S4506

An Act concerning New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority development fees and amending P.L.2015, c.19.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. Section 74 of P.L.2015. c.19 (C.5:10A-74) is amended to read as follows:

74. a. After the adoption of the plan by the commission pursuant to subsection f. of section 73 of P.L.2015, c.19 (C.5:10A-73), the commission may, by resolution, provide for the assessment and collection of development fees on developments within the district as provided hereunder.

b. Development fees assessed by the commission shall be based upon the growth and development forecasts contained in the plan and shall be levied in order to raise only those amounts needed to accomplish the transportation projects set forth in the plan and allowable administrative costs. Those fees shall be assessed based upon the formula or formulas contained in the resolution and shall be uniformly applied, with such exceptions as are authorized or required by sections 69 through 81 of P.L.2015, c.19 (C.5:10A-69 through C.5:10A-81).

c. A formula or formulas adopted by the commission by resolution shall reflect a methodology which relates the use of land to the impact of the proposed development on the transportation system, including, but not limited to: vehicle trips generated by the development; the square footage of an occupied structure; the number of employees regularly employed at the development; the number of parking spaces located at the development; or any combination thereof.

d. The resolution may provide for credits against assessed development fees for payments made, or expenses incurred, which have been determined by the commission to be in furtherance of the district transportation plan, including, but not limited to, contributions to transportation improvements, other than those required for safe and efficient highway access to a development, and costs attributable to the promotion of public transit, walking, bicycling, or ridesharing.

e. The resolution may either exempt or reduce the development fee for specified land uses which have been determined by the commission to have a beneficial, neutral, or comparatively minor adverse impact on the transportation needs of the district.

f. The resolution may provide for a reduced rate of development fees for developers submitting a peak-hour automobile trip reduction plan approved by the commission under standards adopted by the commission. Standards for the approval of peak-hour automobile trip reduction plans may include, but need not be limited to: physical design for improved transit, ridesharing, and pedestrian access; design of developments which include a mix of residential and nonresidential uses; and proximity to potential labor pools.

g. The assessment of a development fee shall be reasonably related to the impact of the proposed development on the transportation system of the district and shall not exceed the development's fair share of the cost of the transportation improvement necessary to accommodate the additional burden on the district's transportation system that is attributable to the proposed development and related allowable administrative costs.

h. A resolution shall be sufficiently certain and definitive to enable every person who may be required to pay a fee to know or calculate the limit and extent of the fee which is to be assessed against a specific development.

i. Upon the adoption by the commission of a resolution pursuant to subsection a. of this section, a separate assessment for off-site transportation improvements within the district shall not be made by the State, a county, or a municipality except as permitted pursuant to sections 69 through 81 of P.L.2015, c.19 (C.5:10A-69 through C.5:10A-81).

j. A development fee shall not be assessed for any low and moderate income housing units which are constructed pursuant to the "Fair Housing Act," P.L.1985, c.222 (C.52:27D-301 et al.) or under court order or settlement.

k. At least [30%] 30 percent of any development fees collected in accordance with this section shall be used for transportation-related projects within the municipality where the development, for which a particular fee was collected, is located, subject to the following limitations:

(1) development fees collected pursuant to this subsection shall not be used to defray the costs of plan elements and allowable administrative costs incurred by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and the Meadowlands Transportation Planning Board for administration, management, development, update, amendment, and supplement of the Meadowlands District Transportation Plan and the Meadowlands Transportation Planning District;

(2) development fees collected pursuant to this subsection may only be used for transportation-related projects within the municipality where the development, for which a particular fee was collected, is located, with the advice and consent of the municipality’s governing body in the governing body’s sole discretion; and

(3) the development fees collected pursuant to this subsection shall not be used for any district-wide intermunicipal traffic systems, which shall include, but not be limited to, the Meadowlands Adaptive Signal System for Traffic Reduction.

(cf: P.L.2015, c.19, s.74)

2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill amends existing law to limit the use of New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA) development fees collected pursuant to law for certain transportation-related projects. Specifically, the bill provides that development fees may not be used to defray the costs of plan elements and allowable administrative costs incurred by the NJSEA and Meadowlands Transportation Planning Board for administration, management, development, update, amendment, and supplement of the Meadowlands District Transportation Plan and the Meadowlands Transportation Planning District. The bill also provides that development fees may only be used for transportation-related projects within the municipality where the development, for which a particular fee was collected, is located, with the advice and consent of the municipality’s governing body in the governing body’s sole discretion. Lastly, the bill prohibits the development fees from being used for any district-wide intermunicipal traffic systems, which is to include, but not be limited to, the Meadowlands Adaptive Signal System for Traffic Reduction.