Monroe Township council adopts rezoning tied to fourth-round affordable housing after residents raise privacy, traffic and density concerns

Monroe Township's council voted on March 2 to adopt an amended ordinance rezoning parcels under the municipality's fourth-round affordable-housing plan, after a lengthy public hearing in which nearby residents warned the changes would bring traffic, privacy loss and other neighborhood impacts.

The ordinance, identified as o02-2003 in the meeting record, was amended before the final vote to remove language that would have allowed 19-year-old occupants in certain age-restricted units; the amendment was proposed by a council member and seconded before the public hearing concluded. The measure passed on a roll call with Councilwoman Miriam Cohen, Councilman Terence Van Zora, Council vice president Michael Markell and Council president Rupa P. Siegel voting yes; Councilman Charles DePiro voted no.

Residents who spoke during the hearing said the rezoning for the Meadowview property at 319 Spotswood Gravel Hill Road (a township-owned site) would allow a 30-unit apartment building on a parcel near single-family homes. Speakers including Satyanathan Gopalan and Ravi Kolu expressed concerns that the proposed density would generate roughly 60 vehicles, add up to 50…