Facing substantial opposition from environmental groups (and, apparently, the Governor’s Office and NJDEP), key provisions of the Assembly version of the proposed Permit Extension Act (A-2867) were eliminated. The bill, as modified, will still be a lifeline that allows builders to extend many local and state approvals which are in peril of expiring until the end of 2010 (the original legislative proposal provided an extension until the end of 2012 and included approvals within the Highland and Pinelands regions).

Municipal officials and industry advocacy groups have joined together to support this legislation due to the difficulty in the current fiscal environment for developers to obtain financing and the overall downturn in the housing and commercial development markets. According to the Home News Tribune:

A legislative committee voted Thursday for a plan to extend the lives of development permits across the state, a move backers hoped would jump-start the economy over objections from environmental groups.

“We compete for business. … New Jersey has to stay competitive,” stressed Assemblyman Louis Greenwald, D-Camden, a sponsor of the ultimate measure that was created by compromise in the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee.

“This is not en environmental bill,” said Assemblyman Joseph Malone III, R-Burlington. “This is about putting people back to work.”

That Democrat Greenwald and Republican Malone testified together before the committee underscored how lawmakers from both major parties support the idea of allowing builders a window to crank up projects that have been delayed because banks have been stingy about lending money.

“It is less bad,” said the Sierra Club’s Jeff Tittel, who spoke for an alliance of developers and others opposing the measure, after the plan was changed.

In its amended form, the bill offers builders a two-year extension on their permits — down from six — and does not apply to protected areas in the northwest Highlands or the Pine Barrens and other protected patches of New Jersey.

The bill moves to the full Assembly for a vote and the State Senate Economic Growth Committee was scheduled to take up the legislation (S-1919) today (Monday, June 16), but the hearing on the bill was postponed at the last minute. It is uncertain whether it will be on their agenda on June 19.

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