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As a result of sound planning, open space acquisitions, farmland preservation, and improvements in state-wide affordable housing legislation, Monroe Township is in a very positive position for Round Four.
However, the prior round of affordable housing, Round Three, imposed more than 4,300 court ordered units in Monroe. I have been working diligently with my team to find ways to reduce the impact of Round Three, while still meeting our constitutional obligations. I am pleased to report that we have negotiated an agreement to reduce the overall number of market rate units by 479 and convert an additional 350 market rate units to senior units (this reduces the potential school impact by 829 units). There will be no change in the number of affordable units built to satisfy Round Three.
The following adjustments to our Round Three settlement will help us accomplish this goal: First, 1,479 units slated for the southern side of Route 33 will be reduced to 1,000, and will be shifted to the southeast corner of Mounts Mills/Spotswood-Englishtown Road and the former Stone Museum property; Second, of those 1,000 units, 350 will be converted to age-restricted (55 and older); Third, Monroe Parke will see increased commercial opportunities with zoning for a convenience store/gas station on the northwest corner, and small retail on the southwest corner (the remainder of the southwest corner to be preserved); Fourth, the southern side of Route 33 will be zoned to permit a warehouse, with ingress and egress solely on Route 33, and the northern side of Route 33 will also be permitted some warehouse space, adding significant rateables to Monroe’s tax base.
I realize there are a lot of moving parts to this agreement. Over the coming months, there will be a number of steps to effectuate this plan, both at the Planning Board and the Council, to amend our Round Three settlement and institute new zoning.
This intensive negotiation has focused on four main objectives: reducing the overall number of market rate units to be constructed; reducing the number residential units that have potential impact on our school district; upholding our constitutional obligation to provide affordable housing; and creating the opportunity for commercial rateables, where appropriate and compatible, along Route 33.
This resolution achieves all of those goals, and I will continue to report updates to the community.
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