MANCHESTER – Township officials will be reviewing whether a section of land could be redeveloped to make way for a warehouse.
Towns have an ability in New Jersey to apply for certain land to be “an area in need of redevelopment.” This means that the land has more potential than what is currently there. Officials would have to prove that the land meets certain criteria. If they win that designation, they have a lot more control over what can be built there.
The township is calling on its Planning Board to make a review as part of the first phase of potential commercial development in a section of the community.
“I think this is an opportunity for the township. It has to go through a very long procedure where it has to be reviewed by the Planning Board and by our engineer. The first thing we have to do is to present it to the Planning Board so that they can tell us if it meets all those requirements of the state,” Councilman Sam Fusaro explained. The Township Council passed a resolution that called for the matter to be reviewed to the Planning Board.
Resident Judy Noonan asked where this land was located to which Fusaro responded, “in the eastern part of town close to Jackson and the Renaissance development. If you go down Route 571 and make a right it will be in that corner.”
Mayor Robert Hudak explained “there is a property adjacent to Renaissance that was approved a number of years ago for I think 325 residential units, a portion of it is Affordable Housing but not all of it. It was part of a builder’s remedy lawsuit.”
Every town is required by state law to provide a certain number of so-called affordable housing units. Builder’s remedy suits happen when a developer wants to make a big development and a town says no. The builder then invokes state law saying the town has to allow for affordable housing.
“A developer approached us about possibly considering contracting for a warehouse there. The zoning doesn’t permit it so instead of housing we’d get commercial development instead,” the mayor said.
“With that there are concessions about Freemont Avenue and a few other things. We had met with the HOA (Home Owners Association) and brought the developer and the HOA together to talk about this. Councilman (James) Vaccaro and I were at meeting there and there were about 500 people there of the membership of the Renaissance HOA,” Mayor Hudak said.
“The first step in this process is to see if this area qualifies as an area for redevelopment. The reason we would go redevelopment is because we could do a lot more control and have a lot more say as to what actually happens on that property,” he said.
Business Administrator Brandon Umba said that the developer would have to put money into escrow to cover the cost for the study to happen. “So, no dollars will come out of us.”
During the Council reports portion of the meeting, Councilman Vaccaro reported that he attended a Green Fair at town hall on May 18 and he suggested the possibility of adding another Green Fair on Manchester Day which is coming up in a few months.
He also noted the retirement party of Senior Services Director Brenda Sloan who had 37 years of service with the township.
“On May 23 I attended a health screening session held at the Renaissance community sponsored by Mayor Hudak, Manchester Township Council, Manchester Senior Services and the advisory council. The event was a huge success. Other health screening sessions are in the planning stages,” he said.
He also noted the township’s 10-year renewable energy master plan utilizing geo-thermal, wind and “more extensive use of solar power applications.” Vaccaro called for exploring grant opportunities from the state or federal government for funding to “further expand, enhance and subsidize a portion of our 10-year energy plan.”
He noted a recent municipal ordinance which establishes procedures of the installation “of electric vehicle supply service equipment, parking spaces and establishes regulations and standards in Manchester Township.”
The Council approved an ordinance amending the township code concerning handicapped parking spots at municipal parking facilities and on Board of Education property.
“This was to add Purple Heart recipients and disabled veteran parking areas and to also indicate for the record and in our code all of those in the park that are handicapped parking,” Township Clerk Sabina Martin explained.
Township Council members also voted to introduce two ordinances. One, providing for the vacation of a portion of certain rights-of-way and paper streets within the township. Another was an ordinance supplementing the township code and creating a chapter called “Fingerprinting.”
Officials also approved an agreement with the Township Board of Education for the use of school buses for recreation events and the disposition or salvage of obsolete equipment at auction on Govdeals.com. Martin noted the township is disposing of a wood chipper.
Also approved was the execution of a memorandum of understanding between Bright Harbor Healthcare and the municipality, the establishment of a Green Team Advisory Committee pursuant to Sustainable New Jersey and the awarding of a contract for the appointment of attorney James D. Fattorini as a hearing officer for a township disciplinary matter.
