(Fanwood, NJ) – The borough council passed a resolution Tuesday, January 21st, accepting the fourth round of affordable housing obligation of 109 units although Mayor Colleen Mahr believes the number will likely be reduced.
The binding resolution is for the present and prospective fair share of affordable housing obligations for the borough. Diane Dabulis, the borough’s affordable housing attorney, said the resolution will give the borough immunity from builder remedy lawsuits.
Dabulis said the borough will next file a Declaratory Judgment with the Affordable Housing Dispute Resolution Program. She said the borough will be adjusting the 109 obligation through a Vacant Land Adjustment, a process where a town determines how many units can be reasonably built based on available land in the community.
Mayor Mahr said the current fourth round of affordable housing obligations will cover the next 10 years through 2035.
Officer in Charge of the Fanwood Police Department, Lt. Dan Kranz, said the department’s annual report will soon be released. Looking ahead to 2025, he said the department’s goals are to enhance the safety of borough streets and public property through increased patrols, traffic enforcement and improving infrastructure. He said the department is also looking to use social media more affectively to both inform as well engage the community. He said the department will increase its community outreach through new initiatives and events.
“Our goal is not only to be a police department that enforces the law, but also one the fosters positive relationships and trust within the community,” he said.
Lt. Kranz said the department will expand training opportunities for police officers.
The council approved a resolution to authorize a treatment works approval request to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for the development of the Carano Square development on the former A&P supermarket property on South Avenue.
Antonios Panagopoulos, of T&M Associates, the borough’s engineering firm, said the resolution is necessary as the developer of the mixed-used residential and retail project recently approved for two buildings with 140 residential units, will exceed allowable daily sewer flow into the borough’s sanitary sewer system. He said the action will ensure the borough’s system can handle the increased sewer flow.
The council also approved a resolution establishing the borough’s holiday schedule for 2025, a resolution for the mayor to sign an agreement with the Public Works Association, and a resolution implementing a step increase for Lt. Ryan Gilmore per the collective bargaining agreement. A resolution was also approved for towing licenses with George Church Inc. and CES Towing as recommended by the police department.
An ordinance was introduced on first reading, which changes language with respect to areas identified on the borough’s FEMA flood maps. Panagopoulos said the borough only has two flood areas, near the Fanwood Nature Center and Kempshall Terrace. The second reading and public hearing will be on Monday, February 3rd.
The council approved a proclamation recognizing January 20th as MLK Day in Fanwood and recognizing Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as the “only federal holiday that is also designated by Congress as a National Day of Service – a “day on, not a day off.”
