a. The governing body of any county may, by ordinance or resolution, as appropriate, apply to the commissioner for the designation and delineation of a transportation development district within the boundaries of the county. The application shall include: (1) proposed boundaries for the district, (2) evidence of growth conditions prevailing in the proposed district which justify creation of a transportation development district in conformity with the purposes of this act and the standards established by the commissioner, (3) a description of transportation needs arising from rapid development within the district, (4) certification that there is in effect for the county a current county master plan adopted under R.S.40:27-2 and that creation of the district would be in conformity both with the county master plan and with the State Development and Redevelopment Plan adopted under the “State Planning Act,” P.L.1985, c.398 (C. 52:18A-196 et al.), (5) certification that municipalities included, wholly or partly in the district, or which would be directly affected by the delineation or designation thereof, have been given at least 30 days’ advance notice of the application and an opportunity to comment thereon, (6) comments offered by any of these municipalities, and the response thereto by the county, and (7) any additional information that the commissioner may require.

b. The commissioner shall, within 60 days of receipt of a completed application and upon review of the application as to sufficiency and conformity with the purposes of this act, (1) by order designate a district and delineate its boundaries in conformance with the application, or (2) disapprove the application and inform the governing body of the county in writing of the reasons for the disapproval, or (3) where the commissioner finds that the creation of a district is critically important and that the application of the county is sufficient in every respect except the appropriateness of the proposed boundaries for the district, by order designate a district and delineate its boundaries and inform the governing body of the county in writing of the reasons for the alteration of the proposed boundaries. Failure of the commissioner to act under this subsection within 60 days, unless the applicant agrees to an extension of time shall mean that the application is approved and the commissioner shall then on the next business day issue an order as required under this subsection. The governing body may, in the case of a disapproval of its application, resubmit an application incorporating whatever revisions it deems appropriate, taking into consideration the commissioner’s reasons for disapproval.

c. (1) If the governing body of the county in response to a petition by a municipality under section 15 of this act adopts an ordinance or resolution, as appropriate, stating its intention not to proceed with an application or adopts an ordinance or resolution, as appropriate, stating its intention to proceed with an application but fails to submit such an application within 120 days of adopting that ordinance or resolution, as appropriate, the governing body of the municipality which submitted the original petition or the governing body of any municipality within the county which would be directly affected by the designation and delineation of a district may petition the commissioner for the designation and delineation of a district. The commissioner shall, within 60 days of receipt of a petition and upon review of the petition as to sufficiency and conformity with the purposes of this act, act as in subsection b. of this section, but in the instance where the commissioner acts under paragraph (1) or paragraph (3) of subsection b., the commissioner shall also designate an appropriate governmental organization which has sufficient power to administer the district, and which shall permit representation from all participating municipalities. In addition, where negotiations are underway pursuant to this subsection or subsection b. of this section between the department and the petitioning body the 60 day time frame may be suspended by mutual agreement. The petitioning body may, in the case of a disapproval of its application, resubmit a petition directly to the commissioner incorporating whatever revisions it deems appropriate, taking into consideration the commissioner’s reasons for disapproval.

(2) Failure by a county to adopt a resolution stating its intent to submit an application substantially consistent with the municipal petition within 90 days after receipt thereof shall entitle the petitioning municipality or any directly affected municipality to petition the commissioner for the designation and delineation of a district as set forth in paragraph (1) of this subsection.

d. The commissioner shall adopt as regulations under the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C. 52:14B-1 et seq.) standards to assist in the determination of whether there is sufficient evidence of growth conditions prevailing in an area to justify creation of a transportation development district under this act. The criteria for assisting in the determination shall include: (1) an accelerating growth rate for estimated population or employment in excess of 10% in three of the past five years in at least three contiguous municipalities; or, (2) projected local traffic growth in excess of 50% in a five-year period generated from new development; or, (3) commercial/retail development projected at a rate of one million square feet per square mile in a five-year period; or, (4) projected growth in population or in employment in excess of 20% over a 10-year period. The regulations shall specify the application of the time periods under these four criteria. The commissioner may also include in the regulations additional criteria which recognize existing traffic congestion, or any other such criteria which, in the commissioner’s judgment, may serve to effectuate the purposes of this act.

The Senate Transportation and Communications Committee, or its successor, and the Assembly Transportation and Communications Committee, or its successor, shall be notified by the commissioner of these standards at the time they are included in a notice of proposed rule-making under the provisions of the “Administrative Procedure Act.” In addition, following the adoption of these standards by regulation, the commissioner shall notify the Senate Transportation and Communications Committee, or its successor, and the Assembly Transportation and Communications Committee, or its successor, of any proposed revisions to these standards at the time these revisions are proposed for adoption under the provisions of the “Administrative Procedure Act.”

L.1989, c.100, s.4.