Millburn Affordable Housing, Flood Relief Discussed At Meeting

MILLBURN, NJ — The Millburn Township Committee discussed on Tuesday night its plans to transform part of the town’s Department of Public Works site into a four-story affordable housing complex.

The governing body also discussed aspects of forming a flood mitigation advisory committee.

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DPW And Affordable Housing

The site where many residents go to dispose of old couches and electronics, at 11 Main St., will eventually share the space with a new affordable apartment building.

The Nov. 9 meeting at town hall addressed plans to implement Millburn’s state-mandated Fair Share Affordable Housing obligation.

Phil Abramson — the founder and CEO of real estate consulting firm Topology — presented a plan for the new development, which he said will be a 100 percent affordable project containing at least 75 dwelling units.

By Dec. 31, 2021 the Township must submit plans proving that the DPW site is suitable for the creation of affordable housing.

The settlement agreement required that there be at least one parking space per unit, and amenities for residents. A buffer must also be created between the DPW site and residential building.

Architect Jorge Mastropietro presented a series of design considerations for the new building. He said keeping the DPW facilities on the same site would reduce the cost of relocating the site and that creating a “green buffer” will prevent the new residents of 11 Main St. from being exposed to the work at the DPW — such as noise and visual pollution.

Mastropietro emphasized his desire to build a sustainable development in order to set a precedent for future building projects in the town. He said this will cost more money up front, but it will cost less to maintain in the long run.

Because the new apartment complex will be located right next to Millburn Middle School, cars would not be able to enter via Main Street. Instead, there will be a “facade along Main Street as part of the streetscape that invites people to walk along.”

If the DPW site is deemed suitable for this affordable housing project, Abramson said, construction would begin in about a year and a half from now.

Concerns About The Development

Oyin Owolabi — the Republican candidate who ran unsuccessfully against Mayor Tara Prupis in last week's election — spoke at the end of the meeting about her concerns of stigmatizing the new development.

“I remember Mount Laurel [Township] saying that you could not have 100 percent affordable housing as it would stigmatize the development, and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” Owolabi said. “Have you all thought about this? Because then everyone who’s coming out of the development knows they are from an affordable housing unit.”

To learn more details about Millburn’s Fair Share Affordable Housing plans, go to this page on the township website, or watch the Nov. 9 meeting here.

Flood Plans

The Township Committee also voted on a resolution to appoint members to the flood mitigation advisory committee that was previously delayed.

At the last meeting on Oct. 19, Deputy Mayor Richard Wasserman had proposed a new resolution where the flood committee would only consist of seven members that are experts in engineering. This included utilizing engineering consultant Mott MacDonald, which the township has worked with for many years.

This plan was approved over Mayor Prupis's and Committeewoman Dianne Eglow’s original proposal of 14 members on the flood committee, consisting of property owners and residents throughout the town. Wasserman argued that some of the people selected for this committee had a “conflict of interest” because they were real estate owners.

In Tuesday night’s meeting, Eglow raised concerns about using the same consulting company that has seen Millburn flood several times. She suggested bringing in another company that can provide a “fresh set of eyes” on the flooding situation.

“I don’t understand why we are hiring the same company that has been doing this consulting work for the Township of Millburn and its surrounding towns [for at least] 30 years,” Eglow said. “I just think that without an outside consultant, we are hiring the same company for approximately $76,000. Why? No matter how good Mott has been, I think it’s time for a change.”

Business Administrator Alex McDonald responded that Mott MacDonald is already familiar with the township and the flooding issues. Wasserman said the committee could terminate the partnership if they are not happy with their recommendations.

Prupis said she thinks the committee should be expanded to include members from the downtown area. She also echoed Eglow’s concerns about using the same company.

“I don’t want to hold this up any further, but I think your approach to this is wrong from the get go,” Prupis said to Wasserman. “I hope this group that comes together ... are listened to, and the people that were excluded, that I believe should have been on [the committee] … are consulted because they have valuable insight and experiences.”

John Ruschke, the vice president of Mott MacDonald, agreed to give up an update at the Township Committee meeting on Dec. 21 on plans the committee has for flood mitigation.

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