Singleton Statement in Support of Warehouse Sprawl Bill

Trenton – Senator Troy Singleton (D-Burlington) issued the following statement in support of legislation introduced last week by Senate President Steve Sweeney addressing concerns of warehouse sprawl in New Jersey:

“New Jersey has quickly become a major player in the logistics sector due to our ideal regional location and expansive transportation infrastructure. At the same time, as e-commerce has grown exponentially, so has the number of warehouses across the state. Burlington County is not immune to this.

“In many cases, our open space has been haphazardly developed without consideration of the impact it will have on neighboring municipalities. As a result, surrounding towns are left grappling with increased traffic, congestion and tractor trailers on their local roadways.

“For these reasons, I am signing on as a co-prime sponsor of this important legislation because it would allow surrounding communities to voice their concerns when neighboring towns are considering the construction of warehouses. This will not only protect our natural resources, but will also protect the quality of life for the families living in these towns.”

Last week, Senate President Sweeney introduced legislation that gives municipalities impacted by the developments more control on their approval. The bill would update the “Municipal Land Use Law” to require the notification of nearby communities that could suffer negative consequences of the large-scale projects and give them a voice in the approval process.