An appellate court decision released Thursday gives the state Department of Community Affairs six months to devise a new plan for municipalities to fulfill their court-ordered mandates for affordable housing.
Affordable housing advocates, who challenged the constitutionality of the Council on Affordable Housing's most recent rules, claimed victory and called on Gov. Jon S. Corzine and Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Susan Bass Levin to come up with a plan that sets forth a reasonable number of affordable units
Why don't builders just buy some reasonably priced homes that way our town just doesn't have new development of McMansions. Must all new homes cost $500K and up what about us in the $200-$300K price range who have kids and both husband and wife working. All I've heard is plans for Society Hill style homes. The only people who get homes in NJ are low income and the rich. What about the middle class.
Unfortunately, low incme housing doesn't mean $200k houses, it means Plymouth Place. This ruling is great because it eliminates towns from being forced into that.
Plymouth Place pays no taxes, yet sends over 100 kids to the schools, costing taxpayers more than $1 million per year.
It is terrible that the Republicans approved the complex. If they had done nothing, which is what they usually do, then we would now have been free of this $1 million per year bill.
Affordable housing means different things in different communities. A specific example was quoted at the symposium last year that affordable housing in Princeton would mean something different than in a different community. Maybe the Republicans just didn't look into this subject far enough and gather all the information that we needed. Affordable housing doesn't neccessarily mean Plymouth Place type housing, it could, but not neccessarily. We need to do our homework.
It is a shame Plymouth Place was approved by the Republicans and then Mayor Barbara Berenato. They clearly did not do their homework and now we are stuck with that complex.
Plymouth Place pays no property taxes. The do a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) like the State Building wants to do. The payment is only $80,000 per year.
Since Plymouth Place puts over 100 kids in our school district, it is easy to see that the complex costs the taxpayers over $1 million per year just at the school, in addition to police costs, trash removal, etc.
Now, Hammonton First is taking their time in analyzing future projects like this. It will help our community. It is good they are looking into this and doing their homework, as the previous poster mentioned.
Now, Hammonton First is taking their time in analyzing future projects like this. Taking their time????? Hammonton First dismissed the state building immediately before looking into it. Only the Democrats challenged council to look into this. If is wasn't for the Democrats bringing the public's attention to this matter, there would be no possibility for a state building at all.
Looking at these posts, I am confused. HF voted to look into the Building last Monday. You wouldn't want Hammonton to rush into this like Plymouth Place, would you? Maybe it is a good deal, maybe not. But time need to be taken and homework needs to be done.
Yes, some want to rush in like Plymouth Place. But look what that got us.
You should have attended the town council meeting over the summer when the Hammonton First leadership immediately snubbed the state and told them to go build their offices in Winslow. It was an embarrassment that the Hammonton First leadership acts like a child.
It wasn't until after the Democrats demanded that council look into this that they actually did. The Democrats were the only party to make aware to the public the potential benefits. The Democrats insisted that council look into this and weigh all possible benefits and drawbacks of having this office in the downtown district.
I am so glad that there is a new thriving Democratic Club in Hammonton. They might not have any seats but they sure stay on top of the issues. I always wonder why Hammonton votes Republican year after year. Then when HF came along, I first thought good now we can have some change for good. Boy was I wrong. I strongly believe Hammontonians should strongly vote Democrat in November. What good does it do to have an unbalanced majority on council. The Democrats have never been afraid to speak up. The Democrats were the only ones who said we should look into the state building carefully. HF just simply didn't want it. I just hope people when they got their tax bill really look in the mirror and say to themselves "Can I still continue to vote Republican in Hammonton or the Rich HF Republicans."
The Democrats have been getting clobbered in every election for years. Nothing will change that. Everytime they scream for more spending, they are telling everyone higher taxes. If they stayed on top of reducing the money spent on the departments, they might have a shot. Why not make their own advisory board and recommend some serious cuts?
