By Mark Rosman
Staff Writer
JACKSON – The Township Council has given its stamp of approval to an ordinance that will allow officials to comply with a consent order between Jackson and a developer who may build affordable housing and a variety of businesses.
On May 9, council President Kenneth Bressi and council members Robert Nixon, Scott Martin, Barry Calogero and Ann Updegrave voted to adopt legislation to establish a Mixed Use Neighborhood Center/Highway Commercial zone and a Mixed Use Neighborhood Center/Light Industrial zone.
During a public hearing, resident Sheldon Hofstein asked why the council was adopting the ordinance. He was told the action on what is referred to as the Leigh North site resulted from court ordered mediation.
Failure to adopt the ordinance could remove protections Jackson has relating to the construction of affordable housing and expose the township to legal action by developers, municipal officials said.
Township Clerk Ann Marie Eden previously said the zones being established will encompass 435 acres that are generally south of Interstate 195, east of Diamond Road, west of Herman Road and north of Jackson Mills Road.
Eden said the council introduced the ordinance as part of a consent order between the township and Leigh Realty regarding the issue of affordable housing.
“Leigh Realty intervened in the township’s declaratory judgment action for affordable housing in 2007 and the court ordered mediation between the parties regarding a mixed use project to include commercial development and a village green and is anticipated to include additional entertainment and/or recreational facilities.
“Residential development in the new zones will be permitted only as part of a mixed use center or expansion of an approved mixed use center,” Eden said.
“There will be no detached single-family dwellings in the mixed use center and no more than 10 percent of the total number of dwelling units will be three-bedroom units, inclusive of the required affordable units.
“No dwelling units in a mixed use center may have four or more bedrooms. … The developer originally sought approval of over 6,000 homes, but the township was able through negotiation to limit the initial stage to 1,365 dwelling units and impose a hard maximum of 2,500 homes, which … can only be reached through the construction of additional commercial space,” Eden said.
“The purpose of the ordinance is to permit the mixed use development and to set forth building and design standards, as well as a phasing schedule for the residential and commercial development,” she added.
