SENATE BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

 

STATEMENT TO

 

SENATE, No. 2155

 

with Senate committee amendments

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

DATED: JUNE 16, 1997

 

      The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 2155 with amendments.

      Senate Bill No. 2155, as amended, dedesignates three unbuilt routes on the State Highway System and changes the end limits on another route.

      The purpose of these measures is to allow the Commissioner of Transportation to sell or otherwise dispose of various parcels of land associated with unbuilt portions of these routes. Various parcels of land associated with the unbuilt routes and route segments affected by this bill were originally acquired by the Department of Transportation for highway construction purposes.

      The unbuilt routes which are dedesignated by repealing their authorizing statutes are Route 31 Freeway (P.L.1955, c.255), Route 75 Freeway (P.L.1967, c.87) and Route 178 Freeway (P.L.1967, c.142 and P.L.1971, c.287). The route which has its end limit changed to eliminate an unbuilt portion is Route 90 Freeway.

      The parcels of land affected by the legislation are located as follows: in the City of Newark approximately 4 acres of land previously allocated for the Route 75 Freeway; in the townships of Lawrence, Ewing and Hopewell in the county of Mercer, approximately 120 acres of land previously allocated for Route 69 or the 31 Freeway; and in the municipalities of Hanover and Morris in the county of Morris, approximately 23 acres of land previously allocated for Route 178 Freeway. The authorizing statutes for these routes are repealed by this bill.

      In addition, approximately 76 acres of land in the municipalities of Moorestown and Cinnaminson in the county of Burlington, previously allocated for Route 90 Freeway pursuant to P.L.1965, c.60, are affected by this bill.

      The bill requires the approval of the State House Commission before the department sells or otherwise conveys the lands described above and requires the department to notify each municipality in which the properties are located before any action is taken.

      As amended and reported, this bill is identical to Assembly Bill No. 3057 (1R) (Bucco/Garrett).

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill with the approval of the sponsor to require the approval of the State House Commission before the department sells or otherwise conveys the lands described above and to require the department to notify each municipality in which the properties are located before any action is taken.

 

FISCAL IMPACT:

      According to the Department of Transportation, the sale of the lands affected by this bill would generate approximately $4,900,000 in revenues for the General Fund when the properties are sold.