MONTGOMERY: Township to draw up redevelopment plan for three vacant lots

By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
Montgomery Township officials have given the go-ahead to the township’s planning consultant to draw up a redevelopment plan for three vacant lots on Route 206, across the street from the Audi and Honda new car dealerships.
At its Aug. 17 meeting, Township Committee asked the Planning Board to prepare a redevelopment plan for the three properties. The Planning Board quickly followed suit and at its Aug. 21 meeting, directed Clarke Caton Hintz – its planning consultant – to prepare a redevelopment plan.
Township officials want to turn the three vacant lots, owned by E1004ALLC and known informally as the Montgomery Five Tract, into more productive use. Combined, the lots total 1.6 acres.
The process began when – at the request of Township Committee – the Planning Board conducted a preliminary study of the property. That report was outlined before the Planning Board at its Aug. 7 meeting.
The Planning Board voted at its Aug. 7 meeting to recommend that the lots be deemed to be "an area in need of redevelopment." The recommendation was made after it was determined that the conditions on the three lots met one of eight criteria in the state Local Housing and Redevelopment Law.
Planning consultant Emily Goldman, who helped write the preliminary report, cited criteria "D," which states that "areas with buildings or improvements which, by reason of dilapidation, obsolescense….deleterious land use or obsolete layout, or any combination of these or other factors, are detrimental to the safety, health, morals or welfare of the community."
At the Planning Board’s Aug. 7 meeting, Goldman pointed to numerous code violations and citations issued over the years by Montgomery Township officials.
Currently, cars are being parked on the land in violation of the township code, Goldman said.
Goldman also noted that an application that called for commercial uses on the first floor and six affordable housing units on the second floor was approved by the Zoning Board of Adjustment several years ago – but never implemented.
"It is the conclusion of this preliminary investigation that the study area qualifies under the criteria set forth in (state law) to be designated as ‘an area in need of redevelopment,’" Goldman wrote.