U.F. struggles to find backup plan for COAH Third-round obligation may have to be fulfilled with new development BY JANE MEGGITT Staff Writer UPPER FREEHOLD- The key to determining where the township will fulfill its affordable housing obligation is water, not sewerage. Planning Board Chairman John Mele handed out maps of the township's water lines at the board's Jan. 22 meeting. Most of the township relies on private wells, except for the Heritage Green and Four Seasons developments along Ellisdale Road. Last week, the Upper Freehold Regional Board of Education asked the township to extend its water franchise along Yardville-Allentown Road to serve the new middle school. A public hearing on the issue will be held Feb. 7. Mele said that if the township has to allow high-density housing to be built to address the township's Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) obligation, water would be a critical issue. While package sewage treatment plants could be built to handle the wastewater of such developments, water wells cannot be built on small lots and a public water system would be needed, he said. The master plan re-examination report that the board approved on Dec. 13 identifies the township's only public sewer area along Breza Road as a zone for COAH housing. However, that property is scheduled for placement in the preservation program. Vice Chairman Doug Raynor said he does not think anyone on last year's board had an issue with COAH units going on Breza Road. "The Township Committee put us in this position by putting that land into preservation," he said. Stern said that historically the town has supported landowners who want to put their property into preservation, regardless of what their properties are zoned for. Mele said some residents have discussed the possibility of putting COAH units on a tract on the other side of Allentown. However, that plan would require piping water through the borough, he said. Members of the board looked at the maps that showed the water line currently ends at the entrance to Four Seasons on Musket Drive. Board member Richard Stern noted that Princeton Nurseries, located down the road from Four Seasons, is looking to sell its property. He said that area could become a village center with affordable housing. Mele agreed with Stern and said that would make sense in terms of the water line. Mayor Stephen Alexander said the Township Committee is putting together a COAH Task Force, and that former township planner Richard Coppola has been hired to plan for the township's COAH obligation. The township currently does not have a planner, since Mark Remsa resigned at the end of December and has not yet been replaced. The new planner will also serve on the task force. Mele and Raynor will represent the board on the task force, and other members will include Township Administrator Barbara Bascom, Township Engineer Glenn Gerken and Township Attorney Granville Magee, according to Alexander. While the township's obligations for COAH's third round are not yet certain, Alexander estimated the township would need an additional 231 units based on the percentage changes in the third-round rules. The prior growth share requirements were one affordable housing unit for every eight market-based units, and one affordable unit for every 25 new jobs created. The new rules include creating one affordable unit for every four market-based units, which is a 50 percent increase over the former rule. The job share requirement has also increased by 33 percent, according to Alexander. Mele said that even though the Rockefeller Group warehouse development, once proposed for the Breza Road site that will be preserved, will no longer affect the job share requirement for the third round, the number of housing developments the board has approved would. Alexander said that prior to approving its re-examination report, the Planning Board had not considered a site other than the Breza Road location for the township's COAH obligation. Raynor asked if the township could buy land to set aside for affordable housing. Mele said that if the township owned the Breza Road parcel, it could set the property aside for COAH, but once that site goes into preservation it must look for another locale to fulfill the obligation. Stern said, "If we had a backup plan in place, we wouldn't be discussing this right now."