Making Room for Affordable Housing in Oceanport

Oceanport took steps to satisfy its affordable housing obligation by amending its master plan Wednesday night to accommodate the 149 units it is required to provide.

Following a special planning board meeting that outlined how Oceanport would meet its Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) obligations, the borough council approved the amendment at its meeting that followed, but not before officials expressed frustration with affordable housing mandates.

Architect Elizabeth McManus outlined how Oceanport would meet its third round of COAH obligations during a special planning board meeting on Dec. 5. A majority of COAH opportunites are pre-existing in the borough while three new programs outlined at the meeting are highlighted in italics in the chart below:

The Old Wharf project is a 1.88 acre site along East Main Street that would be rezoned to accommodate 20 residential units, including four affordable units and limited commercial space. A proposal to develop the same site in 2006 include more units, McManus, of the firm Clarke Caton Hitz in Trenton, said.

The borough would partner with an affordable housing developer, like Habitat for Humanity, to create a duplex on Pemberton Avenue that would inclue two COAH units, said McManus.

The accessory apartment program would allow residential property owners to create accessory dwelling units to rent to low or moderate income households (non-family), McManus said. The units would have COAH deed restrictions for 10 years and would create four units in the R1, R2, R3 and R5 zones in Oceanport.

Some of the 137 units are given additional housing credits bringing the total to 149 and satisfying to borough COAH obligation, McManus said.

Oceanport is not able to use any proposed housing units on Fort Monmouth but McManus said that as plans for fort property develop, that could change.

Residents asked about flood mitigation for the Old Wharf development (the project will be raised to FEMA codes, said McManus) and pointed out that parking was already at a premium along Pemberton ("There are still issues that need to be addressed," said McManus.).

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