The proposed law would eliminate the need for home-based business owners to undergo a review by their local zoning boards to encourage small entrepreneurship.
A bill passed by the New Jersey General Assembly would streamline regulations for home-based businesses to allow entrepreneurs to more easily operate out of their homes.
As Neill Borowski explains in 70 and 73, “The legislation calls for new approaches to zoning to support the operations and growth of small businesses” and would exempt businesses from having to appear before their local zoning boards, but opponents including the New Jersey State League of Municipalities say the bill would allow illegal businesses to operate.
“The bill also limits the activities of the home-based businesses, including the volume of business visitors to the residence. Signs, lighting and parking are prohibited. The home-based businesses also could not disrupt the neighborhood with vibration, fumes or odors.”
Proponents of loosening regulations on home-based businesses say they are often hampered by outdated zoning codes, stifling small business development and entrepreneurship.
FULL STORY: Home-based businesses wouldn't need zoning approval under proposed New Jersey law.
Madison Advances Data Center Moratorium
The mayor and city leaders could pause new zoning certificates for data centers for a year while it codifies them into its zoning regulations.
Salt Lake City Slashes Lot Size, Parking Requirements for Middle Housing Zones
A new ordinance alters regulations for middle housing zones, removing barriers that made multifamily development impractical or too expensive.
Charlottesville Temporarily Has No Zoning Code
A judge ordered the Virginia city to throw out its newly revised zoning code, leaving permitting for new development in legal limbo.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association