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. Upon approval of the Vision Statement, the petitioner shall submit the resolution and Vision Statement to OPA pursuant to the State Planning Rules.  

Visioning is a process by which a community envisions the future it wants, and plans how to achieve it. The process shall engage the public in many ways through a variety of tools. Tools include surveys, mapping exercises, focus groups, public forums, workshops, tours, press releases, newsletters, public displays, webpage, email distribution, and special events. See N.J.A.C. 15:30-7.11(a) for specific requirements regarding public noticing for visioning workshops. Each tool is designed to gain public consensus regarding the community’s future. A well-planned and organized visioning process will ensure that municipal master planning and development decisions are understood and supported by the community as a whole. Approaches to visioning are varied, and should be tailored to the individual community and its circumstances. It is vitally important that the municipality take efforts to engage socially vulnerable populations who have historically been underrepresented in these processes. Visioning is most effective when the municipality employs techniques for reaching the greatest number of residents, consistent with the town’s demographics, accurately representing their views of the future, and bringing it all together in a formal Vision Statement with clearly articulated goals and objectives.  

The Advisory Committee shall engage the community through different interactive technologies and media, including online means, virtual meeting access, and posting of all workshops and hearings on the municipal website. The timeframe for visioning can range from one to six months or longer, depending on the nature of the issues facing the community. At a minimum, the Committee shall hold at least two visioning sessions. OPA and relevant State agencies will work closely with the petitioner to help facilitate a successful visioning process. Additional guidance may be requested from OPA. The Municipal Self-Assessment Report and the Opportunities & Constraints Report should guide the visioning process, providing the reality check needed to create a sustainable vision.  

The Vision Statement, goals and objectives, shall be consistent with the State Plan, and should guide the municipality’s planning, not just for the short term, but with a minimum 20-year planning horizon that forecasts the local conditions at the conclusion of that period. The Vision Statement should be incorporated into the next master plan update and be used to inform implementation strategies. Longer term (2050, 2070 and 2100) visions should be considered to address the increasing threats of climate change overtime. Materials used to perform the visioning shall be compiled, preferably by the Advisory Committee, into a summary report that indicates actions taken to satisfy visioning requirements.