Metuchen development

[Jonny S]

This was deleted from the football board and for good reason, but might be worth discussing here. I think this plan is great. You see this all around the area now. Somerville, Bound Brook, all of these hubs with transit (in various conditions of course) are seeing development because that's where the market is right now. At the same time, sprawl disasters like Luxury Point stay stuck in the mud. I'm a huge Metuchen fan, and see this construction as win-win. The businesses in town get a shot in the arm, it's smart growth around a transit hub, and it's more rental inventory in a crowded central NJ market that desperately needs it. I truly believe that developments like these and the ones in New Brunswick attract high quality jobs nearby.

The only downside to me is that on paper, Metuchen is a rival to New Brunswick/Highland Park in terms of attracting development. For example, we probably would have a much better chance of getting Whole Foods at Wellness (for God's sake, they committed to Newark) if they weren't building one miles away in Metuchen.

http://www.nj.com/middlesex/index.ssf/2014/07/pearl_street_development_woodmont.html

 

[lawmatt78]

So let's recap what happened there. The OP made what I would consider to be a pretty stupid post and some accused him of being racist. Then some others jumped in. And there were some comments about affordable housing and increased crime and the town going to hell and the usual self-congratulatory bluster from those who hate the idea that they will be subsidizing those pesky poor people who only want handouts.

It would have been nice to see a thoughtful and nuanced discussion that debated the merits of inclusionary zoning (density bonus to developer for including affordable units) and the challenges posed by the numerous barriers (regulatory, zoning, etc.) to the adequate provision of affordable housing.

Anyway, I haven't studied this project in any real detail. However, I generally like this kind of development. And nobody should be shocked or outraged by it. It's a parking lot, in a downtown, near a train station, on the NE Corridor Line - i.e., an extremely prime candidate for relatively dense development. Debate the details? Absolutely. But pretend this is some extreme thing or a sure bet to ruin the city? C'mon, now.

And, of course: some people just hate density - and the real or imagined things that come with it.

(Not even going to weigh in on Luxury Point...yikes).

 

[Leonard23]

What's the problem, as it seems like a good use of space over a parking lot & has a nice design & will bring added people for the downtown businesses? People have an issue that 41 of the 273 units (15%) will be affordable housing units?
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[derleider]

Originally posted by Leonard23:
What's the problem, as it seems like a good use of space over a parking lot & has a nice design & will bring added people for the downtown businesses? People have an issue that 41 of the 273 units (15%) will be affordable housing units?
Posted from Rivals Mobile

Wel lthe OP A) seemed to hate the idea that they would plow up a parking lot for any reason and B) expected that the 100-150 or so lower income people who came with the affordable housing would RUIN Metuchen.

Both of of course ludicrous. Cities change all of the time. Increased population at some point means that you are going to have to do stuff like this (build more dense buildings) because you run out of room to build new houses within driving distance.

And while poor people are more likely to be criminals, its such a smaller portion of the percentage, and really, I would guess that they can be pretty picky about WHICH poor people get into a spot like this.

 

[NotInRHouse]

What is Luxury Point?

People have a fundamental misunderstanding of Mount Laurel. The latest decision basically put towns in jeopardy of lawsuits if they prevented projects that increased density but also provided 10-20% affordable housing.

Every town in NJ has to comply with the ruling, and pretty much every town that has had development of any kind has had Mount Laurel units. Rumson has them. Holmdel has them. Have they been "ruined"?

The Mount Laurel units have income restrictions- basically depending on your family size, your unit rent or price is correlated. And your ability to resell at a market price is also limited. Often times, the units are also age restricted. It's not like Section 8, where bringing in a convicted drug dealer will get you evicted as a matter of law. But I would guess there is a criminal background check like any rental.

The fact of the matter is that Metuchen already probably has affordable housing. People like the OP of that thread are just too uninformed to know about it.

Metuchen is in a win-win position- it's a train town, and schools there are excellent. You can walk to restaurants and other things. It's a great place to live, and it will be a place millenials will seek out when they set down roots.

If anyone is really interested in the affordable housing topic, there's recently been a hubub about the so-called "poor door". A luxury hi-rise in the city was able to up-zone based on a city reg with a Mt Laurel type concept. But instead of being accessed through the luxurious lobby and being able to use the gym and other amenities, they have a side door just for the income restricted units and a lot of activists are crying foul.

 

[e5fdny]

Originally posted by NotInRHouse:
What is Luxury Point?

People have a fundamental misunderstanding of Mount Laurel. The latest decision basically put towns in jeopardy of lawsuits if they prevented projects that increased density but also provided 10-20% affordable housing.

Every town in NJ has to comply with the ruling, and pretty much every town that has had development of any kind has had Mount Laurel units. Rumson has them. Holmdel has them. Have they been "ruined"?

The Mount Laurel units have income restrictions- basically depending on your family size, your unit rent or price is correlated. And your ability to resell at a market price is also limited. Often times, the units are also age restricted. It's not like Section 8, where bringing in a convicted drug dealer will get you evicted as a matter of law. But I would guess there is a criminal background check like any rental.

The fact of the matter is that Metuchen already probably has affordable housing. People like the OP of that thread are just too uninformed to know about it.

Metuchen is in a win-win position- it's a train town, and schools there are excellent. You can walk to restaurants and other things. It's a great place to live, and it will be a place millenials will seek out when they set down roots.

If anyone is really interested in the affordable housing topic, there's recently been a hubub about the so-called "poor door". A luxury hi-rise in the city was able to up-zone based on a city reg with a Mt Laurel type concept. But instead of being accessed through the luxurious lobby and being able to use the gym and other amenities, they have a side door just for the income restricted units and a lot of activists are crying foul.

Even Spring Lake.

 

[Jonny S]

Luxury Point is Central Jersey's answer to Xanadu. It was going to be a giant mall in Sayreville, built off the GSP on the contaminated old National Lead site.

 

[NotInRHouse]

Oh that. Actually, I understand why they want that. Sayreville could use some help. If it ever happens.