A proposed 70-unit affordable housing community on the township-owned Weidel Tract cleared another major hurdle Thursday night, as the Hopewell Township Planning Board granted preliminary site plan approval for the development, allowing the project to move forward in pursuit of state financing.
The unanimous approval marks one of the most significant milestones yet for the township’s Round 4 affordable housing plan. The project, proposed by Walters Group, would create 70 rental apartments on approximately 10 acres of the 52-acre Weidel Tract off Denow Road while preserving the remainder of the property. The development would include six residential buildings, a community center, playground, basketball court, walking connections, parking, stormwater facilities and on-site wastewater treatment.
Applicant attorney Khristopher Berr told the board the project is “a critical part of the township’s recently adopted Round 4 Housing Element and Fair Share Plan,” helping Hopewell satisfy part of its constitutional obligation to provide affordable housing.
Racing a State Deadline
The approval came just days before a critical July 1 application deadline for New Jersey’s Low Income Housing Tax Credit program, which Walters Group hopes will finance construction.
Ed Speitel of Walters Group explained that the state unexpectedly moved its annual funding application from after Labor Day to July 1, compressing months of planning, zoning and engineering work into a much shorter timeframe.
“One of the requirements in order to apply for the tax credit… is documenting preliminary site plan approval,” Speitel told the board. “That’s why we’re here this evening.”
The tax credits are awarded through a competitive process administered by the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency. Walters expects award announcements later this fall.
Board members questioned what would happen if the project did not receive funding this year.
Speitel said Walters would either pursue another financing program or reapply during the next funding cycle, stressing that the quality of the project would not change.
“We are not going to skimp on our level of construction,” he said. “We’re not going to tell you Hardie Plank and come back and say it’s going to be vinyl.”
Designed to Feel Like a Neighborhood
The proposal calls for six apartment buildings containing a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units, including four fully accessible apartments. Every residence would have its own front door and porch or patio, rather than interior hallways, giving the development the appearance of attached townhomes rather than a conventional apartment complex.
The community building would include leasing offices, a fitness room, meeting space and community room, while outdoor amenities include a playground, basketball court and gathering area with grills.
Walters representatives said the buildings would feature fiber cement siding, stone veneer accents and be built to LEED Gold sustainability standards.
Planning Board members praised the architectural design during the hearing.
“I thought you did a really nice job using upscale materials and giving them a nice look and feel,” board member Kevin Kuchinski said.
Vice Chair Paul Kiss agreed.
“I was really happy to see the variety, the stepping, the differentiation with the stone,” Kiss said.
Township planner Frank Banisch also complimented the proposal.
“What we’re looking at here is a family apartment project that looks very much like market-rate townhouses,” Banisch said. “I don’t think you can get a more consistent feeling in a community like Hopewell than to have this kind of product.”
Access, Parking and Open Space
The development would be accessed from Denow Road through an access easement across the former Har Sinai property. A divided entrance road with landscaped median, sidewalks and pedestrian access to Route 31 shopping areas is planned. Engineers testified the location keeps construction within existing agricultural fields while avoiding environmentally sensitive areas and woodlands.
Traffic engineer John McCormack testified that the affordable housing community is expected to generate about 32 vehicle trips during peak morning and evening commuting hours — roughly one additional vehicle every two minutes — representing about a 1% increase at the Route 31 and Denow Road intersection.
The project includes 135 parking spaces, exceeding township requirements, along with required accessible and electric vehicle charging spaces.
Board member Uma Purandare also encouraged the developer to consider community gardens and making the buildings “solar ready.” Walters representatives said both ideas would be explored as the project moves toward final design.
Next Steps
Because Thursday’s action granted only preliminary approval, Walters Group will return to the Planning Board for final site plan approval after additional engineering work is completed, including refinement of stormwater, septic and other technical details.
If awarded state tax credits later this year, the project would become one of the first major developments advancing under Hopewell Township’s newly adopted Round 4 affordable housing plan.
