Two planned affordable housing developments in Mt. Laurel are one step closer to becoming reality.
The Mt. Laurel planning board unanimously approved a preliminary site plan for the Ethel R. Lawrence Home III development and an amended preliminary subdivision plan for the Connell Tract development during a special meeting last Wednesday. Both are affordable housing developments and are located on Moorestown-Mt. Laurel Road.
Fair Share Housing Development plans to construct both properties. Damien Del Duca, a lawyer representing Fair Share, said the special meeting was requested because Fair Share needed to make a July 24 deadline to apply for low-income housing tax credits with the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency. Fair Share plans to finance both projects through the tax credits.
“In order to file the applications with HMFA, we have to have preliminary approval,” Del Duca said.
Movement on both properties has occurred at both the planning board and township council levels this year. Both properties were declared areas in need of redevelopment earlier this year. Township manager Maureen Mitchell said the properties could only be used for affordable housing.
Connell Tract will be a lot located across from Harrington Middle School with 24 single-family homes. The planning board had already approved a preliminary subdivision plan for the site, but an amendment was made to change the size of the homes.
“The size of the homes has gotten smaller and the bedroom mix has changed,” development engineer Henry Haley said.
The original plan had Connell Tract consisting of three- and four-bedroom homes. Because of New Jersey’s cost cap for affordable housing programs, those homes have shrunk to two- and three-bedrooms.
Ethel R. Lawrence Home III will be the third phase of the Ethel R. Lawrence complex. The development is an extension of the existing ERLH I and ERLH II developments. There will be 36 townhome units spread across six buildings winding around a cul-de-sac.
“It’s extremely similar to what is there today,” Del Duca said.
The plan includes eight one-bedroom, 20 two-bedroom and eight three-bedroom townhomes. ERLH III will only be accessible from existing Ethel Lawrence Boulevard. A new road will not be constructed directly to Moorestown-Mt. Laurel Road.
Fair Share Housing is also planning an outdoor recreation area adjacent to ERLH III. However, Del Duca said the recreation area is not part of the preliminary major site plan and Fair Share would come back before the planning board with a separate application.
A handful of residents living near the proposed development came out to the public hearings with questions and a few concerns. The most common concern regarded vehicular access to ERLH III and traffic issues. There is a planned emergency access roadway connecting ERLH III to Mooretown-Mt. Laurel Road. Resident Jane Slavinski was concerned motorists may be able to cut through using the emergency roadway.
“We’ll be adding some additional bollards to keep access in and out of the site,” Haley said.
Residents also felt traffic along Moorestown-Mt. Laurel Road would be negatively impacted with the new development. Traffic engineer Michael Angelastro said studies done in the area indicate there would be minimal impact if the development were constructed.
Both ERLH III and Connell Tract still have a few hurdles to get over before final approval. Del Duca said Fair Share wouldn’t come back before the planning board unless its application for NJHMFA tax credits is accepted. An announcement on the projects receiving the tax credits is expected in the fall.
