Tag: COAH

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Village Negotiates A Realistic Affordable Housing Plan

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, the Village of Ridgewood has negotiated a pending settlement that outlines what the village’s obligation is, in terms of units of Affordable Housing of 55 instead of 838 ,  all to have been located in the Central Business District.

Wanting immunity from potential developers’ lawsuits, the village is proposing to increase the density of some zones and to create a redevelopment plan for The Valley Hospital site.

Instead of the courts forcing 838 units on the Village of Ridgewood , the Village will adopt a new amended zoning with redevelopment in mind, creating affordable housing opportunities.

This means that increasing the permitted density in the B1 and B2 downtown districts by six to 18 units per acre and North Maple/Goffle Avenue B2 districts to permit 12 and 20 units per acre. In addition, an AH3 district will be created with graduated 14 to 18 units per acre density near Racetrack Road and Route 17.

There will also be a mandatory set-aside ordinance for incoming development to include 20 percent affordable units if the project obtains a use variance. All these increased densities are far lower than the high density housing the Aronsohn Administration agreed to for the Central Business District. 

Existing Affordable Housing

Ridgecrest Apartments – 12 units
Woodside Gardens – 4 units
Broadway Condominiums – 4 units

Approved development projects

KS Broad – 9 off-site affordable (provided at Enclave), 60 market-rate units
The Enclave – 6 affordable, 39 market-rate units
Ridgewood Dayton – 14 affordable, 93 total units
Two Forty/Chestnut Village – 7 affordable, 43 total units ( this is being disputed by owner )

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Reader asks , “why does Ridgewood seem to be taking it on the chin with Affordable Housing?”

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James, re housing:
Ok, cant disagree with the recommendation on who to vote for. But why does Ridgewood seem to be taking it on the chin? Why aren’t we fighting? Why isn’t our council actively supporting those representatives trying to undo this housing madness? Why does our legal representation seem so weak? Why did the council fold like a cheap suit when Village residents sued to stop the development and why did the council side with the developers over the residents? Why doesn’t the Village come up with some other proposal rather than agreeing to do a percentage of the squalid housing now being constructed?
So, it seems to me that the Council just agreed to plant hundreds if not thousands of new units throughout the Village.

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Village of Ridgewood Affordable Housing Presentation

Ridgewood Village Hall theridgewoodblog.net 17

the staff of the Ridgewood 

Ridgewood NJ, this is more state forced over development in Ridgewood , voting has consequences and the consequence of the Affordable Housing mandates is to create court ordered over development is a state with a sinking population and eroding tax base . 

The Village Seems to have worked out the lest invasive solution .

Please see the link below for the Affordable Housing Presentation by Presentation by Beth McManus, Village of Ridgewood Affordable Housing Planner. 

https://mods.ridgewoodnj.net/pdf/engineering/projects/AffordableHousing/RWDPres.pdf

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Rutgers–Camden report offers strategies for turning New Jersey’s distressed properties into community assets

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Camden NJ, Recovery from the historic numbers of distressed properties in New Jersey – especially in South Jersey, which bears the brunt of the burden – may be possible through a coordinated effort of multisector stakeholders, according to a new report from Rutgers University–Camden.

“Through such efforts, these ‘toxic liabilities’ can become community assets by repurposing them as residential properties and fulfilling a demand for affordable workforce housing,” says Darren Spielman, executive director of the Senator Walter Rand Institute for Public Affairs.

Continue reading Rutgers–Camden report offers strategies for turning New Jersey’s distressed properties into community assets

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New Jersey Looking to Buy Foreclosed Homes

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

River Vale NJ, Holly Schepisi New Jersey State Assemblywoman for District 39 ,Currently, New Jersey has a total of 391,428 vacant housing units, according to Census data, with the highest concentration in Newark. These numbers are staggering particularly as we build hundreds of thousands additional units of court imposed housing in New Jersey. Why aren’t we converting even a fraction of these homes into affordable housing rather than building on every last remaining parcel? What is wrong with this State?

Continue reading New Jersey Looking to Buy Foreclosed Homes

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Reader says Court Ordered Over development is part of the continuing efforts to punish the “rich’ suburbs and provide another method of transferring money from hard working folks to those who in many cases chose not to contribute

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At the base level, this is not just about housing. This is part of the continuing efforts to punish the “rich’ suburbs and provide another method of transferring money from hard working folks to those who in many cases chose not to contribute. Take a look at why the tolls are so high on the bridges or your NJ Transit ticket so high. There are large percentages of those funds that support the city infrastructures, subways, etc. Money transfer?
There a volumes of books written about these schemes to ‘change’ the neighborhoods through exaction of money, influx of people who could not afford to live there, and try to force people to accept those who they would prefer not to. I don’t care what the politics, race, or lifestyle is of my neighbor as long as they can pay for the house, taxes, and upkeep.
Wake up folks, keep voting for liberals and watch the things you want to protect continue to eroded underneath you. Ridgewood is directly in the sights of the Governor and others. Anyone who thinks we wont have 1000+ units at the Valley site and other locations is just not fully aware of how these things work.

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Why court imposed housing when we have so many vacant housing units in New Jersey ?

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August 7,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, the state of New Jersey currently has a total of 391,428 vacant housing units, according to Census data, with the highest concentration in Newark.

In a recent report by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy the report noted that abandoned properties have a devastating effect on the fiscal health of the town. They pay little in taxes and generate little revenue. By devaluing neighboring properties, they reduce property tax collections.

Additionally, the government bears substantial costs to deal with these properties. The report calls them “a massive drain on public resources, hitting hardest those cities already struggling to meet payrolls and invest in their future.”

Assemblywomen Holly Schepisi noted , “Currently, New Jersey has a total of 391,428 vacant housing units, according to Census data, with the highest concentration in Newark. These numbers are staggering particularly as we build hundreds of thousands additional units of court imposed housing in New Jersey. Why aren’t we converting even a fraction of these homes into affordable housing rather than building on every last remaining parcel?What is wrong with this State?”

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Assemblywomen Holly Schepisi : Raising Legitimate Concerns Over Court Forced Development is Not Racism

CBD high density housing

July 28,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

River Vale NJ, Holly Schepisi (New Jersey State Assemblywoman for District 39 )” I will say this as clearly as possible. The current system does not work properly for anyone. Because I want the legislature to do its job and implement better policies for our communities does not make me a racist or xenophobic as stated by Kevin Walsh, the Fair Share Housing head. I am committed to focusing on providing affordability in housing for all that need it, including our seniors, our veterans, our disabled, new home owners, people who have lost their jobs or have a medical issue and the poor of all races. I do not care what race, religion, ethnicity, political affiliation you identify with. If you want to be my neighbor I will welcome you with open arms. What I do not want is to have every last piece of green space in the already most dense state paved over with 1,000 unit complexes. These units are being forced to be built by Fair Share Housing in communities with no public transportation, no jobs, no infrastructure, all volunteer fire and ambulance corps while increasing populations of small communities by 30 percent or more. Excising concerns about these real life issues is not racism. Calling it such is outrageous. “

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Bramnick announces rally against state-imposed, high-density housing

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Bramnick announces rally against state-imposed, high-density housing

July 10,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

WESTFIELD N.J. ,Assembly Republican Leader Jon Bramnick (R-Union)  announced plans for a rally against state-imposed, high-density housing at a town hall meeting tonight in Cranford. The rally will be held on the steps of the Statehouse Annex on Thursday, September 20 at 10 a.m.

Jon Bramnick  , “We cannot allow the Courts to require our towns to build thousands of residential units without regard to the impact on schools, traffic and property taxes. The legislature must act immediately. Both democrats and republicans agree that action is needed now and at the very least a moratorium on litigation until the legislature acts. Local zoning laws should be respected.”

 

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MAHWAH RECEIVES FINAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING NUMBER

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June 4,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Mahwah NJ, according to the group MahwahStrong , at the May 17th Council meeting town attorney Brian Chewcaskie gave a legal presentation on Mahwah’s affordable housing requirements. The video of this session is available at https://mahwahnj.swagit.com/play/05172018-820/6.
Summary of the Update
• Each NJ towns affordable housing requirements were based on 3 criteria. Mahwah ended up in Region #1 which had the highest affordable housing requirement. The criteria were;
1) Household Income (based on most recent census)
2) Amount of Non-residential Ratable properties
3) Vacant Land Available
• The number of units Mahwah is required to provide in this round is 830 units which after credits and other options will equate to approximately 210 new incremental affordable units built
• In addition to the 175 affordable units that will be built at the Crossroads center affordable units will be built at 3 other locations not previously discussed;
o 1 Fyke Road (Off Ramapo Valley Road) Approximately 42 units/ 7 affordable
o Mahwah Town Center (Post Office Location) Mixed Use commercial and residential. Residential will be no more than 14 units per acre. This site will yield an additional 10 affordable units
o 70 Island Road (Next to Fire Company #2) 15 units 100% affordable.
• Last, Mahwah must agree to set aside 20% of all future developments as affordable units.
If approved and agreed to this will close Mahwah’s affordable housing requirements through the year 2025 at which point additional affordable housing units will be required.

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Schepisi slams Murphy for cutting affordable housing funding

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May 15,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Trenton NJ, Gov. Phil Murphy’s proposed budget would use nearly $80 million to help fund affordable housing projects to fill gaps in his spending plans. Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi is having none of it.
At the conference of mayors a couple weeks ago in Atlantic City, Schepisi spoke to dozens of mayors who said that affordable housing obligations were crushing their own budgets.

“The affordable housing funds are already far below what towns really need to fulfill court-ordered projects,” said Schepisi (R-Bergen). “Mayors from both sides of the aisle have pleaded for help from the state on this issue and Governor Murphy is callously ignoring their calls by cutting the only funding they have, and that isn’t enough in the first place. The affordable housing issue will continue to crush our communities until the legislature and the governor decide to stop turning the other way and actually address this problem.”

Governor Murphy plans to redirect $59.3 million from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, and another $18.5 million from the Housing and Mortgage Financing Agency. Those two funds are the largest source of relief for municipalities who are forced by courts to provide affordable housing, regardless of demand.

Schepisi introduced a package of bills to address the affordable housing crisis last year, but they have not yet been considered for a vote. Schepisi’s affordable housing package includes:
Ending municipal obligations and requiring COAH to calculate and administer a statewide obligation (A1645/A1647/ACR80).
Requiring COAH to determine if towns can afford new housing and establishing a challenge to the obligation (A1646/A1648).
Eliminating the urban aid exemption from affordable housing obligations and amending the constitution to prohibit exclusionary zoning (A1649/ACR79).
Terminating the builder’s remedy that coerces affordable housing (A1650).

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Reader says Forced Overdevelopment Will Destroy Ridgewood

CBD high density housing

It is horrible what is about to happen to Ridgewood. Yes, it is happening all over Bergen county with 800 more units approved for mahwah. People/leaders of Ridgewood must not just throw up our hands and say it is too late. We musyALL come together and undo what Aronson and others have embraced for Ridgewood. Please, we must all rally and stop this now. Is there not any council person, that will lead the charge and lead to preserve Ridgewood?

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Reader says One way or another trees will come down and cement will be poured.

high density housing

if you do not want anything built in the Village how do you propose that Ridgewood meet it’s state mandated COAH (Council on Affordable Housing) obligation ? All of the proposed developments will have a set-aside for affordable housing. If the private sector does not provide it then Ridgewood must…..and.they will do it using your tax dollars.. Time to get real.. Something is going to get built regardless of all the yapping you and others do.. One way or another trees will come down and cement will be poured.

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Affordable Housing Litigation and how its effecting the Village of Ridgewood

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January 16,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, councilmen Ramon Hache gave us an update of the Affordable Housing Litigation and how its effecting the Village of Ridgewood .

According to the councilmen , “This litigation continues from 2015 when the Village filed its Declaratory Judgment complaint in Superior Court seeking approval of its adopted housing plan and immunity from builders remedy law suits while the decision by the Court was pending. Presently, the Village enjoys immunity from suit until the end of January, 2018. It is conducting Court mandated settlement negotiations with Fair Share Housing Center managed by the Court appointed Special Master, Michael Bolan, PP. The effort is to resolve all issues with FSHC and reach an understanding with the Special Master and all interested parties to present an agreed upon Fair Share and Housing Plan to the Court sometime in the next few months of 2018. A significant part of the Housing plan designed to meet the constitutionally mandated requirement of providing affordable housing in the Village was approved in 2017 by the Planning Board for 4 developments in the Central Business district. These four developments are known as:

KS Broad -Ken Smith site;
The Enclave – South maple and East Ridgewood avenue intersection;
Chestnut Village – Chestnut Street, north of Franklin Avenue;
The Dayton – formerly Brogan Cadillac site on South Broad Street ”

Councilmen Hache states , “the Village council has pushed very hard to lower the density of each development and provide a component of “Special Needs” housing in at least one of the developments with the assistance of the Untied Way to assist persons and families in the area who are searching for residential living accommodations for special needs individuals. Settlement negotiations may provide additional Special Needs housing through an agreement with West Bergen Mental Healthcare and the Chestnut Village developers that will require approval of the master, FSHC and ultimately the Court.”

Details of the number of units of each development can be obtained by reading the Planning Board’s Resolutions of approval of each development.

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Reader says pro-development crowd uses calls of “racism” to get its way

lunatic progressives losing debate use race card

those of us opposed to overdevelopment are a mixed lot. You would know this if you have been at the Village meetings and part of the debate. The charge of racism is completely off base. It was something generated by the pro-development crowd last time and it simply had no basis in fact. And, as more than one person asked in response to these false arguments, are “you people” in favor of overdevelopment saying that diversity is only achieved through sub-standard housing?