Clark Planning Board Approves Developer’s Payment in Lieu of Affordable Housing Unit

In a recent session, Clark Planning Board agreed to amend a previous approval, allowing Spring Enterprises LLC to contribute financially to the township’s affordable housing fund instead of designating one of their residential units as affordable. This decision came after the adoption of a new ordinance clarifying developers’ contributions to affordable housing.

At the recent meeting, Donald B. Fraser Jr., representing Spring Enterprises LLC, requested the board to amend the approval for their mixed-use project at the old CVS site on Westfield Avenue. The project includes commercial space on the first floor with four residential units above. Due to the new ordinance, developers with five or fewer units can now opt to make a payment to the township’s affordable housing fund. Spring Enterprises LLC will contribute approximately $19,000 rather than dedicating one of the residential units as affordable housing, subject to verification by the tax assessor and the affordable housing administrative agent.

The board also discussed the additional development fee applicable to the commercial component of the property, which the representative acknowledged was not included in the $19,000 fee and would be calculated separately.

The decision was unanimous, with all board members, including Mayor Sal Bonaccorso, voting in favor of the amendment. The resolution for this amendment is set to be prepared for the March meeting.

During the open public comment section, resident Nancy Tasus expressed concerns about traffic analysis for the Starbucks development, urging the board to require more in-depth studies for future projects in heavily trafficked areas.

New business included an inquiry from a board member about a utility pole obstructing a sidewalk near the cubesmart building. The issue will be looked into, as there was no immediate information regarding plans to relocate the pole.

Note: This meeting summary was generated by AI, which can occasionally misspell names, misattribute actions, and state inaccuracies. This summary is intended to be a starting point and you should review the meeting record linked above before acting on anything you read. If we got something wrong, let us know. We’re working every day to improve our process in pursuit of universal local government transparency.

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