Moorestown COAH (Council on Affordable Housing) Plan

[njriverman]

M'town awaiting COAH's approval
By: TODD McHALE Burlington County Times

MOORESTOWN - The sites have been identified, a tentative building plan is in place, and now all the township needs to do is send its revised affordable housing plan to the state.

And hope it is approved by the state Council on Affordable Housing.

Mayor Daniel Roccato said it's been a drawn-out process that's taken nearly a year to complete, but he believes the Township Council has found a way to meet the community's obligation.

The township expects to submit its plan to the state agency in time to meet the Dec. 15 deadline.

Under COAH's third-round rules, Moorestown had to plan for as many as 412 low- to moderate-income units to be built by 2018.

A plan was submitted earlier this year, but the state agency denied a waiver request, leaving the township searching for a location to put 21 affordable units.

Last month, the township announced that it intended to make up the shortfall by using a portion of Wesley Bishop Park on North Church Street as a third site.

The two other sites are the Maybury tract off Westfield Road and the Nagle property at Centerton and Hartford roads, purchased in the 1980s for affordable housing.

But residents from the Wexford, Windermere and Westfield neighborhoods have opposed any new housing development on the Maybury tract, citing environmental concerns that include the presence of the endangered swamp pink flower, an eagle's nest and wetlands.

Two developers also have objected to the affordable housing plan, township officials said.

Meanwhile residents on the west side of town have voiced concerns that their area has enough affordable housing already.

Regardless, the Township Council plans to move forward with its plan.

"Let's face it, there's no great solution," Councilman John Button said.

Councilman Greg Gallo told residents that their fight over affordable housing isn't with the council.

"It's not a debate we can fix in Moorestown. It's in Trenton," Gallo said of the rules regarding affordable housing obligations.

Roccato said a tentative plan would start with building up to 130 units on the Nagle tract as early as 2012. The Maybury tract would be developed in 2014 with as many as 50 units, depending on the findings of an environmental study. At least 18 units would be built at Wesley Bishop Park in 2017.

While the township's affordable housing obligation is 412, it will likely need to build only about 200 units because of various waivers and existing housing units provided by the Moorestown Ecumenical Neighborhood Development, a nonprofit, faith-based developer of affordable housing.

Contact: tmchale@phillyBurbs.com 609-871-8163

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Why are developers objecting to plan?