Highlands Council Proposes Reduction In COAH Obligations For Highlands Communities
Posted by Phil Morin on October 22, 2009
The Hunterdon County Democrat is reporting that the Highlands Council has calculated drastically reduced affordable housing obligations for communities which adopt the Highlands Council’s regional master plan (“RMP”). The article contemplates that the substantial reductions relating to the affordable housing requirements in some communities may operate to encourage RMP adoption.
According to the article:
For municipalities fearful that state quotas for low-cost housing will cause overdevelopment, new numbers being circulated by the Highlands Council are enticing. For those willing to comply with the master plan drafted by the council, the quotas fall dramatically.
There are 15 municipalities in Hunterdon that fall within the Highlands region. Of the 12 for which the Highlands Council has released its calculations, the “affordable” obligation total drops from 1,874 units under targets provided by the state Council on Affordable Housing to 410 — a reduction of more than 78%.
Eileen Swan, the Lebanon Township resident who is the executive director of the Highlands Council, says her group has an agreement with COAH that COAH will accept the projections made by the Highlands Council.
“This is not about avoiding the constitutional obligation” that every municipality must provide its fair share of affordable housing, she said. The difference lies in the Highlands Council judging a municipality’s total capacity for development, rather than just looking at the amount of vacant land. It considers the land’s physical limitations, including sewer and public water availability, ground water reserves and the capability of land to use septic systems without contaminating ground water.
For the full article, click here.
