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Franklin Township moves to dispute state obligation, planning to file appeal and prepare placement plan
Summary
Council authorized filing an answer to the state's fourth-round affordable-housing obligation and outlined a timeline for an affordable housing plan due to the state by June 30, 2025; officials said the municipality disputes the state's developable-land inputs and expects a lower municipal obligation after credits and review.
Franklin Township Council voted tonight to authorize filing an answer disputing the state's calculation of the township's fourth-round affordable-housing obligation and to proceed with preparing a municipal affordable housing plan that must be filed by June 30, 2025.
The township manager said the state's formula initially produced a regional obligation that assigned Franklin Township 714 units; after the township identified developable land the number used in the formula fell to 623. Township staff said the state's initial parcel list included parcels the township considers non-developable for reasons such as preserved open space, detention basins, previously approved developments, township open space or preserved farmland, and utility rights-of-way.
Council members said the township will complete a detailed affordable-housing plan over the coming months to describe how it intends to meet its obligation and to propose a revised municipal number to the state. Councilman Embarrassing, who represents the council on planning matters, said the municipal planner filtered the state list and reduced the total developable acreage from just over 400 acres to a little more than 200 acres of actually developable land. He estimated the township's adjusted obligation could fall into the 400'to'500-plus range after applying available credits, though he said the precise reduction percentage is not finalized.
Deputy Mayor Rudin and Councilwoman Francois said the council formed a subcommittee to work with planning staff, the planning board and outside consultants to identify candidate sites and to try to control where housing is located and how density is configured. The township manager said the filing this meeting will formally contest the state's number and start the process of negotiating the municipal obligation and the placement plan.
The council emphasized the distinction between tonight's procedural filing — a formal response to the state calculation — and the later substantive plan that will define sites, unit types and timing. A manager's presentation set the June 30 filing deadline for the affordable housing plan.
Council members said the public will be kept informed as the plan develops and that there will be additional public meetings and planning-board review before specific projects are approved.
