The Hopewell Township Planning Board voted Thursday night to adopt a new Housing Element and Fair Share Plan (HEFSP) to meet the township’s affordable housing obligations through 2035, advancing the plan to the Township Committee for final approval. But the vote came with notable frustration and hesitation from board members, several of whom openly criticized the state-imposed deadline and what they viewed as a rushed process.
The 8–0 vote, taken during the Board’s June 26 regular meeting, included multiple “reluctantly, yes” responses. Board member Rex Parker delivered a pointed critique of what he called an unreasonable and damaging timeline set by various state agencies.
“In my 23 years of experience on the Environmental Commission and over a decade on this Planning Board, I have never seen a case of such poor judgment and poor insistence on a short and unreasonable deadline for a matter of such high significance,” Parker said. “It’s not how good planning is done.”
Planning Board Chair Karen Murphy said the Board had little choice but to act before the state-imposed June 30 deadline. Under New Jersey’s affordable housing law, failure to adopt a compliant plan by that date could leave the township vulnerable to “builder’s remedy” lawsuits—allowing developers to bypass local zoning and build in areas without municipal oversight.
Under a builder’s remedy lawsuit, developers can override local zoning rules if a town is found to be noncompliant with its affordable housing obligations—often resulting in higher-density developments than would otherwise be allowed.
Despite the concerns, the Board voted to adopt the updated housing plan and a resolution memorializing it. The revised Housing Element and Fair Share Plan identifies a mix of 100% affordable housing and inclusionary development sites to satisfy the township’s fourth-round obligation of 449 affordable units, which includes 50 carried over from the prior round. Planning Board Planner Frank Banisch said the plan exceeds that requirement, accounting for 469 qualifying units and credits.
The plan concentrates most development in the southern part of the township where sewer infrastructure exists. Key sites include the township-owned Pennytown property, the Weidel tract off Route 31, and multiple parcels south of I-295 associated with The College of New Jersey and American Properties.
Banisch detailed minor changes to the document Thursday night, including revised unit totals, corrected figures, and a new map showing development sites township wide.
But community concerns loomed large in the discussion. Dozens of residents from Hopewell Township and Ewing Township joined the virtual meeting to raise concerns about traffic, environmental impact, infrastructure, and quality of life—particularly for developments proposed near Bull Run Road, Flower Hill, and other border areas.
Planning Board member and Township Committee member Uma Purandare acknowledged the breadth of those concerns and said township leaders are committed to addressing them during future planning and project review stages.
“We hear the concerns about traffic control, road maintenance, and the environment,” Purandare said. “We have always given a high priority to making communities safer and protecting the unique environment of Hopewell. We promise to continue doing that.”
She also noted that the Township Committee has been working with Ewing and Lawrence Township officials to pursue traffic improvements near the Bull Run Road corridor, an area residents repeatedly described as already overburdened.
While Thursday’s vote was strictly to adopt the HEFSP, not to approve any specific development, multiple board members stressed that each project must still come before the Planning Board for site plan approval and satisfy all municipal, environmental, and traffic review requirements.
“We can’t stop landowners from seeking to develop their property,” one board member said. “But we can—and will—scrutinize every detail during site review.”
The Township Committee is expected to vote on the housing plan at a special meeting at 10 a.m. Friday.
