JACKSON- The Township Council president and Mayor Mike Reina want to improve the security at Jackson’s public buildings.
During a recent meeting, council President Ken Bressi asked Reina for permission to meet with the township administrator to discuss security at public buildings.
“This was approached many years ago, (but was) started and dropped by other administrations,” Bressi said, adding that building security “is something we should be looking into.”
Bressi mentioned the municipal building, the Department of Public Works facility and the planning and zoning offices as locations that should be examined.
Reina said he feels the same way as Bressi and said the time for updating security at certain locations is overdue.
“We will look at everything, but we are not going to disclose anything that is going to be discussed,” the mayor said.
In other business, the council introduced an ordinance that amends land use and development regulations in the Multifamily Affordable Housing 8 (MF-AH-8) zone.
Two different locations are zoned for multifamily affordable housing. One zone is on West Veterans Highway with the rear of the zone on Prospertown Road, and the second zone is on Perrineville Road, according to municipal officials.
According to the ordinance, in 2015, Jackson officials sought a declaration that the township’s Housing Element and Fair Share Plan adequately addressed the municipality’s obligation to provide opportunities for the development of affordable housing.
An entity known as EL at Jackson intervened in the matter in reference to a site which was included in Jackson’s prior round affordable housing obligation as an age-restricted inclusionary development (a mix of market rate and affordable housing). Officials were required by a court to introduce an ordinance permitting EL at Jackson’s property to be developed as a non-age restricted inclusionary development.
Once Jackson officials adopted an ordinance that established the MF-AH-8 zone, representatives of EL at Jackson filed a motion in state Superior Court, alleging that the MF-AH-8 zone as adopted did not provide a realistic opportunity for the development of low and moderate income housing, according to the ordinance.
A judge required the parties to mediate the terms of the ordinance and the ordinance that was introduced on Feb. 27 represents the agreement between the township and EL at Jackson to modify certain provisions of the MF-AH-8 zone in order to facilitate the development of an inclusionary development.
On a motion to introduce the ordinance, Councilman Scott Martin, Councilwoman Ann Updegrave and Bressi voted yes. Councilman Barry Calogero and Council Vice President Robert Nixon voted no. The motion passed 3-2 and a public hearing for the ordinance was scheduled for the council’s March 13 meeting.
