I wonder how many North Brunswick seniors would actually be able to take advantage of the adult housing being proposed for development on the Pulda farm.
As someone who is rapidly approaching the adult age requirement, I have been looking into 55-and-older communities nearby.
Once I sell my house and retire, affordable housing becomes the No. 1 issue.
Using the apartment-style housing in East Brunswick as an example, the smallest condo’s base price is $183,000 for about 1,000 square feet. All have monthly association fees from $185 to $285. Because the condo is new construction, property taxes will be high, and compounded with the association fees, few seniors will consider them an affordable option.
Most seniors look to save money in retirement, not to increase expenses.
The rumor is that the starting price for the Pulda farm housing will be $250,000 each.
Unfortunately, residents are being made to guess if this housing is something affordable for them because no official prices are being stated.
With increased taxes and association fees, this adult housing probably would only benefit only a handful of North Brunswick seniors.
Another issue created by the high-density housing is traffic.
Many adults who participate in adult housing plan to continue working long past 65. Statistics support that 70 percent of seniors are working full-time jobs until the age of 65.
With 345 units projected, this would add many more cars to our roads at peak hours than 75 single-family homes.
Coupled with warnings of high water tables and environmental concerns, frankly, I think it would be in the best interests of all North Brunswick residents to preserve this land as open space.
Barbara-Jo Rieck
North Brunswick