Home » Goodbye Pennytown, Hopewell Township Removes Potential Affordable Housing Site

Goodbye Pennytown, Hopewell Township Removes Potential Affordable Housing Site

by Mary Galioto

After years of deliberation about “Pennytown,” a property in the Marshall’s Corner area of Hopewell Township off of Route 31 marked as a future as a site for affordable housing, it looks like the plans might not come to pass.

Hopewell Township, at the committee meeting last night, agreed to ask the Township planning board to remove Pennytown from consideration in the affordable housing plan. [quote_box_right]For Pennytown articles on MercerMe, check out this link.[/quote_box_right]

The committee said that they want to exclude Pennytown from the housing plan, no longer intending to build affordable housing on the site and, in doing so, the planning board should identify alternative locations for the 70 units slotted for Pennytown to meet the affordable housing obligation.

“We know that the affordable housing plan is in flux at the moment as the town’s constitutional obligation is being litigated. The planning board will be part of the planning process. Pennytown is a site in the existing plan but the committee wants to remove Pennytown from consideration,” said Township attorney Steve Goodell.

One member of the public, Annie Saunders, asked about the current zoning at Pennytown which is considered “in need of redevelopment,” whether that zoning will be changed with this intention, and if the property could be used for open space. In response, Goodell indicated that the “in need of redevelopment” designation could be changed by a redevelopment plan but that nothing is in the works right now.

As for Hiohela Pond, currently covered in water chestnuts, the Township has put in next year’s budget dredging the cement basin to remove the invasive plant life.

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