Haworth Affordable Housing Meeting Cancelled

The Schaefer’s Gardens site in Haworth. While the business still operates, it appears residential development there will be part of the borough's 2019 affordable housing settlement. | Staff photo.

BY MICHAEL OLOHAN
OF NORTHERN VALLEY PRESS

HAWORTH, N.J.—A special meeting to discuss the borough’s current proposal to meet affordable housing obligations through 2025—originally planned for Feb. 12 at Haworth Public School—was cancelled due to a winter storm.

Borough Clerk Ann Fay said Friday, Feb. 15 the meeting had not yet been rescheduled.

Borough officials hope will the pending settlement not “dramatically alter the borough’s essential residential character.”

“The borough is continuing its efforts to attain closure regarding its housing plan, with the objective being a plan that does not dramatically alter the borough’s essential residential character,” said a letter from the mayor and council posted on the borough’s website.

Mayor Thomas Ference, formerly Planning Board chair for 29 years, helped guide the borough through the first two rounds of affordable housing obligations with the now-defunct Council on Affordable Housing.

Since 2015, due to the demise of the council, state Superior Courts have determined affordable housing obligations. The state Supreme Court has appointed Fair Share Housing Center to act as advocate—or as intervenor—for affordable housing in the settlement litigation.

Under former governors, including Gov. Chris Christie, the former Council on Affordable Housing did not function between 1999-2015, causing the Supreme Court to create a new process to fulfill the state’s affordable housing act, passed in 1985. That 1985 act incorporated previous rulings on affordable housing dating back to the original Mount Laurel “fair share” housing decision in 1975.

Currently, the letter states, Fair Share Housing Center is requesting an affordable obligation of 307 housing units while an independent analysis puts Haworth’s affordable obligations at 223 units.

‘Numbers…Unacceptable’

“The mayor and council strongly believe that these numbers are unacceptable. Borough officials are optimistic that there is a potential for settlement that will not require such a substantial increase in the borough’s population and housing stock, nor significant changes to existing development patterns or the character of the community,” states the mayor and council letter.

One option currently being negotiated involves the Schaefer’s Gardens property, which is private property sold to a developer in 2017, according to the letter. While the property was recommended for multi-family housing, “it remains the borough’s goal that high-density development be avoided.”

The letter notes the new property owner has proposed a lower-density development, comprising 41 units for sale, with nine set aside as affordable units.

“Residents are undoubtedly aware of the development of D’Angelo Farms in Dumont, which is being developed with 146 apartments, of which 22 will be affordable, on a total of seven acres,” states the online missive to residents.

It notes that the Schaefer’s Gardens proposal is roughly seven units per acre versus 25 units per acre being built in Dumont.

‘Attain Negotiated Settlement’

“Our legal counsel has advised us that every effort should be made to attain a negotiated settlement, as the courts are otherwise likely to accept [Fair Share Housing Center’s] significantly higher numerical obligations, as has occurred elsewhere,” the letter states.

“Discussions are continuing with counsel for Schaefer’s Gardens, Fair Share Housing Center, and the [Superior Court] special master. These plans will impact the future direction of our town,” concludes the letter in bold type.

Northern Valley Press reached out to borough officials for more information prior to the meeting being cancelled, but they declined to elaborate beyond the online letter.

“The letter was the product of considerable discussion of the entire Council and represents the information that we are willing and able to provide at this time.  As the letter states, we will discuss the issue of affordable housing in greater detail at the meeting on Feb. 12,” said Councilman Andrew L. Rosenberg.

Bad winter weather later caused the Feb. 12 meeting to be cancelled. The Haworth Mayor and Council have a scheduled regular meeting Feb. 26.

A public records request for a copy of Haworth’s current affordable housing settlement was submitted Feb. 7 by Northern Valley Press.

No online links to the current affordable housing settlement proposal are provided on the borough website.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in the print edition on Feb. 11 and has been updated to reflect that the meeting was cancelled.