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 Posted: Thu, Mar 27 2008, 3:50 pm EDT Post subject: Cranbury Mayor's Letter to COAH Director Voorhoeve |
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Mayor's Letter to COAH Director Voorhoeve:
March 20, 2008
Lucy Voorhoeve
Executive Director
NJ Council on Affordable Housing
P.O. Box 813
Trenton, NJ 08625-0813
Re: Rule Comments
Dear Director Voorhoeve:
Cranbury Township faces a planning crisis of potentially devastating proportions.
As a result of the New Substantive and Procedural Rules proposed by New Jersey's Council on Affordable Housing, Cranbury could be required to double its size over the next 10 years. This would mean approximately doubling the number of residential units built over the course of the previous 311 years.
Moreover, the requirement for 429 of these units was created retroactively leaving Cranbury Township without ability to recover the estimated $63,000,000 building costs. That cost estimate is more than five times the Township's proposed 2008 budget of $12,400,000, meaning that each homeowner would have to pay their proportionate share in additional property tax to cover the cost.
The purpose of this letter is to strongly object to the COAH Rules and to the formulas for fair share calculations that were created in order to reach the objective of 115,000 new units. The data we provide with our comments to the proposed rule indicate that job generation ratios presented by COAH far exceed actual job generation measured in Cranbury and other communities.
Cranbury is one of the oldest towns in New Jersey, and is designated as both a National and State Historic District. The National Register of Historic Places describes Cranbury as the "best preserved 19th century village in Middlesex County"; and while there may be other small villages remaining in the state, "few are in such an undisturbed environment as that of Cranbury".
This is a remarkable fact, given that the Township – comprising just 13.5 square miles, with a population of about 3,899, and with over 2,000 acres of preserved farmland and open space – is located equidistantly between New York and Philadelphia, at Exit 8A, on the New Jersey Turnpike, one of the most densely traveled roadways in the nation.
How is this possible? It is possible because of generations of dedicated stewardship protecting and safeguarding Cranbury's historic and environmental resources. It is possible because of intelligent planning and zoning, creating distinct areas for ratable and residential development, preserved farmland and open space. It is possible because Cranbury residents universally agree about one thing: the way of life and values of a small town are too important and too rare to lose.
Among the most important values held by Cranbury residents is providing for affordable housing. The non-profit, citizen-based Cranbury Housing Associates (CHA) was established in 1964; since that time, CHA has designed, built and managed all of Cranbury's affordable housing, ensuring that Cranbury has always met its obligations required by the State. Cranbury met its First Round and Second Round objectives, and has already built 20 Third Round family rental affordable units that are about to be occupied.
In light of the concerns and valid objections that we raise, Cranbury Township strongly urges that COAH react favorably to our objections and suggestions. This would afford Cranbury a realistic and sustainable affordable housing obligation that is appropriate to a town of Cranbury's size and circumstances.
We know that COAH recognizes that Cranbury fully met its First and Second Round obligations and is actively engaged in constructing the Third Round units even in the absence of adopted rules.
Sincerely,
David J. Stout
Mayor
cc: Cranbury Township Committee Senator Bill Baroni Assemblywoman Linda R. Greenstein Assemblyman Wayne P. DeAngelo
http://www.cranburytownship.org/COAH-Mayors-letter-032008.pdf |
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