Official Site of The State of New Jersey
Plan Endorsement Process
Step 1: Pre-petition
In order to initiate the plan endorsement process, a prospective petitioner must request a pre-petition meeting. The purpose of the pre-petition meeting is to introduce the municipality to the Office for Planning Advocacy (OPA) and other State agency partners and to introduce Plan Endorsement to the municipality.
Step 2: Plan Endorsement Citizens’ Advisory Committee
"Plan Endorsement Advisory Committee" or "Advisory Committee" means a citizen-based committee appointed by the mayor or governing body to serve as liaison with the State, county, regional agencies and local officials throughout the process, to increase public awareness of and participation in the plan endorsement process, and to guide and assist the plan endorsement process, including participating in meetings at the Office of Smart Growth between the petitioner and the relevant State agencies.
Step 3: Municipal Self-Assessment
Step 4: State Opportunities and Constraints Assessment
Within 45 days of the municipality’s satisfaction of submission requirements for the Municipal Self-Assessment Report (or Self-Assessment for regional entities), OPA and the relevant State agencies will assess local opportunities and constraints regarding sound land use planning practices, economic development, infrastructure, natural resources, and climate resilience.
Step 5: Community Visioning
To achieve Plan Endorsement, a petitioning municipality must have undergone a community visioning process resulting in the adoption of a Vision Statement. The petitioner, with the Advisory Committee taking the lead, undertakes visioning prior to the State agency consistency review.
Step 6: Consistency Review
Upon receipt of all items submitted to the Office of Planning Advocacy regarding Pre-petition materials, Plan Endorsement Advisory Committee, Municipal Self-Assessment, Community visioning sessions, and any other plan implementation mechanisms identified by State agencies to be evaluated as requirements for consistency, the Executive Director shall commence the consistency review and send copies of the plan and supporting documents to the State agencies represented on the State Planning Commission and any other relevant State or Federal agency.
Step 7: Action Plan Implementation
After receipt of items submitted pursuant to the Consistency review, the Executive Director shall make a determination as to whether or not a plan that is the subject of a petition for plan endorsement is consistent with the State Plan as described at N.J.A.C. 15:30-7.13 and the petitioner has fulfilled all requirements for plan endorsement as described in this chapter and relevant parts of the Plan Endorsement Guidelines and other support materials.
Step 8: Recommendation Report and Draft Planning and Implementation Agreement (PIA)
If the Executive Director, in consultation with the Plan Implementation Committee, determines that the self-assessment and visioning process steps have been performed, or that a waiver of these requirements has been properly granted, and the terms and conditions of the Action Plan have been met to achieve initial consistency with these steps...
Step 9: State Planning Commission Endorsement
OPA presents Recommendation Report and draft PIA to the Plan Implementation Committee (PIC), a subcommittee of the SPC authorized to review Plan Endorsement petitions. The PIC will recommend to the SPC that the petition be: considered for approval, considered for approval with revisions, or denied
Step 10: Monitoring and Benefits
Endorsement by the State Planning Commission (SPC) marks the beginning of an ongoing partnership between the municipality, or regional entity, and the State. The Office of Planning Advocacy (OPA) will monitor the Plan Implementation Agreement (PIA) to ensure that the municipality and other participants are meeting the PIA timelines and requirements.
Step 11: Waivers
Any of the requirements of plan endorsement, pursuant to N.J.A.C. 5:85-7.8, 7.9 and 7.11 may be partially or fully waived at the discretion of the Executive Director in consultation with the relevant State agencies.
Step 12: Renewal
As of January 2023, there is no defined Plan Endorsement Renewal process. Petitioners are expected to submit biennial review reports to OPA after receiving Plan Endorsement. Contact your Area Planner to make sure you are up-to-date with your reports and discuss your plans to renew your petition. A rule change will be needed to define the Plan Endorsement Renewal process.