Gloucester Twp. Should Amend Cannabis Laws, Add EV Chargers: Report

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — Gloucester Township has a viable vision for future development. But it should be modified to consider cannabis legalization, the increasing prevalence of electric vehicles and other modern conditions, according to a recent evaluation.

The township's master plan — a framework for the local government's decisions on future community growth and development — is currently up for re-examination. Under state law, each city and town must have a master plan that gets reviewed every 10 years.

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Gloucester Township's master plan, which was created in 1999, was last re-examined by local officials in 2015.

Last week, the township released a report with suggested adjustments to its master plan. Consulting firm Remington & Vernick Engineers developed the 2024 Master Plan Re-examination Report, which the Planning Board will review in a public meeting later this month. (View meeting info below.)

Here are a few of the suggestions in the 52-page report:

• updating the township cannabis ordinance, passed three years ago, by considering a limit to the number of weed businesses and clarifying the language on the minimum distance between each establishment.
• establishing local regulations for short-term rentals, such as bed-and-breakfasts.
• selecting public locations for electric vehicle charging stations, such as the parking lots of municipal buildings and other public parking areas. Currently, the township doesn't have any publicly owned EV charging stations.

The Planning Board will consider the re-examination report in a public meeting at 7 p.m. May 28 at the Municipal Complex (1261 Chews Landing Rd., Clementon).