The State Plan: Draft Released on December 4
Update to State Development and Redevelopment Plan
The New Jersey State Development and Redevelopment Plan (SDRP), or State Plan, is in the process of being updated. The update is overseen by the Office of Planning Advocacy (OPA) staff and the State Planning Commission (SPC). The SPC approved the release of the Preliminary State Development and Redevelopment Plan, or Preliminary State Plan, on December 4, and it will be released on December 6.
To access the Preliminary State Plan click here.
Once the Preliminary Plan has been released by the SPC, the SPC will conduct a public meeting in each county. The public meeting schedule will be posted here once the schedule is finalized.
The release of the Preliminary State Plan also marks the beginning of the Cross-Acceptance process. Cross-Acceptance is a process of comparing statewide planning policies at government levels to attain a high level of consistency among municipal, county, regional, and State plans and the State Plan. Through this process, the various stakeholders can partner to create a more meaningful and viable State Plan to ensure municipal, county, and regional master plans are taken into consideration during the process.
The Negotiating Entity is a vital part of the process. A Negotiating Entity is a participating county, or any entity designated by the SPC should a county decline to be the Negotiating Entity. Each Negotiating Entity is required to submit a draft work program which will outline their public participation process. Every participating municipality will submit a Cross-acceptance Response Template which will be submitted to the Negotiating Entity. The Negotiating Entity then compiles and summarizes the information received from the municipalities regarding their local plans and policies.
Following the submission of each Response Template to the SPC, OPA will meet with the negotiating entities to compile the “Statement of Agreements and Disagreements.” This list will be compiled for each county. Upon consideration of the formal reports of the negotiating entities, the draft Final State Development and Redevelopment Plan, the Infrastructure Needs Assessment, the Impact Assessment, and the Statement of Agreements and Disagreements are prepared. Six public hearings will be held. After this process, the State Planning Commission shall consider the adoption of the final State Development and Redevelopment Plan, or Final State Plan. The Final State Plan is tentatively scheduled for distribution in Late Fall 2025.
The State Plan will reflect current planning principles and best practices in the areas of land use, transportation, housing, environmental protection and enhancement, economic development, provision of public infrastructure, historic preservation, social justice, and adaptation to global climate change.
Once it is finalized, State agencies implement the SDRP through their functional plans, investment priorities, and administrative rules, while local governments implement it through their planning objectives. The State Plan is not designed to overrule, negate, or interfere with existing plans or regulations in communities, but it is intended to provide guidance and foster collaboration among stakeholders.
The Goals of the updated SDRP are:
- Promote Economic Growth that Benefits all Residents of New Jersey
- Provide an Adequate Supply of Housing For Residents of All Ages and Incomes in Communities of Their Choosing That Meet Their Needs and Offer Ready Access to the Full Range of Supportive Goods and Services
- Economic Opportunity Through nation-leading Infrastructure
- Revitalize and Recenter the State’s Underutilized Developed Areas
- Effectively Address the Adverse Impacts of Global Climate Change
- Protect, Maintain, and Restore the State’s Natural and Water Resources and Ecosystems
- Protect the Environment; Prevent and Clean Up Pollution
- Protect, Enhance, and Improve Access to Areas with Exceptional Archeological, Historic, Cultural, Scenic, Open Space, and Recreational Value
- Implement Equitable Planning Practices to Promote Thriving Communities for all New Jerseyans
- Foster Sound and Integrated Planning and Implementation at all Levels Statewide
You are welcome to share your comments and input on the update by emailing stateplan.comments@sos.nj.gov.