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Long Hill adopts comprehensive affordable-housing overhaul and spending plan
Summary
Long Hill Township on March 11 adopted Ordinance 583-26, repealing and replacing the township's affordable-housing chapters and updating development-fee rules. The committee also approved an affirmative-marketing plan, a fourth-round spending plan and appointed an administrative agent to implement the new rules.
The Township Committee of Long Hill Township voted on March 11 to adopt Ordinance 583-26, a comprehensive revision of the township's affordable-housing code that repeals Chapter 15 and replaces chapters LU-138 and LU-185 to align local rules with the Department of Community Affairs' model provisions.
The ordinance, adopted after a brief public hearing with no comments, replaces existing affordability and fee provisions with a detailed framework that sets definitions, design and accessibility standards, monitoring and reporting requirements, affordability-control periods and development-fee rules. Among the changes, the ordinance: repeals the older affordable-housing chapter; requires administrative monitoring through the Department's Affordable Housing Monitoring System (AHMS); establishes minimum affordability-control periods (generally 30 years for ownership controls and 40 years for rental controls, with special provisions for Low-Income Housing Tax Credit projects); specifies low/ moderate/very-low splits and bedroom-distribution targets; and adopts affirmative- marketing and resale controls required under the Uniform Housing Affordability Controls.
The Committee approved related, implementing steps at the same meeting: Resolution 26-077 adopting an Affirmative Marketing Plan for the township, Resolution 26-078 adopting a fourth-round Affordable Housing spending plan, and Resolution 26-079 confirming CGP&H as the municipality's administrative agent responsible for intake, income certification, waiting-list management, affirmative marketing and affordability monitoring. Those three resolutions were included on the meeting's consent agenda and were approved in a single motion.
The ordinance text posted in the meeting file runs to multiple pages and spells out technical requirements for design, utility configuration, bedroom distribution, accessibility (adaptable units, barrier-free elements and a 10% accessible-entrance escrow), monitoring, enforcement and permissible uses of the municipal Affordable Housing Trust Fund. The rules also formalize development-fee collection and spending procedures, set a 1.5% residential fee (and a higher bonus fee where density increases are approved), and align nonresidential fees with the State Non-Residential Development Fee Act. The township's spending plan names eligible uses including new construction, rehabilitation, affordability assistance, land acquisition for affordable housing, and administrative costs (subject to statutory limits).
No members of the public spoke in opposition during the hearing. The ordinance passed by roll-call vote with Committeeman Scott Lavender, Committeeman Liberato, Committeeman Verlezza, Deputy Mayor Dorsi and Mayor Piserchia recorded as voting in favor.
What happens next: the municipal administration will publish the final ordinance as required, post the approved Affirmative Marketing Plan, and the administrative agent, CGP&H, will begin implementing intake, monitoring and resale procedures under the new rules. The spending-plan approval authorizes the township to program development-fee revenues consistent with court approval and state rules.
Votes at a glance: Ordinance 583-26 (adoption) — outcome: approved (roll-call unanimous). Resolutions 26-077 (Affirmative Marketing Plan), 26-078 (Fourth-Round Spending Plan) and 26-079 (appoint administrative agent) — outcome: approved (consent agenda).
