Morris Township planning board preliminarily approves 50‑unit, 100% affordable housing project on county land with conditions

A divided but ultimately approving Planning Board on July 21 gave preliminary approval to a minor subdivision and a preliminary site plan for Morris Ketch Road LLC, which proposes a 50‑unit, 100% affordable housing development on county‑owned land behind the ARC and adjacent to existing special‑needs housing.

The project will create a new Lot 6 of about 3.54 acres from portions of Block 1901, Lots 1 and 1.01 and lay out three residential buildings (one three‑story building with 24 units and two two‑story buildings with 12 and 14 units). The applicant described a bedroom mix of 10 one‑bedroom, 27 two‑bedroom and 13 three‑bedroom units; 14 units will be designated as supportive housing for residents served by ARC‑Morris and partner agencies. The application sought preliminary approval only to satisfy New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Authority (NJHMFA) funding requirements; construction requires later final approval and outside‑agency permits.

The applicant's attorney, Nicole Magdziak, opened the hearing by describing the procedural posture: "we are here this evening seeking both a minor subdivision approval and preliminary site plan" and that the application was bifurcated because HMFA funding requires preliminary approval. Board attorney Thomas Warner and the applicant described how the site was selected as part of prior…