Knob Hill residents seek help on maintenance fees

Staff Writer

By Mark Rosman

Knob Hill residents seek
help on maintenance fees

MANALAPAN — Residents of the Knob Hill development, Route 33, are asking Township Committee members to help them address a situation they believe is unfair.

The housing development contains units that were sold at prevailing market prices as well as units that were sold at below-market prices to people who qualified to purchase those units based upon their income. The below-market units are typically referred to as affordable housing.

All of the unit owners pay a monthly maintenance fee that supports the upkeep, services and amenities of the development.

During the July 25 municipal meeting, Mary Ann Jacobs, a Knob Hill resident, spoke for residents of the affordable housing units. She told members of the governing body that residents of the affordable housing units pay the same monthly maintenance fee — $160 — as residents of the market-price units, but said they do not have all the same amenities.

Two amenities that she cited were carpeting and air conditioning in building hallways. Jacobs said the buildings containing the market-price units have those two amenities, while buildings containing the affordable housing units do not. In effect, she said, the affordable housing unit owners are subsidizing the market price unit owners.

She said that presents a hardship for affordable unit owners who are young adults, single parents and people living on a fixed income.

Jacobs said she has been told that in other towns that have developments containing affordable housing, the affordable housing unit owners pay less in monthly maintenance fees than owners of market price units in the same development.

A copy of the Knob Hill bylaws produced for the committee appeared to indicate that all unit owners — regardless of whether they purchased a market price unit or an affordable housing unit — must pay the same maintenance fee.

Richard Cramer, Manalapan’s municipal planner, addressed the committee on the issue and provided some background information. He said when the issue of affordable housing arose, there was no clear way to determine the maintenance fees. The homeowners of the market price units could be just as likely to complain about subsidizing the affordable housing unit residents if they found out they were paying higher maintenance fees, Cramer said.

"The question on the maintenance fees is this: Where would you set the percentage of what the affordable housing unit owners pay as compared to what the market price unit owners pay?" Cramer said.

He suggested that the residents of Knob Hill’s affordable housing units meet with the development’s homeowners association and try to work out a percentage of the maintenance fee that would be acceptable for them to pay.

At the same time, Township attorney Matthew Giacobbe said he would review the Knob Hill bylaws to determine just what provisions exist relative to the monthly maintenance fees. He said he would review state Council On Affordable Housing regulations in order to determine if a law or regulation "trumps" the provision that requires Knob Hill’s affordable housing unit owners to pay the same maintenance fees as the market price unit owners and could provide some relief.