Holmdel Township Committee Approves Affordable Housing Plan

HOLMDEL, NJ – The Holmdel Township Committee discussed a plan last night to add nearly 300 affordable units to the area, a plan which was approved in a unanimous 4-0 vote on Tuesday night. Committeeman Tom Critelli was absent from the vote.

The project is slated to involve at least three locations, including a proposed 50-unit affordable housing complex to be built along South Laurel Avenue.

The consideration comes as part of a settlement agreement with the Fair Share Housing Center who sued several New Jersey townships in 2012. A settlement was reached last year.

Yesterday’s meeting saw three ordinances relating to the development and zoning of the future housing projects discussed by the committee. According to a resolution passed last night, the committee agreed to appropriate funds – or authorize debt, if necessary – to fund the program in the ‘highly unlikely event there are insufficient funds in the Township’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund for such obligations.”

The 2012 lawsuit includes dozens of neighboring Monmouth County municipalities, all of which have been ordered to present plans for affordable housing options. The suit claimed that the state did not properly enforce affordable housing requirements in many areas.

In Holmdel, the township committee seeks to satisfy the affordable housing requirement with three new developments:

One location will be placed along Palmer Avenue, with a maximum of 48 market-rate rental units and a minimum of 12 affordable housing units.

Another site will be a hybrid retail/housing development with 139 market-rate rental units, 31 affordable housing units and 40,0000 square feet of retail space.

A third location, the largest of the plans, is slated to include a 50-unit apartment complex on South Laurel Avenue and Middle Road. The entire building will be devoted to affordable housing.

The rest of the units in the proposed plan are included in previously approved arrangements. The plan will be presented to a judge at Monmouth County Superior Court in a compliance hearing set for August.

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