NJ lawmakers weigh zoning reforms during Murphy’s lame duck session

A zoning battle played out in the South Jersey town of Evesham this past fall.

The fight was over whether a developer can tear down a single-story office complex across the street from a strip mall and replace it with 325 new apartments in a state desperate for more housing.

Democratic Mayor Jaclyn Veasy, who supports the development, has faced backlash from several residents opposed to the proposal.

But if outgoing Gov. Phil Murphy and several Democrats in the state Legislature get their way, local zoning disputes over converting vacant commercial spaces into housing could become a thing of the past in New Jersey.

A bill that lawmakers are currently considering would require local officials to approve applications to convert vacant office property into mixed-use developments that include affordable housing.

“In recent years, vacant retail and office parks have become eyesores and economic burdens to communities throughout the state,” said the bill’s author, Sen. Troy Singleton, a Democrat from Moorestown. “By repurposing these outdated, unused spaces into mixed-use developments, we will be able to address the housing shortage and create economic growth opportunities in these areas.”

Singleton made the comments at a hearing earlier this year when the bill was passed by the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee, which he chairs.

At his final State of the State address in January, Murphy called for the zoning reform legislation to be passed and sent to his desk before he hands the governor’s reins to Mikie Sherrill in January.

Singleton’s office did not respond when asked by Gothamist if he is confident that it’ll be passed during the lame duck session. On the Assembly side, the office park conversion legislation has been introduced in the Commerce, Economic Development and Agriculture Committee, but it has yet to come up for a vote.

The legislation is part of a larger effort to quell the pain of the state’s housing crisis.

New Jersey’s state and local leaders plan to build or rehabilitate roughly 150,000 affordable homes over the next decade. If they’re successful, 2025 will likely be seen as a landmark year in the process, as officials representing more than 400 of the state’s 564 municipalities have signed on this year to increase affordable housing development.

Housing advocates have expressed confidence that the commercial rezoning legislation will pass during the lame duck.

“ I think it's looking promising. I can't say for a 100% certain, everything changes from day to day, but I think that's looking good,” said Al-Tariq Witcher, Managing Director of External Affairs for Fair Share Housing Center, a statewide nonprofit that advocates for affordable housing development.

Republican legislators oppose the bill. They’ve repeatedly called it an assault on "home rule" — the colloquial term that refers to the state’s government structure, which largely gives zoning powers to local officials.

That sentiment is shared by the influential League of Municipalities, which represents and advocates for the 564 municipalities across the state.

“ We believe it's unnecessary because any of the applicants seeking a conversion can seek it as under a variance,” said Michael Cerra, executive director for the League of Municipalities.

Cerra said the bill would be “preemptive” and seeks to “overturn good planning” that’s already been done by towns around the state.

But Republicans do not have enough votes in the Legislature to block Democrats, who hold the majority in both houses, from passing this or any piece of legislation.

Gov.-elect Sherrill has yet to take a position on the bill. However, her “Affordability Agenda” includes a proposal to encourage the conversion of underutilized office parks and industrial sites into new housing.

Lawmakers have until Jan. 13, 2026, to pass it and other legislation up for discussion before it would have to be reintroduced next year.