Township reviews ordinances other municipalities are using
By:Vanessa S. Holt
Township considers senior zone
Vanessa S. Holt
Staff Writer
û û û FLORENCE A senior
housing zone may be in the
township’s future, but the coun
cil and Planning Board will have
to review the township’s Master
Plan to determine where and
how it could develop.
û û There is currently no zone in
the township for development of
age-restricted housing.
û û "We are moving forward,
and beginning to review ordi
nances that other municipalities
are utilizing," said Mayor Mi
chael Muchowski.
û û The mayor said that in most
municipalities, once an applica
tion is made for an age-restricted
housing zone, townships make
amendatory clauses to the master
plan to include senior communi
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ties.
û û Mayor Muchowski said the
township will seek to work with
developers to provide something
that will do well in today’s mar
ketplace, with many seniors
looking for more active commu
nities.
û û "We’re not going to create an
ordinance that isn’t workable,"
he added.
û û Over the next several
months, the council and Plan
ning Board will review ordi
nances from other townships for
ideas, said Mayor Muchowski,
as they determine what would
work best in the community.
û û "Two developers in particu
lar have approached the town
ship with the possibility of creat
ing senior developments or age-
restricted developments," he
said. "One developer has pro
vided us with a tour of their fa
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cilities, so we could see the lay
out of an age restricted
development.
û û "Another has provided us
with sample ordinances."
û û The sites being looked at in
clude a 220-acre section adjacent
to the municipal building, and
the 100-acre Wainwright proper
ty, located on Old York Road.
û û A senior citizen housing
zone would provide more hous
ing options in the township, and
increase ratables, without
generating children and increas
ing school taxes, said the mayor.
û û "The immediate advantage is
tax dollars without school age
children entering the district,"
said Mayor Muchowski. By in
creasing diversity in the housing
stock, he said, the township
would better accommodate the
different generations that build a
community.