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 affordable‑housing settlements that reduced a larger obligation to the current 50‑unit requirement and how the county agreed to contribute the land to enable a 100% affordable project rather than a much larger inclusionary project elsewhere.

Mister Keller of Bowman Consulting testified as civil engineer, traffic witness and planner. He described the proposed lot configuration and access: the site lacks public‑street frontage and will rely on an existing paved driveway easement that connects to Ketch Road; the redevelopment plan authorizes that arrangement. Keller testified the access driveway provides "more than adequate access for emergency services" and showed a fire‑truck turning template demonstrating maneuverability into a hammerhead turnaround. He described stormwater controls as a major‑development design including pervious pavement for parking, two bioretention basins, and rate and volume controls to meet state stormwater rules; the team said a Letter of Interpretation (LOI) application to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for delineated wetlands and a transition‑area averaging plan is underway. Keller also testified the project meets EV‑charging requirements (12 chargers staged in thirds) and that the submitted parking (89 spaces) exceeds the redevelopment plan's 75‑space baseline and the site's minimum RSIS standards.

Architects from Inglis Architecture presented the three‑building layout and elevations and said the applicant intends to distribute the 14 supportive housing units across the three buildings rather than cluster them. The clubhouse / community building will include management offices, a small gathering space and a community laundry in addition to in‑unit laundry hookups.

Board professionals, county reviewers and dozens of nearby residents asked detailed questions about emergency access, sight distance at the Ketch Road driveway, potential secondary emergency access through the adjacent housing authority parcel, water flow and fire‑flow testing, sewer realignment, wetland transition‑area impacts, grading, retaining walls, pervious pavement maintenance, and visual impacts from Ketch Road. The applicant agreed to pursue follow‑up items including coordination with the Morris County Planning Board and Soil Conservation District, final LOI work with DEP, water flow testing with the Southeast Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority, and to provide revised final plans at the final site plan stage.

Public commenters identified by name asked the board to pause and reconsider access options to Hanover Avenue or to seek additional county cooperation; others urged support for affordable housing. The applicant's team agreed to seek the housing authority's consent for a potential emergency connection and to coordinate with township staff about extending sidewalks along Catch Road.

After deliberation the board voted to approve the minor subdivision and the preliminary, bifurcated site plan with conditions and required outside agency approvals. Conditions discussed during the hearing and recorded on the public record include: revisions to rear facades per the township planner's guidance; a detailed design report addressing redevelopment‑plan and ordinance design standards; landscaping and screening for any utility "hot box" required by the water authority; a fence at the property boundary adjacent to a single‑family lot; submission of fire‑truck turning and hydrant locations acceptable to the fire official; and continuing coordination with the Morris County Planning Board, DEP, Southeast Morris MUA and the Morris County Soil Conservation District. The board also granted a one‑year extension to the 190‑day recording deadline for the minor subdivision deed so final approvals and financing can be resolved.

The approval was preliminary only; the applicant must return for final site plan and for all state and county permits before construction may begin. The applicant estimated construction would take roughly 15—18 months after final approvals and financing are secured.