HOWELL — The Howell Township Council has adopted an ordinance that cuts the municipality’s ties with a portion of a road previously cleared for the construction of an adult community.
On March 16, the governing body adopted the ordinance terminating Howell’s interest in a portion of Snyder Road for the previously approved Harvest Ridge development.
Harvest Ridge received preliminary approval from the Planning Board in 2011, followed by its final major subdivision and site plan approval in 2013, according to the ordinance.
The Harvest Ridge parcel totals 128 acres, with 101 acres in Howell in a Residential Adult Community zone and 27 acres in neighboring Freehold Township in a Rural Environmental zone along Georgia Road. All 251 homes in Harvest Ridge will be constructed in Howell.
Snyder Road is a 33-foot-wide township right of way, according to the ordinance.
Snyder Road extends west from West Farms Road, bisecting the Harvest Ridge development site to the Freehold Township border and extending into Freehold Township.
The beginning portion of Snyder Road that intersects with West Farms Road is paved and the rest of the road is a paper street with no development on either side.
With the adoption of the ordinance, Freehold Township is vacating its portion of Snyder Road, which has an effect on the development. The development approved by Howell was designed to have two entrances — one off West Farms Road and one at the end of the paved portion of Snyder Road.
According to the ordinance, “The intent is to vacate the portion of Snyder Road that extends into the Harvest Ridge development and install a vehicle sensor gate for emergency vehicles and Harvest Ridge residents only. All roads located in this development are private roads.”