More Plainsboro commerical zones face fees for affordable housing

By Greg Forester, Staff Writer
   PLAINSBORO — The Township Committee passed an ordinance revision Thursday that will include additional commercial zones in the township’s development fee schedule.
   Those fees assessed to developers support the township’s affordable housing program.
   Several zones that had been left out of the fee schedule — including the Village Center Zone that comprises Plainsboro’s mixed-use Village Center — are now covered by the ordinance, which had been left out due to an oversight, according to Township Administrator Robert Sheehan.
   Besides the Village Center Zone, the other zone now subject to development fees under the ordinance revision is the Neighborhood Business Zone.
   Mr. Sheehan said the only area in Plainsboro affected by the Village Center Zone’s inclusion in the development fee schedule is the Plainsboro Village Center itself, off Scudders Mill Road.
   ”That zoning has a description that is pretty much unique to that particular part of town, which is mixed-use,” Mr. Sheehan said.
   Under the township’s existing ordinances, for non-residential development a maximum fee of 2 percent of the assessed value for the development can be charged to developers, with the fees included in a fund for further development of affordable housing.
   Higher fees can be charged to developers, according to township officials, who said that in the case of a tax abatement or some other item valued by the developer, the township does have the ability to charge a higher development fee.
   Prior to Thursday’s ordinance revision, the fee schedule included the following zones: GC Business, OB-1 Office Development Zone, 1-100 Limited Industrial Zone, S-R Service-Residential Zone, and PMUD Planned Unit Development Zone.
   During the planning and development process, companies wishing to develop within Plainsboro are required to pay half of their development fee as a condition of receiving a building permit, and the final half when applying for the certificate of occupancy.
   The money is then placed into an interest-bearing housing trust fund.