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A1147
ASSEMBLY, No. 1147
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman JOE DANIELSEN
District 17 (Middlesex and Somerset)
Assemblyman ALEX SAUICKIE
District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)
Assemblyman ANTHONY S. VERRELLI
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywomen Simmons, Reynolds-Jackson, Haider,
Assemblyman Spearman, Assemblywomen Donlon, Peterpaul, Assemblymen S.Kean and
Clifton
SYNOPSIS
���� Establishes pilot program in Office of Planning
Advocacy to reimburse municipalities for certain expenditures concerning
warehouse development; appropriates $1 million.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.
��
An Act
establishing a pilot program in the Office of
Planning Advocacy to reimburse certain municipal expenditures concerning
warehouse development and making an appropriation.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.���� As used in P.L.��� ,
c.��� (pending before the Legislature as this bill):
���� �Office� means the Office of
Planning Advocacy in the Department of State as established and constituted
pursuant to section 6 of P.L.1985, c.398 (C.52:18A-201) or any successor
agency.
���� �Warehouse� means any site,
building, room, structure, or facility used primarily for the storage of goods
intended for sale or distribution.
���� 2.��� a.� There is established
in the Office of Planning Advocacy a pilot program for the purpose of
reimbursing a municipality for reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in
reexamining and updating municipal zoning ordinances, and conducting certain
mitigation studies, concerning warehouse development.� The pilot program shall
offer grant funding to reimburse a municipality for:
���� (1)�� a reexamination of the
municipality�s master plan and adoption of a warehouse-specific zoning
ordinance consistent with the office�s guidance on warehouse development and
compatible with a model ordinance developed pursuant to section 3 of P.L.��� ,
c.��� (pending before the Legislature as this bill); or
���� (2)�� a mitigation study on
the potential effects of pending warehouse development site plan applications
and, regardless of the results of the mitigation study, adoption of a
warehouse-specific zoning ordinance consistent with the office�s guidance on
warehouse development and compatible with a model ordinance developed pursuant
to section 3 of P.L.��� , c.��� (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
���� b.��� A municipality may
submit to the office an application, in a form and manner to be determined by
the office, for a reimbursement grant for expenses incurred pursuant to the
provisions of subsection a. of this section.� The application shall require a
municipality to demonstrate that the municipality has enacted an ordinance
consistent with the office�s guidance on warehouse development and compatible
with a model ordinance developed pursuant to section 3 of P.L.��� , c.���
(pending before the Legislature as this bill) as a condition of receiving a
reimbursement grant.
���� c.���� The office shall
develop criteria to prioritize reimbursement grant applications from
municipalities that are in most need of financial assistance.
���� 3.��� The office shall
promulgate, not later than the first day of the third month next following
enactment of P.L.��� , c.��� (pending before the Legislature as this bill), one
or more model zoning ordinances detailing different regulatory options for the
siting of warehouses that may impose a negative impact on land use, traffic
volume, infrastructure, storm water runoff, public health, or any other impact
category determined by the office, and instead directs development towards
areas determined by the office to be best suited for warehouse development,
such as locations near to interstate, State, or major arterial highway exits,
roadways equipped to handle large volume of heavy vehicles, and areas able to
handle the water and waste water issues associated with warehouse development.
���� 4.��� The office shall, upon
the exhaustion of funds allocated to the pilot program, submit a report to the
Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52.14-19.1), to the
Legislature, evaluating the effectiveness of the pilot program, detailing the
expenditure of the funds appropriated pursuant to section 5 of
P.L.��� , c.��� (pending before the Legislature as this bill), and making any
recommendations on the feasibility of implementing the pilot program on a
permanent basis.
���� 5.��� There is appropriated
from the General Fund the sum of $1,000,000 to the Office of Planning Advocacy
for the purposes of effectuating the provisions of this act.� The office may
expend monies appropriated pursuant to this section for appropriate and reasonable
administrative expenses incurred in the administration of the pilot program.
���� 6.��� This act shall take
effect immediately and shall expire upon the submission of the report required
to be submitted pursuant to section 4 of P.L.��� , c.��� (pending before the
Legislature as this bill).
STATEMENT
���� This bill establishes a pilot
program in the Office of Planning Advocacy (office) for the purpose of
reimbursing a municipality for reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in
reexamining and updating municipal zoning ordinances, and conducting certain
mitigation studies, concerning warehouse development.� The bill defines �warehouse�
to mean any site, building, room, structure, or facility used primarily for the
storage of goods intended for sale or distribution.
���� The pilot program is to offer
grant funding to reimburse a municipality for:
���� 1)��� a reexamination of the
municipality�s master plan and adoption a warehouse-specific zoning ordinance
consistent with the office�s guidance on warehouse development and compatible
with a model ordinance developed pursuant to the bill; or
���� 2)��� a mitigation study on
the potential effects of pending warehouse development site plan applications
and, regardless of the results of the mitigation study, adoption of a
warehouse-specific zoning ordinance consistent with the office�s guidance on
warehouse development and compatible with a model ordinance developed pursuant
to the bill.
���� The bill provides that a
municipality may submit to the office an application, in a form and manner to
be determined by the office, for a funding reimbursement grant for expenses
incurred consistent with the provisions of the bill.� The application is to
require a municipality to demonstrate that the municipality has enacted an
ordinance consistent with the office�s guidance on warehouse development and
compatible with a model ordinance developed pursuant to the bill as a condition
of receiving a reimbursement grant.
���� The office is to develop
criteria to prioritize reimbursement grant applications from municipalities
that are in most need of financial assistance.
���� The bill provides that the
office is to promulgate one or more model zoning ordinances detailing different
regulatory options for the siting of warehouses that may impose a negative
impact on land use, traffic volume, infrastructure, storm water runoff, public
health, or any other impact category determined by the office, and direct
development towards areas ideally suited to handle warehousing impacts.
���� The bill further provides that
the office, upon the exhaustion of funds allocated to the pilot program, is to
submit a report to the Governor and to the Legislature evaluating the
effectiveness of the pilot program, detailing the expenditure of the appropriated
funds, and making any recommendations on the feasibility of implementing the
pilot program on a permanent basis.
���� The bill appropriates from the
General Fund the sum of $1,000,000 to the Office of Planning Advocacy for the
purposes of the pilot program.� The pilot program is to expire upon the
submission of the report required by the bill.