Town Hall was filled to a standing room only capacity on Monday, November 27, as a controversial ordinance was passed, five months after it was first introduced, at the Township Council meeting.The ordinance was to formally adopt the 45 South Livingston Avenue District Redevelopment Plan. Dozens of residents spoke at length, both in opposition and support of the ordinance, prior to its passage.When comment on the ordinance began, Council member Shawn Klein recusedhimself for the duration of the meeting, due to a conflict of interest. In a closed executive session prior to the regular meeting, the Council had also discussed Fair Share Housing, specifically the 45 South Livingston Avenue project that was to be voted on that evening.The plan, prepared by Beacon Planning and Consulting Services, had been initially introduced in June, but was pulled from the agenda in July, prior to its passage, following strong opposition from residents living near the district. Formerly the site of the Bottle King and other businesses, the redevelopment area is located along the eastern side of South Livingston Avenue, between East Mt. Pleasant Avenue to the north and Arden Road to the south. The parcel is situated within a commercial area; surrounding the subj ect property to the north, south, and west are commercial uses, while singlefamily homes border the property to the east and southeast. The section was designated as an “area in need of redevelopment” by the Township Council in February of 2021.Though the ordinance had been removed from the agenda for several months, residents have continued to speak out against the proposed development at Council meetings.Passage of the plan paves the way for what is now, according to the amended ordinance, a 195-unithousing complex, plus retail buildings, to be constructed on the property.Prior to its introduction, township manager Barry Lewis explained the changes that had been made to the ordinance since it was initially introduced in June. The changes included a reduction of the number of units, from 240 to 210 (and, eventually, to 195 following a final amendment Monday evening), with a corresponding decrease in off-site affordable housing, as well. As a result of the reduction in units, the back row of parking spaces is gone from the proposal, increasing the rear buffer of the property from ten to 28 feet. This will allow for more tree plantings and the preservation of existing trees. The rear of the building ...
