Sweeney, Addiego Highlight Benefits of Warehouse Sprawl Legislation

Trenton – Senate President Steve Sweeney and Senator Dawn Addiego met with local officials and residents from Mansfield Township today to discuss the potential benefits of their legislation which would work to prevent warehouse sprawl.

“With the growth of online shopping, warehouse sprawl has become a major issue within the state,” said Senator Sweeney (D-Gloucester/Salem/Cumberland). “On top of placing undue stress on local roads and the environment, these facilities are often only offering low wage jobs, meaning they do little, if anything at all to uplift the communities where they’re located. This legislation will provide neighboring communities greater oversight to prevent or modify such projects if they do not feel they will benefit their town.”

The bill, S-3688, 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. The measure would authorize county planning boards to approve or deny contested construction proposals.

“The current situation in Mansfield is a prime example as to why this legislation is so important and why I signed on as a sponsor,” said Senator Addiego (D-Burlington/Camden/Atlantic). “Warehouses place a major burden on our communities, with little benefits to show for them. These roads were not designed to accommodate this type of traffic and it presents major safety hazards for residents. I am grateful we were able to hear from township officials on why this bill is important to them and the real world impact it could have on the 8^th district.”

Mansfield Township residents are currently fighting development plans which include the construction of three new warehouses within the municipality.

“We were appreciative and honored to welcome Senate President Steve Sweeney and Senator Dawn Addiego to our town to discuss warehouse sprawl. Our Mansfield Community is deeply concerned over the cumulative adverse effect on traffic, water quality, taxes, open space, farming, and overall quality of life that will occur if the proposed warehouses are built – just to name a few of the unintended consequences we anticipate,” said Bob Tallon, Deputy Mayor of Mansfield. “Senator Sweeney’s recognition on how these things are regional concerns and his work to address this is a direct reflection of strong leadership on his part, and an ability to recognize problems not addressed in the Municipal Land Use Law that go beyond the limits and inability of home rule to address.”