A redevelopment plan focusing on the construction of townhouses on Bridgeton Pike was adopted by the Harrison Township Committee at their June 20 meeting.
The Harrison Township Committee voted to adopt an ordinance regarding a residential redevelopment plan on Bridgeton Pike at its business meeting on June 20.
The redevelopment will take place on the pike – at the southern edge of Mullica Hill – and go south on Route 77, past the commercial areas of Mullica Hill Plaza on the right side. The plan was first introduced at the committee’s June 5 meeting.
“We are known for having redevelopment plans in our town, most of which are commercial,” said Mayor Louis Manzo. “The difference here is that there is no PILOT (Payment In Lieu of Taxes) or financial agreement that comes with a residential redevelopment plan.
“In this case, there is no financial agreement, because these are residents and traditional taxes get paid,” he added. “A redevelopment plan lays the foundation, groundwork or overlays the zoning, let’s say, to then allow a developer to come into the joint land use board for a traditional site plan.”
Adoption of the ordinance does not mean the redevelopment plan has passed muster, but rather is an approval of the overlay that puts in place all the plan’s parameters, according to Manzo. Those parameters are what the township would require or want when it comes to setbacks and buffering for the overlay.
The redevelopment would include construction of 136 townhouses on the site, which takes up three parcels of land equaling just under 32 acres.
“The motivation from the town’s perspective of having our planners work to create this plan is that townhouses are an underserved market in our town,” Manzo explained. “… When we look at the housing stock – which we know is very limited in our town – and the potential future housing stock in other areas, this made sense on several levels.”
Manzo also revealed that the plan will not involve inclusionary affordable housing; Mullica Hill is already at its set number for what can be classified as affordable housing.
Two other ordinances were also adopted at the meeting, one that will require permits for filming a movie in town, and another that sets the amendments to the zoning portion of the township’s code.
