With convenient access to New York City, top-rated public schools, low crime rates, and several parks, Wayne is frequently regarded as the best place to live in Passaic County. However, Wayne, for the first time since 1994, is undertaking a Master Plan update that is leaving its residents strongly divided over its necessity. 

The project was formally launched in August of 2024 to renew the town’s framework and provide guidelines for future development and environmental preservation. In 2026, the township is actively expanding its residential areas after several major developments in compliance with its affordable housing obligations and growth strategy were approved by the Planning Board. This process, emphasizing public engagement, has invited residents to provide feedback through online surveys and meetings at the Wayne Township Community Center. Recently, major approvals were granted for Barbour Pond Village (1805 Valley Road), which will be expanded to include rental units exclusively for low-income households, and Kanso Apartments (1655 Valley Road), which will replace a vacant office building with furnished units. Kanso Apartments will similarly set aside a portion of its units for low-income residents and provide amenities, such as courtyards and playgrounds. These new projects will contribute to Wayne’s efforts to meet its affordable housing obligations, and the increase in new units is driving up property values. 

Although some residents support expansion as essential to Wayne’s financial health, many long-term residents, who believe the changes are destroying the suburbs, oppose these new projects. Critics of the residential expansion often express concerns regarding traffic congestion on busier roads and the strain on local services, including schools, fire, and police departments. Other arguments include Wayne’s preservation of identity, with opponents against the alteration of the community and proponents supporting new facilities to keep the town relevant.