In 2020, the Murphy administration's third year, its environmental protection program and priorities came into sharper focus. Discrete steps have been taken to implement a much greener approach in contrast to the open for business program that defined the Christie/Martin tenure.

The executive branch's actions were complemented by legislative proposals. A number of judicial decisions round out 2020's Top Ten as the state jousted with the Trump administration over environmental issues on a regular basis. But like everything else this year, these development initiatives were overshadowed by the impacts of COVID-19.

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10. High-Rise Construction on a Pier

On May 5, the Supreme Court decided a case that involved a substantial change to a development plan: replacing tennis facilities with hi-rise buildings extending into the Hudson River. Shipyard Associates v. City of Hoboken, 2020 WL 2120903. The objectors included adjacent residents, a nonprofit and the municipality. The dispute was really about concern regarding the loss of views and recreational facilities.