Moorestown Set For Affordable Housing Site Near Mall

MOORESTOWN, NJ — Moorestown Council moved on four pieces of legislation surrounding the development of an affordable housing complex on a piece of land near the Moorestown Mall Monday night.

Moorestown Council gave final approval to a proposed ordinance to re-zone 307 Harper Drive, located at the corner of Harper Drive and East Gate Drive, to allow for a multiple-family affordable housing complex.

This allows for the construction of a 76-unit complex that includes 75 affordable units on the 3.12-acre site. The complex will be a mix of townhouses and multiple dwellings on three acres of land.

The township’s master plan calls for that area to only ever be used for office space, but council passed an accompanying resolution that explains that stipulation is broad and doesn’t take into consideration a township’s need for affordable housing.

Two proposed ordinances were also approved on introduction related to the township’s purchase of the property.

The first is a bond ordinance appropriating $1,835,000, including the borrowing of $1,743,000 in bonds or notes, for the purchase of the property. This proposal simply puts the funding in place for the purchase.

Another proposed ordinance passed on introduction authorizes the actual purchase of the property. Both proposals were approved by 4-0 votes and will have public hearings and final votes at the Dec. 2 meeting.

The votes were 4-0 because Councilwoman Victoria Napolitano was absent. She was in Texas receiving a National Elected Woman of Excellence Award from the National Foundation for Women Legislators. Read more here: Moorestown Councilwoman Napolitano Earns National Recognition

The Harper Drive site was the third site to be considered, after the township selected the Miles Site as a replacement for a site off Route 38 Pennrose had intended to develop for the same complex. The township was unable to reach an agreement with the owners of that site. Read more here: Moorestown Paving Way For Affordable Housing Complex Near Mall

When the site was first proposed back in September, officials cited its public transportation options, access to shopping restaurants and employers and other "amenities that will benefit future residents."

Some residents agreed that it was preferable to the other sites that have so far been proposed for this complex, with some pointing to the trend of residential developments coming to former or existing mall outlets as a growing trend around the country.

Moorestown is also looking to use the Lenola Shopping Center site at 200 West Camden Avenue as a site for an affordable housing development. On Monday night, council approved a proposed ordinance on introduction to re-zone the area as an overlay area in furtherance of the township’s affordable housing obligation.

If approved on second reading at the Dec. 16 meeting, it 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.

Another proposal that would allow for an affordable housing development on 17.8 acres of land next to the Burlington County Agricultural Center on Centerton Road was continued until the Dec. 2 meeting.

See related:
Moorestown May Need To Seek Alternative To Proposed Housing Site
Council Introduces Senior Housing Proposal; Diocese Proposes Site