Age-Restricted Housing Applicant Returning to Planning Board

The Planning Board of Lacey Township will review a development plan at tonight’s 7 p.m. meeting.

Laurel Boulevard Associates, LLC, the applicant proposing Lacey Square Condominiums, is revisiting the Planning Board for a complete hearing.

Similarly to Lacey Town Village, whose , the applicant is attempting to change the plans from age-restricted to a non-age-restricted development.

Lacey Square Condominiums was approved years ago as multi-family age-restricted units, which would be located at Laurel Boulevard and Railroad Avenue. The development was to have two buildings with a total of 41 residential units on 6.017 acres.

The builders are returning to the Planning Board because of a bill that Gov. Jon Corzine signed in July 2009 allowing developers to challenge towns over the age-restricted status of pending developments.

With the intention of stimulating the building market and economic growth, this law applied to developments that were approved but had yet to begin construction or sales.

Unlike Lacey Town Village, who declined to make necessary modifications to their plans, Lacey Square Condominiums seems to be more willing to cooperate, Mayor Gary Quinn said.

“The big thing tonight is public input,” Quinn said.

Although Quinn does not expect there to be any major obstacles with this applicant because the project is smaller than Lacey Town Village, public input is key, Quinn said.

Currently, non-age-restricted developments are not a permitted use in Lacey, Quinn said. The township prefers age-restricted condominiums because they are good ratables, are responsible for their own services, and generate tax dollars, he said.