Monroe Township planning board recommends redevelopment study for closed landfill to enable possible community solar

The Monroe Township Planning Board voted on Dec. 18 to recommend that the governing body designate the former municipal landfill on Spotswood Gravel Hill Road and four adjacent buffer parcels as a non‑condemnation area in need of redevelopment, a step that the township says would enable future projects such as community solar.

Chris Daphney, a professional planner with CME Associates, presented a preliminary investigation report and told the board the parcel — described in the report as roughly 86–90 acres including Block 148 Lot 37 and related lots — meets at least two statutory criteria for redevelopment: municipally owned unimproved land unlikely to be developed by private capital, and consistency with state smart‑growth planning principles. "My recommendation is you accept the report, and you make a recommendation to the governing body that this does meet the…