By Amy Batista, Special Writer
HIGHTSTOWN – The council unanimously approved a resolution designating RBG Hightstown LLC as a conditional redeveloper for the Mills at Hightstown during its Feb. 8 meeting.
“This was something that was referenced the other evening when you had the joint Planning Board and council meeting at which representatives at R Black Global and representatives from RBG Hightstown LLC when they made their concept presentation to the council and the Planning Board for their vision on how they would like to redevelop the rug mill property and associated properties adjacent thereto,” said Borough Attorney Frederick Raffetto.
He said at his initial introduction at the beginning of the meeting (on Jan. 25) referenced that following the presentation – if the governing body were interested in the proposal made by RBG Hightstown LLC – then the next steps would include the mayor and council considering a resolution at a subsequent council meeting designating RBG as the Conditional Redeveloper for the rug mill site and authorizing the execution of a Conditional Redeveloper Agreement between the Borough and RBG.
“This Conditional Redeveloper designation and agreement doesn’t bind the borough to anything irrevocably and it not a required step under the Redevelopment Law,” he said. “However, it is a step that gives comfort to the developer that the municipality approves of its general concept, with more details to be negotiated and ironed out later between the developer and the municipality.”
Mr. Raffetto said the agreement would give the parties a 120 days to commence negotiations to develop the terms and conditions of a full Redevelopers Agreement to govern how the project would be developed, including the extent of the site, what’s envisioned, any agreements between the parties, and anything else that would be a material part of the project including a timeline and schedule for completion.
“This agreement is a preliminary step,” he said. “It requires the posting of escrow fees by the developer that will find the professional fees to be incurred by professionals on behalf of the borough with the understanding that the parties will now work for this 120 day period to bring the full redeveloper agreement back for consideration to mayor and council.”
Mr. Raffetto said that once that is approved, then the project goes off to the Planning Board for appropriate Land Use approvals.
Resident Doug Mair said that he is hopeful that something positive will come out of the rug mill after years of vacancy.
“Lies, misleading stories of fictional developers and deals with conflicting stories of why the developers left,” he said. “I hope it will not be sold by the same arrogance that prevented the Wolfington contract. I hope that those who are responsible have learned their lesson.”
Mr. Mair said he is concerned over the tax implications that were brought up earlier such as the school tax.
“It didn’t seem like the redevelopment committee, (Council President) Denise Hansen and (Councilman) Steve Misiura, were really informed at the public meeting,” he said. “I heard a lot of we will discuss it when it should have been discussed.”
Resident Keith LePrevost said he wanted “to congratulate the borough on its redevelopment agreement on Bank Street.”
Mr. LePrevost also raised a concern over another ordinance that was introduced regarding amending the borough’s “Mandatory Developer Fees.”
“As written in the ordinance, the redeveloper can renegotiate with the borough as to the development fee that the may pay,” he said. “Negotiate, that’s really the key word.”
He said the Main Street Redevelopment Plan was approved by the Planning Board March 9, 2015, and the council on March 16, 2015.
“It specifically states for the Bank Street project across the street here and I quote affordable housing at this time it is anticipated that no affordable housing units will be required,” he said. “So we are telling the redeveloper that he doesn’t have to build affordable housing on this site and that’s fine we can do that. But in reading this new ordinance that we are proposing tonight, we are now going to negotiate with the redeveloper for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. So could we negotiate that to zero so that the redeveloper has no obligation to trust fund or to building affordable housing in the borough?”
During council comments, Councilman Charles “Lee” Stults said that it is exciting and is that he glad that council moved the additional redeveloper agreement tonight.
“There’s a lot more to come,” he said.
Councilman and Planning Board liaison Steven Misiura commented on why he supported the plans to rebuild the municipal building in its current location and read some lines from the Planning Board recommendation at the time in 2012.
“A secondary reason for not supporting a council resolution has to do with the Master Plan and the Redevelopment Plan as it pertains to the rug mill property,” he said. “There is no definitive position regarding the future of the rug mill and how it should be developed, however all agree to the importance of that property being developed in the best interest of the borough and that the Borough Hall property plays some part in that.”
He said to permanently place the Borough Hall back same location on North Main Street between the rug mill and the downtown thus reducing the visual and physical length between the two reduces the number of options for redevelopment.
“Seeing R Black’s concept plan, our position is validated,” he said. “They clearly wanted access to North Main Street. They not only wanted the Borough Hall property but they were interested in the firehouse property. That’s how important that access to North Main Street was for the viability of that development.”
To view the redevelopment plan please visit the Borough website at www.hightstownborough.com.
