State Plan Summary

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State Plan Summary
By Joanne M. Harkins, PP/AICP, Director of Land Use and Planning

The State Planning Commission (SPC) is reissuing the State Plan for the third time to see if anyone likes it any better this time. If you’ll recall, this process is called cross acceptance, and it is supposed to take place every three years.

Goals
The State Plan has eight goals. Everyone will be pretty much in agreement with the goals, themselves. They’re listed elsewhere in this article. Each goal is supported by a strategy, a vision statement and background. This is where you start to get a feel for the plan’s direction. The strategy for the housing goal states:

“ Provide adequate housing at a reasonable cost through public/private partnerships that create and maintain a full range of attractive, affordable ecologically designed housing, particularly for those most in need. Create and maintain housing in the Metropolitan and Suburban Planning Areas and Centers in the Fringe, Rural and Environmentally Sensitive Planning Areas, at densities which afford greater efficiencies of scale to support transit and reduce commuting time and cost, and at locations easily accessible, preferably on foot, to employment, retail, services, cultural, civic and recreational opportunities. Support community based housing initiatives and remove unnecessary regulatory and financial barriers to the delivery of housing at appropriate locations.”

Statewide Policies
With this strategy to guide us in the delivery of housing, we find that there are 19 statewide policies to further assist us. Quoting from the plan, “These Policies are designed to improve both the planning and the coordination of public policy among all levels of government through flexible application.” A list of the 19 policies can be found accompanying this article. Each of the 19 statewide policies has its own lengthy supply of supporting policies. An example of one of these under the housing policy follows:

Policy 2. Age-restricted Housing
Planning for age restricted housing should be grounded in local master plans balanced with housing for a range of ages and should be physically integrated into or connected to centers or other areas with facilities and sewers.”

Resource Planning and Management Structure
The State Plan uses a Resource Planning and Management Structure to integrate three critical spatial concepts of the State Plan--Centers, Environs and Planning Areas--and provides the framework for implementing the statewide policies and goals. Planning areas are regions that share certain characteristics. The State Plan divides the state among five planning areas. They are shown on the list that accompanies this article.

The State Plan states, “The concept of Centers is the key organizing principle for new growth and development in the State.” Under this concept, development is organized into compact centers surrounded by carefully controlled environs. The five types of centers are

urban centers
towns
regional centers
villages
hamlets

With the exception of the eight existing urban centers, centers may be existing or planned. As stated above, centers are to be surrounded by environs. Environs is a concept that has been considerably expanded. Centers in the more rural planning areas and the undeveloped parts of planning area 2 are to have delineated community development boundaries. Development is to occur within the boundaries, and the areas outside of the boundaries, the environs, should be protected from the impact of development with the Centers and from other sources. For planning area 1 and the developed parts of planning area 2, the delineation of community development boundaries is optional.

Most people find this confusing, not to mention tedious. Therefore, as a further assist to everyone in their use of the plan, it contains a list of Key Concepts, 32 Key Indicators and Targets to monitor future use of the plan, and a Vision of New Jersey in 2020.

State Plan Goals

Revitalize the State’s Cities and Towns
Conserve the State’s Natural Resources and Systems
Promote Beneficial Economic Growth, Development and Renewal for All Residents of New Jersey
Protect the Environment, Prevent and Clean Up Pollution
Provide Adequate Public Facilities and Services at a Reasonable Cost
Provide Adequate Housing at a Reasonable Cost
Preserve & Enhance Areas with Historic, Cultural, Scenic, Open Space and Recreational Value
Ensure Sound and Integrated Planning and Implementation Statewide

Statewide Policies

Equity
Comprehensive Planning
Public Investment Priorities
Infrastructure Investments
Economic Development
Urban Revitalization
Housing
Transportation
Historic, Cultural & Scenic Resources
Air Resources
Water Resources
Open Lands and Natural Systems
Energy Resources
Waste Management, Recycling and Brownfields
Agriculture
Coastal Resources
Planning Regions Established by Statute
Special Resource Areas
Design

Planning Areas
PA 1 Metropolitan Planning Area
PA 2 Suburban Planning Area
PA 3 Fringe Planning Area
PA 4 Rural Planning Area and
PA 4B Rural/Environmentally Sensitive Planning Area
PA 5 Environmentally Sensitive Planning Area

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