Bill Text: NJ A3349 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Limits speculative development of warehouses until 500,000 acres of farmland are preserved under farmland preservation programs.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee [A3349 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A3349-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ALEX SAUICKIE
District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)
Assemblyman ROY FREIMAN
District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)
Assemblywoman VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
SYNOPSIS
Limits speculative development of warehouses until 500,000 acres of farmland are preserved under farmland preservation programs.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act to limit speculative development of warehouses until 500,000 acres of farmland are preserved under farmland preservation programs.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, no approving authority shall schedule or convene a hearing to consider an application, pending as of, or following, the date of enactment of P.L. , c. (pending before the Legislature as this bill), for the speculative development of a warehouse on active farmland, nor shall any approving authority take a vote on the merits of that application or a vote on a resolution memorializing an approval, until the date the State Agriculture Development Committee, established pursuant to section 4 of the "Right to Farm Act," P.L.1983, c.31 (C.4:1C-4), catalogs 500,000 acres of preserved farmland under farmland preservation programs. An application for the speculative development of a warehouse on active farmland may be considered by an approving authority if the applicant commits to the approving authority and to the State Agriculture Development Committee to preserve an area of farmland in the State equal in size to the number of acres proposed for development in the application. The State Agriculture Development Committee shall report to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), the Legislature when the State Agriculture Development Committee catalogs 500,000 acres of preserved farmland under farmland preservation programs.
b. As used in this section:
"Active farmland" means farmland used for agricultural purposes as of the date of enactment of P.L. , c. (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
"Speculative development" means the construction of a warehouse without a contractual commitment from a warehouse tenant or buyer.
"Warehouse" means a building that stores cargo, goods, or products of any type on a short-term or long-term basis for later distribution to wholesale or retail customers, and includes, but is not limited to, a distribution center, flex-warehouse, or any other type of warehouse.
2. This act shall take
effect immediately and shall expire upon the date the State Agriculture
Development Committee submits the report required pursuant to subsection a of
section 1 of this act confirming the cataloging of 500,000 acres of preserved
farmland under farmland preservation programs.
STATEMENT
This bill limits speculative development of warehouses until the State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC) catalogs 500,000 acres of preserved farmland under farmland preservation programs (programs). An application for the speculative development of a warehouse on active farmland may be considered by an approving authority if the applicant commits to the approving authority and to the SADC to preserve an area of farmland in the State equal in size to the number of acres proposed for development in the application. The SADC is to report to the Governor and to the Legislature when the SADC catalogs 500,000 acres of preserved farmland under these programs. The bill is to expire upon the submission of that report.
In 1998, the Governor's Council on New Jersey Outdoors issued a report recommending that at least 500,000 acres of farmland should be preserved to maintain a critical mass of land for agricultural production and to assure the future success of farming in this State. As of January 9, 2023, the SADC has accounted for 248,009 acres of preserved farmland under these programs.
