The Middlesex County Office of Planning serves as the staff of the
County Planning Board. The primary responsibility is to prepare a comprehensive development and growth plan for the County and to monitor its implementation. This includes preparing reports of findings and facts for presentation and action by the Planning Board and the Board of Chosen Freeholders. The Planning Board appoints advisory committees to assist in the decision-making process. These committees relate to a specific function of the Board.
Within the Office of Planning there are five Divisions. Click on the name of the division to find out more about its programs and initiatives.
Responsible for general administrative duties associated with the overall office (timekeeper, payroll, personnel, purchasing).
Staff also oversees special projects for the Director and preparation of the annual staff work program and operating budget.
Responsible for writing and updating the County’s Comprehensive Plan including the Open Space and Recreation Plan; the Farmland Preservation Plan; the Wastewater Management Plan; and the Housing and Land Use Element. Staff is responsible for review and processing of all revisions and amendments to the countywide future wastewater service area (FWSA) map. The Division engages in the implementation of watershed restoration plans, including the management of a million dollar grant to write the Manalapan Brook Study and ensure the grant funded stormwater management upgrades are realized throughout the watershed in a timely fashion. The Division provides, when time and resources permit, technical planning services to all municipalities on an as needed basis. Research and data collection and analysis is provided to the Planning Board and the Water Resources Association. Staff supports the farmland preservation program and administers the Easement Purchase Program on behalf of the State and affected towns. The Division provides staff to the County Agriculture Development Board.
Reviews all subdivisions and site plan applications and has the power to approve or reject applications which affect a County road and/or County drainage facility.
Provides a comprehensive suite of GIS services, demographic projections, and data research, including
OPRA requests, to all Middlesex County Departments and Offices.
Oversees the planning, programming, and development of transportation projects and related proposals in the County and those projects and programs which impact the County outside the County’s boundaries.