New Tool to ‘Empower’ Residents, Local Officials on Warehouse Development

A new source of data on planned warehouses in New Jersey is designed to give residents information they can use to oppose the projects or urge local officials to protect some parcels from development by updating their master plans.

The industry’s foes say warehouse sprawl is choking local roads with truck traffic, worsening air pollution, exacerbating stormwater runoff and consuming scarce open space in many parts of New Jersey. Some critics have urged the Murphy administration to curb the industry’s growth, perhaps by establishing regional authorities, but the state has issued only guidelines for municipalities, leaving intact their traditional authority over land use.