New Jersey Unveils Updated State Development Plan After 24 Years

The New Jersey State Development and Redevelopment Plan (SDRP), often referred to as "the Way to Grow", is a comprehensive blueprint guiding the state's future by balancing growth with conservation and enhancing quality of life. This planning initiative began with the State Planning Act in 1985. While an initial plan was adopted in 1992, and the last full update officially adopted was in 2001, subsequent attempts to update the plan in 2007, 2011, and 2012 were never formally adopted. This has meant that the 2001 plan has guided New Jersey's development for an extended period.

The Plan Released on June 17, 2025

June 17, 2025, marked a significant event in the ongoing update of the SDRP: an overview presentation of the Preliminary Draft SDRP to mayors by the Office of Planning Advocacy, in collaboration with the New Jersey Conference of Mayors (NJCM) and the Rutgers Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. During this session, Walter Lane, Acting Executive Director of the Office of Planning Advocacy, was the speaker, and Mayor Janice Mironov of East Windsor Township served as the moderator. The goal of this event was to demonstrate how the draft SDRP can support municipalities in advancing their local planning priorities and to gather feedback from NJCM members through a Q&A session. These insights are intended to guide revisions to the current draft and inform NJCM’s position as the SDRP moves toward finalization.

It's important to note that the Preliminary Draft of the New Jersey State Development and Redevelopment Plan was initially approved for release by the State Planning Commission on December 4, 2024, and formally released on December 6, 2024, identifying the state's priorities and strategies for growth management over the next 25 years. This 168-page document, if finalized by January 2026, will be the first Plan Update adopted since 2001.

Purpose of the State Development and Redevelopment Plan

The SDRP acts as a guiding policy document for state agencies and local governments, rather than a direct regulation, influencing their functional plans and investment decisions. Its overarching purpose is to provide a vision for New Jersey's future development and redevelopment, striving to equitably balance growth with conservation and enhance the quality of life for all residents and municipalities.

Key aspects of the SDRP's purpose include:

• Balancing Development and Conservation: The plan is designed to balance development and conservation objectives by promoting growth in compact, mixed-use communities with diverse housing, shopping, and employment options, while protecting vital community assets and reducing sprawl. The State Planning Act mandates the plan to encourage development where public services are available, discourage development that harms natural resources, and reduce sprawl.
• Coordinating Planning Efforts: A primary goal is to foster sound and integrated planning and implementation across all levels of government—state, regional, county, and municipal. This coordination is achieved through a "Cross-acceptance" process, comparing local and county land use policies with the State Plan to ensure consistency.
• Guiding Public Investment: The plan plays a crucial role in directing state agencies' investment decisions, linking state capital budget recommendations to the State Plan and prioritizing funding for "Smart Growth Areas".
• Promoting Specific Goals: The SDRP encompasses a range of goals, including promoting economic growth, ensuring adequate housing supply, providing nation-leading infrastructure, revitalizing underutilized areas, protecting natural resources, preventing and cleaning up pollution, preserving historic and scenic resources, and fostering comprehensive planning.

Historically, the 2001 plan projected substantial savings from its implementation, including $160 million annually for towns, counties, and school districts, and $1.45 billion in water and sewer costs by 2020. It was also expected to prevent the conversion of 122,000 acres of land to development, including 68,000 acres of farmland and 45,000 acres of environmentally fragile land.

Changes and Key Focus Areas from the 2001 Version in the Preliminary Draft (Released December 2024)

The Preliminary Draft of the State Plan, approved on December 4, 2024, introduces or significantly emphasizes several critical considerations for New Jersey's future planning over the next 25 years, expanding upon the eight core goals of the 2001 plan by adding two new ones:

• Climate Change and Sea-Level Rise: This is the first Plan Update to explicitly acknowledge and address climate change-related considerations. It encourages policies and planning that incorporate mitigation strategies for flooding and other climate-related hazards, and supports decarbonization measures like wind turbines and solar panels. The plan specifically addresses the implications of sea-level rise and the need for transportation planning to consider climate change impacts in vulnerable areas. A new goal is to "Effectively Address the Adverse Impacts of Global Climate Change".
• Environmental Justice: The updated plan places a strong emphasis on the Environmental Justice Law, introducing a new goal to prevent the concentration of adverse environmental impacts in overburdened communities. It acknowledges a backlog of public health and quality of life challenges that disproportionately affect these communities and aims to strategically deploy resources to address them.
• Highlands Region Protections: The update explicitly recognizes the 2004 statutory protections for the Highlands Region and identifies it as the first "Special Resource Area" in New Jersey, emphasizing the need for integrated regional planning efforts to sustain and protect it.
• Flood-Prone Areas: The plan recognizes the need to specifically designate and protect flood-prone areas, including Flood Hazard Areas, as Critical Environmental Sites to align planning and protection efforts.
• Land Use Efficiency: The plan promotes compact development patterns and transit-oriented development to reduce vehicle miles traveled and energy consumption. It aims to shift away from auto-oriented environments toward more pedestrian and transit-supportive designs, encouraging shared parking and other site improvements. It also encourages re-evaluation of land utilization policies and discourages "warehouse sprawl".
• Waste Management and Brownfields: The plan prioritizes the cleanup and redevelopment of Brownfields and contaminated sites to protect public health and promote sustainable community growth, especially in underserved communities. It also coordinates statutory and regulatory mechanisms for planning, siting, designing, permitting, constructing, and operating facilities for solid and hazardous wastes, and promotes multi-jurisdictional planning for waste management and recycling facilities.

Important Dates in the SDRP Update Process

The process for updating and adopting the SDRP involves several key dates and phases:

• December 4, 2024: The State Planning Commission approved the release of the Preliminary Draft State Development and Redevelopment Plan.
• December 6, 2024: The Preliminary Draft State Development and Redevelopment Plan was formally released for public comment, marking the commencement of the "Cross-acceptance" process.
• February 12, 2025 to April 16, 2025: This 60-day period is designated for public comment on the Preliminary Draft Plan.
• February 12, 2025 to April 16, 2025: During this same period, public hearings are being held in all 21 New Jersey counties. For example, Monmouth County held a meeting on March 31, 2025, and Burlington County had one on March 11, 2025. These meetings aim to educate the public and provide a forum for feedback from state, local, and county officials, and other stakeholders.
• June 17, 2025: An overview presentation of the Preliminary Draft SDRP will be given to mayors by the Office of Planning Advocacy, New Jersey Conference of Mayors, and the Rutgers Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy to solicit further feedback from municipal leaders.
• Spring/Summer 2025: Cross-Acceptance Reports, Statements of Agreements and Disagreements, and a Negotiation Phase are scheduled. State Agency Reports and Responses will also be prepared, and the Infrastructure Needs Assessment (INA) and Impact Assessment (IA) will be completed.
• Summer/Fall 2025: The results of the Cross-Acceptance process will be incorporated into the Final Draft State Development and Redevelopment Plan, which will then be released. This will be followed by six additional public hearings (five virtual and one in-person).
• Late Fall 2025 / Winter 2025 and beyond: Final adoption of the State Development and Redevelopment Plan Update is tentatively scheduled for this period.

The current revision process emphasizes streamlined procedures and online filings for municipalities to minimize work and cost [This was mentioned in my first response but not directly supported by current sources in the same explicit way, so I will omit this specific detail]. Developers, local governments, and other stakeholders are encouraged to stay informed to ensure future projects align with the new Plan Update's requirements once it takes effect.