Council taps developer for affordable housing
Marlboro project calls for 110 rental units on Texas Road
BY TALI ISRAELI
Staff Writer

MARLBORO - Municipal officials are taking steps toward constructing the township's state mandated affordable housing units.

One key move forward took place at the Township Council's Sept. 21 meeting when the governing body selected Community Investment Strategies Inc. (CIS) as the developer of a municipally sponsored project on Texas Road which is expected to produce 110 affordable rental units (52 family units and 58 age-restricted units).

Council President Patti Morelli said CIS cares about making the project the best plan for the community.

Councilman Joseph Pernice said his reason for choosing the firm was the company's willingness to work with Marlboro to make the development aesthetically pleasing.

Affordable housing as defined by the state is housing that is sold or rented at below market rates to people who have incomes that meet regional guidelines established by the state Council on Affordable Housing (COAH).

In December, the council and Planning Board approved a plan that will satisfy Marlboro's COAH obligation through 2014.

Marlboro has been awaiting substantive certification from COAH since that time on a plan that calls for the construction of affordable units on four properties in town.

Included in the plan is a housing project known as the Bluh and Batelli property. The site is on Route 79 just south of Church Lane. The proposal calls for the construction of 200 age-restricted market rate units and 50 affordable rental units; Bluh and Batelli also agreed to fund 65 Regional Contribution Agreement (RCA) units.

The RCA will permit Marlboro to transfer some of its obligation to provide affordable housing units to another community.

The second parcel, known as Northpointe, is near the Aberdeen Township border at Lloyd and Nolan roads. The project permits developer Michael Weitz to construct 299 market rate apartments and 71 affordable rentals; Weitz agreed to fund 14 RCAs.

Marlboro's affordable housing plan also includes two proposals that will satisfy the township's "growth share" obligation.

According to township planner Jennifer Beahm, for every eight market rate homes built in Marlboro, one affordable unit is required to be built; for every 25 jobs created by development, one affordable unit must be built. According to calculations, Marlboro is required to build 190 affordable units in order to be in compliance with COAH's third round obligation.

One part of the plan calls for the construction of 148 market rate homes and 37 affordable rentals on the Stattel farm, an 80-acre parcel at the intersection of Route 79 and Route 520. In conjunction with that project 74 units will be transferred out of Marlboro as part of an RCA.

According to Beahm, the residential development will be constructed on 50 acres on the west side of Route 79; up to 175,000 square feet of commercial development will also be permitted on the 50-acre site. A 30-acre parcel on the east side of Route 79 will be deed restricted as farmland.

The final piece of the affordable housing plan is what officials called a 100 percent affordable municipal construction project on Texas Road. According to Beahm, property owner Joseph Velba agreed to sell the 19-acre parcel to Marlboro for the project.

With all the proposals combined, Marlboro will have a 19-unit surplus for its COAH obligation in 2014.

At the council's Sept. 21 meeting, an ordinance was introduced that would, if adopted, change the zoning of the property slated for Bluh and Batelli's affordable housing project.

The ordinance is scheduled for a public hearing and possible vote for adoption on Oct. 5.

According to Township Attorney Andrew Bayer, in order to implement the agreement for affordable units on the 76-acre site, the zoning of the property had to be amended. Bayer said when previous councils removed Bluh and Batelli from Marlboro's affordable housing plans, they attempted to rezone the land.

The ordinance states that the site will be changed to an MFD-111 multi-family district, which permits the construction of detached single-family homes, attached single-family duplex units, zero lot line residential units and townhouse residential units, multi-family residential tenanted buildings, clustered townhomes, garden apartments and estate homes.

In regard to the selection of a developer for the municipally sponsored affordable housing project, Business Administrator Judith Tiernan said the staff met with four firms that expressed interest in constructing the project. The council then interviewed representatives of CIS and Homes For All Inc., before selecting CIS for the project.

Tiernan said the council selected the firm that best suited Marlboro's needs.

In other business at the Sept. 21 meeting, the council adopted an ordinance that will require the members of volunteer first aid squads to undergo a criminal background check. There is not to be a processing fee associated with the background check.

According to the ordinance, a member of the first aid squad includes paramedics, emergency medical technicians and first responders in the Marlboro or Morganville first aid squads.

The law states that the crimes that would preclude a person from being a first aid volunteer include those involving danger to a person; against a family, children or incompetent individuals; involving theft; and/or involving any controlled dangerous substance.