Moorestown Planning Board meets Thursday evening to consider where 250 affordable-housing units may go.

A public hearing on Moorestown's plan to fulfill its upcoming estimated 250-unit affordable housing obligation will be held Thursday evening by the Planning Board.

Like many municipalities, Moorestown has searched for scarce land for residential development that could contain affordable units in the fourth round of the Housing Elementary and Fair Share Plan under the Mount Laurel Doctrine. The new plan takes effect on July 1 and lasts for 10 years.

"Moorestown does not have enough land that is available, suitable, developable and approvable for the creation of the 250 affordable housing units of the fourth-round obligation as calculated" by the state Department of Community Affairs, according to the 293-page draft plan by Brian M. Slaugh and Elaine Clisham of Clarke Caton Hintz PC in Trenton.

The plan, submitted on May 23 to the Township, will go to Township Council after the Planning Board review and resolution. The Planning Board meeting begins at 7 p.m. in Council Chambers in Moorestown Town Hall, 111 West Second Street.

Download a PDF of the plan:

Under the draft plan, Moorestown — like other highly developed communities — would consider redevelopment of existing properties in addition to the development of some vacant land. 

"The Township chose to consider other areas where potential redevelopment might occur over the next 10 years," according to the plan.

One site includes Brandywine at Moorestown Estates senior housing near North Church Street and New Albany Road. The three lots on the potential site include a long-vacant bank building.

The report also suggests that the property at the Comcast Business Center office, owned by Comcast, on Centerton Road may also be a candidate for redevelopment into residential housing with affordable units.

Also highlighted was a vacant long and narrow strip of 5.94 acres of land on Tom Brown Road with the potential for 21 housing units, four of them affordable but the report suggests it would make more sense to focus on redevelopment instead.

None of the report's suggestions for future locations of affordable housing are certain but are offered in the plan after a search for potential sites. The report also includes potential affordable housing sites from round three.