well as construction contract
real estate issues involving the authorities on a regular basis.
Represent municipal governing bodies
elected officials over wide variety of municipal government issues, Faulkner Act
OPRA compliance, enforcement of municipal zoning
construction codes, defense
prosecution of municipal ordinances, master plan
zoning enforcement ordinance development.
Represented a county improvement authority before NJDEP to resolve Green Acres funding issues in order to facilitate the redevelopment of public property,
represented another county improvement authority before NJDEP in order to resolve l
use
water supply issues to facilitate the development of a planned expansion of a corrections facility.
Represented county government before the New Jersey Pinel
s Commission for approvals related to the sale of a public hospital.
Represented a municipal utilities authority to resolve township-wide water supply permitting issues with NJDEP in order to facilitate ongoing commercial
residential development projects in the Township,
to resolve NJPDES permit renewal issues associated with a wastewater treatment facility,
to resolve disputes over developers' construction cost sharing
reimbursement agreements.
Represented municipal government in New Jersey Superior Court over costs for construction of municipal convention center
compliance with FEMA, FHACA, Coastal Zone,
UCC regulations.
Serve as general counsel to a County Planning Board. Experienced in reviewing development applications pursuant to the County Planning Act. Served as special counsel on a litigation
regulatory matter involving the proposed development of a residential
commercial project bordering on two municipalities, as well as the County's efforts to enforce a Developer's Agreement requiring the construction of required off-tract road improvements.
Represented County government in the defense
dismissal of l
title claims filed in federal court by Native Americans seeking tribal status
related benefits.
Served as co-counsel in the defense of an enforcement action filed by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection under the state's Freshwater Wetl
s Protection Act, which the Department at the time described as the largest wetl
s enforcement action in state history. The matter was resolved by the execution of an administrative consent order with the Department,
the client's simultaneous sale of approximately 10,000 acres of l
to a conservation organization.
Represented a public entity client in the resolution of l
acquisition
contaminated site cleanup
cost recovery issues with NJDEP in order to assemble properties for school construction projects, consistent with strict construction schedules.
Represented a school district to resolve l
use
environmental permitting issues with the New Jersey Pinel
s Commission
NJDEP, in order to facilitate the construction of a regional high school on approximately 400 acres of l
in Burlington County.
Represented a municipality to resolve waterfront development, freshwater wetl
s, contaminated site,
Safe Drinking Water Act issues with NJDEP to facilitate a mixed-use residential, commercial,
recreational project along the Delaware River.
Represent a county government to resolve NJPDES permit issues associated with a planned re-start of a l
fill leachate treatment plant, consistent with the county's construction
operations schedule.
H
led the sale
/or retirement of Pinel
s Development Credits, the transferable development rights established by the Pinel
s Commission for certain properties within the Pinel
s National Reserve.
Mr. Drollas served as a Deputy Attorney General of New Jersey from 1988 to 1996, including over three years of service in the Transportation Section in the Division of Law h
ling condemnation matters on behalf of the New Jersey Department of Transportation, as well as over five years of service in the Environmental Protection Section h
ling l
use
contaminated site litigation on behalf of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
administrative matters involving the New Jersey Pinel
s Commission.
Mr. Drollas has served as Special Counsel to the New Jersey Schools Construction Corporation beginning in 2003 with respect to l
acquisition for school projects in Trenton (Roebling School), Paterson (Paterson International High School)
Camden (Cooper's Poynt Elementary School). Mr. Drollas has also served as counsel to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority on condemnation matters, including representing the Turnpike Authority on l
acquisitions related to the Route 92 project in Middlesex County, as well as the planned Secaucus Interchange in Hudson County.
Serve as general counsel to County Bridge Commission
County Agricultural Development Board.
Mr. Drollas served as the New Jersey Governor's Representative to the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission in 2001-02.
Private Sector Clients: Represented a l
owner over the negotiation of an administrative consent order with NJDEP for contaminated site issues on property in Camden in order to facilitate a sale of the property, addressing both the scope
the timing of the required remediation work.
Represented a l
owner in Bergen County to resolve permitting
enforcement issues associated with the development of waterfront property that is governed by NJDEP's Hudson River Walkway regulations.
Served as co-counsel to a private religious organization in their efforts to develop oceanfront property, including the negotiation of a developer's agreement with a selected developer,
obtaining required regulatory approvals for the proposed development.
Represented developers in Middlesex County over freshwater wetl
s
associated historic site preservation issues with NJDEP in order to facilitate the construction of residential
commercial properties.
Represented a quarry operation in Passaic County to resolve air quality issues with NJDEP in order to facilitate the installation of advanced diesel generators.
Represented a family of l
owners in efforts to sell approximately 1600 acres of l
in Burlington County to the NJDEP Green Acres program.
Represented a metals recycler in tort litigation filed by city residents in state
federal courts involving nuisance claims associated with alleged air
noise pollution in the surrounding neighborhood.
Represented a septic waste hauler in cost recovery litigation filed by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection involving the cleanup of the BEMS l
fill in southern Burlington County.
Represented a large cranberry grower to resolve complex freshwater wetl
s permitting
enforcement issues with NJDEP in order to facilitate the sale of approximately 10,000 acres of farml
watershed to a non-profit l
conservation organization, consistent with strict time deadlines.
Represented a developer of multi-family residential
commercial properties in Burlington County before NJDEP to resolve freshwater wetl
s
stream encroachment issues, in order to comply with conditions of local development approvals
to facilitate the sale of those properties.
Represented a developer of single-family residential property in Burlington County to resolve water supply issues before NJDEP, in order to comply with conditions of local development approvals.
Represented the owner of waterfront property in Monmouth County in negotiations with a developer over the lease
planned redevelopment of vacant waterfront property in order to facilitate the construction of residential, commercial,
recreational development consistent with coastal development regulations administered by NJDEP
FEMA.
Mr. Drollas has appeared before l
development boards on behalf of residential
commercial l
developers in a number of municipalities in Bordentown Township, Burlington Township, the Townships of Cinnaminson, Delran, Evesham, Lumberton, Mount Holly, Mount Laurel, North Hanover,
Westampton. Mr. Drollas has also appeared before the Planning Board of the City of Paterson, Passaic County, the l
development board of the City of Bridgeton, Cumberl
County,
the l
development board in Stafford Township, Ocean County.
Mr. Drollas has also represented several municipalities in ongoing affordable housing litigation matters,
has advised them on COAH compliance issues as they arise. In re COAH, 221 N.J. 1 (2015).
Illustrative Litigation Matters: United States v. Rohm & Haas Co., 939 F. Supp. 1142 (D.N.J. 1996). Mr. Drollas represented DEP in contaminated site cost recovery
natural resource damage litigation matters in state
federal courts in New Jersey, including the Department's efforts to recover ' off-site' contamination associated with the Lipari L
fill Superfund site.
Toll Brothers, Inc. v. Burlington County Board of Chosen Freeholders, et al., 194 N.J. 223 (2008), 388 N.J. Super. 103 (App. Div. 2006). Represented County government before the New Jersey Superior Court, Law
Appellate Divisions,
the New Jersey Supreme Court over the validity
enforcement of a developer's agreement over a developer's obligations to provide off-tract road improvements for a residential
commercial development.
Hess Corporation v. Burlington County Planning Board, 195 N.J. 616 (2008). Represented the Burlington County Planning Board before the New Jersey Superior Court, Law
Appellate Divisions,
before the New Jersey Supreme Court in litigation over a commercial developer's entitlement to automatic approval of a development application before the Planning Board.
Florence Township v. County of Burlington, Docket No. L-1362-01 (Law Div., Mercer County, 2005). Represented Burlington County in litigation filed by a municipality in the New Jersey Superior Court seeking enhanced ' host community benefits' related to construction activity at the Burlington County Resource Recovery Complex.
Patzau v. New Jersey Department of Transportation, et al., 271 N.J. Super. 294 (App. Div. 1994), certif. den. 138 N.J . 268 (1994). Successful defense of the constitutionality of Air Safety
Hazardous Zoning Act before the New Jersey Superior Court, Law
Appellate Divisions,
the New Jersey Supreme Court.
Walker v. Burlington County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Docket No. A-2296-12T4 (App. Div. 2015). Defense of County decision to exclude solid waste recycling facility from County Solid Waste Management Plan, before the Superior Court, Law
Appellate Divisions.
New Jersey Natural Gas Co. v. Burlington County, Docket No. L-332-16 (Law Div. 2016). Defense
enforcement of County Road Occupancy Permit regulations before Superior Court, Law Division, related to the planned expansion of a regional natural gas pipeline through portions of Burlington County.
Certain Underwriters at Lloyds London v. Burlington County Bridge Commission, Docket No. L-498-07 (Law Div. 2009). Defense of insurance policy coverage litigation over $24 mil in costs of required repairs to damage to fender pier at the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge.
GLP Architects v. County of Burlington, Docket No. L-490-13 (Law Div. 2014). Defense of claims for payment of costs related to construction of public library, before the Superior Court, Law Division.
Altchem Environmental Services v. County of Burlington, Case No. 1:07-cv-00800 (U.S. District Court, D.N.J. 2009). Defense of claims for payment of costs related to construction of public library, before U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey.
Mr. Drollas also represented the NJDEP in a substantial number of administrative appeal matters (plenary hearings) before the New Jersey Office of Administrative Law over permitting
enforcement matters under the New Jersey Air Pollution Control Act, the Resource Conservation
Recovery Act, the Freshwater Wetl
s Protection Act, the Coastal Area Facility Review Act,
the Flood Hazard Area Control Act.
