Goodbye, Allen House. Hello, affordable housing
Units will be available to adults 55 and over who make $37K-$60K
BY JANE MEGGITT Staff Writer

MILLSTONE- The township will demolish the circa-1845 Allen House and its outbuildings on Stagecoach Road to construct two age-restricted multi-family units.

The Zoning Board of Adjustment approved Millstone Township's application in a 6-1 vote at its Feb. 26 meeting, with board member Salvatore Iradi casting the dissenting vote. The project will help the township satisfy its Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) obligation.

Zoning Board Attorney Matthew Kalwinsky explained that the township did not have a legal obligation to appear before the board to move forward with the project, but held itself "to a higher standard" than required under municipal land use law.

Chairman Michael Novellino commented that there was a benefit to holding a hearing on the project as the public provided input and feedback. He also said the hearing gave the board an opportunity to mitigate potential impact on neighboring landowners.

Township Attorney Simon Kaufman said the 4.34-acre property is located in the Neighborhood Commercial (NC) zone and one lot away from the Clarksburg Inn property.

Kaufman said the township needs minor subdivision approval to divide the tract into two lots. The first lot would contain a two-story unit with four residential apartments and the residents' community center. The second lot would have eight residential units including elevator access to the second floor.

All buildings currently on the property will be razed. No one is living in the Allen House at this time, according to Kaufman.

Township Planner Richard Coppola said that newly proposed COAH regulations make it virtually certain that every municipality in the state will have to submit new plans for affordable housing by the end of the year. Millstone's obligation has increased from 69 units under previous COAH regulations to a minimum of 200 units under the proposed new rules, he said.

"Even if the numbers change as a result of litigation, I can represent the numbers will not change much," he said, adding that the obligation could increase.

Under the proposed rules, the number of affordable housing units would rise from one for every eight market rate units to one for every four market rate units, he said. Coppola said it behooves the town to plan comprehensively to avoid builder's remedy lawsuits. Such lawsuits argue that a given builder's development plan will help a community solve its affordable housing obligation.

Coppola said the type of development planned for theAllen House property is an efficient and responsible way for a rural municipality without water and sewer to address its COAH obligation. The town could fulfill its COAH obligation by introducing public water and sewer, which could be "a devastating mistake" that opens doors to further development, Coppola said.

Coppola said that while the low- and moderate-income requirements for COAH may conjure up images of housing for welfare recipients, COAH actually creates workforce housing. He said that the 2007 income levels for a two-bedroom COAH unit in Monmouth, Ocean or Mercer counties are a moderate income of $59,473 and a low income of $36,921. For a one-bedroom apartment, the moderate-income limit is $42,928 and the low-income limit is $30,767.

"A lot of households fall within that range," he said, citing teachers as examples of workers who have such incomes.

Coppola said senior residents of the township will be able to move into the Allen House project.

"Theymay have trouble, on a fixed income, staying in larger homes but still desire to live in town," he said.

Architect Maxine Giordano said she worked with the township'sHistorical Commission to combine elements of the Allen House into her design for the new buildings. Some artifacts from the house, including hand-hewn beams and plank floors, will be re-used as elements of the community center, she said.

Coppola said the township originally wanted to renovate the Allen House into apartments, but could not do so because of the existing condition of the building. Giordano said that although the new buildings will contain apartments, they will look like upscale townhouses.

Chris Kowalik, who lives across the street fromtheAllen House, wanted to give the board a petition signed by neighbors opposing the project. However, Novellino said the board could not accept the petition because the applicant would not be able to cross-examine signers who were not present.

Kowalik said such a development does not belong in the middle of town and should be placed on the outskirts like the Canwright House group home on Burnt Tavern Road. He said he would rather see a single-family house built on the Allen House site.

Novellino commented that NC zoning would also allow for a strip mall to be built on the Allen House site.

Mark Goldberg, who also lives across the street from the Allen House, said he has a lot of respect for the FairHousingAct but that the site is the wrong location for affordable housing. He expressed concern for the safety of children as many drivers already use that area of Stagecoach Road as a turnaround. He also said the project would have a negative impact on property values.

Board member Frank Curcio said the township bought the Allen House in 2004 for the purpose of providing affordable housing.

"Even if the structure remained sound, that's what was going to go there," he said.

Coppola said the 12 bedrooms in the proposed development would be the equivalent of two of the large, single-family homes in Millstone.

Neighboring resident Roger Strickland said he doesn't think the ground in the oneacre building area could support 12 units.

Township Engineer Matt Shafai said theMonmouth County Board of Health did test borings and found septics at the site would not require unusual engineering.

Kowalik said he put a new septic in last year when his previous septic was only 11 years old.

Strickland said he would like to see the county's perc test.

"It's clay, it won't perc," he said.

Novellino said the township has no choice in COAH plans.

"The state is telling us we have an obligation," he said. "If we don't put forth a plan, the developers will do it for us. The results aren't likely to be good for anyone in town."

Novellino said the central location of the Allen House site is good for affordable housing.

"The setting is nice to spend [one's] aging days," he said. "It's a desirable place for affordable senior housing."

Township Historian Joann Kelty said county records indicate that the Allen House is one of the earliest surviving structures

of the village of Clarksburg.

"The other structure [on the site] worth noting

is the two-story

frame barn with handhewn

beams, located

behind the house," she

said.

Kelty said Charles Allen purchased the property in the 1840's. Allen

was a figure of some prominence in his time, serving as postmaster of Clarksburg, sheriff of Monmouth County, county freeholder and state legislator. He also was known locally for running the general store across the street from his home.