On Thursday, the Assembly State and Local Government Committee favorably reported A-4984/S-3605, which would reduce the number of parking spaces required under the statewide site improvement standards at residential developments by 20%, 30%, and 50%, relative to the development’s proximity to public transportation.
Under current law, a developer can obtain relief from the standards from a reviewing board on a case-by-case basis, but such relief is subject to the scrutiny of local officials. When done at a local level, this allows for individual projects to be reviewed and relief to be granted when appropriate. This type of review ensures that the total amount of parking is appropriate for the development within the community. A wholesale reduction without appropriate review for each project risks creating insufficient parking to service the area’s residents and businesses.
In other areas of the country where similar policy changes have occurred, they have been done in conjunction with efforts to increase public transportation usage or make roads more accessible to bicyclists and pedestrians. A-4984/S-3605 does not include such efforts. For these reasons, the League opposes the legislation.
The Senate has already voted to approve S-3605 and the Assembly is now set to vote on the bill. We encourage our members to reach out to their legislative representatives and share their concerns with these bills.
Contact: Frank Marshall, Esq., Associate General Counsel, fmarshall@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x137.