Business View Civil & Municipal | July 2022

69 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 7 JEFFERSON TOWNSHI P , NEW JERSEY communities were built up around the lakes and were summer communities. And then over the years, they got converted to full-time homes. The vast majority of people are permanent, here, now.” Jefferson Township is 42 square miles, located in the northwest corner of New Jersey in beautiful Morris County. “What makes it unique is that we have Lake Hopatcong right in our backyard,” Wilsusen says. “We encompass the largest shoreline of Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey’s largest lake. That is our economic engine of the area. This area has been called the recreation capital of New Jersey, for good reason. It’s just gorgeous! You have all these sub communities – Lake Shawnee, Lake Forest, Lake Winona, White Rock Lake, Cozy Lake, and Lake Swannanoa, just to name a few– and many of them are built up around lakes.” Jefferson Township has the largest holdings of land for the Morris County Park Commission, with over 3,500 acres of protected land within the township boundaries. Much of that includes a trail system for hiking and biking, along with camping and picnic areas. The area abounds with recreation opportunities, making it a definite destination for outdoor activities. That’s evidenced by the huge number of boats on Lake Hopatcong on the weekends. Locals joke that they only go out on the lake during the week – the weekends are too busy. Chamber of Commerce President, Dr. Bret Hartman, shares, “The lake is the big draw… it’s a hidden gem. And the restaurant community is amazing here. I live closer to the city and I don’t think there’s nearly as many good restaurants as there are up here!” The Airbnb business is picking up, too. “When I took office