Affordable Housing Proposal Goes Before Moorestown Planning Board

MOORESTOWN, NJ — Following a planning board that lasted nearly four hours, Moorestown Urban Renewal Associates LLC, a.k.a Pennrose, will have to wait one more meeting to get preliminary approval for their proposed affordable housing complex.

Pennrose has proposed building a 100 percent affordable housing apartment complex on Route 38. The complex includes 76 units, 75 of which would be subject to affordable housing controls. The other unit would be set aside for the site’s superintendent.

If the site were an inclusionary site, meaning a mix of affordable housing and market value homes, the project would have to include 475 units to get to the 75 affordable housing units proposed by the project, according to the presentation given by Pennrose Monday night.

Following a lengthy process that included the township, the Fair Share Housing Center, the courts and intervenor developers, Moorestown reached an agreement to build 337 new affordable housing units by 2025.

Pennrose would own the site for the long-term, and the Pennrose Management Company would manage the units. The site would have its own maintenance man, and there would be no homeowners’ association, according to the presentation.

The project would be financed using low-income tax credits through a federal program established in 1986. The program provides tax incentives written into the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) code to encourage developers to create affordable housing, according to the federal website for the program. Those credits are given to each state based on population, and each state distributes them based on need.

Its proximity to Route 38 is important for financing, showing that it is accessible to public transportation, a Pennrose developer said during Monday’s meeting. However, members of the public and some government officials have expressed concern that a Department of Transportation (NJDOT) project set to begin soon, combined with this proposal, could create traffic nightmares along the road.

For some details on NJDOT’s plan, click here.

Engineer Andrew Feranda testified during the planning board meeting that the Pennrose project would add no more than 34 trips to peak rush hour in the area during the afternoon or nighttime drives, maybe adding about 15 to 30 seconds to a trip. He called it an insignificant impact.

He noted it might cause a few people to cut through developments in the area, but didn’t think that would be a significant impact. This comment drew a groan from the packed crowd that filled the council chambers at town hall.

A proposed ordinance approved on introduction by Moorestown Council at its June 11 meeting allows for a 30-year PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) for the developer. The public hearing and final vote is scheduled for the June 25 meeting.

Pennrose went before the planning board seeking a pair of variances, including one allowing them to put the sign for the complex within three feet of the driveway as opposed to the 50 feet required by the township. If the sign were 50 feet from the driveway, drivers wouldn’t see it until they were beyond the driveway, the developer contends.

The other variance is to waive the planting of replacement trees. The developer said it would be pointless to remove trees that need to be removed, only to replace them. They told the planning board they were willing to work on a compromise. The next planning board meeting will take place on June 28.

The site calls for a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom rentals. This consists of 15 one-bedroom, 49 two-bedroom and 19 three-bedroom apartments, according to the presentation. It includes 115 parking spaces, including five handicapped spaces, in the rear of the complex, which is shaped like a “T.”

The four-story building will be built to conform with the rest of the area. Pennrose will handle its own trash created by tenants at the site. There would be two green areas, including one for picnic tables, outdoor grills and trash bins. The other would be an open lawn area.

Residents have voiced concerns about pedestrian safety, possible contamination of Strawbridge Lake and access for school buses and firefighters.

On Monday night, all the professionals testified, but only three residents were able to speak. Citizen comment will resume at the June 28 meeting. Watch video from Monday night’s planning board meeting, taken by Citizens’ Media TV, below.

Attached image: Residents packed town hall for Monday night's planning board meeting. Photo credit: Anthony Bellano