The board of chosen freeholders in any county after receiving the advice of the county planning board is hereby empowered to adopt and establish and thereafter as often as the board may deem it for the public interest, to change or to add to an official county map, showing the highways, roadways, parks, parkways, and sites for public buildings or works, under county jurisdiction, or in the acquisition, financing or construction of which the county has participated or may be called upon to participate. Such map shall be deemed to have been established to conserve and promote the public health, safety, convenience, and welfare. Before acting thereon in the first instance and before adopting any amendments thereto such board of chosen freeholders, after notice of time and place has been given by one publication for each of 3 successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county and after written notice to the county engineer, county planning board, county park commission, if such exists, and such other county officers and departments as the board shall designate and to the municipal clerk and secretary of the planning board of each municipality in the county, shall hold a public hearing or hearings thereon at which such representatives entitled to notice and such property owners and others interested therein as shall so desire shall be heard.

Before holding any such public hearing such board of chosen freeholders shall submit such proposed change or addition to the county planning board for its consideration and advice and shall fix a reasonable time within which such county planning board may report thereon, not, however, less than 20 days; upon receipt of such report from the county planning board or upon the failure of such board to report within the time limit so fixed such board of chosen freeholders may thereupon act upon the proposed change, but any action adverse to the report of the county planning board shall require the affirmative vote of the majority of all the members of such board of chosen freeholders.

When approved in whole or part by the board of chosen freeholders in any county, such county official map or part thereof shall be deemed to be binding upon the board of chosen freeholders of the county and the several county departments thereof, and upon other county boards heretofore or hereafter created under special laws, and no expenditure of public funds by such county for construction work or the acquisition of land for any purpose enumerated in section 40:27-2 of this Title shall be made except in accordance with such official map.

Nothing herein prescribed shall be construed as restricting or limiting the powers of boards of chosen freeholders from repairing, maintaining and improving any existing street, road, viaduct, bridge or parkway not shown on such official maps, which does not involve the acquisition of additional land or of park commissions as otherwise provided by law.

Amended by L.1964, c. 239, s. 1, eff. Dec. 23, 1964; L.1968, c. 285, s. 3, eff. July 1, 1969.