Township Committee Introduces Warehouse Ordinance

The Township Committee introduced an ordinance March 13 that would prohibit freestanding warehouses from being built anywhere in Branchburg Township without obtaining a use variance from the Zoning Board of Adjustment, a much more rigorous process than obtaining site plan approval from the Planning Board.

At press time, the ordinance was up for a public hearing and final adoption March 27.

The ordinance would: Prohibit warehouses, major distribution centers, large fulfillment centers, lastmile fulfillment centers, high-cube automated warehouses, cross dock- ing and cold storage; Redefine “light manufacturing;” Permit storage of materials as accessory uses provided the storage is specifically related to the principle use of the property; Confirm that hazardous substances facilities are conditional uses in all industrial zones; Create conditions for the expansion of existing standalone warehouses. It would not affect any applications pending before township boards and would not affect existing facilities like Federal Express on Meister Avenue.

Township officials have been trying to defend against warehouse construction. Many residents have been attending meetings to protest

Harry the Handyman, LLC

warehouse projects. A new group “Branchburg Advocacy Group” has organized to attend meetings and challenge developers. (See article on page 8.)

In November, Branchburg voters approved a referendum to allow the township to spend taxpayer money to buy properties in the North Branch section to avoid warehouses or additional affordable housing.

In 2020, the township adopted a zoning ordinance that prohibited new standalone warehouses in the Route 22 corridor. That ordinance prompted a number of Superior Court lawsuits resulting in out-of-court settlements and approvals of warehouse projects.

The Planning Board was sched- uled March 28 to hear a proposal by S/K Stoney Brook Associates of Jersey City to build nearly 300,000 square feet of warehouse space in three buildings on the 43-acre property in the Evans Way Redevelopment Area which borders Old York Road between Route 202 and Stony Brook Road.

That application was filed after S/K Stoney Brook filed suit in December 2020 challenging the Township Committee’s approval of an ordinance to eliminate warehouses as a permitted use in an industrial zone. The lawsuit was settled out of court in fall 2021.

As part of the settlement, the developer will allot 2.25 acres fronting on Stony Brook Road to the township.