New Jersey Assemblywoman Carol Murphy has introduced legislation to prevent counties and municipalities from approving warehouse construction within 1,000 feet of historic sites.
A-5241 defines historic districts as properties, structures, areas, and objects listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) or the New Jersey Register of Historic Places or designated as a historic site or district by the State Historic Preservation Officer. Murphy said such a prohibition would shield cultural sites from the potential detrimental effects of development.
According to the NRHP, the Garden State, founded nearly a century before the United States, is home to roughly 200 recognized historic sites, including the Flemington Historic District, Downtown Paterson, and the Naval Air Station Wildwood. The legislation would prevent counties, municipalities, and other approving authorities from authorizing site plans to construct a large warehouse within 1,000 feet of these historic districts.
“This bill is essential for preserving the integrity and cultural significance of historic sites,” Murphy, D-Burlington, said in a statement. “More importantly, it is about protecting these spaces from potential threats that can be brought on by the placement of warehouses, including fires, security risks, and environmental factors like pollution or shifts in water and soil that could undermine their very foundations.”
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