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Allendale says negotiated fourth‑round affordable‑housing obligation is lower than initial estimate; next step is site identification
Summary
Mayor Amy Waldinsky told the council the borough successfully reduced an initial prospective fourth‑round affordable‑housing target after challenging the land‑capacity data; officials said the town must now identify buildable sites and develop an implementation plan for the revised obligation.
Mayor Amy Waldinsky told the Borough of Allendale council on April 10 that the borough negotiated a substantially lower ‘‘fourth‑round’’ affordable‑housing obligation after challenging the land‑capacity input used by housing planners.
The mayor said the planners initially reported a prospective need of 260 units and a present‑need figure of 186 units lacking plumbing or bathrooms; after the borough disputed the land‑capacity calculation and pursued adjudication, planners and the assigned retired‑superior‑court special adjudicator reduced the town’s obligation to a target the mayor described as roughly 182–200 units, depending on whether certain parcels are counted.
Why it matters: a higher fourth‑round requirement would have multiplied developer obligations and potentially forced larger or more numerous affordable projects or heavier subsidies. Waldinsky said the borough’s challenge focused on buildable acreage — including a parcel that was sold with the former water system and whose deed metes and bounds had not yet been recorded with the county — and that correcting that input materially lowered the obligation.
What officials said: Waldinsky credited the borough’s planners and counsel and said Councilwoman Suzanne Lovelo participated in the review and adjudication. She described pushback from Fair Share Housing and a builders association that also contested the borough’s inputs; she said the special adjudicator and negotiations resulted in a number substantially lower than the initial 260 figure. The council did not adopt any binding site plan at the meeting; Waldinsky said the next phase is to identify where units would be built and to create a clearer implementation plan.
Legal and process notes: Attorney Ray West briefed the council separately on related litigation and land‑use disputes in neighboring Saddle River involving developers seeking to use Allendale’s sewer system; West said the court has reserved decision in an Avalon project matter and requested supplemental engineering reports. Waldinsky and West both emphasized the borough remains committed to complying with its affordable‑housing obligations while protecting local character.
What’s next: council members and staff will continue to evaluate possible build sites and return with a plan. The mayor invited residents to meet with staff if they want more explanation of the methodology and the borough’s pathway forward.
Ending: No formal vote or site designation occurred on April 10; the item remains a workplan priority for the borough.
