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State Planning Commission: Notice of Public Hearings

Please take notice, the State Planning Commission shall conduct six public hearings for the purpose of receiving testimony on the draft Final New Jersey’s State Development and Redevelopment Plan and the draft Infrastructure Needs Assessment pursuant to the State Planning Act at N.J.S.A. 52:18A-202(c) as set forth in the State Planning Rules at N.J.A.C. 15:30-5.2.

The six public hearings will be convened as follows:

Virtual Hearings:

  • Tuesday, October 14, 2025 at 6pm.
  • Wednesday, October 15, 2025 at 9am.
  • Thursday, October 16, 2025 at 6pm.
  • Friday, October 17, 2025 at 9am.

Click here to access the webinars.

In-Person Hearings:

  • Tuesday, October 14, 2025, at 9:30am., Burlington County Library, Auditorium, 5 Pioneer Blvd., Westampton Township, NJ 08060.
  • Wednesday, October 15, 2025, at 6pm., Morris County Public Safety Training Academy, 500 West Hanover Avenue, Morristown, NJ 07960.

Make-Up Hearings:

  • Should the Tuesday, October 14, 2025, in-person hearing scheduled at the Burlington County Library be canceled, a virtual hearing will take place on Thursday, October 16, 2025, at 9am. Click here to access the webinar.
  • Should the Wednesday, October 15, 2025, in-person hearing scheduled at Morris County Public Safety Training Academy be canceled, a virtual hearing will take place on Thursday, October 16, 2025 at 9am. Click here to access the webinar.

To check status updates, please visits the NJ Office of Planning Advocacy website here.

The public may comment at the hearing or may submit written comments to the Office for Planning Advocacy at any time up to 30 days after the last public hearing is conducted pursuant to N.J.A.C. 15:30-5.3. Written comments can be submitted electronically by email here, or by the U.S. Postal Service to the New Jersey Department of State, Office for Planning Advocacy, 225 West State Street, 3rd floor, P.O. Box 820, Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0820.

This notice fulfills the requirements of the Open Public Meetings Act, N.J.S.A. 10:4-6 et. seq., and the requirements of the State Planning Rules, N.J.A.C. 15:30-1.7(c).

228 million in Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

The State of New Jersey has been awarded $228 million in Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to assist with the recovery from Hurricane Ida. The funds will create housing recovery and mitigation programs to help individuals and communities. To access these federal recovery funds, the State must develop an Action Plan for the use of these funds and submit it to HUD for approval. Developing the Action Plan and recovery programs will take several months to complete.

The State will also dedicate funding from the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) towards housing mitigation efforts. The State will prepare an application to FEMA on behalf of specific properties to request funds to elevate them.
As we begin this process, the State is looking for feedback from homeowners and renters whom Ida impacted.

If you are interested in hearing more about the recovery programs, please complete this short survey, to provide information on your assistance needs. The survey is not an application but is currently required if you want to apply for future recovery programs.

Please go to the DCA website for updates on the Hurricane Ida Action Plan, including the opportunity to submit a comment on the State’s proposed use of CDBG-DR funds. If you have questions, please call (973) 500-3396 or send an email here.

Ban on Plastic Bags and Polystyrene Foam Food Service Products

The law banning plastic bags and polystyrene foam food service products will impact many businesses across the state. Get prepared by reading the requirements and finding vendors that offer reusable and sustainable alternatives.

Starting May 4th, 2022, New Jersey retail stores, grocery stores and food service businesses may not provide or sell single-use plastic carryout bags and polystyrene foam food service products.  Single-use paper carryout bags are allowed to be provided or sold, except by grocery stores equal to or larger than 2,500 square feet, which may only provide or sell reusable carryout bags. After November 4th, 2021, plastic straws may be provided only upon the request of the customer.

For more information, click here.