Modified town center ordinance introduced

New version reduces the potential for residential development, eliminating buildings with four or more housing units.

By: Audrey Levine
   Township Committeeman Carl Suraci joined his fellow committee members in voting to introduce the ordinance creating a Town Center Zone on Route 206 Tuesday, after winning changes limiting residential development.
   While several other changes were made to the ordinance after Mr. Suraci pushed to delay the introduction at the May 29 meeting, Bob Ringelheim, township planner, said the biggest changes have to do with the residences that could be built in the zone
   "The ordinance originally allowed for duplexes, triplexes, townhouses and multifamily homes," he said. "Now, we will not have multifamily homes."
   According to Committeeman Carl Suraci, the multifamily homes were intended to be 100-unit apartments.
   "From what I had seen as the conceptual plan, I didn’t intend to see apartments," he said. "It is supposed to be a traditional downtown. We are now eliminating buildings of four or more residential units."
   Mr. Suraci said he had also been concerned with traffic congestion if there was an overabundance of residential properties in the Town Center Zone.
   The ordinance still includes approval for duplexes, triplexes and townhouses, all with a minimum of two stories and a maximum of three.
   Mr. Ringelheim said the ordinance also places the cap on land transfer credits to the Town Center at 150, instead of 250. He said the transfer credits are designed to preserve land, as developers can transfer their development rights from open space to the Town Center.
   "We are transferring the development potential of a place outside the Town Center to inside it," Mr. Suraci said.
   Mr. Suraci said the overall goal of the Town Center, which will extend south along Route 206 from New Amwell Road and Andria Avenue to the Hillsborough Shopping Center, is to keep limited residential areas, and focus mainly on the commercial businesses, designing it like a traditional Main Street.
   "I was pleased that the ordinance was reviewed," he said. "It is providing the right residential homes to support businesses that will be in that area."
   The Town Center is part of the Phase II Master Plan, which was approved by the Hillsborough Planning Board in October 2005. It provides for the re-creation of Route 206 as more of a Main Street through Hillsborough.
   The new revised ordinance will be presented for public hearing at the regular committee meeting July 10.