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Sweeney: Warehouse projects need regional approval

Jon Hurdle | April 22, 2021 | NJ Spotlight |

 

Proposed bill would require local governments to tell adjoining towns about development applications
Amazon fulfillment center in Robbinsville Township, NJ.

Growing worries about warehouse sprawl in New Jersey have prompted a bill that would require municipalities planning new warehouse construction to inform adjoining towns, which could have their concerns heard by an intermunicipal board.

Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) is planning to introduce the bill on April 26 in response to a proliferation of warehouse projects around the state, and to mounting opposition from communities who say the buildings will choke local roads with trucks and cars and destroy remaining rural enclaves.

“New Jersey is proud to be known as the Garden State, but we are at risk of becoming the warehouse state,” Sweeney said in a statement. “The rapid increase in the construction and operation of retail warehouses poses a threat to the preservation of farmland and open space. The impact of these large-scale projects extends to neighboring communities that can experience economic and environmental consequences that impact their quality of life.”

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