Affordable housing committee updates compliance plan, discusses property negotiations and Habitat MOU

The Affordable Housing Advisory Committee met to review its compliance work and follow up on negotiations with several property owners, the committee chair said, adding that a proposed plan will be taken to the city council in closed session for review before public release.

"I am going to be taking a proposed ... plan to the city council in close session on Thursday evening for the council to review," the chair said, summarizing staff discussions with a property owner and the city planner, Michael Sullivan. The committee also approved corrections to the March 26, 2025 meeting minutes as amended.

The meeting focused on administrative updates and property‑level progress toward the committee's obligation to produce a housing element/fair share compliance plan under New Jersey requirements. Committee members asked for technical corrections to the vacant‑land analysis appendix — including changing an editorial 'x' to the multiplication word 'times,' clarifying a density calculation listed as "14.25 units per acre x number of developable acres," and correcting acreage and percentage conversions that resulted from a file conversion. The chair asked staff to convert the spreadsheet into a PDF to become the appendix to the housing plan.

Members reviewed outreach to specific sites. Staff reported requests for meetings with owners of the CVS complex and other sites (including a site tied to a pending Rego auction and a Wells Fargo property) but said some owners have not yet responded. The committee discussed three South Union Street buildings recently added to the tracking spreadsheet; members noted the buildings have been vacant and the owners expect to put them on the market, which may limit near‑term opportunities for affordable housing there.

The committee also discussed a possible city acquisition after a trustee indicated interest in transferring a property to municipal control. "I have obtained the financials from 2023," the chair said, and asked committee volunteers to review that information with staff and the city's attorney before wider distribution.

On the Clawson farm parcel, members flagged that gross acreage and constrained acreage numbers differ and that existing grant conditions and potential deed restrictions will reduce developable acreage; committee members asked that those constraints be noted in the spreadsheet. The chair said the parcel is not yet deed restricted, so current records still list more acreage as developable than may be available after restrictions are imposed.

Habitat for Humanity is drafting a memorandum of understanding for use of five to six buildings on a site the committee is tracking. The chair said Habitat expects to submit funding applications and wants the MOU signed by June 1. "They're eager to get it to us and get it signed ... before I think June 1," the chair said. Committee members agreed to follow up on the draft MOU and any accompanying timelines.

Administrative items included confirming attendance, addressing minor edits in the March minutes (motion to approve carried unanimously), and a brief discussion about FAQs and affordability‑definition language options circulated by staff. The committee opened the meeting to public comment; no members of the public spoke. The chair said the proposed plan requires city council review and, following that review, staff will bring an appropriate public presentation before the committee and the public.

The committee did not take formal votes on project approvals during the meeting; the primary formal action was approval of the minutes. The chair said he will bring the proposed plan to council in closed session and will update the committee after that review.