Marathon Speedwell Avenue Redevelopment Meeting Leaves Some Pleased, Many With More Questions

Over three hours of discussion, presentation, a few heated words and a lot of public comment, one question seemed to stick out the most: What happened to the affordable housing?

Specifically, how did the amount of required affordable housing in the plan to redevelop the Speedwell Avenue corridor drop from 20 percent when redevelopment discussions began about a decade ago, to the 5 percent proposed for Phase I of the plan on Thursday, March 31?

According to Richard Murphy, with Trammel Crow, the developer of the site operating under the name Morristown Development LLC, it all comes down to economics.

"You have to look at the economics behind the scenes," he said, following several heated comments from councilmembers James Smith and Raline Smith-Reid, who brought up the issue several times during the marathon meeting. "If [you demand] 20 percent or nothing, you'll get nothing."

Currently, Phase I of the four-phase project (which includes several sub-phases) would include development of a 268-unit six-story rental property, with one floor being underground parking, which would be usable for both residents and businesses. The current version of the plan also does not consider reallignment of Early Street at Speedwell Avenue, .

Under the previous plan for 20 percent affordable housing, about 50 units would have fallen under that Phase I threshold; under the current 5 percent, it would be about 13 units.

Smith said he had a "big problem" with the current figure. "Affordable housing isn't low-income housing," he said. "It's for our firemen, our policemen, our town workers, our teachers. [Affordable housing] is one of the main reasons I supported this. I'm really disappointed at five percent, really disappointed."

Murphy said a project had to be financially viable for all involved, including the developers, as well as the banks that finance these projects. "We showed you our numbers, and backed up how much affordable housing we could include," he said.

Town Attorney John Inglesino said affordable housing obligations were part of the negotiation process and that the previous plan calling for 20 percent affordable housing "wasn't workable.

"Certain economic realities to the project had to be revisited so it could be viable," he said.

Mayor Timothy Dougherty also chimed in on the subject, noting his administration's ongoing discussions with the developer and Jonathan Rose Companies, the investment firm heading up the project. "When I took over [as mayor in January 2010], the developer said this is what we can build," he said. "They opened their books–this is what they said they can build."

During the public portion, resident Ed Ramierez also took issue with the drop in affordable housing requirements for the project, as well as the lack of affordable housing obligations in other recent large projects. He said project developers have been allowed to move their affordable housing obligations to the second ward, resulting in "defacto segregation.

"We do it in the second ward, we are we doing that," Ramierez asked. "I don't know why the NAACP or another group hasn't filed a lawsuit."

Dougherty noted that affordable housing projects had been underway in several areas of town, not just in the second ward. He also offered the potential solution of adding to the town's affordable housing trust fund, which could be used to buy distressed properties throughout town and convert them to affordable housing. He said it would be up to the town council to "make a policy decision to fund the affordable housing trust fund to buy distressed properties."

Smith-Reid did not seem satisfied with that response, noting the original redevelopment plan's allotment of about 120 affordable units. "I am not convinced that 131 units [can be spread out] in 2.9 square miles," she said. "Where are you going to put them?"

Not all comments regarding the recent presentation were negative. "I feel there is an awful lot here that is very exciting," said audience member Donna McNamara.

Marty Epstein, owner of , on Speedwell Avenue, said he thought this iteration of the project was the best thing for the town, "but, Speedwell has been neglected for a long time."

While future phases of the project call for more attention to be focused specifically on Speedwell Avenue, Epstein, along with several other audience members, said work needed to be done there now.

"That part of town has become the forgotten part of town," said Keisha Smith-Johnson, owner of the salon at 124 Speedwell Ave. "It's almost embarassing."

Not everyone was in favor of scrapping the realignment of Early Street and Speedwell Avenue, either. Scott Wilde said he felt his children were in danger every time he crossed Speedwell Avenue with them, no matter the time of day. "It's a dangerous intersection," he said.

By the end of the meeting, however, the five percent affordable housing obligation had taken center stage.

"This administration has a moral obligation to its residents to provide much more than five percent affordable housing," said attendee Helen Arnold. "There is presently an ordinance for this town that state there must be 12.5 percent [affordable housing in projects] ... Five percent is an insult to the citizens of Morristown."

Smith-Reid said, "I feel affordable housing was compromised."

"This is the best they said they can do," the mayor said.

Officials at the meeting said a copy of the March 31 Speedwell Avenue redevelopment plan presentation would soon be available on the town website.