Land use and development

Master plan update (Envision Hillsborough)

The township is rewriting its master plan, the Planning Board's long-range land-use policy, under the name Envision Hillsborough. Three surveys and two public events are done; the township says the goals, land use and housing elements may go to the Planning Board before the end of 2026.

Checked against the primary record on . Every figure on this page is sourced at the foot of the article.

Drafts expected; none posted yet Last moved

What happens next

No draft element is on a published Planning Board agenda through December 10, 2026. Each element gets a public hearing at the Planning Board before adoption; watch Board agendas and Engage Hillsborough for drafts.

A master plan is the Planning Board’s long-range policy document for land use. Zoning ordinances are generally expected to be consistent with it, which is why every rezoning goes to the Board for a consistency review. Hillsborough’s base plan dates from 1965–66, revised through 1996, and has since been amended element by element. Its last general reexamination report was adopted in November 2018.

In 2024 the township began a new reexamination, branded Envision Hillsborough. By August 2026 it had run three community surveys (goals, land use, and open space and recreation) and two public engagement events, including an interactive workshop on May 13, 2026. A Planning Board subcommittee is working on it.

The township said in August 2026 that the Goals and Objectives, Land Use Element, and Housing Element and Fair Share Plan “may be considered before the end of 2026”, with other elements in 2027. No draft has been posted yet. The new land use and housing elements will matter for the Fourth Round housing case, the former warehouse sites and the Route 206 Town Center. Residents can testify at the Planning Board hearing on each element.

The master plan update, explained

Timeline

Each dated event on this issue, oldest first, linked to the full sourced entry.

  1. Resolved Planning Board adopts the 2018 master plan reexaminationThe Planning Board adopted Hillsborough's most recent general master plan reexamination report. It is the baseline the Envision Hillsborough update starts from.
  2. Milestone Township begins the Envision Hillsborough master plan reexamination"Starting in 2024, Hillsborough began the process of undertaking a Master Plan reexamination," the township says. The effort is branded Envision Hillsborough.
  3. Resolved Master plan amended for small-scale logistics in the Light Industrial districtThe Planning Board adopted a land use element amendment, "Light Industrial District Small Scale Logistics Facilities", the planning basis for the Larken settlement.
  4. Resolved Planning Board adopts the Fourth Round housing plan: 223 realistic, 300 creditsThe Planning Board adopted the Housing Plan Element and Fair Share Plan. It starts from the state's 565, applies land-capacity adjustments that set a realistic development potential of 223, and claims 300 credits, leaving an unmet need of 342.
  5. Resolved Planning Board reappoints its master plan subcommitteeAt its reorganization meeting the Planning Board reappointed a three-member master plan subcommittee, with an alternate, to work on the update.
  6. Resolved Master plan survey on open space and recreation opensThe township opened its third Envision Hillsborough survey, on open space and recreation. Earlier surveys covered goals and land use. It closed on May 17, 2026.
  7. Resolved Interactive public workshop on the master planThe township held an interactive Envision Hillsborough workshop for residents and board members, announced at the Planning Board on April 16 and May 7.
  8. Pending Township: first master plan elements may come before the end of 2026In written answers to residents' questions, the township said the Goals and Objectives, Land Use Element, and Housing Element and Fair Share Plan "may be considered before the end of 2026", with other elements in 2027.

Explainers

Documents

The township's own records on this issue. Each links to the official copy.

Meetings

  • Township Committee — August 25, 2026

    The consent agenda covered rail quiet-zone recertification, county road striping and materials for Montgomery Road. The Committee adopted the $43,000 phone-system ordinance and introduced new wrecker fees. Engineering reminded residents about sump pumps and stormwater certification.

Sources for this overview

  1. Hillsborough Township: master plan information
  2. Township Committee minutes, August 25, 2026 (answers to public questions) LocalWhy copy of Township Committee minutes, August 25, 2026 (answers to public questions) (opens in a new tab)
  3. Hillsborough Township news, April 16, 2026: master plan survey is live
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