Okay, we're on the air. On the air. There's no way anybody. Welcome to the meeting of the Long Hill Township Planning Board regular meeting and hearing on June 24th, 2025. Time is just a little bit past 7:30.
If you would do the honors, Mr. Vice Chair, to uh read the announcements. Yes, Mr. Chairman. Um, point number one, call to order and statement of compliance. Adequate notice of this meeting hearing has been provided by posting a copy of of the public meeting
hearing dates on the municipal bulletin board and website, by sending a copy to the Echo Sentinel newspaper, and by filing a copy with the municipal clerk. Number two, standard board procedures. Any meeting hearing conducted by the board is a quasi judicial proceeding.
Any questions or comments must be limited to the issues that are relevant to what the board may legally consider in reaching a decision. A decorum appropriate to the judicial meeting hearing must be maintained at all times. Number three, electronic devices.
All in attendance are asked to mute cell phones or any electrical device, electronic device as to not interrupt the proceedings. Number four, pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the
republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Conduct the roll call. Miss Still is excused. Mr. Hands here.
Committeeman Lavender present. Mr. Le Verio present. Practicing. Miss Ojins here. Mr. Okaka is excused. Vice Chairman Jones is present. Chairman Richardson here.
Mr. Chairman, we do have a forum. Excellent. Thank you so much. Okay, this evening we have really a a singular focus and it is now on agenda item number seven which is to conduct a
public hearing uh regarding the master plan and specifically the Longhill Township Housing Element and Fair Share Plan. I'm sorry, Mr. Chair, it's number six. Number seven is adjournment. No, no, it's send number seven on our agenda. Okay. Yep. See different but
okay. Uh and it this is uh the fair share and or the housing element fair share plan is dated June 24th 2025. Uh just a couple of uh introductory uh comments.
Uh the purpose of this meeting is to adopt a housing element and fair share plan that will become part and parcel to our Longill Township master plan. The planning board is charged with any of
the elements that are associated with uh the u master plan and therefore uh we are the body in the township that uh needs to adopt this particular plan uh to uh form compliance
uh with um uh actions that will be discussed. Uh our meeting approach tonight will be uh first a presentation and overview uh from Jessica Caldwell, our township planner and uh the
architect of our fair share plan. Uh and she will also comment on the housing element which again has been combined uh with the fair share plan. Uh we will then uh open up for any uh comments from the public.
Uh and then uh a after any comments from the public are uh uh executed then we will uh go to a response to those comments. So we will collect comments and then provide a response afterwards
and uh then finally we will move to um uh adopt the uh plan. So, I think with no further ado, I'm going to introduce Jessica and Jessica Jessica, if you wouldn't mind, please provide an overview uh of our uh plan.
Thank you. I'm just going to swear swear to you, Jessica, for the sake of the record. Thank you. Do you soundly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing? Yes, I do. All right. Thank you. Thank you. Make sure that microphone is on because Yeah, I think so. Did you hear? Great. Thank you. Thank you, Mr.
Chairman. My name is Jessica Caldwell. I'm the township planner uh representing the governing body. Tonight we have a public hearing on the Longhill Township Housing Element and Fair Share Plan. Uh this document was created in
coordination with the planning board's planner, Liz Laney. Uh she prepared the housing element with her firm and I prepared the fair share plan and then we worked together to combine the two documents. they are typically combined.
Uh so it was a a joint effort. Uh I'm going to go through you know generally what's in the housing element and then focus on the fair share plan and then I'm happy to you know take questions and comments from the board and and then the public.
So, as the chair mentioned, we're here tonight uh because we're at the start of round four uh for affordable housing obligations for the state. In March of last year in 2024, uh the legislature amended the Fair
Housing Act and set forth uh new obligations for the fourth round of affordable housing as well as various deadlines. So the current deadline that we're under is a June 30th to submit to what's called the dispute resolution
program uh who is taking in these plans and reviewing them uh through the superior court. So there's sort of an arm of the superior court. Uh so we do have that deadline looming over us along with a 48 hours from adoption. It needs
to be submitted. The plan also has to be endorsed by the governing body following adoption of the plan. So just to provide some framework and I'll talk about some other deadlines and obligations that we have going forward after I get through
the the plan overview. So the housing element itself is basically set forth in municipal land use law as well as the fair housing act as to what uh needs to be in the housing element. Uh so we have uh basically an
overview and history. That's something that we always provide just because now we're going into 40 plus years of of affordable housing obligations and it's really important to keep track of what kind of compliance has gone on over time. So we have that as well as the
required elements from municipal land use law and the fair housing act. uh demographics, uh population characteristics, housing stock inventory, household characteristics, income characteristics, employment, and then growth trends and
projections as well as where in the municipality housing can be built, what types of zones you have, and then you know what housing has been built over time and DCA certificates of occupancy and whatnot.
So then leading into the fair share plan that starts on page 22 that I'll go through in some detail. Uh this plan is essentially longill's plan for addressing the affordable housing obligation. What's called your fair
share plan because it's proposing your fair share of affordable housing for essentially the region that uh Long Hill Township is in which is region two. So starting in the fourth round, uh DCA
issued affordable housing obligations which the township accepted. Uh there's a prospective need obligation which means new units that need to be created of 102 units. And then there's also what's called a present need or rehabilitation obligation that we
actually have zero units on. So that's something where you have a certain number of substandard housing units within your municipality that need to be rehabilitated. Uh the the data is showing that there aren't any currently, which is it's just good news.
So every time we do these plans, just like when we do the housing element, we sort of go back to the beginning of time for affordable housing to review uh where we are with obligations because obligations kind of stay with us over time. So we want to ensure that we
address those obligations as we go forward. So the first thing we have is what's called the prior round which is the first and second round combined. It's 1987 through 1999. The township had a 62 unit obligation
for that prior round combined. It was met through uh 13 accessory apartments with a bonus credit for 14 credits. uh Lounsbury Meadow Seniors, a 100% affordable housing development that I'm sure everyone's familiar with. That
development included 42 age restricted units and 10 handicap units. So, we broke those two out because there are age restricted caps involved with almost all of the rounds. So, it does help us to uh credit based on knowing, you know,
the differences between those units. Previously, they were lumped together. So some people might recognize that it used to be lumped together. So we applied 15 of those uh senior units to the prior round. We got five units of bonus credits for that for a total of
20. And then we have 27 age restricted and 10 handicap units that carry over. We also did what's called a regional contribution agreement. That's something that's no longer permissible but was at the time. uh where you send it you sent
a certain amount of money to a um city essentially that need was in need of rehabilitating existing units. Uh you paid a price per unit. They used it to rehabilitate units and the township got
credit for those. So 42 units were uh regional contribution agreements to Newark. 28 of those were applied to the prior round and that was fine to go ahead and carry those into the third round even though uh they weren't
permissible after the prior round. So essentially we met the prior round with the 62 units and then we have 50 51 units of of carryover into the third round. So that's that was a good
position to be in uh when we entered into the third round. Um there's a storied history about the third round, but ultimately we ended up with 220 units as our obligation. So that was the obligation that was um submitted to
Superior Court and our our final certifications um which now run until basically June 30th uh 2025 this obligation. So, we have those 27 units of Lounsberry Meadow
senior credits. We applied the Lansberry Meadow Handicap Credits of 10 units. The remaining RCA uh regional contribution agreement units 14 credits. And then we have two uh inclusionary developments
that were done in the very beginning of round three. uh Sterling Manor which provides for six total of 16 credits and Chestnut Run which provided six credits. We also had some group home developments
that were done. Essentially the township committee uh worked on that during the third round with development fees to uh make agreements with uh community options to provide for a total of seven uh units of group homes. That's
essentially like a four bedroomedroom and a threebedroom group home and they're counted per bedroom. And then the Lounsbury Meadow development was built in the early 90s. I think it was 1991 and they typically
have 25 to 30year controls. So the township during the third round noted that those deed restriction controls that kept them as affordable units were going to expire during the third round. So in 2016, the township made the proactive effort to extend those
expiring controls, add new 30-year deed restrictions. So you essentially got 52 new units of of credit for those. They are still senior credits. Uh this the same break up with the 42 and 10. Uh but
they do apply going to the the third and fourth round. So we applied uh 42 of the 42 we applied 28 extensions of expiring controls uh to the third round and we
applied 10 of the extensions of expiring controls of the handicapped units. We also have a board of adjustment approval for TW two 224 to 230 Main Street, which
was a a family rental approval, which provided for two units with bonus credits for a total of four. And then we have another board of adjustment approval at 594 to 606 Valley Road for a
family rental project which is actually been constructed for two units of credit. So those are sort of the initial we call them completed units but they're really units that uh were completed in various methods um not proposed zoning
as part of the ultimate end of the third round. So the next table on page 24 addresses third round zoning that that was new to the end of the third round and then redevelopment um proposals that were put in place
during the third round. So the first one we had was called Gillette office. Um this was the RMF4 zone. It's at 621 Valley Road. uh that does have planning board approval of nine units with nine
bonuses is 18 credits for the third round. We have the Warren Avenue uh inclusionary zone which is the RM F40 zone uh that's currently zoned uh and
we're proposing 33 total units there. Uh six credits apply to the third round and 27 uh credits are carrying over. We have the thermoplastic site uh that is in the plan although uh because of some issues
with having a flood hazard area there. There were 11 units proposed. However, that project had to be replaced. Um so we're not proposing any units from that, but just keeping track that it is a zone that was um adopted.
And then we have a 488 to 490 Valley Road. It's the RMF 5 zone is proposed for 15 units with 15 bonus credits for a total of 30 credits. And then we have the mixeduse overlay, a
mixeduse office zone, I think it's called Tifa site. Um, and that one is for 21 units um with 21 bonuses for a total of 42 credits. So all of those items I just listed combined is the
total of 220. So the good news on round three is that those units were met. Um that puts you ahead of a lot of communities actually. I mean there a lot of big numbers that came out in round three and it was difficult to meet those
those units. So we also have some of those uh Lounsbury Meadow extensions of expiring controls. We have 14 of those to carry over to fourth round. And then we have some of the uh Warren Avenue uh
zone credits at 27 to carry over into the fourth round. So as I mentioned the fourth round we have the 102 unit obligation of perspective need. The proposals that we included for that
include uh what is known as the car wash development site. It's 11:06 to 11:22 Valley Road. Uh that is proposed for 33 affordable housing units. That is a new project uh which will need to be approved as a redevelopment plan in the
future because that is an existing area in need of redevelopment. The project that had been proposed there previously did not come to fruition. So that was available for a new zone and plan. And the other three um projects that we
have, well, I mentioned the two carryovers. And then we have 44 Planefield Road, which was a board of adjustment approval. Uh that generated three units. And then we have 1050 and 1058 Valley Road, which was an assisted
living facility board of adjustment approval, which provided for 10 age restricted units as Medicaid beds. So all together with carrying over uh the Lounsberry Senior and the Warren
Avenue inclusionary zone, we have a total of 113 credits. Uh 11 of those units would carry over into the fourth round and we meet the fourth round 102 unit obligation. Uh we also meet what's called the micro
requirements. Uh those are important where you have a maximum of 30% senior, a minimum of 50% family housing, a minimum uh rental obligation of 25% of your total, a minimum family rental of
50% of that 25% and then a maximum bonus credits that were permitted of uh 25% as well. And that essentially summarizes the plan. Uh we do also have a map that was
prepared by the planning department in town that just um summarizes locations of of where essentially uh existing units are ones that have been approved by resolution and then proposed future.
I I just want to make sure that uh you're aware, Mr. renovates. We do have a copy of that map if you'd like to get it right up on the desk here. It wasn't in the document. I can tell you that. Yeah. No, that is correct. This is just for to facilitate the meeting and for
for the sake of the record of uh this meeting and hearing, we will mark uh that map as exhibit B1. Okay. So, that that's just an exhibit to assist anyone who uh would like this going in the document. No, it is not. No, it's not.
It's just an exhibit for tonight. And that concludes my direct presentation. I'm happy to answer any questions. Great. But first, just wanted to thank you, Jessica, for all your hard work on this uh and putting together this plan. Uh we
are now at the point that we can open up for any public questions or comments. I just wanted to note we do have a member of the public uh and I invite you to come up. Uh I remind you just of the simple ground
rule that uh we ask that you kind of uh focus your comments on the uh planned at hand or questions uh and the testimony that's been provided. uh try to uh limit uh your uh discussion
although being the only member of the public here we'll give you some latitude okay uh Chuck as as you go forward uh and then uh afterwards we will um respond to the once you finish all your comments and questions and sir just for
the uh the sake of the record and um to give more weight to your statements if you don't mind I'd like to swear you in uh do you solemnly ly swear that any testimony that you do provide in your commentary will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Yes, I do. So, help me God. Thank you. Charles
of Renoitz, Heritage Road, Millington. Tonight's hearing statutoily fulfills the planning board's legal obligation to conduct a hearing on the housing element that was not included in a 2023 master plan.
That said, this meeting is meaningless because tomorrow's night, the township committee is set to endorse the fourth round housing element and fair share plan adopted by the township planning board today on June 24th,
2025 per resolution 25-174 because there's no time left for township resident input to make changes and review by tomorrow night's meeting. As Jessica pointed out, municipalities
must adopt their fourth round housing element and fair share plan by June 30th and must be submitted to the affordable housing dispute resolution program. Failure to meet such deadline may expose the municipality to builders remedy
lawsuits. According to the fair share center, the fourth period extends itself from July 1st, 2025 to June 30th, 2035. Therefore, there's no conceivable way
you, the planning board, will make any changes tonight to the fourth round housing element and fair share plan. In addition, both the township planner and the planning board planner have already signed and dated the document on
June 24th, 2025. You're only having this hearing to have your ticket punched. So, if I make a comment, are you going to change the plan tonight? That's a question. To whom? To you.
The plan is complete. So why have this session? To seek questions from the public with regards to any questions you might have on the plan that's before you. That I've got changes to it. Well, bring them to the four. Yeah, but you're
not going to You can't do it by tomorrow. Please get on record the changes that you would like to make. What What does that prove? What does it prove? Chairman, do you have comments or questions? I've got comments, but they're meaningless.
Point of order, Mr. Chair. You did say that you wanted to hear all comments and then we would address them after all comments were uh submitted. But you did respond whether you're going to change the plan or not, Vice Chairman Jones. Uh Mr. Would you would you Chuck? I
don't want to waste your time. If you You certainly are. You certainly are. Then then because I I spent time I read every page of the 214 pages. Now you're telling me make comments and we won't change anything. It's too late.
Are they significant changes? Well, I'll let you judge that because if they're typographic changes, there's some of those, too. Okay, then. And I think we were going to note some of the typographics typographic changes that we
had already found just to make sure they probably correlate with the ones that you found. So if you would like to go through those, we would appreciate. Well, I'm going to ask again. Are you going to ch based on any comments tonight? Did you have plans to
change this document of 214 pages by tomorrow? Take them under consideration. Yes. Who's speaking here? speak. I didn't hear you. What you said, Vice Chairman Jones will take it under consideration. Will you change anything? We'll take it under consideration. That means you won't change it. That doesn't
say that. I didn't say that. We'll take it under consideration. Please go through your agenda. Thank you. You're so welcome, Mr. Vice Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Reynolds. You're gracious and kind. You are so kind, sir. But I will say tonight this is a better
attempt than last time. Round three. Chairman Richardson. Thank you. And planning board member Michael Hanss remember that 2017 and 2018. During that time, I say this for the public record.
During that time, the planning board held executive sessions behind closed doors to pick their affordable housing sites for the third round with no public input. The planning board subsequently held meetings with the township committee
again behind closed doors. No public input was allowed for round three. No public input. The public was first allowed input in superior court in Marstown
before Judge Michael E. Hubner in December in 2018. It was September 15th as I recall. Several residents, including myself, set the record straight exactly what the
Longill Township process was for the third round obligations before the judge. I might say it was an embarrassing time for this township, the township attorney, and the township
planner. Now, I come here tonight saying, "Will you make change?" Oh, we'll take it under consideration. That's maybe a half a step better than round three. I see some naughty heads.
Can we move on to your comments to the plan? Sure. Thank you. Now, for what it's worth, for your consideration, board, here are my comments. One,
dedicated affordable housing. There's no mention of using dedicated new dedicated affordable housing units to meet Longo Township's fourth round obligation of 102 units. Instead, there are numerous apartment units proposed to
be added to the township. Round three. One, Gillette office, Gillette Crossing, 62 units. Tiff 140 units. Le Prey Property 100 units. Total for round three. Round four. Car wash 167. 44 Planefield
Avenue 24. Round four total 191. That gives us for round three and round four, 493 new apartments. Right now, according to the report that was just given you with 214 pages, there
are 465 current apartments in this town. With the 493 brings a total of 858. A mere 135% increase in the apartments in this town. Do you think that's going to change what
our town looks like when we're going to 135 units? But there's no mention of new affordable housing units dedicated. Why? The professional planner here
tonight for the township and our planner for the planning board should have recommended that to you in your planning efforts or you should have brought it up just uh so we can make sure we capture. So the question that you have No, let me
let me let me finish a couple a couple more on this one. You need to recommend more dedicated affordable housing units like Randolph Township where I was born and raised. They've been working with the Habitat Humanity. They built 24 dedicated units.
We did so something right with dedicated units with the ha with uh um Lounsbury Meadows. We need more of that. We don't need 167 units. We need to reduce the increased demand
for services like police, fire, schools, schools, first aid for this growth in part by using dedicated affordable housing. We don't need 493 units. Go ahead on that first point. Uh we're
going to collect all of your questions or comments, please, and then we'll respond. In the document, it talks about the end of the sewer ban. Let me remind you, let's correct the document.
The sewer ban date, Dan, is October 20th, 2025 by the purchase of the new sewer treatment system by New Jersey American Water. Three, there's numerous areas in the document.
There's numerous areas in the document like formatting areas where you're unable to read the tables. In addition, there are references to the position of township manager, township council, Main Street versus Main Avenue,
which Longill does not have a township manager or a township council. Number four, dedicated spending dollars. Appendix C.
The spending plan needs to be modified to allocate significant dollars to be utilized on creating more dedicated affordable housing units. Five
future zone changes as the excavation begins at Gillette office, the highest building in the township approved by this planning board, which I believe four of you were involved with that. They are chairman Richardson, vice chairman Jones, member
Hans, and absent member Dill. You participate in this record setting height of this building at 59 ft and 1 inch at the peak. I ask you for more reasonable zoning
changes like building height height of 35 ft 2 1/2 stories and less in dense density units units per acre in the fourth round of obligations.
Thank God the township committee approved an expenditure of $1.4 million for the purchase of a new ladder truck so we can combat this historic height of the building that four of you approved a
couple years back. Congratulations. You'll have that record for a while unless you change it. But the town had to spend $1.4 million so we could accommodate your height. What a decision you made. Thank you for your time and look forward
to your evaluation of my recommendations. And I read every 214 pages of this document. And now you're not going to change anything. What a time I had reading it. Thank you.
Jessica, do you need a moment to No. So, uh, I guess the first question was talking about dedicated housing, which I interpret to be 100% affordable housing, which we do have at the Lounsbury site. Uh, I guess the main
issue with that is that in order to have get credits for 100% affordable housing, you have to have a site under control, meaning that you own it. uh you have to have an agreement with a 100% affordable housing developer and be either have in
hand low-income housing tax credit funding or some other type of funding in hand uh and be able to be shovel ready in the ground within two years. So, we just didn't have that bigger project on hand. Uh the other thing is you know the
township has has taken the approach that inclusionary zoning through the master plan is non-stigmatized allows units to be spread out throughout the town and that that's a desirable approach as well. So those two types of
um those two reasons were you know basically what underpinned it. That doesn't mean that you couldn't if something became available, a site became available and you wanted to pursue that in the future, you certainly could.
So, can I just ask on that point when you say in the future that this plan, how rock solid is it as a vote as opposed to this is a plan that takes us forward but may not be what it looks like in 10 years? Uh, so it's it's the plan for 10 years.
So it's it's our best plan at this moment. So you know things change like a lot some of the things in this plan weren't planned in the first round or the third round plan either. So we had two group homes that were um achieved
through the township committee with development fees. And we also had several board of adjustment approvals that you know the board of adjustment over time if someone came in for uh apartments they would require a set aside. So there are other ways that the
units get developed and those count in the end but what we have to do is develop a plan now to our best ability to answer the units at this time and then when 2035 comes around we go back and re-evaluate. Some things will get
built, some won't. Some things will new opportunities arise. So, uh it is somewhat flexible, but you do have to put mechanisms in place. That's what protects you from builder's remedy lawsuits. And proposing 100% affordable
housing without all those steps in place doesn't protect you because we don't have we don't have enough to say that we could actually do it and get it done within the fourth round. Who would who would pay projects like that? So that would have to be paid for by the
township. Just if you could reset that question. I don't know if you were close enough to the mic, Scott. Yeah. Sorry. Who who would pay for 100% affordable? So it ends up a a decent significant amount would be paid for by the community either through development fees, but you don't have that much money
in that account. So any shortfall that comes up, the township has to agree to bond for. So, let's say you had a project. You thought it had low-income housing tax credits, but they, you know, go to the site. I actually have this same scenario in another municipality
where they started to develop the site and found that there was rock that needed to be excavated. There were additional uh costs and to the tune of over $2 million. So that the town the towns typically take the risk h has to fund and there's there isn't that kind
of money in in the account and and then what about um ratables that come out of those kind of units. They aren't really ratables on those types of units. They're not ratables. I mean, they're so the the trade-off here that if I could
paraphrase, you tell me if I'm wrong, we have a builder who's incented by, let's say, market dynamics, needs to build a certain number of um units in order to make a subset of those affordable
versus a completely affordable. And that's a that that's a high ratable facility, let's say, versus completely affordable, very low ratable, if at all. Township assumes all risks and pays for the development. Yeah, I mean that's a
correct assessment of the two scenarios. Okay. Thanks for clearing that up. And as far as the other comments, there was some comments about a lot of that referred to what's in the appendices. So
there's a couple different things in the appendices that I'll just point out. So it most of it's what I would call compliance documents. So trying to demonstrate compliance with with what we've done so far. So we have
resolutions, we have ordinances. These are all the ordinances that have been adopted over time for the zones that we're talking about. We have a spending plan which is draft. So to the extent that any of that needs to be updated or changed, we we will do that in the future. And then a
marketing plan as well, which is, you know, pretty pretty cookie cutter, but it's something to show that, you know, we would comply with the requirements to market the units regionally. You know, they were initially set up by the council on affordable housing and so we
sort of morphed them. So the extent that there's, you know, misnomers such as township manager, township council, we can correct that in the future. Uh, as far as the spending plan, uh, what's in the spending plan now, which is a draft
at this point, it will be approved at some point by, uh, the township uh, governing body. We allowed for space if if someone did come in for a rehabilitation unit. We did allow for that to be funded even
though we don't have an obligation. I think that's a good thing to do especially if you have seniors living, you know, homeowners, seniors that might have something like a furnace go and they don't have money to pay for it. If it's in your spending plan, you can give them money to to assist with that. Um,
we have money set aside for administrative expenses. Then we have money set aside which is an obligation towards affordability assistance for existing units. So we can provide rental assistance. We can provide down payment assistance. If someone's in affordable
unit gets in trouble with the unit and they need some assistance, they can come to the township and and we can assist them. And then we allowed for additional for the bulk of the spending that's more discretionary. We put into supportive living and special needs units which is
something that the township has been working on consistently over time and helped to set off offset seven seven units which is just slightly less than the Gillette development of nine units. So that's valuable I think in offering a
service in the community and also in providing for credits. And then we have access funds uh which we allowed to municipally sponsored 100% affordable housing programs, market toaffordable programs. Those are the types of
programs you could do where you could partner with Habitat for Humanity. You can you can do 100% affordable, you can do market to affordable. So sometimes those opportunities arise where Habitat might come to the community. They might have a unit in mind. They might have a a
property they're looking to purchase. So having these in the spending plan gives you that leeway to uh work and and develop those types of units over time. Like I said, some of these things can come up. It doesn't mean you can't do them, but we just aren't farther enough down the line to say that we're going to
have new group homes or we're going to have new 100% affordable. We just don't have the money in place or the plan in place for that. But we're putting the money into the spending plan so those opportunities arise, we can um take
advantage of them. Um and I'm sorry, Jessica, did I hear that right? that if we were to explore Habitat for Humanity, we would have to the township would have to own the property first and then solicit Habitat
for Humanity to come in and then take a look at the property to see if that's something they want to uh do a joint venture on. It's not that Habitat of Humanity is going to come in, knock on our door, and say, "Hey, we want to build um and we're going to we're going to procure that piece of property and or
could that be a mechanis?" It could go either way. Okay. It could go either. So, sometimes they may come across a piece of property they're interested in purchasing and what they might do is come to the township and say, "We found a piece of property or an existing house that's dilapidated
and you know, this might just be for one unit, you know, and it it's we'd like to purchase it. We'd like the township to assist us and give us a couple hundred,000 to help us purchase the unit." Then you know the the prospective owners that they select that are lower
moderate income rehabilitate the unit you know through sweat equity and then they deed restricted and you you end up with the unit. But to date that has not happened yet. That has not happened. that those opportunities arise at times or you know if the township found a site
and it it became you know you found something that you thought hey this would be a good site for a 12 unit uh 100% affordable development and what we could do is talk to Habitat for Humanity or other 100% affordable housing developers but you might need to buy
that property so you would need money and then you would hope to get funding uh for that either through loan usually the loan housing tax credit program which is quite competitive. Uh there is also some New Jersey affordable housing
trust fund um monies available for certain smaller types of projects. So I mean all of these things it doesn't mean just because we have a plan that doesn't put them in there that we we couldn't pursue these types of units. So, hypothetically, say habit uh Habitat or
equivalent were to come to us and we were to partner with them and 12 units would be hypothetically the number. Would that be 12 units credit or would there be some is there some formula that says, well, you've did 12 but you only get six or you did 12 and you would get 18 or is it 12 is 12? 12 would be 12
unless it's senior. So, senior is where you end up with caps. You also have a kind of default cap on uh group homes. So, because you have to have 50% family and you can have 30 maximum 30% senior,
there's another 20% there that you can have be group homes because they're not family. You know, they're restricted usually to individuals that are um disabled. So, they, you know, they don't count as family units. So you have 20%
or your units can be that you know other kind of an other category. So 100% not 100% depending on how that right. So it depends on the types of units that that get developed and they may not apply if you already have all your credits but they would apply to future rounds and as
we all know none of this seems to be going anywhere. So it doesn't hurt to have extra credits. Every round you've had, you know, extra credits that you carry over and that's a really good strong position to be in. Talking in the future. No, no, not at all. Right. This is just a plan that we have today that
could change where maybe we do approach Habitat for Humanity or some other uh organization and we explore that. Absolutely. As long as we meet our obligation, right? Yep. That's that's the end goal. and you have to show a realistic potential to do that with the plan that
you have that that we have before you tonight. But that doesn't mean you're foregoing all these other things that that's you can absolutely do those things. So, were there any additional the questions that you gleaned from Mr. Roy's no comments? John, did you have
anything? I know you were scribbling notes, too. Um, I I just I just I just want to comment on the the uh the real purpose of the adoptionist plan and and the vice chair just just touched on it. This is this is a pragmatic plan to to
meet an obligation uh imposed by the state legislature. This is not a a a pie in the sky visionary plan for uh you know our our best hope for for the future of the town. But that doesn't mean that that precludes that visionary
plan and best hope for the future of the town. But it it the purpose of this is a pragmatic meeting of obligations. So, you know, I I I welcome uh the comments from from from the public and I I know the board does as well. And it informs how the next round will be approached.
It informs that that that vision for the future and how it will be approached. So, um they you know, although they may be delivered harshly, they I am certain are welcome. Great. Don, do you mind if I say a few words? Uh, are they very pertinent to
what the discussion has been? It's about the plan. So, yes, to answer your question. So, as and Chuck, you mentioned I was here before on the prior round and I went to the courthouse with you and met and I just want to just
align why I'm comfortable with this as opposed not as opposed to just going through the length that we went through last time as opposed to this plan I think gets us into a very good place. And why I say that and recognizing Chief
has not been built yet, recognizing Gillette's just been built, a lot of the items here are proposed are things that we've already discussed and have been approved. Right. So we talk about the board of adjustment um on 150 158 Valley Road. We talk about
the um playing field board of adjustment approved. to really approve these things that we're saying we're making trying to make goodstead with the requirement and putting I think this township in a good place. We had the car wash redevelopment
already done so this is not new groundbreaking. Warren Avenue part of the prior round as well. So I don't think we see here anything that's extravagantly uh ownorous on the town and I think this is a positive
um statement of the town and you also think of other towns surrounding and some of the stuff that they're going through. So I think at the end of the day I'm personally comfortable what was being presented here and I think it's a good option for the town doesn't dissuade us from possible things in the
future. I'm very sympathetic personally about dedicated affordable housing. Very sympathetic. So I take that very deeply into my heart. So with that said, I just wanted to make those comparisons to the prior round and this round and why this for me is a good
solid plan to take us forward for next 10 years. Thank you. So that was it. Okay. Uh I'd like to uh move uh that we really close the public comment. at this point. Uh so, um John, if you
wouldn't mind, please share if I could just go through those little typos. We wanted to finish up. Okay. So, on page 22, um the table under RCA Newark, the 28 should have three stars by it. Yeah. Um
and then on page 23, we reference 224. It says 330 Main Street. should be 230. Nope. And then on page 25 under fourth round, it says long and the hill is missing. So, we
need to add that. And then on the page 27, it says Planefield Avenue should be Planefield Road and we carry that through into the table on the following page. Excellent. Those changes will be made um before
it's submitted to the program. Great. And all instances of town council replaced with township committee if there are any. If there are any. Okay. And any instance of township manager with township administrator. Perfect.
Got it. We can just do global search. It's a beautiful thing in a document. Main street. Yes. We got that street. Okay. Was there any other Mr. Apologies for those? I think that was it. Oversight.
referring. Yeah, that's in the the spending plan. Okay. Supposed to be updated. So, John, would you mind just, you know, uh let's move to summarize uh the resolution? Certainly. So, I have before me uh what is uh titled uh resolution
202511 PB. This is adopting the housing element and fair share plan that we just held a hearing discussing. Uh it starts out with a few recitals talking about that uh talking about the various statutes and regulatory codes that this plan aims
to satisfy obligations for. And then the real meat and bones of the resolution begin on page two towards the bottom of page two where it says, "Now therefore be it resolved by the planning board of the township of Long Hill in the county of Moors, state of New Jersey, that the planning board hereby adopts the June
2024 uh June 24, 2025 fourth round housing element and fair share plan attached to this resolution and recommends that the mayor and township committee endorse the fourth round housing element and fair share plan and implement name and be it
further resolved that the resolution and the fourth round housing element and fair share plan be filed with the superior court within 48 hours of adoption by the planning board but no later than June 30th, 2025. Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution shall be sent to the planning
board advocacy and to the Morris County Planning Board together with a copy of said adopted fourth round housing element and fair share plan within 30 days of the date of adoption of this resolution. So that summarizes the official act to be taken upon an
affirmative vote of this board. Great. Thank you. Uh well, I as the chair uh like to elect to make the motion uh please to adopt uh resolution 2025-11-PB
adopting the housing element and fair share plan. Uh is there a second? Uh with uh with the caveat that we're going to change some of the type make the typographic change the amendments that we were discussing with the uh I'll
second that. Okay. Yes. Roll call. Yep. You get to do the roll call. Do we start with the Does it start with who made the motion? Yes. And then a second to everyone else. All right. Um Chairman Richardson. Yes. Vice Chairman
Jones. Yes. Still is excused. Mr. Hands. Yes. Committeeman Lavender. Yes. Mr. Lario. Verario. Verario. Yes. Thank you, sir.
Ojins. Yes, Mr. Opaka is excused. Uh, Mr. Chairman, uh, the motion carries, I think. Thank you. Right. Yeah. Well done. Thank you. Excellent. Okay. Uh, is there a motion to adjourn our meeting? So moved. Second. All in
favor? I. Excellent. Let's have a brownie. [Music] there.