Lincoln Park readies the way for new housing on Main Street

LINCOLN PARK —  The borough amended its land use rules on Oct. 16, paving the way for redevelopment. 

According to borough Council President Gary Gemian, plans are in the works for two new residential buildings to be erected on Main Street.

Meridia/Capodagli Property Group has been looking to build in the borough for a couple of years and when Lincoln Park failed to meet its affordable housing requirement the developer saw an opportunity. 

Against the backdrop of builders suing municipalities across the state over affordable housing, Meridia/Capodagli Property came back to the negotiating table with Lincoln Park. 

Initially the developer wanted to build 300 units in town and the application was denied.

“The number of units that was originally propose would’ve put Lincoln Park at significant risk,” Gemian said. 

In August, however, Meridia/Capodagli lowered that number to 220 units and officials agreed things could proceed. 

Twenty percent of those will be built for low- and moderate-income tenants. 

So the borough thought it was in its best interests to get on board with the developer’s revised plans. To that end, town leaders changed zoning laws in “two significant ways,” said  Borough Administrator Perry Mayers.

Borough Council removed an age restriction that required at least one home owner to be 55 years of age or older so that the new housing will not be age restricted.    

The borough has also added a provision that would  allow a maximum building height of up to 60 feet for rental units.   

“The previous height limits had been 35 feet,” Mayers said. 

That clears the way for 92 apartments the builder is planning to construct next to the Wexford Inn across from the train station. Plans indicate they will be in a five-story building.  

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Zoning will also now allow multifamily townhouses to be built in what used to be a commercial area. 
 
Also part of the plans are 128 apartments that will sit on a 4.5-acre lot next to the Keri Memorial Funeral Home.

Officials said they expect a number of benefits for the borough. Chiefly, more customers for its restaurants and shops. 

Complying with affordable housing requirements means Lincoln Park will be protected from future lawsuits by builders until 2025, officials said.  

The next step in the process would be for the developer to submit an application for the borough's engineer to review. 

"I believe residents might expect to see activity on the site in the spring of 2018 only if the developer meets certain conditions of approval that may be set by the Planning Board during the process," Mayers said.

Email: myers@northjersey.com