BRIELLE — An information session on the inclusion of property at 636 to 638 Borrie Ave. in the borough’s proposed affordable housing plan was held on April 29 with every seat filled and around a dozen more in the hallway.
Affordable housing planner Kendra Lelie, of Hopewell-based planning firm Kyle + McManus Associates, and Chris Pugliese of the nonprofit Affordable Housing Alliance (AHA) were at the meeting to explain the concept and answer questions.
Also in attendance at the meeting were council members Eliot Colon and Christine Laufer, as well as Borough Administrator Thomas Nolan, affordable housing attorney Jeffrey Surenian and Planning Board Chairperson Corinne Trainor.
Colon, Laufer, Trainor and Councilman Paul Nolan sit on the affordable housing committee for the borough.
The information session began with Lelie discussing the Borrie Avenue project and presenting a conceptual plan for the property.
“There is a need for good and decent housing, specifically rental housing for working folks. There are affordable housing income levels, working folks that are considered in the range earn anywhere from $27,000 a year, which would be a one-person, very low household income, to about $104,000, which would be a four-person moderate income,” said Lelie.
“These people who earn that type of money could certainly be your sons and daughters or grandsons and granddaughters that are in entry-level positions, retired parents who want to stay in town, but who can’t necessarily afford it any longer; local teachers, government workers. They could be single-family moms and dads that are just trying to support their kids in a good location,” said Lelie.
According to Lelie, the borough would not be able to meet its obligation for the fourth round obligation of 24 units without the Borrie Avenue property.
The Borrie Avenue property would be a 100% property, meaning all the units within the building would be affordable to low- and moderate-income households, Lelie said.
“The property must be under the control of the developer or the borough and in order to provide for a 100% project like we are talking about tonight, the affordable housing units have to be subsidized. The money has to come from somewhere. In a situation where the developer is doing units and that developer is a for-profit developer and they do market-rate units, for every five market-rate units, one affordable housing unit is subsidized by those market-rate units,” said Lelie.
According to Lelie, in a 100% project, the money usually comes from state grants, county grants and low-interest loans.
“If these five units were not a 100% project, you are looking at having to have a 25-unit project somewhere within the municipality through an inclusionary project, meaning a developer that would do five units for every one unit,” said Lelie.
Lelie explained that the location was chosen because it is borough-owned and for its proximity to parks, alternate transportation, schools, libraries, shopping and personal services.
Lelie defined a suitable site as one that has access to sewer and water, is surrounded by compatible uses, and which can be developed with residential site improvement standards.
This is an excerpt of the print article. For more on this story, read The Coast Star—on newsstands Thursday or online in our e-Edition.
Check out our other Brielle stories, updated daily. And remember to pick up a copy of The Coast Star—on newsstands Friday or online in our e-Edition.
Subscribe today! If you're not already an annual subscriber to The Coast Star, get your subscription today! For just $38 per year, you will receive local mail delivery weekly, with pages and pages of local news and online access to our e-edition on Starnewsgroup.com.
 6x10 4c.jpg)
