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The 44-year-old Red Roof Inn of Mount Laurel on Fellowship Road, which is on the right, is one of several hotels on the Mount Laurel Township list of potential sites for affordable housing. The list states the site has a potential for 90 units and 100% would be affordable.

Mount Laurel Township may find solutions to its affordable housing obligations sitting on several hotel and motel properties.

The Planning Board on Thursday is scheduled to consider an affordable housing proposal under Township zoning law that includes several hospitality sites, some of which have faced high vacancy rates in recent years.

Converting the sites to full or partial affordable housing — a potential but not firm Township solution — was unanimously approved by Township Council last week in an ordinance. The Planning Board will review the ordinance and make recommendations to Council.

The Planning Board meets remotely through Zoom on Thursday beginning at 6 p.m. A public hearing on the plan is scheduled at the March 2 Township Council meeting. 

Like many communities across New Jersey, especially those that have limited options for new residential development, Mount Laurel is searching for ways to fulfill its commitment to offer affordable housing under the 1975 court ruling that bears its name — the Mount Laurel decision.

The Fourth Round of affordable housing obligations showed a present need for 46 affordable-housing units and a future need for 380 units, according to the ordinance.

Hotels and motels in the overall affordable housing plan include:

  • Red Roof Inn, 603 Fellowship Road. 90 units, 100% affordable. About 3.1 acres. 
  • Rodeway Inn, 1132 Route 73. 86 affordable units. About 2.4 acres. 
  • Econo Lodge, 611 Fellowship Road. 26 units, six affordable. About 1.3 acres. 
  • Clarion Hotel & Suites – Wyndham, 1111 Route 73. 210 units, 42 affordable. About 18.4 acres. 
  • Grand Resort Hotel – Hotel ML (water resort), 915 Route 73. 234 units, 47 affordable. About 14.2 acres. 
  • La Quinta Inn & Suites, 5000 Clover Road. 25 units, five affordable. About 1.3 acres.
  • Hyatt House, 3000 Crawford Place. 70 units, 14 affordable. About 3.5 acres. 
  • Track & Turf Motel, 809 Route 73 and 520 Lenola Road. 47 units, 10 affordable. About 2.4 acres. 
  • Knights Inn, 1104 Route 73. 19 units, four affordable. About 1.9 acres. 

The plan also opens the possibility of finding any of the properties as Areas in Need of Redevelopment. The redevelopment declaration, a legal process under state law, can adjust zoning requirements and provide tax breaks to developers.