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Board recommends Wojie Way parcel as redevelopment study area despite resident objections
Summary
The Planning Board voted to recommend the borough-owned Wojie Way Study Area (approximately 8 acres) as a non-condemnation area in need of redevelopment; residents challenged the legal basis for using municipal ownership as Criteria C evidence.
Planner Todd Bletcher reported that the Wojie Way Study Area, a borough-owned parcel west of senior housing, measures roughly 8 acres and was evaluated under Criteria C for redevelopment. Bletcher said the parcel's borough ownership and long vacancy supported the technical recommendation to forward the study to the Mayor and Council.
Residents spoke against the recommendation. Yogesh Patel, of 145 Monticello Way, argued that borough ownership alone should not satisfy Criteria C and cited case law (Winters v. Township of Voorhees and a Princeton appellate decision) to support his position. Councilman Joseph Donato spoke as a resident and urged the board not to recommend redesignation, suggesting lower-impact development options if the site is later considered. After public comment, the board voted unanimously (absent Eleto and Frost) to recommend the Wojie Way Study Area to the Council.
Why it matters: the recommendation begins a process that could lead to Council-led redevelopment steps; residents raised legal concerns about whether municipal ownership alone meets statutory Criteria C.
