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Asbury Park Council Adopts New Development‑Fee and Affordable‑Housing Rules to Meet State Controls
Summary
The council unanimously adopted ordinances 20264 and 20265 to update the city’s development fee ordinance and replace its affordable‑housing chapter to align with recent Department of Community Affairs rules and the Uniform Housing Affordability Controls; changes include fee collection, trust‑fund administration, income mixes and minimum unit design standards.
The Asbury Park City Council unanimously adopted two ordinances that revise how the city collects and administers development fees and affordable‑housing regulations to conform to recently adopted state rules.
Consulting planner Beth McManus told the council ordinance 20264 repeals and replaces the city’s existing development fee ordinance so the city can continue charging development fees based on equalized assessed value and deposit them into the affordable housing trust fund. She said the rewrite incorporates changes required by rules recently adopted by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs and the Uniform Housing Affordability Controls.
On ordinance 20265, McManus said the city’s affordable‑housing chapter is being repealed and replaced to align with the Fair Housing Act, the New Jersey Fair Housing Act and the Uniform Housing Affordability Controls. She said the ordinance clarifies administrative rules for affordable units, including required income mixes (very low, low and moderate), bedroom mixes, how rents and sales prices are calculated and minimum unit design requirements such as windows in bedrooms and minimum unit sizes.
"This ordinance advances the interests of low and moderate income households and is required for compliance," McManus said.
Council opened and immediately closed public comment on both ordinances with no speakers, then adopted both measures with unanimous votes. The ordinances are intended to preserve the city’s authority to collect development fees and to ensure municipal rules align with state standards for affordable‑housing administration.
The council did not discuss specific fee rates or examples of how fees will be spent beyond the general statement that collected funds must be deposited in the affordable housing trust fund and can only be used to advance affordable housing in the city. Staff said the changes reflect the Department of Community Affairs’ updated rules and practical administrative requirements.
Both ordinances were adopted; staff and planners will proceed with administrative updates to reflect the new code requirements.
