Chairman discusses new home projections

As chairman of the Howell Planning Board, I would like to respond to the letter from Jay Migliaccio ("Vote for Independent Voices in Howell, Tri-Town News, Oct. 19) regarding his contention that the newly adopted master plan (land use element) will generate 3,000 new homes in Howell.

I find it difficult for Mr. Migliaccio to make such an assertion. Over what period of time is he projecting this amount of construction? An analysis of approvals and pending approvals for the new housing plan element and fair share plan that the Planning Board is working on shows that in the next 10 years over 2,500 residential units will be constructed under the previous land use plan.

I am of the opinion that implementation of the recommendations in the new land use plan will reduce and control residential development in the township by:

+ Defining density by implementing resource conservation calculations. This recommendation will change the definition of density in the land development ordinance. It will require that environmental characteristics are deducted from the calculation of density thus reducing the overall number of houses that can be constructed on a piece of property.

+ The land use plan recommends the creation of an ARE-4 zone downzoning approximately 2,300 acres from 3 acres per unit to 4 acres per unit.

+ The land use plan also withdrew from development 5,500 acres of publicly owned land which was previously zoned for residential development. The land area now will be exclusively permitted for passive and active recreation uses.

+ Recognizing that much of the publicly owned land was in ARE-6, the land use plan still increased the amount of land in 6-acre zoning in the township by approximately 1,600 acres.

+ The land use plan advances several new land development options beyond the conventional subdivision model which is presently the only option for land development in the majority of the township. It is the Planning Board's belief that these options will promote agriculture, protect environmental resources and reduce land consumption.

+ The ARE-2 zone increased by a total of 34 acres. Using the gross density of 2 acres per unit that is an increase of 17 new homes over what is presently permitted.

But I think there is something else behind Mr. Migliac-cio's fictitious figures. I believe it is his opposition to the permitting of age-restricted housing. The plan has called for the permitting of this use in part of its highway development district, a grand total of 1.8 percent of the township.

But again, how does he come up with 3,000 units since the Planning Board's recommendation to implement these areas limits projects to 200 units; an applicant must have at least 40 acres to initiate a project; they will be required to provide 40 percent of open space, and the overall density is four units per acre which is extremely low considering other senior citizen projects like those in Jackson.

Finally, there was a report conducted by Remington, Vernick and Vena in 2004 which stated the township over the next 25 years would need 3,000-plus units of age-restricted housing. Maybe that is the figure he is referring to. Well, if it is, let me assure you that proposed zoning of 690 acres with the restrictions recommended by the Planning Board to the Township Council will never have the capacity to accommodate that number of units.

Paul Schneider

Howell