Highland Park council work group urges quick drafting to meet fourth‑round housing deadlines

Highland Park council members said at a council work session that the borough is drafting its fourth‑round affordable housing compliance plan and must move quickly to meet state review timelines.

Council members and the borough’s affordable housing planner described a plan that primarily relies on inclusionary redevelopment projects, credits from a project across from the Kronman Building on South Sixth Street, and a proposed complementary rehabilitation program to meet the town’s numeric obligation.

The update came from the council’s small advisory working group and the borough’s affordable housing planner, Brian Slaw. Council members said the Planning Board is scheduled to hold a hearing on June 12 and that all actions must be wrapped up by June 30 so the council can endorse the plan at a subsequent meeting. The working group will share a draft plan with the Planning Board, the committee and the full council and solicited early feedback to avoid later delays.

Council members said the borough’s prospective need will be met largely through inclusionary development designated as Track A and Track C. They reported the borough has been able to assemble about 45 units, including bonuses and credits from the AHEPA project opposite the Kronman Building, and described those sources as the primary mechanism for compliance. The group also discussed establishing a local rehabilitation program to complement an existing county rehab program; that program would be developed after plan adoption.

Members noted there was not sufficient time in the current round to add exploratory or experimental measures — such as accessory dwelling units or 100% affordable projects — to the formal fourth‑round submission. Participants said the working group plans to capture those ideas in a separate memo for future consideration rather than include them in the mandatory plan, because including them would create an obligation to implement during the current compliance period.

The council’s planner and staff said they expect to circulate an initial draft to the Planning Board and advisory committee for review before sharing it with the full council. If the Planning Board cannot address the draft at its scheduled meeting, members said a special meeting would be needed to meet the state timeline.

Council members asked that staff provide the draft and supporting background statistics as soon as possible so committee members and Planning Board members can offer input in advance of the public hearing. No formal action or vote was taken at the work session.

Plans and next steps: staff will produce a circulating draft, the Planning Board hearing remains scheduled for June 12, and the borough expects to complete required actions by June 30. The council and working group intend to compile non‑mandatory ideas into a follow‑up memo for later rounds of planning.