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Lambertville advisory committee maps compliance plan, flags floodplain limits and sets deadlines
Summary
The committee reviewed a compliance plan timeline after a vacant-land analysis found no realistically developable parcels for the fourth round; members flagged Inland flood regulations, CVS lease issues and a court-imposed police-station timeline as major constraints and set dates for drafts to planning board and council.
Lambertville's Affordable Housing Advisory Committee reviewed progress on the city's fourth-round compliance plan, discussing a vacant-land analysis that found no parcels large enough for new affordable developments and highlighting how new Inland flood regulations could disqualify candidate sites.
Planner El told the committee the vacant-land review found two vacant parcels but neither is large enough to support affordable housing, meaning the city's realistic development potential for the fourth round is effectively zero and more of the obligation will remain in the "unmet" bucket.
Committee members raised the Inland flood regulations and 100-year floodplain standards as a significant constraint. The planner said some candidate properties, including portions of 295 North Main, may be disqualified because the rules require emergency access outside the floodplain for certain new construction.
Key milestones discussed by staff and the committee include a committee review on March 26, a governing-body resolution on April 17 to finalize aspects of the compliance plan, a draft for internal review targeted for May 12, and a planning-board review scheduled for June 4. The committee also plans to bring a resolution of support for a Habitat for Humanity six-unit project to the council agenda on March 20.
Members reviewed specific candidate sites and owner conversations: Alan Abrams said the CVS lease runs through June 2026, which could affect redevelopment timing; other properties flagged include a station-parking parcel with potential owner interest, a mixed-use site designated DP for environmental reasons, and a Verizon parcel with environmental and equipment-storage constraints.
The committee also discussed the police-station redevelopment and the settlement agreement that previously tied obligations to that site. Staff cautioned that any substitution or "swap" of that obligation would require renegotiation with Fair Share and the court before compliance can be certified.
On finance, members noted the municipal trust fund holds a modest balance (historical Small Cities program receipts were cited), and that rehab grants or trust funds can help make small conversions viable but may not cover all costs. The committee agreed to continue property-level outreach, examine floodplain citations, and prepare the draft compliance plan and supporting materials for the upcoming deadlines.
Next steps: staff will circulate a draft FAQ and the compliance-plan materials for committee comment; the committee will continue owner outreach, request citations for Inland flood regulations to clarify constraints, and prepare materials for the council and planning-board calendar.
