Paramus mayor blasts NJ housing bill; state senator responds to criticism
Mayor Chris DiPiazza questioned whether state lawmakers should override local zoning rules. State Sen. Troy Singleton says the proposal would help address New Jersey's housing shortage.
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Paramus Mayor Chris DiPiazza criticized proposed New Jersey legislation Wednesday that would make it easier to redevelop certain underused shopping centers and office parks into housing, raising questions about state interference in local zoning decisions.
"Who the heck is Senator Troy Singleton and who the hell is he to tell local municipalities how to zone?" DiPiazza wrote in an early-morning Facebook post.
The mayor was reacting to Senate Bill 1766, which would allow qualifying commercial properties to be redeveloped into mixed-use developments that include housing, even where local zoning restrictions would otherwise prohibit residential use.
Asked by News 12 about the mayor's criticism, Singleton, a Burlington County Democrat and one of the bill's sponsors, defended the proposal as a way to address New Jersey's housing shortage.
"I respect the mayor's concerns about local control," Singleton said. "However, we cannot ignore the reality that changing economic conditions have left too many office parks and shopping centers underutilized, while New Jersey families continue to struggle to find affordable places to live."
What the bill would do
Under S1766, eligible properties would include office parks of at least 50,000 square feet and retail centers containing, or having previously contained, a retail unit of at least 15,000 square feet.
Properties would also have to meet conditions involving prolonged vacancies or financial difficulties. Those include a vacancy rate of at least 25% for 18 consecutive months or a qualifying economic downturn over three years, along with requirements for efforts to lease or market the property.
Qualifying projects would have to include at least two uses, including residential housing, and reserve at least 20% of the residential units for affordable housing.
The legislation would allow eligible projects to proceed without a local use variance, provided they meet the bill's requirements. Other applicable development regulations and approvals would still apply.
A dispute over local control
In an email to News 12, DiPiazza said his opposition reflects a broader concern about state lawmakers overriding municipal zoning decisions.
"Republican or Democrat, local officials know their town the best," he said. "It is where we live, where we raise our families, the needs and wants of our town that we know best."
DiPiazza argued that zoning helps preserve the identities of individual communities and questioned Singleton's familiarity with Paramus.
"Has Troy Singleton visited Paramus and walked our neighborhoods, been to our malls, sat in our traffic, spent a day in our classrooms?" he asked.
Singleton said the legislation offers a way to revitalize struggling commercial properties while expanding housing opportunities.
"Local control is important, but so is our collective responsibility to address New Jersey's housing shortage and revitalize properties that are no longer serving their communities," Singleton said. "We can respect both priorities without allowing outdated land-use restrictions to stand in the way of responsible redevelopment."
