Council asked to rezone
site for adult community
BY KATHY BARATTA
Staff Writer
HOWELL — The Township Council has received a proposal to rezone land on West Farms Road to accommodate the construction of a planned retirement community (PRC). The area in question is presently zoned for mobile home communities and 2-acre agricultural-residential development.
Township planner Michael Vena told the council at a recent meeting that Leigh Realty, of Brick Township, wants to build an age-restricted community on the west side of Route 9 on West Farms Road in the area of the Oak Hill and Green Acres mobile home parks. In order for the development to be built as planned, the PRC zone must be in place.
The tract in question consists of 96 acres in Howell and 26 in neighboring Freehold Township.
Vena said the present mobile home zoning allows for 2.25 units per acre. When he said Leigh Realty plans to develop the proposed South Knolls at a rate of four units per acre, the council members told Vena they wanted the number of units decreased.
Mayor Timothy J. Konopka asked Vena if Howell could get affordable housing credits toward its obligation with the state Council On Affordable Housing (COAH).
Vena said Howell has met its COAH obligation and that none of the homes at South Knolls will be set aside for people whose income meets regional guidelines.
Councilman Juan Malave noted that a third round COAH certification is upcoming and that new affordable housing credits will be needed.
Vena said Leigh Realty is proposing a project that would include townhouses (80 percent of the project) and single-family homes (20 percent). He said townhouses would mean more of an open space dedication to the town.
Howell has a PRC zone on Route 33 near the Flame Motel. A developer has received approval to demolish the motel and build an adult community on that tract. The ordinance requires 100 acres and a commercial component.
Vena said the requirement for 100 acres for a PRC zone should be amended to 90 acres to accommodate Leigh Realty’s West Farms Road proposal.
Malave said that instead of expecting the township to relax its ordinance in order to accommodate the project as proposed, the applicant should "make up the difference in Freehold Township and reduce the number of Howell units."
Councilwoman Cynthia Schomaker was the only council member adamantly opposed to the South Knolls proposal. Schomaker said she believed the PRC zone was designed solely for the Route 33 tract at the site of the Flame Motel.
"Can we eliminate the PRC zone or minimize it so we don’t have this all over town?" she asked.
Konopka said he thought a "limited amount of PRCs [would be] good for the town." He asked Vena if the South Knolls proposal was a good place for a PRC.
Vena said it is because of its proximity to Route 9. It would not require a commercial component due to its proximity to the highway, he said.
Schomaker said she did not believe the surrounding road infrastructure of the area would support the project.
Councilman Joseph DiBella asked Vena what the council needed to do.
Vena said the council needs to amend the PRC law to remove the commercial component [as required for the Route 33 site], make the PRC applicable in more than one location and allow townhouses.
Malave seemed to speak for everyone but Schomaker when he observed, "this is a tough one. I’d like to sleep on it."
Schomaker didn’t waiver from her stand that the zoning on West Farms Road should remain the way it is.
DiBella said he agreed with Malave’s sentiments, but said he would like officials to revisit Howell’s master plan and incorporate zoning that would downsize any portions of the area that could be zoned to 6-acre development in order to preclude further residential development of the area.
Said DiBella of the rezoning proposal, "We continue to treat the symptoms rather than the disease. We need to update the master plan to slow or stop residential growth."