The Hopewell Borough Planning Board met April 2 to move forward on plans addressing the borough’s affordable housing requirements. Also on the agenda: a proposed renovation to a 1944 bungalow at 42 Hart Ave., which sits in the borough’s historic buffer zone.
Alison Baxter, chair of the Hopewell Historic Preservation Commission (HPC), presented the commission’s recommendations for the Hart Ave. project. The HPC works with the Planning Board to help protect the town’s historic character. Using the new large video screens recently installed in the meeting room, Baxter shared photos and architectural elevations of the home. Several board members noted how much more effective the new setup is for both the board and members of the public watching in person or online.
One notable detail: the homeowner is planning to use a type of siding that was unfamiliar to some board members and borough planner Frank Sweeney. It has the look of wood or vinyl siding but is made from fiberglass and foam, with overlapping panels like traditional clapboard. The foam layer underneath provides built-in insulation. The HPC found the new siding and window designs appropriate for the home and recommended approval. Baxter also noted that the home’s front porch and railing—described as “charming”—would stay, though the columns might be enlarged slightly for better visual balance.
The board unanimously approved the Certificate of Appropriateness.
Afterward, the conversation turned to affordable housing. Mayor Ryan Kennedy reported that Hopewell Borough is currently obligated to provide 39 affordable housing units—either through new construction or by renovating existing homes.
Around the state, the issue has sparked legal battles: 27 municipalities are suing New Jersey over the housing mandates, while 159 others are being sued by the New Jersey Builders Association for delays in moving plans forward. Hopewell Borough isn’t in either category, but it does have a deadline—plans must be submitted to the state by the end of June.
To meet that timeline, the board will form a subcommittee focused on affordable housing. That group is set to meet April 16, replacing the board’s usual mid-month meeting. The idea is to give members more time to dig into the plan before posting it to the borough website and presenting it to the public at the next regular board meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, May 7, at 7 p.m.
As of now, the April 16 meeting cancellation hasn’t been updated on the borough’s website.
Planning Board meetings are open to the public, both in person and online. Details can be found on the Borough’s website.
