PARAMUS, N.J. — Paramus Mayor Chris DiPiazza blasted a state senator Wednesday over legislation that could allow developers to turn struggling shopping centers and office parks into housing without first getting local permission to change how the properties are used.

"Who the heck is Senator Troy Singleton and who the hell is he to tell local municipalities how to zone?" DiPiazza wrote in an early-morning Facebook post.

The Republican mayor was reacting to Senate Bill 1766, sponsored by Singleton, a Burlington County Democrat, which would make it easier to redevelop certain vacant or financially struggling commercial properties into mixed-use developments that include apartments.

The bill could have major implications for towns like Paramus, where shopping centers, office buildings and traffic are already central to local planning decisions.

Under the proposal, qualifying retail centers with a store of at least 15,000 square feet, or office parks measuring at least 50,000 square feet, could be redeveloped to include housing even if local zoning currently prohibits residential use.

Properties would have to meet financial distress or vacancy requirements, including a vacancy rate of at least 25 percent for 18 consecutive months or a qualifying three-year economic downturn.

Developers would also have to reserve at least 20 percent of the residential units for affordable housing.

The legislation would eliminate the need for a municipal use variance for qualifying projects, although other development regulations and approvals would still apply.

DiPiazza argued that lawmakers in Trenton should not override decisions made by local officials who understand their communities.

"Republican or Democrat, local officials know their town the best," he told News 12. "It is where we live, where we raise our families, the needs and wants of our town that we know best."

He also questioned whether Singleton understood the challenges facing Paramus.

"Has Troy Singleton visited Paramus and walked our neighborhoods, been to our malls, sat in our traffic, spent a day in our classrooms?" DiPiazza asked.

Singleton defended the legislation, saying New Jersey needs to find ways to address its housing shortage while putting underused commercial properties back to work.

"I respect the mayor's concerns about local control," Singleton told News 12. "However, we cannot ignore the reality that changing economic conditions have left too many office parks and shopping centers underutilized, while New Jersey families continue to struggle to find affordable places to live."

The dispute centers on whether decisions about converting commercial properties into housing should remain with individual municipalities or whether the state should establish a process that allows qualifying projects to bypass local use restrictions.

The bill remains proposed legislation and has not become law.