Bill Text: NJ A2712 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Provides that cooperative sober living residences are inherently beneficial uses.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-02-13 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Housing Committee [A2712 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2020-A2712-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman VALERIE VAINIERI HUTTLE
District 37 (Bergen)
SYNOPSIS
Provides that cooperative sober living residences are inherently beneficial uses.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the zoning of cooperative sober living residences and amending P.L.1975, c.291.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 3.1 of P.L.1975, c.291 (C.40:55D-4) is amended to read as follows:
3.1. "Days" means calendar days.
"Density" means the permitted number of dwelling units per gross area of land that is the subject of an application for development, including noncontiguous land, if authorized by municipal ordinance or by a planned development.
"Developer" means the legal or beneficial owner or owners of a lot or of any land proposed to be included in a proposed development, including the holder of an option or contract to purchase, or other person having an enforceable proprietary interest in such land.
"Development" means the division of a parcel of land into two or more parcels, the construction, reconstruction, conversion, structural alteration, relocation or enlargement of any building or other structure, or of any mining excavation or landfill, and any use or change in the use of any building or other structure, or land or extension of use of land, for which permission may be required pursuant to P.L.1975, c.291 (C.40:55D-1 et seq.).
"Development potential" means the maximum number of dwelling units or square feet of nonresidential floor area that may be constructed on a specified lot or in a specified zone under the master plan and land use regulations in effect on the date of the adoption of the development transfer ordinance or on the date of the adoption of the ordinance authorizing noncontiguous cluster, and in accordance with recognized environmental constraints.
"Development regulation" means a zoning ordinance, subdivision ordinance, site plan ordinance, official map ordinance or other municipal regulation of the use and development of land, or amendment thereto adopted and filed pursuant to P.L.1975, c.291 (C.40:55D-1 et seq.).
"Development restriction" means an agricultural restriction, a conservation restriction, or a historic preservation restriction.
"Development transfer" or "development potential transfer" means the conveyance of development potential, or the permission for development, from one or more lots to one or more other lots by deed, easement, or other means as authorized by ordinance. "Development transfer bank" means a development transfer bank stablished pursuant to section 22 of P.L.2004, c.2 (C.40:55D-158) or the State TDR Bank.
"Drainage" means the removal of surface water or groundwater from land by drains, grading or other means and includes control of runoff during and after construction or development to minimize erosion and sedimentation, to assure the adequacy of existing and proposed culverts and bridges, to induce water recharge into the ground where practical, to lessen nonpoint pollution, to maintain the integrity of stream channels for their biological functions as well as for drainage, and the means necessary for water supply preservation or prevention or alleviation of flooding.
"Environmental commission" means a municipal advisory body created pursuant to P.L.1968, c.245 (C.40:56A-1 et seq.).
"Erosion" means the detachment and movement of soil or rock fragments by water, wind, ice and gravity.
"Final approval" means the official action of the planning board taken on a preliminarily approved major subdivision or site plan, after all conditions, engineering plans and other requirements have been completed or fulfilled and the required improvements have been installed or guarantees properly posted for their completion, or approval conditioned upon the posting of such guarantees.
"Floor area ratio" means the sum of the area of all floors of buildings or structures compared to the total area of land that is the subject of an application for development, including noncontiguous land, if authorized by municipal ordinance or by a planned development.
"General development plan" means a comprehensive plan for the development of a planned development, as provided in section 4 of P.L.1987, c.129 (C.40:55D-45.2).
"Governing body" means the chief legislative body of the municipality. In municipalities having a board of public works, "governing body" means such board.
"Historic district" means one or more historic sites and intervening or surrounding property significantly affecting or affected by the quality and character of the historic site or sites.
"Historic preservation restriction" means a "historic preservation restriction" as defined in section 2 of P.L.1979, c.378 (C.13:8B-2).
"Historic site" means any real property, man-made structure, natural object or configuration or any portion or group of the foregoing of historical, archeological, cultural, scenic or architectural significance.
"Inherently beneficial use" means a use which is universally considered of value to the community because it fundamentally serves the public good and promotes the general welfare. Such a use includes, but is not limited to, a hospital, school, child care center, group home, cooperative sober living residence defined and licensed by the Department of Community Affairs, pursuant to the "Rooming and Boarding House Act of 1979," P.L.1979, c.496 (C.55:13B-1 et al.), or [a] wind, solar, or photovoltaic energy facility or structure.
"Instrument" means the easement, credit, or other deed restriction used to record a development transfer.
"Interested party" means: (a) in a criminal or quasi-criminal proceeding, any citizen of the State of New Jersey; and (b) in the case of a civil proceeding in any court or in an administrative proceeding before a municipal agency, any person, whether residing within or without the municipality, whose right to use, acquire, or enjoy property is or may be affected by any action taken under P.L.1975, c.291 (C.40:55D-1 et seq.), or whose rights to use, acquire, or enjoy property under P.L.1975, c.291 (C.40:55D-1 et seq.), or under any other law of this State or of the United States have been denied, violated or infringed by an action or a failure to act under P.L.1975, c.291 (C.40:55D-1 et seq.).
"Land" includes improvements and fixtures on, above or below the surface.
"Local utility" means any sewerage authority created pursuant to the "sewerage authorities law," P.L.1946, c.138 (C.40:14A-1 et seq.); any utilities authority created pursuant to the "municipal and county utilities authorities law," P.L.1957, c.183 (C.40:14B-1 et seq.); or any utility, authority, commission, special district or other corporate entity not regulated by the Board of Regulatory Commissioners under Title 48 of the Revised Statutes that provides gas, electricity, heat, power, water or sewer service to a municipality or the residents thereof.
"Lot" means a designated parcel, tract or area of land established by a plat or otherwise, as permitted by law and to be used, developed or built upon as a unit.
(cf: P.L.2013, c.106, s.3)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would revise the definition of inherently beneficial use under the "Municipal Land Use Law," P.L.1975, c.291 (C.40:55D-1 et seq.) to include cooperative sober living residences. If a use is deemed inherently beneficial, it presumptively satisfies the positive criteria for the grant of a use variance under subsection d. of section 57 of P.L.1975, c.291 (C.40:55D-70).
This bill would make it easier for these residences to be established, which in turn would create more opportunities for individuals struggling with addiction to obtain supportive, cooperative sober living housing. With the addiction crisis that is currently facing the State, it is critical to ensure that there are sufficient residences with support structures in place to help people on the path to recovery from addiction.
