EDITORIAL To ensure local boards retain their control over growth.
Local planning and zoning boards are at the front lines of the battle with suburban sprawl.
But if the state Chamber of Commerce and the New Jersey Builders Association have their way, a streamlined development process could create strict deadlines that would make it difficult for local boards to do their jobs effectively.
The Chamber and NJBA are supporters of so-called fast-track development legislation, which targets "smart growth" corridors along Routes 1, 27, 195 and 295 and the N.J. Turnpike. It streamlines the process for obtaining certain permits and planning approvals in "smart growth" areas, requires the state to decide on environmental and building permits within 45 days of application and establishes the position of "Smart Growth" ombudsman.
The legislation was signed into law in July by then-Gov. James McGreevey, but was shelved in November when the outgoing governor placed a seven-month moratorium on it.
We think it should stay on the shelf. The legislation would speed development applications, essentially cutting local planners out of the process. And it creates an ombudsman with veto power over rules set by the state Department of Environmental Protection and other state agencies, giving a single state bureaucrat a significant level of authority over the planning process.
Opponents of the fast-track legislation including major environmental groups like the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions and the Sierra Club, as well as many local officials believe the law will make it difficult for towns like Cranbury and Monroe to control the pace of development within their borders.
The basic issue, the groups say, is that the fast-track law creates an underlying assumption that puts municipalities in the position of defending their zoning, rather than having developers defend the projects they are proposing. That, and a 45-day limit for issuing state permits, make the law a lose-lose proposition for municipalities and the state’s residents.
We agree. That’s why it is important that legislation sponsored by 14th District Assembly members Linda Greenstein (D-Plainsboro) and Bill Baroni (R-Hamilton) be approved. The legislation would overturn the fast-track law, eliminate the position of smart-growth ombudsman and ensure that local boards retain the ability to control growth.
There are many legitimate complaints about the planning process in New Jersey. It can take too long for projects to get through the pipeline and the patchwork of local regulations can sometimes create inconsistencies and conflicts.
But the way to fix the system is not to cut local boards out of the process. Local board members are the best defense we have against the sprawl that has been choking the state.

