The NJ Planning Commission in Trenton has adopted guidance on where warehouses should be located in New Jersey and how they should be approved to assist municipalities in dealing with the growing number of applications to develop. Though not mandatory, their goal is to provide municipalities with a roadmap on how to consider whether to approve these projects.

New Jersey is an ideal location for the warehousing and goods movement industries because of its strategic geographic position, skilled workforce, major consumer markets, and robust transportation infrastructure, including freight rail lines, interstate highways, and the Port of New York and New Jersey that serves the entire Northeast. These industries contribute significant economic activity, jobs, and ratables to the state.  There is a clear need for warehouse and industrial space across all of New Jersey.

The guidance aims to help local governments update master plans, zoning and development standards; review development applications; and take a regional approach to warehouse projects. The guidance includes detailed separate documents addressing:

• Types of warehouses.
• Municipal considerations.
• The role of redevelopment and brownfields.
• Public health and overburdened communities.
• Transportation, traffic and road safety.
• Sustainable design.
• Mitigation best practices.
• Community involvement and public engagement.
• Regional approaches.
• Special resource area considerations.
• The role of state agencies.

At InSite, we have extensive experience with warehouse projects, including Use Variances for sites where warehouse uses were not a permitted use.

https://nj.gov/state/planning/assets/pdf/warehouse-guidance.pdf