Committeeman Britting Provides Update on Warehouses

At the October 25, 2022 Township Committee Meeting, Committeeman Britting provided residents with an update on the warehouse issue Hillsborough is currently facing:

Our Township Engineer is conducting a study and we are awaiting the results on the existing infrastructure, speed, turn geometries, and weight restrictions. It will also be important that the compatibility of other modes of transportation such as walking and biking are taken into account along with identifying sensitive receptors in an area such as schools, daycare centers, recreational parks, and places of worship, etc. As soon as that information is available we will be sharing the results with the Community.   

In terms of location, scale, and architectural standards, the NJ State Planning Commission / Office of Planning Advocacy recently adopted Distribution Warehousing and Goods Movement Guidelines.  Over the last several years, it is clear that the term warehouse covers a vast array of uses and types of buildings.  As such, Hillsborough Township needs to reexamine the definition of warehouses based on this recent guidance from the State of New Jersey.  As we move forward with these changing times and the guidance provided, this is an opportunity for Hillsborough Township to redefine and subsequently reaffirm what is and what is not a warehouse. Zoning districts should be appropriately scaled to match the type and intensity of land use in surrounding areas to minimize and avoid on-and-offsite impacts. I have asked the Planning Department to take a deeper look into this recent guidance and provide an analysis in the coming weeks.  This will also play into supporting green initiatives, so we will add sustainable components to the redefinition. And finally, building on speculation - that will be addressed as well.  

In summary, we will look to redefine what a warehouse is in Hillsborough, along with circulation plans, hours of operation, multimodal infrastructure, and roadways as well as other factors.  It is essential that in order to protect our community we have a proactive and comprehensive approach to our Land Use Master Plan, Zoning, and project review procedures based on sound planning practices. We will continue to update our community as more and new information is available.