SOMERS POINT — The Planning Board on July 31 granted unanimous approval to an amended site plan for the affordable housing portion of the community to be known as Greate Bay West.
The changes consist of constructing all of the units in two buildings instead of four, which was previously approved, and renting them rather than selling them.
Housing developer R2F2 Inc. received approval in December 2022 to construct more than 200 homes around the 18-hole Greate Bay Country Club off Somers Point-Mays Landing Road.
The Planning Board granted R2F2 approval on Feb. 15, 2023, to subdivide parts of the 127-acre property as well as for site plans to construct 117 townhouses and 42 affordable apartments at Greate Bay West. Block 1943 Lot 1 was split into three lots. The board also approved subdivision of Block 1941.01 into two lots, as well as site plan approval, to build 51 townhomes to be known as Greate Bay East.
Attorney Keith Davis, representing R2F2, presented the amended plans to the board, along with testimony from engineer Bob Watkins, architect Michael Donovan and affordable housing expert Martin Bershtein. The plans were solely for the affordable housing portion of the project. No changes have been made to plans for the 117 market-rate units.
The development will help the city fulfill its obligation to the Fair Share Housing Center, which files litigation against communities that do not provide adequate low-cost housing.
Somers Point reached a settlement in 2018 with the Fair Share Housing Center that included a site called Plantation Bay to address a portion of the city’s obligation. Plantation Bay has been recast as Greate Bay West and Greate Bay East.
The settlement agreement anticipates the developer providing 75 affordable family units. While the proposal is for only 42 to be built, or 20 percent of the overall unit number, Plantation Bay has 33 surplus units that can count toward the obligation.
Meeting the 20 percent threshold was a matter of much debate, because in addition to the 42 units one unit will be reserved exclusively for an on-site manager rent free.
That makes the entire complex 211 units instead of 210, making 42 just 19.9 percent of the total.
Bershtein, who has been an adviser to the two major state housing authorities, testified that it is common practice to include an on-site manager’s apartment that is not included in the total number of units.
However, Somers Point’s affordable housing attorney Amanda Mazzoni said she could not get a straight answer from the Fair Share Housing Center on the issue and, to protect the city from liability, argued that the project falls short of the required percentage of affordable units.
Davis agreed on behalf of his client to convert one market rate unit into an affordable unit or eliminate one market rate unit to bring the project into compliance if the Fair Share Housing Center were to rule that the manager’s unit counts as a residence. Davis also agreed to deed restrict the manager’s unit so it could never be rented.
The complex is expected to take 18 months to complete. Building A will have 23 apartments, one reserved for the superintendent, on three floors and Building B 20 apartments.
There will be eight one-bedroom units of about 692 square feet, 25 two-bedroom units of about 980 square feet and nine three-bedroom units of about 1,157 square feet. Five of the units will be reserved for tenants with special needs.
Each apartment will have a patio and laundry facilities. The complex will also have a common room, fitness center and leasing office, as well as two playgrounds for children age 2 to 5 and 5 to 12. There will be picnic tables and benches as well.
– By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff