Marlboro approves more than 100 affordable apartments; see who is eligible to get one
MARLBORO - The township planning board approved the second phase of an affordable housing development off Tennent Road on Wednesday night, adding 104 apartments across six buildings.
Dubbed The Place at Marlboro, the plans received initial approval in late 2020 as part of the township’s settlement agreement with the Fair Share Housing Center, which has sued municipalities across the state for not complying with the affordable housing requirements.
While eventually every apartment will have its own street address, it is currently listed at 91 Tennent Road on Google and other map apps.
The initial phase approval was for 154 apartments across nine buildings. Of the 154 apartments, 10 are one-bedroom units, 95 are two-bedroom units and 49 are three-bedroom units. According to the developer’s attorney Diane Dabulas, the apartments have been built and some residents have moved in. The developer, CIS Communities, which has built affordable apartments throughout the state, is currently leasing units on its website.
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The second phase will contain 104 apartments across six buildings. Eight apartments will be one-bedroom units, 64 will be two-bedroom units and 32 will be three-bedroom units.
According to an income chart on the apartment’s website, at the lowest end of the scale, people making less than 30% of the area median income of Monmouth County, or $27,090 for one person, could qualify for a one-bedroom apartment with a monthly rent of $657. At the highest end of the scale, a family of six making a combined income of under 60% of the area median income of Monmouth County, or $89,820, could qualify for a three-bedroom apartment with a monthly rent of $1,836.
The Place at Marlboro Rent Income Chart by Dennis Carmody on Scribd
The development would also have a club house and a recreation area.
The only change between the first approval and Wednesday’s approval was the access to the Henry Hudson Trail to its east. According to planning board attorney Michael Herbert, obtaining the access would have required a cross easement and approval from JCP&L, which owns part of the property.
“In order to get that,” Herbert said, “it’s like parting the Red Sea.”
Board member Michael Adler asked about the increase in flooding he has seen in the area due to the site being elevated from a few neighboring houses.
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The board’s engineer Laura Neumann said the township has gotten complaints about drainage issues, but the drainage when fully built, is “sized for the community.” She said the township has reached out to the contractor, who has fixed the issue.
Resident Tim Tierney, who lives near the site, said he was not against the development, but is concerned that people are speeding down Tennent Road, which lacks visible speed-limit signs. He said he can recall 10 accidents in the last five years near his house.
Neumann said the township does not have jurisdiction over the county road, but would be willing to petition the county to improve it.
Board member Lynn Franco encouraged Tierney to contact the township police department’s traffic and safety division so it could stage a patrol of the area and send residents’ complaints to the county.
The board approved the second phase in a 6-0 vote.
Olivia Liu is a reporter covering transportation, Red Bank and western Monmouth County. She can be reached at oliu@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: The Place at Marlboro gets approval for 104 more affordable apartments
