Clark Council forms Mount Laurel subcommittee as residents press for clarity on Westfield Avenue pilot deal

The Township of Clark Council voted Feb. 28 to establish a Mount Laurel subcommittee to help the township meet state affordable-housing obligations created under recent law and court precedent.

The move comes after the state in October released Clark’s new allocation—166 units—on top of 71 units remaining from prior obligations. Mayor Angel Albanese and municipal staff told the council the township filed required information by the Jan. 31 deadline and must have a first plan in place by June 30, with annual reports due Feb. 15 in future years.

The nut of the decision was procedural: the subcommittee will provide a forum for planners, township attorneys and staff to assemble options, review overlay zones, and keep residents informed while the formal proposals go through the planning board and back to the council. Business administrator Jim Ulrich said the subcommittee is intended to “keep people apprised of the process” and to move an abbreviated schedule because the June 30 deadline is “a very tight time frame.”

Why it matters: Clark faces a combined requirement from previous allocations and the new state calculation that the administration described as substantial. The subcommittee is meant to centralize public input and technical review before the planning board acts and the council adopts any land-use changes.

Discussion and public concerns

Public commenters raised two recurring concerns: (1) whether redevelopment pilot agreements reduce revenue to local schools and (2) whether specific redevelopment proposals—particularly the Garden Homes (former A&P/Citizens Bank) property and an unrelated Westfield Avenue proposal—are appropriate for the neighborhood.

John Greaves, a resident, asked specifically for the full pilot agreement for a proposed Westfield Avenue project he said would create 39 residential units and could increase school enrollments without adding school funding. Mayor Albanese and Jim Ulrich explained how pilot agreements operate: the municipality typically negotiates a finance agreement and an initial tax-sharing structure that can phase up toward full property taxes over time. Ulrich said these financial agreements set acquisition and construction assumptions and that the council usually preserves a right to readdress payments in later years if needed. He said the school board has not requested an adjustment to revenue from any prior pilot agreements.

Nancy Tewasquez and other residents asked whether existing apartments or rehabilitation projects could count toward Clark’s obligation. Ulrich said the township will conduct a “windshield audit” and explore rehabilitation options, but cautioned that deed-restricting existing rental units can be costly for landlords unless offsets—such as grants or trust-fund payments—are provided. He said money from developer finance agreements or the Affordable Housing Trust Fund can be used for permissible items such as rental subsidies, appliances or temporary offsets (for example, funding a month of rent) to make deed restrictions viable for owners.

Council and administration comments

Council President Smith said the pilot program is a commonly used incentive that makes certain affordable-housing developments financially feasible; without an incentive, developers may not move forward on projects that provide required affordable units. Albanese and Ulrich emphasized that pilot agreements are negotiated documents that typically include phased tax payments and financial exhibits and that proceeds can be placed into the township Affordable Housing Trust Fund for permissible uses.

A resolution creating the Mount Laurel subcommittee passed by roll call (Hunt, Mazzarella, O'Connor, Toll and Smith voting yes). Jim Ulrich and the township planner and attorney will work with the subcommittee on plan preparation.

What the subcommittee will do next

The council directed staff to continue consultant work, refine potential overlay zones, inventory possible rehabilitation candidates, and prepare draft materials the planning board will consider. Officials said the town’s consultant team will prepare the technical components and that any zoning changes must be approved by the planning board and then the council.

Public-record requests and transparency

Residents asked to see the developer finance agreement for the Westfield Avenue proposal; the administration said the township will make finance agreements and related materials available consistent with existing procurement and confidentiality rules, but noted that some financial exhibits are negotiated and may be provided in redacted form if they contain proprietary acquisition or construction cost detail.

Ending

Council members and the mayor repeatedly framed the subcommittee as a tool to keep Clark in the decision-making role for where and how affordable housing is accommodated, rather than having outside bodies impose solutions. The subcommittee is expected to begin meetings in March as staff and consultants assemble the plan required by June 30.