Moorestown Moves On Plans 2 More Affordable Housing Developments

MOORESTOWN, NJ — After Moorestown Council gave final approval to a proposed affordable housing development Monday night, it did what it has done with several recent affordable housing proposals: it passed a resolution explaining why it was passing an ordinance that is inconsistent with the township’s master plan.

One resident has taken notice of these recent resolutions, and decided to speak up. She accused council of taking power from its boards and committees with its recent legislation.
Council countered by saying its actions actually strengthen its committees and support the process in place.

In the most recent case, the resolution explained why the proposal to build 83 town houses, 17 of which would be used for affordable housing, on 17.8 acres of land next to the Burlington County Agricultural Center on Centerton Road was considered inconsistent with the master plan at the time of its introduction.

“It should be noted that the ordinance was reviewed by the Planning Board before they recently amended portions of the master plan to allow for affordable housing on the site,” officials said in the explanatory resolution.

The proposal was introduced at the Oct. 21 council meeting. The Planning Board’s amendments were made at its Dec. 5 meeting. In a seperate resolution, council endorsed the fair share element and spending plan adopted that night. The document will be in substantially the form as found at http://www.moorestown.nj.us/DocumentCenter/View/3855/December-2019-ADOPTED-Moorestown-HousingPlan-with-Appendices

In addition to Monday night’s explanatory resolution, three others were passed when council approved affordable housing legislation at its Nov. 18 meeting. One accompanied a proposal approving the project on Harper Drive. One was for a proposal that rescinded the zoning change of the Pennrose site.

The Pennrose site had previously been rezoned to allow for affordable housing — which also needed an explanatory resolution — and this legislation reverted the zoning to what it was previously. By changing it back, the township was technically passing legislation that was inconsistent with the master plan, but only because of the previous change.

The final resolution was on the proposal to change the zoning to allow for the complex near the agricultural center.

The township has been forced into a situation where it must develop affordable housing complexes to meet its obligation by 2025. Due to the timeline, some of the legislation is passed with the need for explanatory resolutions while the Planning Board updates the master plan.

Read more here: Moorestown Council Approves Deal With Fair Share Housing Center

“A lot of power was taken from the township, and we don’t want to take powers away from our local boards,” Councilwoman Victoria Napolitano said. “The state has taken away all our powers over affordable housing. A process that was once done in public is now being done in the courts.”

“We’re cleaning up and dealing with legislation we have no control over,” Councilman Brian Donnelly said. “We would like to see the boards more involved in the future, but you can’t do that when you’re being sued. We have to resolve the current issues now.”

“If we don’t work it out, we lose all say,” said Councilman Mike Locatell, who also explained that when the township re-zones an area, it is done to give the boards greater oversight over an area in which a development is going to be built anyway.

The site that received final approval Monday night is referred to as the Diocese Site. It was offered to the township by the Diocese of Trenton for use after Judge Ronald Bookbinder denied summary judgement in a case concerning restrictive covenants currently in place on the Route 38 site Pennrose proposed building on. Read more here: Moorestown May Need To Seek Alternative To Proposed Housing Site

The township opted not to use that site as an alternative for the Pennrose site, but an affordable housing complex will be built on that site. Read more here: Council Introduces Senior Housing Proposal; Diocese Proposes Site

Another proposal to re-zone the Lenola Shopping Center site as an overlay area in furtherance of the township's affordable housing obligation was passed without the need for an explanatory resolution. This proposal paves the way for 60 housing units, 12 of which would be set aside for affordable housing.

The housing could not be in addition to the existing structures and could only be built as part of an overall improvement and renovation of the entire site, according to officials. This proposal was passed on introduction at the Nov. 18 meeting. Read more here: Moorestown Set For Affordable Housing Site Near Mall