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Kenilworth planning board adopts fourth‑round housing element to meet state fair‑housing deadlines
Summary
The planning board adopted the borough's fourth‑round housing element and fair‑share plan, accepting DCA calculations that assign Kenilworth a 208 prospective‑need and 35 present need and outlining overlay zones, redevelopment credits and a timetable for ordinance work through March 2026.
The Kenilworth Planning Board voted to adopt the borough's fourth‑round housing element and fair‑share housing plan at its June 24 meeting, a step officials said is necessary to align the borough with recent changes to New Jersey's Fair Housing Act.
Michael Mistretta, the borough's retained affordable‑housing planner, told the board the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) calculated a regional prospective need of 20,506 units; Kenilworth's present need is 35 units and its prospective need is 208 units. "Present need addresses rehabilitation of existing units; prospective need is generally new construction," Mistretta said. He noted the plan and supporting report are on the borough website and that hard copies are available at Borough Hall.
Mistretta walked members through the plan's mechanisms to meet the obligation: an inclusionary redevelopment project at 25 North 26th Street expected to yield 25 affordable units plus bonus credits, and three overlay zones (North Michigan Avenue Corridor, Market Street, and the former National Tool site) where zoning incentives and a 20% inclusionary set‑aside would apply if property owners choose redevelopment. He emphasized overlays are optional and that ordinance language attached to the plan is draft only.
On timing, Mistretta said the plan was filed in advance of the meeting and that the next procedural steps include public comments and state review over the summer; he identified early August/September as a deadline for critiques and challenges, and said draft ordinances will be finalized for adoption by March 2026.
Board members asked detailed questions about how the 208 number is reduced in practice through vacant‑land analysis, real‑world redevelopment projects, group‑home credits and state bonus credits. Mistretta and staff said many calculations are set by state rule (UHAC) and by DCA methodology. "You're in Housing Region 2," Mistretta said, describing how region‑level multipliers affect the borough's allocation.
After a brief public comment period with no speakers, the board voted to adopt the planning board's housing element document. The board chair said the adopted planning‑board resolution will be forwarded to the governing body for endorsement as required by statute and staff will monitor any comments or legal challenges during the summer review period.
Next steps: council endorsement and ordinance drafting by the borough and submission of the adopted materials to the state for review; the board said it will reconvene after the state and interested parties submit comments and after draft ordinances are prepared for council consideration.
