Water Upgrades, Affordable Housing On Tap For Moorestown Council

MOORESTOWN, NJ — Moorestown Council will discuss affordable housing and upgrades to the wastewater treatment system when it meets Monday night.

Moorestown Council will meet on Monday night, Oct. 7, 7 p.m. at town hall, 111 West Second Street. There will be a workshop session at 7 p.m., with the official action meeting commencing at 7:30 p.m.

During the workshop, a representative from ERI will present an overview of his preliminary findings concerning a vulnerability assessment of the wastewater treatment plant, according to the agenda posted on the township’s website.

He will also discuss general capital improvements and additional studies recommended by the township’s utility to be funded in an ordinance proposed for introduction later in the evening.

That proposal will call for the appropriation of $990,000, including the borrowing of $940,500 in bonds or notes for various studies and improvements to the wastewater treatment system.

This includes conducting a vulnerability assessment and capacity study of collections system and asset management plan of overall waste water system; engineering and design services for the replacement of the headworks system at the wastewater treatment plant; repair and cleaning of the primary digesters at the treatment plant; and upgrades of the South Valley, East Oak Avenue and Allison Court pumping stations, according to the township’s website.

Council will also consider additional funding for projects at the North Church Street and Hartford Road water treatment plants.

One proposal calls for the allocation of an additional $1,905,000 to be appropriated for upgrades at the North Church Street plant. The full amount would be borrowed in utility bonds or notes.

A bond ordinance was enacted to pay for the project in December 2018, based on Alaimo Engineering’s estimate of construction costs. However, the low bid received on the project was approximately $3 million higher than the estimate, triggering a need to authorize additional funding.

The township said it was better to wait until the project was nearly complete so it would have a better understanding of the full costs needed. This ordinance would authorize additional funding, but by less than $3 million, because contingencies budgeted for in the ordinance will be less than anticipated.

The other proposal calls for the allocation of an additional $1,100,000 to be appropriated for upgrades at the Hartford Road plant. The full amount would be borrowed in utility bonds or notes.

A bond ordinance was enacted to pay for the project in December 2018, based on Alaimo Engineering’s estimate of construction costs. However, the low bid received on the project was approximately $1.3 million higher than the estimate, triggering a need to authorize additional funding.

The township said it was better to wait until the project was nearly complete so it would have a better understanding of the full costs needed. This ordinance would authorize additional funding, but by less than $1.3 million, because contingencies budgeted for in the ordinance will be less than anticipated.

Moorestown Council will finally hold a public hearing and final vote on a proposal to amend its affordable housing ordinance to implement its third round of affordable housing obligations under an agreement previously reached with the Fair Share Housing Center.

The agreement had to be amended after a judge ruled Pennrose couldn’t move forward with a proposed 76-unit affordable housing complex off Route 38. Pennrose had filed a lawsuit to have a restrictive covenant invalidated to move forward with the project.

The township initially targeted the Miles Technology Site as a replacement site, but when no deal could be reached, it shifted its focus toward a site at the corner of Harper Road and East Gate Drive near the Moorestown Mall. The amended proposal has been on the table for several months, and a final vote can finally take place Monday night.

The original site targeted by Pennrose had to be re-zoned to allow for affordable housing to be built there. Now that the project is not moving forward, residents in the area had appealed to the township to zone the property back to its original use before another developer could move in with another affordable housing proposal. A proposed ordinance to do just that will be introduced Monday night.

Council will also consider a proposed ordinance on introduction to allow for the sale of club licenses for alcohol. Nonprofit organizations are not permitted to sell liquor at their facilities to their members and guests without a “club license” which is permitted by state law.

In the absence of a local ordinance (none exist in Moorestown), eligible nonprofit organizations that meet statutory definitions) can obtain a club license directly from the state. This ordinance gives the township jurisdiction over club licenses and restricts them to bona fide clubs that meet stringent conditions so the township has greater control of such licenses going forward.

There are also eight items on the consent agenda. To view the full agenda, visit the agenda center on the township's website.