Montgomery planning board recommends redevelopment designation for undeveloped portion of Block 4020 Lot 1

The Montgomery Township Planning Board on June 10 voted to recommend that the undeveloped northern portion of Block 4020, Lot 1 be designated a non-condemnation area in need of redevelopment, following a presentation from planning consultant James Covelli.

Covelli, who said he and a colleague prepared the study for the board, told members the parcel is 23.7 acres in total and that 11.9 acres of the northern portion are under study. "So the full extent of Lot 1 is 23.7 acres of land," he said, and "the remaining 11.9 acres in the yellow area is the subject of the study." He said the study concluded the site meets criterion C of the Local Redevelopment and Housing Law because the land has been unimproved for more than 10 years and, by reason of location, sewer availability and development regulations, "is not likely to be developed through the instrumentality of private capital." The presentation also found the site meets criterion H because it is located in State Planning Area 2, which is designated for growth.

Covelli outlined several factors that have stalled development for decades: attempts dating to 1988, extensions in the 1990s and 2000s, a 2014 consent order linked to sewer obligations and persistent market conditions. He said earlier approvals envisioned a continuing-care facility (CCF) and that the BMPUD Area 3 zoning authorizes certain senior living uses including 96 senior residential apartments already developed on the southern portion of the lot and, as an option, a CCF that could include 74 independent living units, 74 assisted-living units and 74 sub-acute beds.

On infrastructure, Covelli said the site’s development was long delayed by the absence of necessary sewer capacity; the record in the study shows the property owner incurred substantial costs and that a consent order in 2014 required additional sewer investment. He told the board he believes a sewer plant has since been built to service development in the area, though he had not seen permitting showing the parcel is connected.

Board members questioned whether the 2014 settlement’s specified unit mix would bind the township. Covelli and legal counsel said the township could pursue zoning changes or other options and that court notice or involvement may be required only if parties to the consent order are not amenable to modifications. Covelli noted that market conditions have changed since the unit mix was negotiated and that continuing-care providers showed limited interest in developing the CCF as originally envisioned.

After discussion, a board member moved that the board recommend to the township committee that the delineated area be determined an area in need of redevelopment (non-condemnation). The board conducted a roll-call vote and recorded affirmative votes from members on the roll call. The board also approved a memorializing resolution recommending the non-condemnation redevelopment designation.

The board opened a public-comment period and heard none. It also approved several sets of prior minutes and closed the meeting. The board’s recommendation goes next to the Montgomery Township Committee, which will make the final determination.