Category: Uncategorized

On Monday, September 20th, the East Rutherford Planning Board approved plans in connection with the development of a 47,310 square foot industrial flex building in the I-Light Industrial District. The Board voted to approve both preliminary and final site plan approval, along with certain variance relief in connection with the proposed project.

Chris J. Murphy, Esq. led the firm’s successful efforts on behalf of the development team, which included Paul Mutch, Jacob Lewkowski, and John Corak from Stonefield Engineering, Frederick Kincaid from Jarmel Kizel Architects and Engineers, and professional planner Matt Flynn of John McDonough Associates.

On Monday, September 13th, the Newark Central Planning Board approved plans for the installation of a 2,996.19-killowat DC roof-mounted solar panel array on an existing 335,428 square foot industrial building in the I-2 Medium Industrial Zone.

Chris J. Murphy, Esq. led the firm’s successful efforts on behalf of the development team.

On Friday, September 10th, MSW partners Matthew Schiller and Charles Wilkes will present as part of an all-day NJICLE seminar titled “Commercial Real Estate Transactions – From Fist Bump to Closing.”

This is a “must attend” program if you handle commercial real estate matters. It will be of special interest to attorneys who represent sellers, buyers, commercial real estate owners, developers, contractors, financial institutions, title search companies, insurance companies, and others seeking to hone their skills in this area.

For more information, or to register now, click here or call NJICLE at (732) 214-8500.

On Monday, August 9th, the Montclair Planning Board approved plans in connection with the adaptive reuse of a vacant four-story warehouse building in the C-1 Central Business zoning district. The applicant sought approvals in order to permit the renovation of the existing vacant structure for retail use on the ground floor and office use on the upper floors. The project includes the construction of a 1,953 square foot addition to the third and fourth floors of the building, the installation of new windows and doors, and landscaping in the rear yard.

Chris J. Murphy, Esq. led the firm’s successful efforts on behalf of the development team, which included architect Christopher Manos of Architectura, professional planner Peter Steck, and traffic engineer Lou Luglio of Sam Schwartz. MSW associate Hannah Bartges and land use paralegal Marika Igras also played a critical role in the process.

On Monday, August 2nd, the Woodland Park Planning Board granted preliminary and final site plan approval, along with certain variance relief, in connection with a proposed car wash along US Route 46.

Chris J. Murphy, Esq. led the firm’s successful efforts on behalf of the development team, which included Joshua Sewald of Dynamic Engineering, and Christopher Tait of B. Tait Builders LLC. MSW associate Hannah Bartges and land use paralegal Marika Igras also played a critical role in the process.

Recent proposed amendments to the Garden State Growth Zone (“GSGZ”) property tax exemption program are good news for developers and certain municipalities in the State seeking to take advantage of this important tax incentive. The bill (A5683/S3869) passed both houses on June 30, 2021 and would expand the program by changing three key provisions.

First, the amendment expands eligibility and permits certain municipalities that did not opt-in to the program by the initial deadline in 2013, to opt-in within 90 days of enactment of the legislation. Specifically, the bill expands the definition of a “Garden State Growth Zone” to include a “government-restricted municipality.” This definition includes municipalities with a Municipal Revitalization Index distress score of at least 75 and municipalities designated as urban aid municipalities for the 2019 State fiscal year — specifically, Paterson, Trenton and Atlantic City. The bill allows municipalities designated as a “government-restricted municipality” to opt-in to the GSGZ exemption program, by ordinance, within ninety days of its enactment.

Second, the bill permits expansion of the length of the tax exemption for properties in a “government restricted municipality.” The current program allows for a twenty-year property tax exemption which begins on the date the developer receives the final certificate of occupancy. The amendment would permit extension of the exemption period to thirty years. Importantly, this extension would not only apply to new applications, but also permits the Tax Assessor to extend the prior-existing twenty-year exemption to thirty years.

Finally, the bill extends the construction timeline required under the existing Act for properties in a  “government restricted municipality.” Under the current law, the final certificate of occupancy must be issued within ten years of the enactment of the 2013 Act. This amendment would extend this deadline to fifteen years from enactment.

For more information on the MSW Property Tax Practice Group, please contact Thomas S. Dolan, Esq. at (973) 705-7412 or tdolan@murphyllp.com.