MIDDLE TOWNSHIP – The Township Committee has asked the Planning Board to investigate establishing two contiguous redevelopment zones in Whitesboro, one that would be a condemnation area and one a non-condemnation area.
The areas to be studied were designated only by block numbers in the committee’s resolution of approval, confusing some residents who were at the July 21 meeting.
The areas, blocks 812 through 877 on the township tax maps, are in Whitesboro south of Indian Trail Road and west of Pennsylvania Avenue.
Business Administrator Kimberly Osmundsen said the areas are characterized by a number of on-paper streets that had never been developed. Ownership of some land in the area will be difficult to identify, she said, and the township may need to resort to eminent domain.
Existing homes in the areas would not be subject to the condemnation process. The township already owns many of the plots through tax defaults.
The township is making use of the state’s redevelopment law, which provides a structured but flexible approach to redevelopment in an area of underutilization and blight. The state’s redevelopment laws give the municipality zoning flexibility, the use of tax abatements, the potential for public-private partnerships and a faster approval process.
Township officials could also negotiate directly with a potential developer on plans for the land.
The township already has other designated redevelopment areas, along Indian Trail Road and in Rio Grande.
A deal within the redevelopment area along Indian Trail Road is expected to net the township $8.5 million as part of a developer’s plan to create a new residential neighborhood.
Any subdivision development would also aid the township with its affordable housing obligations, since the required 20% set-aside for affordable housing units would come into play.
If the Planning Board reports positively on creation of a redevelopment zone in Whitesboro, the governing body can then create it via an ordinance, which would require a public hearing.
Contact the reporter, Vince Conti, at vconti@cmcherald.com.
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