A 5241 New Jersey General Assembly · 2024-2025 Regular Session

Prohibits approving authority from approving construction of certain warehouses on lot of land within 1,000 feet of historic district.*

Bill A5241 prohibits local governments (counties, municipalities, or other approving authorities) from approving site plans for large warehouses within 1,000 feet of a historic district. It defines a "large warehouse" as any storage facility of 100,000 square feet or more used for goods intended for sale or distribution, and a "historic district" as areas listed on both the National and New Jersey Registers of Historic Places (excluding waterway-designated districts). The law applies immediately to all pending construction permit applications that haven't yet been declared complete by the enforcing agency. This prevents new large warehouse developments near designated historic areas without requiring additional approvals.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 30, 2025 Last action May 15, 2025

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What changed between versions

Introduced Version → Reprint ACE 5/15/25 1R · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to narrow the definition of qualifying historic districts (requiring at least 100 contributing resources and location along a Scenic and Historic Highway), broaden the prohibition from just site plans to all project-related permits, add an exemption for NEDA redevelopment applications, and create a new waiver mechanism allowing local planning boards to override the warehouse ban. These changes make the restriction both more targeted in which districts it applies to and more flexible through the waiver process.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'historic district' now requires that the district consist of at least 100 contributing or not-assessed resources per the State Historic Preservation Office AND be located along a roadway in the New Jersey Scenic and Historic Highways Program. This significantly narrows which districts trigger the warehouse ban.

SCOPE

A new paragraph (2) extends the prohibition beyond site plans to all project-related permits: neither the State nor any local entity may approve any project-related permit for a large warehouse within 1,000 feet of a qualifying historic district.

The language 'a county or municipality, or other approving authority' was simplified to just 'an approving authority,' removing the specific enumeration of who is covered.

ELIGIBILITY

A new exemption was added: the prohibition does not apply to applications for development or redevelopment submitted under section 13 of P.L.1992, c.79 (C.40A:12A-13), which is the NEDA economic redevelopment program.

REQUIREMENT

A new waiver provision allows a planning board with jurisdiction over a historic district to waive the site plan prohibition if a developer petitions for a waiver. Additionally, no project-related permit may be approved unless the planning board has granted such a waiver, making local planning boards a gatekeeper.

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

May 15, 2025

Committee

Reported out of Assembly Committee with Amendments and Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee

lower

Jan 30, 2025

Introduced

Introduced in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly Commerce, Economic Development and Agriculture Committee

lower

3 primary · 1 co-sponsor