Community Development

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that on September 16, 2019 beginning at 1:30 p.m.., there will be a Hearing (the “Hearing”) before the Honorable Mark A. Troncone, J.S.C. in that certain Declaratory Judgment Action entitled “In the Matter of the Township of Lakewood for Approval of its Municipal Development Fee Ordinance and Spending Plan” bearing Docket No. OCN-L-104-18, at the Ocean County Courthouse, Courtroom 3, 100 Hooper Avenue, Toms River, New Jersey, 08753.

The purpose of the Hearing is for the Court to review and approve the Township’s updated spending plan as to whether or not these documents, taken together, fulfill the Township’s spending plan requirements pursuant to the Fair Housing Act, N.J.S.A. 52:27D-301, et seq., the substantive, applicable regulations of the New Jersey Council on Affordable Housing (“COAH”), the New Jersey Supreme Court’s March 10, 2015 decision in the matter of In re N.J.A.C. 5:96 & N.J.A.C. 5:97, 221 N.J. 1 (2015) and other applicable laws.

The Court will consider whether the Township’s spending plan, including the necessary implementing ordinances and resolutions, is in compliance with applicable law. The proposed spending plan is available for public inspection on the Township of Lakewood website.

On the date of the Hearing, the Court will conduct a Hearing to determine whether the spending plan meets the applicable requirements of the Mount Laurel decisions and their progeny, the Fair Housing Act (N.J.S.A. 52:27D-301, et seq.) and all amendments thereto, the applicable procedural and substantive regulations of COAH, the Supreme Court’s March 10, 2015 decision in the matter of In re N.J.A.C. 5:96 & N.J.A.C. 5:97, 221 N.J. 1 (2015), and the Uniform Housing Affordability Controls (N.J.A.C. 5:80-26.1, et seq.).

The Township seeks an order formally approving the spending plan, subject to any conditions that may be imposed by the Court.

Any interested third party that seeks to appear and be heard at the September 16, 2019 Hearing on the Township’s spending plan shall have the opportunity to present its position on these matters. Objections or comments by any interested party must be filed with the Court at the above address on or before September 6, 2019 with duplicate copies being forwarded by mail and e-mail to the attention of the following:

Adam Gordon, Esq.
Fair Share Housing Center
510 Park Boulevard
Cherry Hill, New Jersey 08002-3318
adamgordon@fairsharehousing.org

Edward W. Purcell, Esq.
DiFrancesco, Bateman, P.C.
15 Mountain Boulevard
Warren, New Jersey 07059
epurcell@newjerseylaw.net

Special Master John D. Maczuga, P.P.
JDM Planning Associates, Inc.
614 Harbor Rd
Brick, New Jersey 08724
jmaczuga@jdmplanning.com

This Notice is provided pursuant to a directive of the Court and is intended to inform interested parties of the Hearing before the Court reviews and evaluates whether to sign an order approving the Township’s spending plan. This Notice does not indicate any other view by the Court.

Kathryn Hutchinson, Township Clerk Township of Lakewood