Ramsey council introduces Island Road, North Franklin overlay ordinances as residents urge alternatives

The Borough of Ramsey on Feb. 11 introduced a package of six ordinances required by its fourth-round affordable-housing settlement, including new R-5E and R-5F overlay zoning districts for Island Road and North Franklin Turnpike. The council passed all six on first reading and scheduled final hearings for March 4, 2026.

Mayor Dylan opened the meeting by walking through the ordinance process and why the overlays are part of a mediated settlement. "The borough's immunity was continued after it entered into a mediation agreement with Fair Share Housing Center," the mayor said, adding that a program judge recommended continued immunity if the borough adopts settlement implementing ordinances by March 15, 2026. He said the borough's fourth-round obligation is 450 units but, after a vacant-lands adjustment, Ramsey's realistic development potential (RDP) is 26 units over the next 10 years and the borough expects to meet those units at specific sites including North Central special-needs units, the approved 425 Island Road inclusionary development, 40 North Franklin Turnpike and 1 Constantine Drive.

The council's introductions included: - Ordinance 01-2026 (CAP bank/budget flexibility) - Ordinance 02-2026 (replace Chapter 29, affordable-housing code) - Ordinance 03-2026 (update use/development-fee rules) - Ordinance 04-2026 (create R-5E Island Road multifamily residential overlay) - Ordinance 05-2026 (create R-5F North Franklin Turnpike multifamily overlay) - Ordinance 06-2026 (amend mandatory affordable set-aside to 20% for sale and rental units) All six passed first reading by roll call; the ordinances will be advertised and scheduled for public hearings and final votes in March.

Hundreds of minutes of public comment followed the introductions, dominated by Island Road and Ferguson Place residents. Speakers repeatedly made three linked claims: that the overlay will destabilize an established single-family neighborhood; that infrastructure (roads, electric distribution, sewer and schools) cannot absorb the added density; and that the overlay will invite predatory acquisitions because there are few willing sellers. "This overlay sets a precedenta0that other neighborhoods in town should, and I know are worried about," said resident Alicia Carbone, arguing the overlay would "irrevocably change" the neighborhood.

Several speakers asked why Island Road was chosen when other areas of town might accommodate growth: "The burden for Ramsey meeting the state requirements should not fall upon one singled out community but should be equally borne by the town as a whole," said architect and Island Road resident Jeremy Sass. Neighbors cited recent or approved nearby developments (including an approved 70-unit development at 425 Island Road) and urged alternatives such as targeted commercial-corridor upzoning, accessory dwelling units, or redistributing capacity across town rather than placing an overlay on long-established streets.

Council members and staff repeatedly cautioned that introduction is not adoption: public hearings are required before final passage, and planning-board review is scheduled for March 3. The mayor said notices to affected property owners (owners in the overlay and parcels within 200 feet) will be mailed and the borough planner (Burgess Associates) and the borough's fair-share attorney will be involved in upcoming work. He also denied that the borough intends to use eminent domain: "There's no eminent domain. The borough is not seizing this property," he said.

What happens next: If the council votes to adopt the introduced ordinances on March 4, they will become part of the borough code after the required notice and hearing steps. If the borough does not adopt settlement-related ordinances by the program judge's March 15, 2026 date, the mayor warned the borough could lose statutory immunity and become vulnerable to builder's-remedy litigation, which he said could force higher-density development in locations the borough has not planned for.

Authorities referenced in the discussion included the New Jersey Fair Housing Act and the mediation/settlement with Fair Share Housing Center and objector North Franklin LLC; a program-judge order dated Jan. 26, 2026 was cited as the source of the March 15 deadline.

The council recorded votes on first readings; hearings and final votes are scheduled for March 4, and the planning board will review zoning details on March 3. The mayor pledged to consult Burgess Associates and the borough's fair-share counsel and to report back to residents on alternatives and next steps.