Ordinances will help town meet housing regulations
BY TALI ISRAELI
Staff Writer

MARLBORO - The Township Council has introduced two ordinances that deal with the municipality's state mandated third round obligation for affordable housing.

The growth share ordinance that was introduced on May 18 would, if adopted, implement the state Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) third round requirement through 2014.

The law would require builders and developers to construct one affordable housing unit for every eight market rate homes that are built in a particular development. Applicants who are seeking to develop projects comprised of less than eight residential units are not required to comply with this provision.

As for non-residential development, the ordinance states that for every 25 jobs projected to be created by development, the applicant is required to build one non-age-restricted affordable housing unit.

An affordable housing unit is defined as a residence that is sold or rented at below market rates to a person whose income meets regional income limits established by COAH.

The proposed law also provides applicants with alternative methods of satisfying COAH's affordable housing requirement, including the purchase of an existing market rate home at another location in town and converting it into an affordable unit; contributing to the municipality's affordable housing trust fund; or providing a payment of at least $200,000 per affordable housing unit.

Upon the introduction of the ordinance, Councilman Steve Rosenthal questioned why the council needs to adopt the law - which requires a 1:8 ratio of affordable units to market price units - if Marlboro has already submitted an affordable housing plan to COAH that calls for a 1:1 ratio of affordable units to market rate units.

Township Attorney Andrew Bayer explained there will be additional areas of Marlboro which will be developed between now and 2014 which will generate an additional affordable housing obligation. Bayer said adopting the ordinance will put the responsibility of providing further affordable housing units on the developer instead of on the township.

The second ordinance would, if adopted, raise the fee that a developer pays into Marlboro's affordable housing trust fund. For residential development, the fee would increase from 0.5 percent to 1 percent of the equalized assessed value of the unit; for non-residential development the fee would rise from 1 percent to 2 percent of the equalized assessed value of the unit.

The two ordinances are scheduled for a public hearing and possible vote for adoption on June 1.

In other business at the May 18 meeting, the council passed two resolutions authorizing contracts between the township and two appraisal companies. The companies - Stuart Appraisal Company and Buchalski, Reynolds and Brodowski - will appraise a piece of property in connection with a potential open space land acquisition.

Officials said the site is along Tennent Road between the Marlboro Little League baseball complex and the Morganville Volunteer Fire Company.

In other business, the council presented representatives of the Marlboro Fire Company and the Robertsville Fire Company, as well as several Marlboro police officers with certificates of commendation in recognition of their courageous efforts in dealing with a Hess gas tanker that caught fire on Route 18.

"The quick actions and experience of the Marlboro Fire Company prevented the tanker truck from exploding. I do believe that if not for the speedy response and implementation, we would have had a major disaster on our hands," council President Patti Morelli said.

The council also acknowledged the volunteers of the Morganville First Aid Squad for serving the township for more than 50 years. Desiree Smith was recognized for 35 years of service with the squad and Barbara Derrick was recognized for 25 years of service to the squad.