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Residents press for transparency on River Road redevelopment and PILOTs as NJ HOMES application deadline nears
Summary
During public comment on a Route 202 redevelopment plan and other agenda items, residents asked for clearer information about River Road property, PILOT programs and developer payments; the Township Administrator and Attorney provided clarifications and said further follow-up would occur.
Residents used the public-comment period at the June 23 Montville Township Committee meeting to press for more information about local redevelopment and affordable-housing options.
Holly Cox (1 Dey Court, Towaco) asked for an update on the River Road property and requested an explanation of PILOT (Payment In Lieu Of Taxes) programs and how much a developer would pay, stressing that the information should be shared with residents. Shari Seffer (53 Davenport Road) repeated concerns that planner presentations were not listed on the agenda and urged clearer microphone use so speakers can be heard.
Township Attorney Fred Semrau briefly explained that a PILOT would be considered at a public meeting as an ordinance, and the Township Administrator shared research regarding the NJ HOMES program. According to the Administrator’s summary, a municipality that served as a test case for NJ HOMES the prior year saw no change in its Affordable Housing obligation number; the Attorney said he agreed with that assessment.
The Administration also reported that the River Road property remains closed to the public and that Police will respond to trespassing reports. Engineering staff were directed to follow up directly with resident Eileen Strasser about drainage concerns she raised after thanking the Township for a recent drainage project.
The Committee adopted the redevelopment ordinance for the Route 202 area after the hearing, despite the questions raised during public comment. The minutes show the Committee directed staff to provide follow-up information where appropriate.
