Planning and Related Services

Acuity Consulting Services supports public and private sector clients across urban, suburban, and rural communities by providing a wide range of professional planning services and related services. With Professional Planners holding the nationally recognized American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) Certification as well as New Jersey licensed Professional Planners and specialists bringing more than 30 years of experience, our staff have delivered high-quality services to over 130 public sector clients and more than 70 private sector clients throughout New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and beyond.

Trusted Guidance Across Every Planning Discipline

  • Affordable and Workforce Housing

    Our Licensed Professional Planners and certified Administrative Agents maintain exceptionally strong expertise in affordable and workforce housing planning and program administration services. Our professionals are adept at helping public agencies navigate evolving requirements while ensuring housing initiatives remain practical, compliant, and aligned with community needs. In addition, our expertise in both planning and program administration enables ACS to provide highly efficient services that seamlessly address both planning and programmatic needs throughout the life cycle of every project.

    Representative services include:

    • Settlement agreement and affordable housing agreement technical planning support
    • Housing Plan Element and Fair Share Plan preparation and advisory services
    • Special housing studies and plans
    • Drafting housing ordinances to implement housing plans
    • Design, implementation, and management of affordable and workforce housing programs
    • Affordable and workforce housing Administrative Agent services, including affirmative marketing, income qualification, applicant placement, waiting list management, and compliance monitoring and reporting
    • Annual reporting and compliance services for the full range of housing programs
    • Federal, State, and local housing program design, implementation, and management
    • Litigation support, technical analysis, and expert witness services for housing and land use matters

    Representative Projects

    New Jersey

    Dumont Borough Affordable Housing Planner and Administrative Agent Services

    ACS serves as Affordable Housing Planner and Administrative Agent for the Borough of Dumont, providing full program planning and administration. Services include the Fourth Round Housing Plan Element and Fair Share Plan with Vacant Land Adjustment analysis, support during settlement negotiations, ordinance amendments, program design and implementation, technical guidance, Administrative Agent services, and day-to-day resident inquiries.

    New Jersey

    Atlantic Highlands Borough Affordable Housing Planner and Administrative Agent Services

    In our capacity as the Affordable Housing Planner and Administrative Agent for Atlantic Highlands, ACS prepared the Borough’s Fourth Round Housing Plan Element and Fair Share Plan, including a Vacant Land Adjustment analysis, provided planning support during settlement agreement negotiations, drafted overlay zone amendments, updated the Borough’s affordable housing programs, and provided comprehensive Administrative Agent services.

    New York

    Hudson City Affordable Housing Planning Study and Program Design

    ACS professionals developed a detailed Housing Strategies Study and associated affordable and workforce housing programs and tools for Hudson City, New York, under previous employment. Deliverables included a zoning analysis, affordable housing site analysis, development fee and revenue analysis, feasibility analysis for the establishment of a local or regional Community Land Trust (CLT), and an action plan for implementation.

    Connecticut

    Statewide Housing Study, Office of Policy and Management

    ACS professionals conducted a statewide analysis of federal housing programs supporting affordable and workforce housing in Connecticut under previous employment. The study evaluated programs such as HUD 202, assessing property conditions, funding and financing structures, environmental justice and equity considerations, and regulatory challenges. Findings informed actionable recommendations to strengthen program effectiveness and improve housing outcomes.

  • Municipal Planning

    Our team has extensive experience providing full-service municipal planning to communities of all sizes—from major cities such as New York City to small rural municipalities. Because long-term community wellbeing is central to our mission, we help municipalities develop plans that are both visionary and practical, ensuring they can be implemented within real-world budgets and timelines.

    • Master Plans and Comprehensive Plans, including the full range of master plan elements, such as land use, housing, economic development, circulation/mobility, open space and recreation, sustainability, resiliency, historic preservation, conservation, utilities, and other elements
    • Ordinance amendments
    • Redevelopment studies and plans
    • Special planning studies and feasibility analysis
    • Climate change and vulnerability assessments
    • Environmental justice and equity analyses and studies
    • Planning and zoning board representation
    • Advisory services to municipal staff and assistance with day-to-day tasks
    • All of the other relevant services listed herein, as applicable.

    Representative Projects

    New Jersey

    Sayreville Borough Municipal Planner, Affordable Housing Planner & Administrative Agent, and Planning Board Planner

    ACS serves as Municipal Planner for the Borough, preparing land use, mobility, and circulation studies, ordinance amendments, and technical guidance. ACS also serves as Affordable Housing Planner and Administrative Agent, preparing the Fourth Round Housing Plan Element and Fair Share Plan and supporting settlement negotiations. ACS also acts as Planning Board Planner, reviewing development applications and advising during public hearings.

    New Jersey

    2 West Madison Redevelopment Study and Redevelopment Plan, Dumont Borough

    ACS prepared an Area in Need of Redevelopment Study and a Redevelopment Plan for a 42-unit inclusionary development located in the heart of Dumont’s downtown business district. The Redevelopment Plan was carefully designed to be context sensitive and in character with the surrounding land uses and community. The bulk and design standards were designed to help mitigate off-site impacts, and ensure that the project will operate well within the local context.

    New Jersey

    Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ) – Preliminary Zone Development Plans

    ACS provided land use, economic development, and public engagement planning services for UEZ Preliminary Zone Development Plans for Gloucester City, Lakewood Township, and Wildwood City as part of a consultant team. Services included stakeholder interviews, analyses to identify economic development opportunities, development of implementation strategies and recommendations, and preparation of an action plan. ACS also completed preliminary analysis for select UEZ components for the East Orange UEZ Plan.

    New Jersey

    Atlantic City Master Plan Sustainability and Resiliency Element

    ACS prepared the Sustainability and Resiliency Element of the Atlantic City Master Plan as part of a comprehensive Master Plan for the City as part of a consultant team. The Element includes a Climate Change and Vulnerability analysis, special flood hazard area analysis, analysis of existing sustainability and resiliency projects and programs, development of goals and objectives, recommendations for new projects and programs, and an action plan.

  • State, County, and Regional

    Regional and county-level agencies face unique planning challenges that require coordinated policies, comprehensive studies, and alignment across jurisdictions. Having worked with 15+ State, County, and regional entities, our professionals bring multidisciplinary expertise spanning housing, land use, recreation, infrastructure, economic development, sustainability, transportation, and open space.

    • Master plans and comprehensive plans
    • Housing plans and programs
    • Economic development and strategic investment plans and programs
    • Open space and recreation plans, and related conceptual planning and design
    • Special planning studies and feasibility analysis for projects pertaining to housing, land use, open space and recreation, infrastructure, economic development, sustainability and resiliency, and transportation
    • Other services outlined herein, include public engagement, environmental planning and permitting, and more

  • Sustainability and Resiliency

    With work completed for 20+ public sector clients, our team blends ongoing technical training with practical experience to help communities address climate adaptation and long-term resiliency. We translate emerging best practices into actionable, budget-conscious strategies that municipalities can implement and sustain over time.

    • Adaptation, resiliency, and sustainability plans and studies, policy development, and ordinance amendments
    • Feasibility studies for resiliency and sustainability projects
    • Planning support and technical analysis for infrastructure studies and design
    • Sustainability and resiliency program administration, management, applicant processing, and related services

  • Environmental Planning and Permitting

    Our professionals have provided environmental planning and permitting services for numerous public and private sector clients in New York and New Jersey for a wide range of projects, including but not limited to housing, commercial, industrial, utility, transportation, and other public infrastructure projects.

    • National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), including environmental review for projects regulated under HUD and other agencies
    • State-Level Environmental Policy Acts (e.g., SEQRA)
    • New York City Environmental Quality Review (e.g., CEQR)
    • Environmental Review Documentation (e.g., EISs, EASs, Technical Memoranda and related analysis, documentation, and services)
    • State and local environmental and land use permits and approvals
    • Natural Resource Inventories

  • Public Engagement

    Our professionals have provided public engagement services for state, county, regional, and municipal clients for a wide range of planning and multidisciplinary projects.

    • Design and implementation of public engagement strategies in support of public sector projects
    • In-person, web-based/social media, and hybrid engagement strategies.

  • GIS Mapping and Analysis

    ACS provides GIS mapping and analysis in support of a wide range of planning and multidisciplinary projects. Our mapping and analyses balance technical analysis with accessible, user-friendly graphical representation that brings key information and findings to light.

    • Preparation of mapping for all studies, plans, public exhibits, and other project elements
    • Technical GIS analysis for the full range of planning and multidisciplinary projects

  • Other Services and Additional Specialty Service Areas

    Our targeted specialty services provide added depth for clients with unique or complex project needs, enhancing broader planning initiatives.

    • Economic Development
    • Water and wastewater planning and build-out analysis
    • Feasibility studies and special planning studies
    • Business incubator and business accelerator program, and business planning, design, and implementation
    • Conceptual planning, site layout, and design
    • Municipal Plan Endorsement
    • Green Acres ROSI updates and related technical planning services
    • Grants and funding application preparation and funding administration

  • Private Sector Services

    Our team supports private sector clients with many of the same planning and permitting services offered to public agencies, along with several services tailored specifically to developers, property owners, and commercial operators. We have extensive experience guiding projects across residential, commercial, community facility, medical, warehousing, light industrial, energy, and utility sectors. This includes everything from two-lot subdivisions to large-scale, multi-phase residential developments with over 1,000 units and commercial/light industrial projects exceeding 2 million square feet.

    Beyond technical expertise, we focus on identifying opportunities to reduce costs, strengthen project feasibility, and accelerate approvals. Our no-cost initial consultation helps clarify your vision and project needs so we can recommend the most efficient, cost-effective path forward. Drawing on decades of public sector experience and relationships, we also help generate site leads, coordinate agency meetings, anticipate regulatory questions, and gather informal public sector feedback—support that often saves clients significant time and resources.

    • Project site leads
    • Project feasibility and due diligence
    • Maximum development potential analysis
    • Affordable, workforce, and mixed-income housing technical analysis and advisory services that can shave costs and boost profitability
    • Affordable and workforce housing administration services
    • Affordable housing regulatory and compliance training for developers and/or developer’s staff
    • Grants, funding and incentives analysis, scoping, and management
    • Project implementation strategy and advisory services, which will shave costs and boost profitability
    • Environmental permitting and approvals, including federal, State, regional, and local permits and approvals
    • Real estate consulting and advisory services from a technical planning and permitting perspective
    • Public agency meeting coordination and facilitation
    • Project management
    • Professional Planning Testimony

    Representative Projects

    New Jersey

    Affordable Housing and Land Use Planning for Inclusionary Residential and Mixed-Use Projects – Multiple Clients

    ACS provides affordable housing and land use planning advisory services to developers on projects ranging from 5 to 400+ units across urban, suburban, and rural settings. With experience from concept and entitlements through operations, ACS delivers practical guidance that saves time and money throughout the project lifecycle. The team develops approval strategies, identifies cost-saving opportunities, and helps streamline timelines in coordination with development partners.

    New Jersey

    161 Maplewood LLC Planning Services

    ACS serves as Professional Planner for the 161 Maplewood LLC project in Maplewood, New Jersey, a 65-unit mixed-use inclusionary development. Services include affordable housing and land use planning advisory support, redevelopment plan review, and settlement agreement planning. ACS also provides Administrative Agent technical guidance, including rent estimates and regulatory requirements to support negotiations, and assists with grant and funding applications, including a gap financing application to the NJEDA Aspire Program.

    New York

    West Shore Business Improvement District Dual Force Main Feasibility Study

    ACS is preparing a build-out analysis for the West Shore Business Improvement District as part of a consultant team conducting a feasibility study to evaluate sewer service expansion in an existing industrial area. The analysis will identify maximum build-out potential and projected job creation. Findings will support funding applications for design and infrastructure development. ACS has also completed prior WSBID studies on stormwater management and flood mitigation to inform future infrastructure and development planning.

Representative Clients

ACS and its professionals have supported various public and private sector clients throughout their careers, delivering services across the full spectrum of planning, permitting, and advisory needs. Our experience spans municipalities, regional agencies, state entities, and private developers. Detailed descriptions of representative projects are available upon request.

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