Update: Citizens Against Northpointe Hearing Moved to Tuesday

Editor's note: This article was updated at 12:25 p.m. on Thursday to reflect that the hearing was rescheduled.

A Monmouth County Judge rescheduled a hearing of the case between Ohad Associates and Marlboro Township from Friday to Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 9 a.m. at the Monmouth County Courthouse.

In attendance will be members of Citizens Against Northpointe, an action group created to formalize the concerns of residents against the proposed 385 unit complex, 85 of which considered affordable housing, off of Nolan Road on the Aberdeen border.

The Northpointe development application, applied for by Ohad Associates, was denied on May 16 by the Marlboro Planning Board because of missing information. 

The Northpointe development has been a long-running saga in Marlboro, first appearing before the townships boards in the 1980's. The township entered into an agreement with Ohad Associates, the developer of the complex, more than a decade ago after litigation between the Council On Affordable Housing and Marlboro Township was settled.

But the May 16 denial of the development caused Ohad Associates to appeal the decision before a Monmouth County judge. Friday, Ohad Associates will apear before a judge to show cause and justify the development despite the Planning Board's disapproval.

The most recent round of Planning Board visits for the developer began in January, with a series of public hearings in which  environmental, traffic and building concerns were detaled. .

Hornik, who is admittedly not a fan of building the development at all, offered a motion to vote down the proposal, saying there were too many holes in the plan and board members concerns were not fully addressed by the developer.

"They had incomplete testimonies, incomplete traffic information, incomplete environmental information. And they did not provide enough time for the board to review testimony," Hornik told Patch in May.

Residents of Marlboro and Aberdeen make up Citizens Against Northpointe, which says the development would bring many problems to Marlboro, such as higher taxes, school overcrowding, lower property values, drainage issues and soil contamination. The property borders Aberdeen Township, and therefore increased traffic would be of concern to both areas, particularly since there is only one proposed entrance to the development.

Citizens Against Northpointe is urging residents to sit in on the hearing Friday morning. In an email to its members, the group said a judge will hear Ohad's Order To Show Cause Motion and Citizens Against Northpointe's Motion To Intervene.

"It is imperative for everyone to attend the hearing as the public's involvement will impact both decisions," the email said.

This hearing was originally scheduled for July 18, but has been pushed three times, now to Tuesday, Sept. 25.

Information about the specific court room will be at the front information desk of the courthouse. To join Citizens Against Northpointe or donate to the group to support legal fees, email citizensagainstnorthpointe@yahoo.com or like them on Facebook.