HOWELL – Public hearings have been scheduled for the Township Council’s July 18 meeting regarding two ordinances that pertain to affordable housing.
Council members may vote to adopt the ordinances following the public hearings.
The ordinances were introduced on June 13.
One ordinance, if adopted, will rezone property at the intersection of Route 9 and West Farms Road, on the southbound side near Fort Plains Road, from Highway Development-1 to Reserve Mount Laurel District 2 (RMLD-2).
The second ordinance describes the RMLD-2 zone and states that the purpose and intent of the zone “is to provide for the development of a 100 percent affordable project not to exceed 72 multifamily units.”
Principal uses in the RMLD-2 zone will be multi-family dwellings. Accessory uses will be recreational facilities, off-street parking facilities and utility structures, according to the ordinance.
During public comment on June 13, resident Steve Johnson said, “There is a need for affordable housing statewide, whether it is for veterans who get first preference, senior citizens, recent college graduates, single moms, low-income or entry level employees starting at around $30,000 a year and that applies to entry level teachers and also to entry level police officers.
“Most folks came to Howell because it was a laid back rural environment and Howell has tried to preserve that environment with strict ordinances governing setbacks, density, height restrictions, etc., but progress and change does not wait for anyone.
“Affordable housing and ordinance changes are just such ongoing challenges. We do have choices, we have to either move out of New Jersey or adapt with changes,” Johnson said.
“I believe there is a need within Howell for affordable housing and I also believe the council heard the public’s input (at recent meetings) and has chosen a responsible decision to move forward with the least impactful solution,” Johnson said.
Resident Michael Sanclimenti said that in 2016, Mayor Theresa Berger campaigned to “stop affordable housing” and he asked Berger, “What is your plan?”
Berger said, “It was not to stop, I cannot stop affordable housing, that is a mandate from the state, I cannot stop that. What I ran on was (stopping) high density housing, that I personally would not approve high density housing units.”
Council members Bob Walsh, Evelyn O’Donnell, Pauline Smith and Deputy Mayor Robert Nicastro voted to introduce the ordinances.
Berger voted no on the motions to introduce the ordinances and said she did so “because one, I do not believe in the huge cluster of housing they want to put on a small piece of property.
“Two, I believe Route 9 is a corridor for commercial business, there should not be houses on Route 9, so i do not agree with it. I would agree if it was mixed (commercial and residential uses), but I do not agree with the full 100 percent affordable (houses), I just do not believe it belongs there. You cannot get people to come in to put stores and commercial businesses when they have houses right there,” the mayor said.
