Bill > S988

Introduced Session

This bill would exempt the expansion or reconstruction, under certain circumstances, of municipal and county buildings and buildings used by certain emergency service organizations from the "Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act." Specifically, the bill amends the "Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act" to add a new exemption for the expansion or reconstruction within 125 percent of the footprint of the lawfully existing impervious surfaces on the site, provided that the expansion or reconstruction does not increase the lawfully existing impervious surface on the site by one-quarter acre or more, of: a building owned by a municipality or county and used for the purposes of municipal or county government; a court house; or a building used for the purposes of a volunteer fire department, incorporated volunteer fire company, or volunteer first aid, emergency, rescue, or ambulance squad. This expansion or reconstruction would be exempt from the provisions of the "Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act," the regional master plan adopted pursuant thereto, any rules or regulations adopted by the Department of Environmental Protection pursuant thereto, or any amendments to a master plan, development regulations, or other regulations adopted by a local government unit to specifically conform them with the Highlands regional master plan. The exemption in this bill is mirrored on an existing exemption in the act that allows the reconstruction of any building or structure for any reason within 125 percent of the footprint of the lawfully existing impervious surfaces on the site, provided that the reconstruction or expansion does not increase the lawfully existing impervious surface on the site by one-quarter acre or more. This bill would specifically exempt the limited expansion or reconstruction of buildings owned by a municipality or county (such as a municipal or county office building or a building housing a police department or fire department), court houses, and buildings used by volunteer fire departments, incorporated volunteer fire companies, or volunteer first aid, emergency, rescue, or ambulance squads.

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Joe Pennacchio (R)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Environment and Energy Committee (on 01/31/2022)

Official Document