[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6192022,"mediaKeyId","4146090-14e6e6fc684f2de620e3d9ce89ad560b","parentId",4146090,"title","Planning board clears demolition and new single‑family house at 311 Walnut Street","audioSeconds",1545,"startMs",5600000,"endMs",7145000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=4146090-14e6e6fc684f2de620e3d9ce89ad560b&start=5600&end=7145","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/4146090-14e6e6fc684f2de620e3d9ce89ad560b/thumbnail_5600000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6192022/New-Jersey/Planning-board-clears-demolition-and-new-singlefamily-house-at-311-Walnut-Street","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6192022-1d95c471d6b2bf2af9e57813685def09/orig.mp4?Expires=1770885055&Signature=Etx2D0lPN5yoO6Jehum8LedjP5MDGXZKUBqS0pGPWV-RjGr2sfJCky0msFcZ6XMxwN-iZQspMbowB0-ttFkkrtk35P6FDzlUuLJ~BHpNYXxn5QMpzX2Q72i1DriBbBNArhyqOo4ERJ5lYSx2Ukf7P~PVYSS-5OjzPz21Qq5OdOj7F9GQK9Jlca4G944J6nv4Vanz0DF5Gx72D21LbMU3RhOrKTxeyFgJyo0gBZNlWb-FoMui2sHhiuHAu73Jsa9~oU9kKLtrkmrolZ9JDvzni7HhbBZBqzpRuooV8G~Ht91fPqcnczZkG0dMeaIgbST0glEVSssMbTDKTUbkZD9b3g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Township of Washington","date","2025-06-19T01:12:59Z","article","The Township of Washington Planning Board approved an application by GE Builders LLC to demolish an existing single‑family house at 311 Walnut Street and construct a new two‑story single‑family residence, finding the proposal complies with zoning bulk standards and requires no variances.

Planner and engineer testimony described the property as a 10,000‑square‑foot lot (100 by 100) on the east side of Walnut Street with existing topography and several mature trees. Engineer Thomas G. Stearns testified the proposed dwelling has a 1,982‑square‑foot footprint, complies with required front, side and rear setbacks and includes a two‑car garage. The plan shows a seepage pit for rooftop recharge and stormwater calculations the board engineer reviewed and conditionally approved; the engineer also noted a potential groundwater encounter if the basement elevation is lowered and described an overflow option to an existing storm line if required.

Board engineering review and the applicant’s testimony left two main follow‑ups: a certified arborist assessment of the large trees on the site (including some front‑yard specimens near the street and others that appear dead or hazardous) and confirmation of sewer invert elevations (to determine whether an ejector pump will be needed for basement plumbing). The applicant agreed to hire a certified arborist and to submit that report to the board engineer (Paul) for review; the board made that submission a condition of final sign‑off.

Township planning staff and the board’s reviewer confirmed that standard demolition prerequisites — asbestos/lead surveys, rodent abatement and utility shutoffs — must be completed and permitted through the building department before demolition. The applicant stated the new house will be marketed for sale rather than owner‑occupied.

The board approved the application by voice/roll call with the record showing affirmative votes by the board members present. The approval includes the board engineer’s technical comments and the condition that the arborist’s report be submitted to the board engineer for review and any required mitigation measures be implemented during construction.

Why it matters: The site plan review preserves neighborhood protections by requiring an arborist report and confirming drainage and sewer connections before final permits are issued. Neighbor questions at the hearing focused on tree removal, potential impacts to adjacent trees and the required demolition‑permit safeguards.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Township Planning Board 06.18.25","oneSentenceSummary","The planning board approved GE Builders LLC’s application to demolish an existing dwelling at 311 Walnut St. and build a new two‑story single‑family home; approval was conditioned on arborist and technical items to be reviewed by the board engineer.","taxTitle","Township of Washington, Warren County, New Jersey","taxId",53893,"location","New Jersey","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6192027,"Washington Township planning board adopts 2025 housing element, designates two sites to meet state fair‑share obligation",5526,0,5526000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=4146090-14e6e6fc684f2de620e3d9ce89ad560b&start=0&end=5526","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/4146090-14e6e6fc684f2de620e3d9ce89ad560b/thumbnail_0.jpg","/articles/6192027/New-Jersey/Washington-Township-planning-board-adopts-2025-housing-element-designates-two-sites-to-meet-state-fairshare-obligation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6192027-cbf48b94b145ebff1f15e4207e343640/orig.mp4?Expires=1770885055&Signature=ZRPQ9Yp2bedJ8G80zPbJGDPiDaQl7NRkmhVD9wDTP7svDph6i52kXcB0k~UbBYKT4jndWP3-r3qEKRN8iYGcFrohye~KUq9izhTHFCrkfvwCXK5jFGlT~YL3akJKyoVfugsUWP8bQvUELfm4koSy-sYBatcZz8kX8LL6rrl2u835AaJU6Xf7O-T8hYDE~nnPv64Ind1dcu7oGPsG8KjP40to18mpBAM5TzgAYvbRvCP0b-joOEE7jDDi~JxlD1HZCaX2IwBFppzrG1~hHY~A0filgU9-KwilBtOVyoP~MmC9T1WUC6ntnj62EV~k-q2cOul~ziuHGEUAjdVhw8SKAg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Township of Washington Planning Board voted to adopt the municipality’s 2025 Housing Element and Fair Share Plan, a document the board said is required by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) to comply with fourth‑round affordable‑housing rules.

The plan matters because the state assigned Washington Township a fourth‑round prospective need of 184 units; the township used a vacant‑land adjustment to reduce its realistic obligation to 11 units and identified sites and policies intended to satisfy that obligation while preserving the town’s procedural protection from exclusionary‑zoning litigation.

Board planner and legal advisers told the public the DCA number (184) must be accepted or appealed and that the municipality had 48 hours to file the adopted plan with the state after adoption. The panel also noted an unsettled statutory interpretation—disputed by Fair Share Housing Center—over a separate 25 percent adjustment that could raise obligations if courts adopt a different reading. The board said the dispute is likely to be resolved through the state dispute‑resolution program and the courts, and could play out through the coming winter and spring.

What the plan designates: The adopted plan lists two primary sites the board rezoned as reasonable opportunities for affordable housing. One site at 660 Pascack Road (the northwest corner of Pascack and Washington avenues) is proposed for up to 28 townhouse dwellings; the plan specifies that 20 percent of those units — seven units — would be affordable under state rules. The second site is the former bank property at 370 Pascack Road, a roughly 5.16‑acre parcel for which the applicant initially submitted plans showing a potential 74‑unit development; the plan acknowledges the exhibit number while reserving the municipality’s right to require larger perimeter buffers and to resolve the final unit count in site‑plan review. Board testimony said 2–4 units might be shaved from that concept as the project proceeds.

Other items the plan records include a completed Habitat for Humanity homeownership project on Jefferson Street (used toward the earlier round obligation), a Franklin Court rental project (seven family rental units under construction), and a past payment‑in‑lieu from a Van Emberg property owner of about $325,000 deposited to the township housing trust fund. The plan also notes an overlay on Ridgewood Avenue (listed in the plan as Stone Mill Gardens), which currently operates as a garden center and remains undeveloped for housing.

Public comment at the meeting was extensive and largely critical. Several residents questioned impacts on traffic, school capacity and property values and criticized the state timetable, which the board said allowed municipalities only a few months to prepare plans that normally take six to nine months. Debbie Carlson, a Hoover Avenue resident, told the board: “This town has 0 need for affordable housing,” and other speakers urged the board to pursue senior housing, further study of infrastructure (water, sewer, drainage) and to require stronger site‑level design standards.

Board members and municipal counsel repeatedly told attendees that the town is not building the housing itself; adoption of the plan obligates the municipality to zone and enable reasonably feasible sites so developers may apply. Planning staff and counsel emphasized that the governing body must adopt a resolution endorsing the plan so the township can file it with the state and retain the procedural protection from exclusionary‑zoning lawsuits while objections are adjudicated.

Next steps and timing: The board directed staff to incorporate minor corrections discussed at the meeting and to provide a signed copy of the resolution to the township council and state agencies. After adoption, the state allows July and August for objections to be filed; the DCA’s dispute‑resolution panel (six retired judges) begins review September 1 and must forward recommendations to an affordable‑housing judge. The board warned that even after a recommendation, parties will likely litigate and appeal, so finality on interpretive issues (notably the 25 percent language) may not come until the following winter or spring.

Votes at the meeting: The planning board adopted the 2025 Housing Element and Fair Share Plan and instructed staff to file it with the state. A roll call on the adoption recorded affirmative votes by the board members present (see actions[]). The board also asked staff to send a signed resolution copy to the council and county as required.

Why it matters: Adopting a housing element and fair‑share plan is Washington Township’s formal path for complying with state affordable‑housing rules established after the Mount Laurel decisions and later statutes and DCA regulations. The short timetable, residents’ objections about school and traffic impacts, and the pending legal dispute over the 25 percent calculation mean the plan’s adoption begins a period of administrative review and likely litigation that could change outcomes or timelines.","Planning board adopted the 2025 Housing Element and Fair Share Plan after the state-assigned fourth‑round obligation and a vacant‑land adjustment reduced the township’s required units to 11; plan must be filed quickly to preserve municipal protections while objections and state review proceed.","actionData","errors"]

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Planning board clears demolition and new single‑family house at 311 Walnut Street

Washington Township planning board adopts 2025 housing element, designates two sites to meet state fair‑share obligation