The meeting began with the board’s decision to appoint Daniel Block from Hol Urban as the new planner for an affordable housing project. This appointment became necessary due to the illness of George Ritter, the board’s regular planner, whose absence was noted as a significant loss given his extensive knowledge of Lopatcong’s planning history. The board expressed confidence in Block’s capabilities, highlighting Hol Urban’s previous involvement in local planning and the necessity of maintaining momentum on the project’s progress.

As the board tackled the issue of affordable housing, members emphasized the urgency of meeting the January 31st deadline for submitting a plan. The conversation focused on various strategies to fulfill affordable housing requirements, such as potentially zoning municipal land for 100% affordable housing. This approach, if implemented effectively, could earn the municipality double credit toward its affordable housing obligations. Partnering with organizations like Habitat for Humanity was also suggested as a means to facilitate the construction and management of these housing units.

The board discussed the calculated need for 87 affordable housing units through 2035, a figure provided by the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) that some members believed might be based on outdated data. The board members stressed the importance of integrating more precise and updated data, particularly from Highlands mapping, which considers undevelopable and already developed properties. This data refinement could potentially revise the number of units required.

Members acknowledged the critical role of the municipal governing body in finalizing the affordable housing number, with the planning board serving in an advisory capacity. The board explored the potential need for additional meetings to finalize the affordable housing number and emphasized collaboration with the town council to incorporate the required housing need into the town’s master plan and land use elements.

The board also touched on the historical context of affordable housing in Lopatcong, referencing past legal actions such as builder’s remedy lawsuits that impacted zoning decisions. Members reflected on previous negotiations around affordable housing requirements, including financial arrangements that allowed developers to contribute funds towards rehabilitation efforts instead of constructing affordable units. It was noted that over $3 million was available for home rehabilitation, an area that had previously been a focus of the board’s efforts.

The board expressed concerns about the potential consequences of missing the January 31st deadline. Failure to comply could result in the loss of immunity from exclusionary zoning, granting developers greater freedom to propose projects without the municipality’s consent. This possibility underscored the need for prompt action and potentially a special meeting to ensure that all necessary steps are completed on time.

In addressing these multifaceted challenges, the board considered the necessity of a special meeting to present the housing element and discuss the calculations behind the proposed number of affordable housing units. Sharing the existing housing element report with board members was suggested to better inform them of the current situation, acknowledging the complexities involved in the planning process.

Towards the meeting’s conclusion, there was a proposal to recognize an individual for their contributions to the planning process, echoing previous gestures of appreciation for other contributors. The board members showed general agreement with this idea.