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Colts Neck committee introduces two ordinances to align town code with new state affordable-housing rules
Summary
The Colts Neck Township Committee held first readings of two ordinances to update development-fee rules and zoning/design standards to comply with amended New Jersey UHAC and Fair Housing Act regulations; public hearings are scheduled for 03/11/2026 and one member voted against introduction pending clearer explanation for the public.
The Colts Neck Township Committee on Feb. 25 introduced two ordinances meant to bring the township’s affordable-housing rules into compliance with recently amended state regulations.
Deputy Mayor (speaker 3) said the ordinances implement changes required by the state’s Uniform Housing Affordability Controls (UHAC) and Fair Housing Act rules and are part of the town’s compliance timeline. "So as part of the compliance process, as part of townships needing to comply with these newly enacted regulations...by March 15," the deputy mayor said, describing the need to update the township code and development-fee procedures.
The first ordinance (2026-O1) would repeal and replace section 102-15.c to establish regulations for collection and expenditure of development fees deposited to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. The second ordinance (2026-O2) would replace sections of article 4 related to zoning and design requirements for residential districts to reflect the new affordability controls.
Committeewoman Buss moved to introduce the first ordinance; it passed on a roll call that included an explicit "no" from one member who said the public should be given a clearer synopsis of the proposed changes. That member asked that the town’s affordable-housing attorney outline the specific changes so the public can plainly see what is being proposed. The deputy mayor described the measures as "ministerial compliance with the law."
Both ordinances were introduced by title and the committee scheduled public hearings for March 11, 2026. The committee did not adopt final ordinances at the meeting; the introduction places the items on the agenda for a future public hearing and final vote.
Why it matters: The state has revised rules that affect how municipalities collect development fees and how affordable units are administered. Towns must update codes or risk noncompliance, which can affect local planning, funding and litigation risk.
What happens next: The committee will hold public hearings on both ordinances on March 11. The town’s affordable-housing counsel is expected to provide a detailed synopsis of the changes before or at the hearing, per a committee request.
