Clark planners outline sites, options for fourth‑round affordable housing compliance

Township planners and the Clark Township affordable housing committee briefed the planning board on May 1 on the status of the fourth‑round housing element and fair‑share plan, outlining the town’s current numerical obligations, the results of a vacant‑land analysis and several candidate sites the committee is evaluating for zoning to enable new affordable units.

The board heard that the township must submit a new housing plan by June 30, 2025. Paul Rickey, the planning consultant handling the matter for the township, said Clark’s prior round obligation was reduced from 243 to 170 units and that the state Department of Community Affairs (DCA) lists a fourth‑round obligation of 166 units plus a rehabilitation share of 71 units. Rickey said a vacant‑land analysis found no large vacant parcels that could produce the minimum number of units needed under the DCA methodology; as a result Clark’s realistic development potential based on vacant land alone currently calculates to zero.

Why it matters: New Jersey law requires municipalities to provide realistic opportunities for affordable housing. If Clark does not zone to provide for its fair‑share opportunities, the township could be exposed to builders’ remedy litigation that would allow an applicant to pursue development under court approval or settlements that the town has not planned for.

Sites under consideration and approach - Committee approach: Because Clark lacks large vacant tracts, the committee focused on select existing properties where higher density zoning overlays or redevelopment standards could create opportunities for mixed‑income housing. Any zoning or redevelopment plan would still require public process and, where property owners do not agree, could be subject to negotiation or legal challenge. - Candidate parcels discussed: Grand Centurions banquet site (Madison Hill Road), the Schifferstein site (previously considered for age‑restricted housing), Clarkton Plaza and adjacent Clark Village commercial parcels, the Polish Heritage Foundation/old school site, and a corridor of Raritan Road commercial properties from Friendly’s to Momotaro. Rickey said Schifferstein and the old school site, each with several acres, could generate units at an illustrative 16 units per acre zoning density; Grand Centurions also was identified as a 4.42‑acre site under consideration. - Density and set‑aside assumptions: The committee discussed using an illustrative density (for example 16 units per acre) and a 20 percent affordable set‑aside or other mixes; these numbers are preliminary for planning‑level analysis and not final commitments.

Next steps and protections - Draft plan timing: staff indicated the draft housing element and fair‑share plan will be prepared for board review and that the planning board must act by June 30 to forward a consistent plan to council for adoption, to preserve statutory protections. - Developer remedies: Rickey explained that without an accepted plan the township would be vulnerable to developer applications and possible litigation; zoning the identified opportunity areas is intended to create local control and predictable outcomes.

The planning board requested continued committee work, additional mapping and refinements of capacity calculations; any zoning changes or redevelopment plans would return to the board and council for public hearings and formal adoption.