West Windsor eyes four parcels for COAH housing

By Kristine Snodgrass, Staff Writer
   WEST WINDSOR — The West Windsor Planning Board is focusing on four parcels of land for development in order to meet its affordable housing requirement by the end of the year deadline.
   A draft of its fair share plan was presented to the Township Council during the council’s agenda session Monday night.
   Township planner John Madden and Planning Board attorney Gerald Muller presented the draft plan and answered questions from council and residents, about 30 of whom attended the meeting. A packet of information was distributed on the history of COAH and the current regulations, along with details of the plan.
   New state affordable housing regulations have the township, along with others throughout the state, in a scramble to develop a plan to meet significantly increased requirements before the Dec. 31 deadline.
   Municipalities must provide a certain number of affordable housing units, based on criteria determined by the state. West Windsor must create plans for an additional 115 units by the end of the year.
   Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh said he called the meeting to ensure council and residents remained involved in the process as the Planning Board created its plan. This communication will ensure the deadline is met, he said.
   The Planning Board is currently looking at development in four areas: the Princeton Theological Seminary; a parcel on Princeton-Hightstown Road and Old Trenton Road; a house on 3 Woodhollow Road; and Project Freedom, located on Bear Brook Road.
   The Princeton Theological Seminary is planning to replace 240 graduate housing units, adding 32 more, and building an additional 380 non-graduate units. This will result in 76 affordable units, according to a 20 percent growth share formula.
   The plan calls for the 75-acre parcel on Princeton-Hightstown Road and Old Trenton Road, known as the Thompson site, to be rezoned to create a 140-unit development, resulting in 35 affordable units. This site would also include 20,000 square feet of retail space.
   The house on Woodhollow Road is currently under foreclosure, and nonprofit Eden Institute is negotiating to acquire it to turn it into a group home for medically fragile autistic adults. The four bedrooms will each count as a unit.
   Project Freedom, on a parcel known as the Maneely site, is proposed housing for disabled individuals. It would provide 15 additional affordable housing units. Also proposed on that 50-acre site are 40,000 square feet of retail space, a corporate long-stay hotel, and 75 townhouse units.
   This total of 130 leaves a cushion of 15 units, but there is a chance that a number of affordable units on the Maneely site may not materialize, Mr. Madden said. Planning Board members, the mayor and several council members said they were not concerned about the lack of such a cushion.
   Council member Linda Geevers said a cushion is unnecessary.”I think we should just go with what we’re obligated to do,” she said.
   The mayor emphasized that as redevelopment and other changes occur in the community, the plans can be modified.
   After the presentation, council members remarked on the importance of moving forward with the project in order to meet the deadline.
   Council President Charles Morgan commended the Planning Board for its work under “difficult circumstances.”
   He added, “I’m satisfied that the plan you’ve presented is the best we can do.”
   Council member George Borek said that although the COAH requirements are excessive, the council has to move forward and find a solution while working with the community.
   The process is far from complete. The Planning Board will continue to work on the plan at its meeting on Wednesday, according to board chairman Marvin Gardener. The issue will be brought up again at the Dec. 8 council meeting.