Cherry Hill, Evesham/Marlton, Medford, Medford Lakes, Moorestown, Mount Laurel, Voorhees and elsewhere near the iconic state highways of Routes 70 and 73.
Former residential site now set for for affordable housing, looking west from the eastbound side of Route 70. St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in back.
Former residential site now set for for affordable housing, looking west from the eastbound side of Route 70. St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in back.
A 64-unit, all-affordable apartment complex will be built on a narrow strip of land on eastbound Route 70 bordering the Wexford neighborhood, according to a settlement agreement proposed to state Superior Court by the Township, the Fair Share Housing Center Inc. and Volunteers of America.
The 1991 Route 70 site, on a long-vacant residential property, is between St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church and First Global Methodist Church.
A settlement plan was described by Township lawyer Jeffrey R. Surenian, of Surenian, Edwards, Buzak & Nolan LLC of Point Pleasant Beach, in a September 30 letter to the court. A court hearing on the plan is scheduled for December 2.
"Based upon the facts set forth above, the Township, FSHC and VOA now seek to enter into this agreement to memorialize the Township's voluntary commitment to provide a realistic opportunity for the development of affordable housing at the VOA site," Surenian wrote in his letter to the court.
The Township Planning Board is scheduled to consider the settlement in a closed executive session at its 7:30 p.m. meeting next Monday, November 18. Information on the meeting is here. The board will take no formal action.
The affordable housing project would be in the yellow borders on eastbound Route 70.Â
Township Council in September approved a Payment-In-Lieu-of-Taxes (PILOT) plan for the project, which would be operated by the Volunteers of America organization. The units will be counted toward the Township's affordable-housing obligation.
An earlier affordable housing project on the site was approved by the Zoning Board of Adjustment in 2019 for developer Fortitude Realty LLC. Like the VOA project, the apartment complex would have had 52 age-restricted units (55 years and older) and 12 non-age restricted special need units.
Despite Township Council granting a PILOT in September 2019, Fortitude did not secure tax-credit funding for the project and conveyed it to VOA.
The residential property at 1991 Route 70 has been empty for years.
