By Barbara A. Preston | July 29, 2025
Montgomery Township’s largest affordable housing development is Pike Run, which has 1,288 total units built in 1998. Atlantic Realty, the developer, included 210 affordable apartment units, earning the company a density bonus of about four market units for each unit.
Fast forward 30 years.
The deed restrictions on those 210 units expire in 2028. Meaning, all those units become market price—unless the developer/owner, out of the goodness of his heart—decides to keep them affordable. Or, unless, township officials either purchase those deed restrictions for another term and the owner agrees. Or, perhaps, the developer makes a deal to build on another parcel of land in exchange.
The township did, in fact, receive two concept plans dated February 2025 from Atlantic Realty (owner of Pike Run) to be included in the Round 4 Affordable Housing Plan — eying the Mattawang Golf Club.
“Concept A” proposed a total 1,014 units. If that did not work out, “Concept B” proposed 576 units.
Mayor Neena Singh responded to questions from The Montgomery News with a prepared statement.
“After careful consideration and internal review, the Township Committee chose not to pursue these two concept plans since the property is not within a sewer service area and the property does not abut a major arterial roadway,” she said.
The golf course is just east of Pike Run on Township Line and Willow roads – bordering Hillsborough.
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“Many community members value the golf course as a recreational space and it was felt that finding alternative locations for affordable housing might be better to maintain this community amenity,” Mayor Singh said.
Some residents who live near the golf course reported they received a certified letter from Van Cleef Engineering regarding an application to NJDEP for a Flood Hazard Area Verification.
“This application is typically one of the first steps a landowner or developer will take to explore the feasibility of development,” Mayor Singh said. “When the DEP has decided whether the application qualifies for approval under the Flood Hazard Area Control Act Rules, NJDEP will notify the municipal clerk of the final decision.”
“The Township Committee remains dedicated to evaluating future planning opportunities that balance progress with the needs and values of our residents. The Township thanks all community members and stakeholders who voiced their concerns and we look forward to continued engagement as we work to ensure affordable housing solutions serve both current and future generations."
Henry Stein of Atlantic Realty responded to a recent phone call from The Montgomery News. When asked about the units, Stein said, “There is a possibility of extending some of those units.”
He said he was not prepared to discuss how many deeds the company might renew, or cost per unit.
The Montgomery News also asked about the possibility of building new luxury apartments on a vacant piece of land — not Mattawang — by the railroad tracks and Route 206. “It’s possible,” he responded.
A key take-away from the short conversation was that building a high-density development at Mattawang is “no longer on the table.”
The golf course is the only known property named for the Native American peoples who once lived on this land. The Mattawang, a 38.6-mile-long tributary of the Raritan River used by the native Lenape, was later renamed the Millstone River by early European settlers.
The golf club opened in 1960 as a private course under the Pike Brook Country Club. It continued to operate into the early 1980s, with a stable membership and a reputation as a “hidden gem” of a golf course, according to the Mattawang Golf Club's website.
“Early in its existence during an invitational tournament, Jack Nicklaus shot a score of 66 from the back tees, which remains the course record.”
The name of the course was later changed to honor the Native American tribe – the Mattawangs of the Lenape Nation – who had lived on the site of what is now a golf course.
Their name translates to “travel a difficult path,” according to the golf course website. ■
