SENATE, No. 1771
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
INTRODUCED JANUARY 14, 1997
By Senator SINGER
An Act appropriating $15,000,000 from the "Port of New Jersey Revitalization, Dredging, Environmental Cleanup, Lake Restoration, and Delaware Bay Area Economic Development Bond Act of 1996," P.L.1996, c.70, for financing an economic development site in the Delaware River and Bay Region.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. There is appropriated to the Department of Environmental Protection from the "1996 Economic Development Site Fund," established pursuant to section 20 of the "Port of New Jersey Revitalization, Dredging, Environmental Cleanup, Lake Restoration, and Delaware Bay Area Economic Development Bond Act of 1996," P.L.1996, c.70, the sum of $15,000,000 for the purpose of providing funds to the Burlington County Board of Chosen Freeholders, or any governmental entity designated by that body, to finance the cost of acquiring real property or interests therein upon which the proposed New Jersey Food Distribution Center would be constructed. These funds may also be used to finance the cost of site improvements on the real property or interests therein to be purchased under this act.
2. Any transfer of any funds appropriated by this act shall require the approval of the Joint Budget Oversight Committee or its successor.
3. The expenditure of the funds appropriated by this act is subject to the provisions and conditions of P.L.1996, c.70 and any regulations adopted by the Department of Environmental Protection pursuant thereto.
4. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill appropriates $15,000,000 from the $20,000,000 allocation of bonds authorized for the "1996 Economic Development Site Fund" under the "Port of New Jersey Revitalization, Dredging, Environmental Cleanup, Lake Restoration, and Delaware Bay Area Economic Development Bond Act of 1996." This sum would be provided to the Burlington County Board of Chosen Freeholders, or any other governmental entity designated by that body, to acquire up to 660 acres of real property or interests therein upon which the proposed New Jersey Food Distribution Center would be built. The proposed site for this facility is located in Florence and Burlington townships, Burlington County, between the line formed by the Delaware River on the west, the New Jersey Turnpike on the north, U.S. Highway Route 130 on the east and southeast, and Dulty's Lane on the south.
The New Jersey Food Distribution Center was first proposed by the Legislature pursuant to P.L.1985, c.383 (C.4:26-1 et seq), which created and directed the New Jersey Food Distribution Authority to conduct studies to determine the feasibility of constructing and operating a major food processing and distribution center in the southern area of New Jersey. Based on a 1989 study that recommended the construction of such a facility, plus an updated report on this study (completed in 1993) that proposed a specific site for the facility, P.L.1993, c.68 was enacted to authorize the location of the facility pursuant to the study's site proposal. It is this site that would be purchased with the bond monies appropriated under this bill.
Once the designated land is purchased and made suitable for construction, the New Jersey Food Distribution Center is expected to be built in incremental phases and financed mostly by food processors and related businesses as the need arises.
Appropriates $15,000,000 from "1996 Economic Development Site Fund" for proposed New Jersey Food Distribution Center in Burlington County.