Message from Mayor Josh Losardo | April 24, 2026
On behalf of the Township Council, I want to share with you an important action we are taking to protect our community’s voice in decisions that shape the future of Scotch Plains.
Earlier this month, the Township Council adopted a resolution opposing New Jersey Senate Bill S-1836, proposed legislation that would significantly undermine the local planning authority by allowing religious and nonprofit organizations to convert their properties into high-density housing developments.
This law, if passed, would allow these organizations to bypass our local zoning laws entirely. The bill was introduced on January 13; it now sits before the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee.
Let me be clear: Scotch Plains is committed to meeting our constitutionally mandated affordable housing obligations under state law. And we are doing so, as required by the courts through adopting a Fourth Round Housing Element and Fair Share Plan and passing implementing ordinances and resolutions.
We have worked diligently and in good faith to comply with the sweeping changes Trenton has enacted for the Fourth Round of affordable housing obligations. Our Township has invested considerable time, money, and community input into updating our Master Plan that thoughtfully charts our town’s path forward.
That process exists for a reason. It ensures that growth in Scotch Plains is responsible, sustainable, and aligned with the needs of our residents.
Yet S-1836 ignored that process entirely.
Under this proposal, qualifying organizations could convert underused properties into large, residential developments with increased density of at least 40 units per acre and one-story above the permitted building height regardless of what our Master Plan or zoning districts permit.
Worse, only 20% of units in these developments would be required to be affordable housing. The remaining 80% would be market-rate units, imposing density on our community far beyond what our court-approved Fourth Round Affordable Housing obligations actually require.
This is not responsible planning. It is the state dictating to our community what gets built, where it gets built, and how large it can be. This is all being done without any meaningful input from the residents who live here, pay taxes here, and call Scotch Plains home.
A well-intentioned development project must go through the local planning and zoning process. No question.
The process exists to ensure public transparency, evaluate impacts on traffic, parking, infrastructure, and public safety, and give residents a meaningful seat at the table. S-1836 eliminates that opportunity.
The Township Council’s resolution calls on state lawmakers to vote against S-1836 and urges our state representatives to oppose any other legislation that also attempts to strip municipalities of their rightful land use authority.
I encourage you to make your voice heard as well. Contact our 22nd legislative district representatives and the Governor’s Office to let them know that Scotch Plains residents expect their locally developed plans to be respected. These lawmakers are well aware of our opposition to this legislation; we have made sure of it. But we ask that you join the chorus and amplify our concerns.
Together, we will continue to advocate for a community that grows thoughtfully and on our own terms.