Madison plan proposes 138 for‑sale homes with 28 affordable units, protections for Geraldo Farms

A presenter outlined a draft redevelopment plan for a 21.15‑acre site in Madison that would allow a 138‑unit for‑sale housing development, including 28 units (20%) set aside as affordable for sale, and would replace standard zoning for the site if the borough council adopts the plan.

The presenter told the planning board the plan is grounded in New Jersey's local redevelopment and housing law and is intended to set site‑specific standards for design, landscaping, utilities and implementation. “Of that 138 units, 28 of them will be designated as affordable for sale,” the presenter said.

Why it matters: If the council adopts the redevelopment plan it will become the zoning for the property and shape future site‑plan review, design approvals and any variances. The proposal promises both market‑rate and affordable ownership housing while conserving roughly 3.5 acres contiguous with the existing Geraldo Farm Preserve and extending pedestrian connections along Madison Avenue and Treadwell Avenue.

Key standards and features: The presenter gave numerical parameters the board would apply, including a site area of 21.15 acres, a maximum impervious coverage of 40% and a minimum contiguous open space of about 3.5 acres. Building heights are graduated by frontage: 45 feet along Madison Avenue, 55 feet along Treadwell Avenue and the property edge with Geraldo, and up to 65 feet elsewhere; all buildings are capped at three stories. Setbacks cited included 140 feet on Madison Avenue, 60 feet on Treadwell Avenue, 25 feet on the Geraldo‑adjacent side and 100 feet from the future open space parcel.

Housing mix and design controls: The development would consist of townhouse clusters limited to a maximum of six units each and smaller stacked multifamily buildings (anticipated no more than about 14 units per building) spread across the site to avoid large apartment blocks. The presenter said four of the 28 affordable units must be three‑bedroom townhomes indistinguishable from market units, and affordable buyers will receive the same base appliances and access to amenities without extra community‑facility fees.

Trees, landscaping and environmental measures: Landscape coverage must be at least 55% of the site. The presenter described a cap on tree removal — no more than 40% of existing trees may be removed (dead or dying trees may be exempt) — and a firm replacement commitment: “a minimum of 2 trees for every 1 tree removed,” to be planted on‑site where possible or in the future open space parcel; any remainder may be paid into the borough's in‑lieu tree fund. The plan calls for low‑impact development stormwater practices and limits on grading consistent with prior Geraldo approvals.

Parking, access and mobility: Each unit must provide at least two parking spaces plus visitor parking equal to 0.25 spaces per unit (yielding about 2.25 spaces per unit in practice); no on‑street parking will be allowed on internal roadways. Bicycle parking requirements include provisions for garages at townhouses and a requirement of 0.5 bicycle spaces per stacked unit. The developer will extend a walking path on its portion of Treadwell to close a gap in the Geraldo Farms pedestrian loop and must provide a free weekday shuttle service, coordinated where possible with neighboring properties.

Sustainability and building systems: The plan requires base green features for all units: cold‑climate air‑source heat pumps, provisions for future conversion to electric induction ranges and dryers, EV‑ready garages and parking stalls, energy‑efficient insulation, windows, HVAC and water heaters, and Energy Star appliances (including washers and dryers provided in affordable units). The clubhouse is limited to one story and must have a solar roof unless feasibility analysis to the board shows it is not feasible; all buildings are to be constructed and prewired to be solar‑ready. A construction waste management plan is required as part of the application.

Review process and next steps: The presenter said site‑plan review will follow if the borough council adopts the redevelopment plan; the board would then review scaled color elevations, photo simulations and materials, hear from the applicant's architect and could request additional materials boards. The presenter asked whether the board felt ready to recommend council adoption; if council adopts, the redevelopment plan becomes the zoning and the borough and redeveloper would negotiate a redeveloper's agreement before site plan submittal.

The board paused for questions at the conclusion of the presentation. The presenter noted that any deviation from the redevelopment plan at site plan stage would require a variance or plan amendment and that standard borough requirements (traffic and school/fiscal impact studies, signage coordination and required easements) would still apply.