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Ad Populos, Non Aditus, Pervenimus Published Every Thursday Since September 3, 1890 (908) 232-4407 USPS 680020 Thursday, July 19, 2018 OUR 128th YEAR – ISSUE NO. 29-2018 Periodical – Postage Paid at Rahway, N.J. www.goleader.com [email protected] ONE DOLLAR Asm. Bramnick Seeks Change In Affordable-Housing Laws By CHRISTINA M. HINKE Garwood, Scotch Plains, Mountain- required the municipality to build Specially Written for The Westfield Leader side and Fanwood, residents are see- hundreds of units, and the township CRANFORD — Assemblyman Jon ing large-scale apartment buildings currently is working to fulfill its law- Bramnick (R-21st, Westfield), Re- being erected with what is called suits’ obligation that is to be met by publican Assembly Minority Leader, inclusionary housing, meaning de- the end of the year; it still has yet to held a town-hall-style meeting at velopers build high-density housing reach a third-round affordable-hous- Kilkenny House July 9 to discuss his that sets aside, typically, 15 to 20 ing agreement. ideas on how to change state laws that percent for affordable housing, and Westfield settled with the courts require municipalities to provide a the municipalities will include that in last year, and most recently a new certain number of affordable-hous- their affordable-housing allotment apartment complex on South and ing units. that the court imposes upon them. Central Avenues was built with Mr. Bramnick asserted that he is For instance, Scotch Plains is ex- inclusionary housing. The town also not against providing affordable hous- pected to have 3,000 new apartments has earmarked commercial proper- ing, but rather he is against the high- built, with about 15 percent of those ties such as Westfield Lumber and density housing that goes along with earmarked as affordable housing, af- Williams Nursery as spaces that could including affordable housing within a ter the township settled its affordable potentially become residential with development and the courts being in housing with the court earlier this inclusionary housing. charge of the determination. year. “Now the court is micro-managing In municipalities in Union County Cranford has been slapped with how many units you have to build in such as Cranford, Westfield, builder’s remedy lawsuits that has these communities and that is ridicu- lous,” Mr. Bramnick said. In his opin- ion, the courts should not be making the decision. He called the issue partisan. “On this issue, Democrats like this con- David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader cept of moving high-density housing TRYING TO AVOID BEING FLAGGED...The Westfield ball carrier tries to elude a host of Cranford Cougars in the Scotch into municipalities,” he said. “They Plains-Fanwood Union County Mudturtle Flag Rugby Day held at Park Middle School in Scotch Plains on July 14. See story won’t pass or let us vote on any of on page 9 of Sports. these bills that would change the law.” At the town-hall meeting last week, Mr. Bramnick and Republican As- Paperboard Property to semblywoman Nancy Muñoz (R-21st, Summit) were joined by about 30 to 40 people in attendance, including residents from Cranford and Clark Have Maximum of 124 Units By MICHAEL BONACCORSO Northgrave. who have concerns about the 905 Specially Written for The Westfield Leader 60 percent of the affordable units apartments that have been proposed Mr. Northgrave said the site was must be two-bedroom units, 20 per- at 750 Walnut Avenue in Cranford by GARWOOD — A special town- selected for affordable housing as per cent of the affordable units must be Hartz Mountain Industries, which hall-style meeting was held last Thurs- the borough’s affordable-housing three-bedroom units, and 20 percent currently is looking to rezone the day allowing borough residents to agreement, meaning redevelopment of the affordable units must be one- commercial property to residential. gather insight and ask questions re- at the location is “inevitable or un- bedroom units. Paul Lachenauer for The Westfield Leader In response to the rezoning Hartz is garding the Paperboard redevelop- avoidable” as per court rulings, he He said this means that four units of RESCUE THESE PETS...Wise Animal Shelter took part in Westfield’s Cus- proposing, Mr. Bramnick commented, ment project. said. the 124 total units will be three-bed- tomer Appreciation Days, which were held July 12 to 15. “...in essence, the developer says I “No more than 124 rental units” Mr. Northgrave said, based on the room units per affordable-housing can no longer rent...I want to put will be developed at the North Av- property’s “affordable-housing sta- rules and not by the developer’s or the housing up...Why? In essence, the enue site, stated borough redevelop- tus,” the developer could build a much borough’s choice. Committee Seeks Upgrades easiest way to make money.” ment attorney William Northgrave. denser development without major Mr. DiGiovanni said the Paper- “I don’t know the politics but I As per a state Superior Court ruling, input from the borough’s planning board site is “very significant” in com- To Cranford Muni. Offices would doubt that local officials want 15 percent of the 124 units must be board, borough council or residents. parable size to the Russo Develop- CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 listed as “affordable,” stated Mr. However, Garden Homes, the devel- ment properties on South Avenue. By KIMBERLY A. BROADWELL ment, except for Mayor Thomas H. oper, operating under Garwood De- However, the Paperboard develop- Specially Written for The Westfield Leader Hannen, Jr. velopers LLC, has chosen to work ment will be “significantly smaller,” CRANFORD – After some discus- Mayor Hannen was the only mem- Cranford Introduces Ord. with borough leaders and residents to with 124 units versus the 300 total sion, members of the Cranford Town- ber of the township committee to vote develop an end product best suited units being developed by Russo on ship Committee decided to put to- no on the proposal request, saying he for the community, said Mr. South Avenue. gether a renovation Request for Pro- thought that money for the project To Designate Historic Dist. Northgrave. “They asked for a quality product. posals (RFPs) to upgrade office lay- would be better spent on things such The existing structure’s status as Officials (Garwood mayor and coun- By KIMBERLY A. BROADWELL It was announced by Township “deemed beyond repair” and no longer out improvements for the second floor as street improvements. Specially Written for The Westfield Leader cil) have fought us (negotiated) to In other business, Deputy Mayor Clerk Patricia Donahue that a second viable for use made the property eli- lower the unit numbers,” said Mr. of Township Hall. The second floor and final reading of the ordinance houses the Engineering, Finance and Dooley addressed the township com- CRANFORD – With many proud gible for affordable-housing desig- DiGiovanni, responding to a resident mittee members about drafting a zon- Sunny Acres residents looking on in will take place at the Tuesday, August nation under court rulings, stated Mr. who suggested suburban New Jersey Building offices at the township’s 14 meeting. municipal establishment located on ing board communication in either a the audience, members of the Cranford Northgrave. is becoming “more like the Bronx” letter, e-mail or resolution regarding Township Committee, Tuesday night, In other business, a total of 25 other Garden Homes principal Tony with dense housing. Springfield Avenue. resolutions were read and passed in- Deputy Mayor Ann Dooley stated the zoning board strictly enforcing unanimously passed upon first read- DiGiovanni said an agreement was Mr. Northgrave said the resident’s the impervious coverage regulations ing an ordinance declaring the Sunny cluding a resolution designating made per negotiations with borough question implies that the housing plan that the improvements are important $9,700,000 of notes consisting of for the township’s building because to improve flooding conditions. Mem- Acres area of Cranford a historic dis- officials to not develop any “three- could have been averted or elimi- bers of the committee discussed some trict. $8,366,000 general bond anticipa- bedroom market-rate units” at the nated by the council, which is not the offices are old and were not effi- tion notes and $1,334,000 swim pool cient because the oversized furniture of the new flooding areas and in- Sunny Acres resident and member site. Mr. DiGiovanni said the devel- possible under court rulings. creased water in the sewers from all of the Cranford Preservation Advi- utility bond anticipation notes both oper and borough officials have con- “Affordable housing (court rulings) takes up too much space, leaving issued and dated June 29, 2018 and township employees crowded inside the new construction. Also discussed sory Board, Loretta Smith, spoke cluded three-bedroom units correlate is driving the need for density,” Mr. was enforcing the side-, rear- and about how proud she was at being a payable June 28, 2019 as “qualified with more families, thus more school- Northgrave said. the rooms. She also noted that there tax exempt obligations” pursuant to were some structural repairs that were front-yard setbacks. resident of the Sunny Acres portion of aged children. The Paperboard site will be 60 per- Commissioner Mary O’Connor the township and proud that the Sunny Section 265 (b) (3) of the Internal Affordable-housing rulings estab- cent less dense than the Russo Develop- needed, including fixing a leaking Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. pipe in the ceiling in the finance of- suggested putting a presentation to- Acres section is the first area to be lish that 18 of 124 units (15 percent of ment sites, stated Mr.

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