Long Valley Residents Sue Township Over Affordable Housing Plans

LONG VALLEY, NJ — Long Valley residents are suing Washington Township over its decision to approve an affordable housing development plan on Kings Highway.

More specifically, a nonprofit made up of residents called Washington Against Reckless Development is suing Washington Township, its committee, its land use board, as well as Kings Highway Development LLC, and the property owner Richard Blanchard.

The suit, filed June 4, alleges “illegal rezoning, a lack of concern for the environment or public safety, and undue developer influence,” according to Washington Against Reckless Development representatives.

The redevelopment plan, approved Ordinance RO-05, calls for the construction of a 125-unit housing development, of which 25 units will be designated as affordable housing.

The development will take up three acres of the total 42-acre property. The area was once industrial-use land operated by USR Optonix, Inc., until the site closed down in 2012. Since the site was razed, the property has been unused.

See Related: Housing Redevelopment Project Green-Lit By Washington Township

“The adoption of Ord. RO-05 was accomplished without consideration of the general welfare of the Township, does not advance the health, safety, or welfare of the Township’s residents and property owners, is not in the best interest of good zoning and planning, and is contrary to the Municipal Land Use Law, the Local Redevelopment and Housing Law, and the Open Public Meetings Act,” the lawsuit reads.

Discussions of developing a residential property on the site go back more than ten years. According to the lawsuit, these concerns were brought up by residents as discussions were had.

In 2013, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection announced it had completed an environmental remediation of the property. Shortly after, the Land Use Board conducted an investigative site assessment to determine whether the area was in need of redevelopment.

In 2015, a public hearing was held during a committee meeting, where more residents had concerns about the stormwater drainage and traffic safety issues, the suit reads.

Later, the Land-Use Board was to “review the results of the investigation of the Property regarding a potential designation as a ‘Non-Condemnation Area in Need of Redevelopment,’ but the suit claims that the review never took place.

The suit continues to claim that despite concerns brought up by the public over the last several years, little to no action was taken to address them.

In total, four claims are highlighted against the town.

The township has not responded to Patch’s inquiries regarding the lawsuit.

However, Mayor Michael Marino has previously stated that had the committee not passed the ordinance, the developer would “retain all legal rights to maximize the buildable capacity of the lot to as many as 250 or more units.”

Additionally, voting against the ordinance would force the township to look elsewhere to meet its affordable housing quota imposed by the state, according to local officials. Officials also said that the only other option would be in the area of Long Valley Middle School on West Mill Road, where “the township could be forced to add over 100 units at that location.”

In June, officials emphasized that maintaining their commitment to avoiding overdevelopment was a prime factor in their decision-making regarding the development project.