Township to Post Amended Housing Plan Feb. 13; Planning Board Hearing Set for Feb. 23

February 13, 2026

Nicholas Mistretta

Planning Board Briefed on Affordable Housing Plan Revisions, Key Dates Ahead of Feb. 23 Hearing

Montgomery Township officials used the Planning Board’s Feb. 9 meeting to walk board members and residents through the process for updating the township’s Affordable Housing Plan and to outline the principal changes expected in a forthcoming amended Fourth Round Housing Element and Fair Share Plan.

Planning Director and Township Administrator Lori Savron led the presentation alongside Assistant Planning Director Cheryl Chrusz, Township Planner Isabel Rodriguez, and affordable housing attorney Wendy Rubenstein. Savron described the session as an “information session” intended to prepare both the Planning Board and the public for the formal review and hearing later this month.

The township plans to post the amended plan to its website on Friday, Feb. 13, with the Planning Board scheduled to hold a public hearing and adoption vote on Monday, Feb. 23.

Master plan context and process
Savron began with an overview of the municipal master plan, describing it as the township’s long-range policy document that guides land use and informs zoning and development ordinances. She emphasized that the Planning Board adopts the master plan, while the Township Committee is responsible for adopting zoning and land development ordinances through a separate public process.

Savron noted that New Jersey’s Municipal Land Use Law requires municipalities to review the master plan’s goals, objectives and policies at least every 10 years. Montgomery’s last reexamination report was completed in 2017, and the township expects to begin the next reexamination process later this year, ahead of the 2027 due date.

What is being amended
The presentation focused on differences between the township’s June 2025 adopted plan and the proposed February 2026 amended plan for the state’s Fourth Round, a 10-year cycle running from 2025 through 2035.

Savron said changing circumstances after the June adoption have allowed the township to pursue additional extensions of affordability controls on existing affordable housing units. As a result, the township intends to revise the plan to remove previously proposed inclusionary developments—projects that would have produced affordable units as part of new development—in order to prioritize preserving existing deed-restricted units by extending their affordability periods.

Savron described affordability-control extensions as a mechanism permitted by state regulations that can keep units affordable for an additional term—typically 30 years—that might otherwise convert to market-rate housing when restrictions expire. She said timing is critical because some of the units targeted for extension are scheduled to expire within the current Fourth Round period.

Credits, obligation, and how compliance is tracked
Savron also addressed how the township’s state housing obligation is measured, explaining that New Jersey assigns municipalities an affordable housing obligation that is satisfied through “credits” earned by creating or preserving qualifying units.

She said the state has allocated Montgomery an obligation of 260 credits for the current round. Municipalities are permitted to meet up to 25% of that obligation through “bonus credits,” which can be earned through certain approved mechanisms. Any credits above the assigned number may carry forward to a future round, Savron said, emphasizing that affordable housing compliance is an ongoing state constitutional requirement.

Site changes and major components highlighted
During the presentation, officials outlined specific components that will be reflected in the amended plan:

Inclusionary developments removed: The township identified three sites that were included in the June plan and are now slated for removal in favor of additional affordability-control extensions. Those sites included the EKAHN site (described as the former Kenvue/Johnson & Johnson property), 23 Orchard Road, and Thrive Assisted Living.
- On the EKAHN property, Savron said the site remains available for reuse or redevelopment under existing zoning through normal Planning Board site plan or subdivision procedures. She also noted that a developer seeking to depart from zoning could apply to the Zoning Board for a use variance.
- For 23 Orchard Road, Savron said the Township Committee authorized the Planning Board to conduct a preliminary investigation into whether the property meets criteria for designation as a non-condemnation redevelopment area; the Planning Board is expected to review the completed study in March.
- On Thrive Assisted Living, officials said the project is moving forward, but related credits would be claimed in a future round rather than in the amended plan.
Homeownership unit controls unchanged: The township plans to continue pursuing extensions of expiring affordability controls at McKinley Commons and Montgomery Glen, totaling 35 and 19 affordable for-sale units, respectively, in the Blue Spring Road area.
Senior rental controls modified: Officials said the township intends to extend controls at McKinley Court, which has 60 affordable senior rental units. However, because state rules limit how many age-restricted units a municipality can count toward its obligation, the plan will reflect a revised credit count. Savron said the township expects to claim 58 credits tied to those 60 units, with bonus credits contributing to a total credit figure from the site.
New addition: Pike Run rentals: The amended plan adds extensions of expiring controls at the Pike Run development. Officials said Pike Run includes 210 affordable family rental apartments, and the amended plan will claim a portion through a combination of base and bonus credits. Savron said the township may pursue additional extensions there in the future.

Savron also explained that while the amended plan is described as a large document, much of its length comes from state-required attachments and documentation. The revised plan will highlight changes with bold italic text at the beginning of amended sections to make updates easier to identify, she said, while noting that most demographic and background sections remain unchanged.

Upcoming actions and public participation
Township officials outlined a schedule of next steps across both the Planning Board and Township Committee:

Feb. 13: Amended plan to be posted online
Feb. 19: Township Committee to introduce the affordable housing ordinance
Feb. 23: Planning Board public hearing and adoption vote
March 5: Township Committee to endorse the plan and hold the public hearing and adoption vote on the affordable housing ordinance (following Planning Board adoption)

Savron encouraged residents with questions after reviewing the posted plan to contact the Planning Department.

To view entire meeting click here.

Photo Credit: Nicholas Mistretta/headlinenewsmontgomery.com