HOWELL – The Township Council has delayed action on several ordinances that deal with the development of affordable housing in Howell.
The ordinances were introduced on Aug. 13 and scheduled for adoption during the council’s Sept. 10 meeting, but were pulled from the agenda.
Affordable housing is defined as housing that is sold or rented at below market rates to individuals and families whose income meets certain guidelines.
New Jersey municipalities are under court order to provide opportunities for the development of affordable housing within their borders.
“Our (affordable housing) attorney, Andrew Bayer, received some comments from the special court master regarding some changes he was asking for (in the ordinances) as recently as late this afternoon. The council has directed me in the past about not making changes to the (council meeting) agenda,” Township Manager Brian Geoghegan said on Sept. 10.
“So in discussing it with (Bayer), we felt it was in everyone’s best interest to pull those items altogether. That way the revised ordinances can be properly written and submitted to the council … with sufficient time for review and to ask any questions,” Geoghegan said.
The revised affordable housing ordinances are expected to come before the council at a future meeting.
One ordinance would create a Moderate and Low Income Housing Zone by rezoning the FP Howell LLC property on Fort Plains Road to permit the construction of 227 for sale market rate units and 92 multifamily for sale affordable housing units, for a total of 319 residential units.
A second ordinance would create a Moderate and Low-Income Housing Zone by rezoning the Zaback property, a 20-acre parcel on Route 9, to permit 252 market rate housing units and 112 family rental affordable housing units.
A third ordinance would create a Moderate and Low-Income Housing Zone by rezoning a site owned by Tyrpak Road Group LLC. The 237-acre parcel would be bisected by Casino Drive. The zone will permit 325 market rate housing units and 142 family rental affordable housing units.
A fourth ordinance would create affordable housing regulations and make changes in the municipal code to allow Howell to comply with the municipality’s affordable housing settlement agreements.
