Princeton Introduces Ordinance Establishing Affordable Housing Overlay Zone For Thanet Road

PRINCETON, NJ – On Monday, Council introduced an ordinance establishing an affordable housing overlay zone (AHO-14) for 29 Thanet Road.

The property, currently home to an underutilized office building, is slated for redevelopment into 85 "stacked" townhomes, with 17 units designated as affordable housing to help meet the town's fourth round housing obligations.

The ordinance defines "stacked" townhouses as multi-unit structures with dwelling units positioned at least partially above one another. These can include "shared floors divided by walls and shared common party walls, with exterior private entrances, or entrances shared by a maximum of three dwelling units.”

Under the AH-14 designation, the entire development must follow a single, unified plan constructed in one phase, though property owners retain the right to subdivide for fee simple or condominium ownership.

In any AH-14 zone, at least 20 percent of the total number of homes shall be affordable to very low-, low-, and moderate-income households, but in no instance shall the number of such affordable units be less than 17.

“Affordable units shall be restricted, regulated, and administered consistent with the Municipality's affordable housing regulations, the Uniform Housing Affordability Controls rules and the New Jersey Fair Housing Act, including the Fair Housing Act's definition of very low-income households and all other provisions of the Municipality's Affordable Housing Ordinance,” according to the ordinance.

Stacked townhouses with one or two bedrooms will have one parking space per dwelling, and stacked townhouses with three or more bedrooms will have two parking spaces per dwelling.

A public hearing on the ordinance will be held on Sept. 8.

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