Cranbury talks COAH

By Maria Prato-Gaines, Staff Writer
   CRANBURY — Residents left a meeting Monday with a lot of unanswered questions after township officials discussed an amended third round affordable housing plan.
   Attendees asked a variety of questions concerning the township’s affordable housing obligations, including the estimated cost of future projects and its implications for taxpayers, the possible outcomes of two lawsuits the township has entered into in an effort to reduce its numbers, the township’s ability to withdraw from the Council on Affordable Housing’s process entirely, a time frame for the construction of affordable housing projects and other things.
   Although township officials tried to elaborate or provide possible scenarios for some of the questions, ultimately they said they could only provide two definite answers: That the township has until Dec. 31 to turn in a third round affordable housing plan to COAH; and that Cranbury has a third round affordable housing obligation of 269 units as was determined by COAH, said Trishka Waterbury, township attorney.
   ”If it sounds like our answers are a moving target, it’s because they are,” Ms. Waterbury said. “Literally, the landscape is changing every few weeks. Currently, for COAH, (we) must plan for 269. How many units you will actually have to build is anyone’s guess.”
   Cranbury first began to have concerns over a major growth in its small community in December, when the state more than doubled the statewide affordable housing obligation from 52,000 units to 115,000 and increased Cranbury’s share from 160 units to the current obligation of 269 units.
   Many residents had issues over the lack of information Cranbury officials and residents had moving forward with planning.
   ”This thing sounds convoluted and crazy,” said Andy Moutenot, Cranbury resident. “It’s quicksand we’re trying to build a foundation on.”
   Cranbury’s affordable housing consultant, Mary Beth Lonergan, said that according to the Council on Affordable Housing, Cranbury is projected to create 224 new housing units and 3,581 new jobs in the next 10 years. According to its growth share plan, COAH stipulates that for every five housing units and for every 16 jobs created there should be one affordable housing unit built.
   ”Unlike the first two rounds, COAH’s instituted a growth-share process,” Ms. Lonergan said. “We’re planning for these initial third round numbers and if you grow more, (then) you need to provide more.”
   Although the township will monitor future growth, one third of Cranbury’s 269 affordable housing unit obligation already has been triggered by growth that occurred from 2004 to the present, said Ms. Lonergan said.
   Cranbury has carried over a surplus of 27 affordable housing units from previous rounds, according to data prepared by Ms. Lonergan’s firm. The township is planning around three sites for family affordable housing rental units, which include 20 units on the Old Cranbury Road site, anywhere from 29 to 48 units at the Route 130D site and anywhere from 35 to 54 units at to-be-determined locations, according to the data.
   Also at to-be-determined locations, the town is planning for 67 senior affordable housing rental units, a number that was capped at 25 percent of the total third round obligations, according to the data. The township also has recently acquired five credits toward its obligation for an existing group home and received 20 third round compliance bonuses for its work on the Old Cranbury Road site and 47 third round rental bonuses for its Route 130D site and future family rental site.
   Ms. Waterbury said the process will proceed as follows: Ms. Lonergan will outline the township’s third round plan in conjunction with its Master Plan. Next, the Planning Board has to adopt the amended housing element and fair share plan. Once the Planning Board adopts the plan, the board sends it to the Township Committee for review and endorsement. The township will then have to submit the plan to COAH on or before Dec. 31.
   Ms. Waterbury said the township hopes to have the plan adopted by the Planning Board no later than Nov. 20 and has scheduled the Township Committee to review it on Dec. 8.