Bernards Township Takes Action On Affordable Housing Plans

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — The Township Committee approved two resolutions as part of its plan to meet its required New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) fourth-round affordable housing obligation on Tuesday.

Both resolutions are required to be passed before the March 15 state deadline in order for the Township to move forward with its previously approved affordable housing plan from May 2025.

The first resolution of the Township, Somerset County, and State of New Jersey to adopt a spending plan consistent with the fourth round housing element and fair share plan.

"The spending plan was previously reviewed by our planning board at the end of May last year. It was included as a draft in the housing element and fair share plan that was adopted by the township committee last May," said Township Attorney John Belardo at the Tuesday Committee meeting.

The Township has since gone over the draft spending plan "regarding the financial numbers and projections in the plan and it's been slightly updated since last May, and this is a required document and resolution filed with the court honor before March 15th," said Belardo.

The second resolution for the Township, County, and State to adopt an affordable housing agreement with Ridge Oak Management, Inc. and Ridge Oak, Inc. as to extend affordable controls on 247 age-restricted affordable housing units to Oct. 31, 2072.

Of the 247 units, 32 are not being counted toward the requirement and are not needed as credits.

"It is our intention to utilize these units for the fifth round obligation that would start and would extend until 2045. So by recording this agreement with the Somerset County Clerk, these essentially will be banked units with the hope that we could use in the future," said Belardo.

Mayor Ana Duarte McCarthy clarified that "there are no fifth-round obligations as of this time. These are just potential credits for the future."

"Yes, mayor. We try to get the credits where we may and hope to use them," said Belardo. "Planning ahead is always better."

• Related: Affordable Housing Plan Approved In Basking Ridge To Meet State Mandate

The Township Committee previously approved ordinances, including creating the SH-4 Senior Housing Zone, which increases the number of units from 308 to 337 units. It also increases the total square footage from 231,666 to 259,666 square feet.

The 29 income-restricted units for seniors would be built on the property connecting the Ridge Oak senior citizens complex on Manchester Drive.

The second ordinance calls to replace the Westgate Village Mixed Use Senior Overlay Zone within the E-3 Zone with the Westgate Village Mixed Use Zone. The zone would specifically change the zone to include family inclusionary housing, which means it is a mix of market and affordable housing units.

It also increases the density of housing units from 375 to 574 units, of which 115 units would be designated as affordable units. And it ultimately reduces the amount of nonresidential development by around 210,000 square feet.

The project would include a 150-room hotel of about 217,000 square feet and 20,000 for nonresidential space (down from the 230,000 nonresidential area previously allowed).

Additionally, a resolution was passed for the affordable housing project by Our House, Inc. located at 399 Mt. Airy Road, consisting of .71 acres, which will be operated as a group home consisting of four units for the developmentally disabled.

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