SO. BURLINGTON CTY. N.A.A.C.P. v. MOUNT LAUREL TP.


92 N.J. 158 (1983)

456 A.2d 390

SOUTHERN BURLINGTON COUNTY N.A.A.C.P., CAMDEN COUNTY C.O.R.E., CAMDEN COUNTY N.A.A.C.P., ETHEL LAWRENCE, THOMASINE LAWRENCE, CATHERINE STILL, MARY E. SMITH, SHIRLEY MORRIS, JACQUELINE CURTIS, GLADYS CLARK, BETTY WEAL AND ANGEL PEREZ, ON BEHALF OF THEMSELVES AND ALL OTHERS SIMILARLY SITUATED, PLAINTIFFS-APPELLANTS AND CROSS-RESPONDENTS, AND DAVIS ENTERPRISES, PLAINTIFF-INTERVENOR AND CROSS-RESPONDENT, v. TOWNSHIP OF MOUNT LAUREL, DEFENDANT-RESPONDENT AND CROSS-APPELLANT (A-35/36). SOUTHERN BURLINGTON COUNTY N.A.A.C.P., CAMDEN COUNTY C.O.R.E., CAMDEN COUNTY N.A.A.C.P., ETHEL LAWRENCE, THOMASINE LAWRENCE, CATHERINE STILL, MARY E. SMITH, SHIRLEY MORRIS, JACQUELINE CURTIS, GLADYS CLARK, BETTY WEAL AND ANGEL PEREZ, ON BEHALF OF THEMSELVES AND ALL OTHERS SIMILARLY SITUATED, PLAINTIFFS-RESPONDENTS, AND DAVIS ENTERPRISES, PLAINTIFF-INTERVENOR-RESPONDENT, v. TOWNSHIP OF MOUNT LAUREL, DEFENDANT-APPELLANT (A-172). URBAN LEAGUE OF GREATER NEW BRUNSWICK, A NONPROFIT CORPORATION OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, CLEVELAND BENSON, JUDITH CHAMPION, BARBARA TIPPETT AND KENNETH TUSKEY, ON THEIR OWN BEHALF AND ON BEHALF OF ALL OTHERS SIMILARLY SITUATED, PLAINTIFFS-APPELLANTS, AND FANNIE BOTTS, LYDIA CRUZ AND JEAN WHITE, PLAINTIFFS, v. THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE BOROUGH OF CARTERET, MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE BOROUGH OF DUNELLEN, TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE OF THE TOWNSHIP OF EDISON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE BOROUGH OF HELMETTA, MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE BOROUGH OF HIGHLAND PARK, MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE BOROUGH OF JAMESBURG, TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE OF THE TOWNSHIP OF MADISON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE BOROUGH OF METUCHEN, MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE BOROUGH OF MIDDLESEX, MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE BOROUGH OF MILLTOWN, TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE OF THE TOWNSHIP OF NORTH BRUNSWICK, MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE BOROUGH OF SAYREVILLE, MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH AMBOY, MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE BOROUGH OF SOUTH RIVER, MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE BOROUGH OF SPOTS-WOOD AND TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE OF THE TOWNSHIP OF WOODBRIDGE, DEFENDANTS, AND TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE OF THE TOWNSHIP OF CRANBURY, TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE OF THE TOWNSHIP OF EAST BRUNSWICK, TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE OF THE TOWNSHIP OF MONROE, TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE OF THE TOWNSHIP OF PISCATAWAY, TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE OF THE TOWNSHIP OF PLAINSBORO, TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE OF THE TOWNSHIP OF SOUTH BRUNSWICK AND MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE BOROUGH OF SOUTH PLAINFIELD, DEFENDANTS-RESPONDENTS (A-4). JOSEPH CAPUTO AND ALDO CAPUTO, PLAINTIFFS-APPELLANTS AND CROSS-RESPONDENTS, v. TOWNSHIP OF CHESTER AND PLANNING BOARD OF TOWNSHIP OF CHESTER, DEFENDANTS-RESPONDENTS AND CROSS-APPELLANTS (A-7/21). GLENVIEW DEVELOPMENT CO., A NEW JERSEY CORPORATION, PLAINTIFF-APPELLANT, v. FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, PLANNING BOARD AND ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION OF FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, DEFENDANTS-RESPONDENTS (A-8). URBAN LEAGUE OF ESSEX COUNTY, NORTH JERSEY COMMUNITY UNION, AMY INGRAM, JOHN LIGON AND JOSE MUNIZ, ON BEHALF OF THEMSELVES AND ALL OTHERS SIMILARLY SITUATED, PLAINTIFFS-APPELLANTS, v. TOWNSHIP OF MAHWAH, DEFENDANT-RESPONDENT, AND BOROUGH OF RAMSEY, NEW JERSEY, BOROUGH OF SADDLE RIVER, NEW JERSEY AND BOROUGH OF UPPER SADDLE RIVER, NEW JERSEY, DEFENDANTS (A-18). ROUND VALLEY, INC., A CORPORATION OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, PLAINTIFF-APPELLANT, v. TOWNSHIP OF CLINTON, A MUNICIPAL CORPORATION OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, TOWNSHIP COUNCIL OF THE TOWNSHIP OF CLINTON AND PLANNING BOARD OF THE TOWNSHIP OF CLINTON, DEFENDANTS-RESPONDENTS (A-37).

The Supreme Court of New Jersey.

Decided January 20, 1983.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Carl S. Bisgaier, Director, Division of Public Interest Advocacy, and Kenneth E. Meiser, Deputy Director, Division of Public Interest Advocacy, argued the cause for appellants (A-35/36) and amicus curiae Department of the Public Advocate (A-4, A-7/21, A-8 and A-18), and Kenneth E. Meiser submitted a brief on behalf of respondents (A-172) (Stanley C. Van Ness, Public Advocate, attorney; Peter J. O'Connor, of counsel; Carl S. Bisgaier, Kenneth E. Meiser, Linds R. Hurd and Linda R. Pancotto and Stephen Eisdorfer, Assistant Deputy Public Advocates, on the briefs).

Marilyn J. Morheuser, and Martin E. Sloane, a member of the District of Columbia bar, argued the cause for appellants (A-4) (Marilyn J. Morheuser, attorney; Martin E. Sloane and Roger C. Rosenthal, a member of the District of Columbia bar, of counsel).

Philip Lindeman, II, argued the cause for appellants and cross-respondents (A-7/21) (Hellring, Lindeman, Goldstein & Siegal, attorneys).

Robert Benbrook, argued the cause for appellant (A-8) (Morrow & Benbrook, attorneys; Robert Benbrook and James W. Tubbs, on the briefs).

Richard F. Bellman, a member of the New York bar, argued the cause for appellants (A-18) (Courter, Kobert & Pease, attorneys; Joel Kobert, on the briefs).

Michael J. Herbert, argued the cause for appellant (A-37) (Sterns, Herbert & Weinroth, attorneys; Michael J. Herbert and Joel H. Sterns, of counsel and on the briefs).

John E. Harrington, submitted briefs on behalf of appellant (A-172) (Hartman, Schlesinger, Schlosser & Faxon, attorneys).

S. David Brandt, argued the cause for intervenor and cross-respondent (A-35/36) and submitted a brief on behalf of intervenor-respondent (A-172) (Brandt, Haughey, Penberthy, Lewis & Hyland, attorneys; S. David Brandt and Gerald E. Haughey, on the briefs).

John E. Patton and John W. Trimble argued the cause for respondent and cross-appellant (A-35/36) (Trimble & Master, attorneys).

William C. Moran, Jr., argued the cause for respondent Township Committee of the Township of Cranbury (A-4) (Huff & Moran, attorneys).

Bertram E. Busch argued the cause for respondent Township Committee of the Township of East Brunswick (A-4) (Busch & Busch, attorneys).

Daniel S. Bernstein argued the cause for respondent Township Committee of the Township of Piscataway (A-4) (Sachar, Bernstein, Rothberg, Sikora & Mongello, attorneys; Daniel S. Bernstein and Marilyn R. Frankenthaler, on the briefs).

Joseph L. Stonaker argued the cause for respondent Township Committee of the Township of Plainsboro (A-4) (Stonaker & Stonaker, attorneys; Joseph L. Stonaker and Janice B. Stonaker, on the briefs).

Barry C. Brechman argued the cause for respondent Township Committee of the Township of South Brunswick (A-4).

Sanford E. Chernin argued the cause for respondent Mayor and Council of the Borough of South Plainfield (A-4) (Chernin & Freeman, attorneys).

Alfred L. Ferguson argued the cause for respondents and cross-appellants (A-7/21) (McCarter & English, attorneys).

Richard G. O'Brien argued the cause for respondents (A-8) (Bowers, Rinehart, Murphy & O'Brien, attorneys; Richard G. O'Brien and Steven B. Lieberman, on the briefs).

Brian T. Campion argued the cause for respondent (A-18) (Breslin & Breslin, attorneys).

Roger M. Cain argued the cause for respondents Township of Clinton, etc. and Township Council of the Township of Clinton (A-37) (Felter, Cain & Shurts, attorneys; Roger M. Cain and William A. Shurts, on the briefs).

Francis P. Sutton, argued the cause for respondent Planning Board of the Township of Clinton (A-37).

Thomas R. Farino, Jr., submitted briefs on behalf of respondent Township Committee of the Township of Monroe (A-4).

J. William Barba and Glenn S. Pantel, argued the cause for amici curiae Assemblyman James J. Barry, Jr., Senator James S. Cafiero, Senator Lee B. Laskin, Senator S. Thomas Gagliano, Senator Walter E. Foran, Senator Wayne Dumont, Jr., Senator Donald T. DiFrancesco, Senator John H. Dorsey, Senator James P. Vreeland, Jr., Senator Garrett W. Hagedorn, Senator John H. Ewing, Assemblyman James R. Hurley, Assemblyman John A. Rocco, Assemblyman Thomas J. Shusted, Assemblyman H. James Saxton, Assemblyman Clifford W. Snedeker, Assemblyman William F. Dowd, Assemblyman Anthony M. Villane, Jr., Assemblyman John O. Bennett, Assemblywoman Marie S. Muhler, Assemblyman Robert E. Littell, Assemblyman Walter J. Kavanaugh, Assemblyman Elliott F. Smith, Assemblyman Robert D. Franks, Assemblyman William J. Maguire, Assemblyman Arthur R. Albohn, Assemblywoman Barbara A. Curran, Assemblyman Dean A. Gallo, Assemblywoman Jane Burgio, Assemblyman Frederic Remington, Assemblyman Carl A. Orechio, Assemblyman Anthony Imperiale, Assemblyman Emil Olszowy, Assemblyman Louis F. Kosco, Assemblyman John B. Paolella, Assemblyman Gerald Cardinale, Assemblyman John W. Markert, Assemblyman Walter M.D. Kern, Jr., Assemblyman Karl Weidel and Assemblyman Charles L. Hardwick (A-35/36, A-4, A-7/21, A-8, A-18 and A-37) (Shanley & Fisher, attorneys; J. William Barba, Glenn S. Pantel and Richard A. Levao, on the briefs).

Arnold K. Mytelka, argued the cause for amicus curiae City of Newark (A-7/21) (Clapp & Eisenberg, attorneys; Philip S. Elberg, of counsel).

Henry D. Blinder, Deputy Attorney General, submitted briefs on behalf of amicus curiae Department of Community Affairs (A-35/36, A-4, A-7/21, A-8, A-18 and A-37) (John J. Degnan, Attorney General of New Jersey, attorney; Stephen Skillman, Assistant Attorney General, of counsel; Henry D. Blinder, Dennis R. Casale and Daniel P. Reynolds, Deputy Attorneys General, on the briefs).

Alphonse A. Stanzione, Jr., submitted a brief on behalf of amici curiae The Manufactured Housing Association in New Jersey and Manufactured Housing Institute, Inc. (A-35/36) (Stanzione & Stanzione, attorneys; Edward F. Canfield and Robert E. Heggestad, members of the District of Columbia bar, of counsel).

Thomas Norman submitted a brief on behalf of amicus curiae American Planning Association, New Jersey Chapter (A-4).

Martin F. Murphy submitted a brief on behalf of amicus curiae Township of West Milford (A-7/21) (Johnson, Johnson & Murphy, attorneys).

Samuel W. Lambert, III submitted a brief on behalf of amicus curiae Environmental Defense Fund, Inc. (A-8) (Smith, Cook, Lambert & Miller, attorneys; James T.B. Tripp, a member of the New York bar, of counsel).


                           Outline of Opinion

    Introduction                                           198

 I. Background                                             204

    A. History of the Mount Laurel Doctrine                204

    B. Constitutional Basis for Mount Laurel
        and the Judicial Role                              208

    C. Summary of Rulings                                  214

II. Resolution...

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