Galloway Planning Board Approves Ordinance Change for Blue Heron Pines Housing Project

The Galloway Township Planning Board voted to eliminate the 55-and-over age restriction for a proposed housing complex where the Blue Heron Pines East championship golf course once stood, the Press of Atlantic City reports.

The approval eliminated any need Ole Hansen and Sons would have had to apply for a conversion under the Sarlo Bill on Age-Restricted Housing.

The 944-unit complex was initially approved as an age-restricted development, but that need vanished following the economic downturn of 2008.

Granting the conversion gave the township more control over the development of the project, including the size of the lots and any reasonable modifications that need to be made. This includes the development of the affordable housing aspect of the development, which can go where the township’s master plan dictates, and not necessarily on the land set aside for the project. Affordable housing must constitute 20 percent of the total project.

In February, the Galloway Township School District expressed concern over the impact of the project and how many students may be introduced to the district as a result of eliminating the age-restricted portion of the project.

No final design plans have been submitted at this time, and there is currently no timetable to begin construction, according to The Press of Atlantic City.