The Bordentown Township Planning Board approved an application complete from Rising Sun Meadows, LLC, for preliminary and final site plan approval to construct an inclusive housing development on Route 130.
The inclusive development is planned to provide affordable housing units in a development of market rate housing with 227 units consisting of 36 affordable housing units and 191 market rate housing units.
Although several components of the company’s application in regards to the township’s regulations were not reported at the Nov. 29 meeting several weeks ago, the board members deemed the application conditionally complete with assurance from the applicant that they would meet all necessary requirements on the application for the Jan. 10 meeting.
“The board felt it was important that all aspects of the Community Impact Statement be included,” Bordentown Township Administrator Michael Theokas said in an email the month before. “They did agree, however, to deem the application conditionally complete, with the assurance that prior to the next meeting [on Jan. 10] all outstanding items be satisfied. The applicant agreed to work with our professionals on compliance.”
In continuation of the applicant’s presentation from the previous planning board meeting, their engineer and architect provided additional, detailed testimony in regards to the project as well as a traffic study to comply with the township’s requirements.
Along with the traffic study, a community impact statement among other outstanding issues such as the proposed development’s impact of the local fire department, police, hospitals and schools were presented as well.
Following the applicant’s presentations from their professionals, the planning board members crossed-examined the proposed project with multiple questions and concerns regarding land easements on the property, lighting and design for the development’s insignia, waste management on the property as well as its recreational and leisure facilities.
Given the township’s state requirements to comply with affordable housing mandates, discussions were held about the proposed inclusionary development’s units as well, which the applicant did adhere to.
“The township is beginning the process of complying with our affordable housing mandates and settlement agreement with FSHA,” Theokas said. “This project, being an inclusionary housing development, is one of a few that the township planning board will hear application for in the near future. These are new projects for the township, so naturally there will be questions and the need for increased detail in the site plans for the projects themselves.
“The planning board and our professionals are being very thorough, as is their responsibility, to oversee and approve land development in the township. All these applications, including Rising Sun Meadows, are complex, and therefore require the proper due diligence and consideration from the planning board,” he said.
With an unanimous approval from the township’s planning board on the preliminary and final site plans, the applicant will now work with the township’s professionals on obtaining permits for water and sewage as well as other engineering projects along with county and state professionals as well to eventually begin construction.