After a Public Outcry, Montgomery Leaders Present New Affordable Housing Options

By Barbara A. Preston | August 12, 2025

Mayor Neena Singh says Montgomery now has new options for its affordable housing plan, developed in response to public feedback. One includes acquiring the expiring deed restrictions on existing affordable units so the township can reduce the total number of new units the would need to be constructed.

Mayor Neena Singh speaks to a packed house at the town hall meeting on August 11. Photo by Barbara A. Preston

The town hall meeting on Monday was a response to a public outcry against the township's plan to provide 260 units or credits of state-mandated housing. Two community groups are gearing up to legally challenge the local plan (not the state mandate), with one group raising more than $40,000 in 24 hours.

The newest option includes the development of a Belle Mead property bordered by Route 206 and the freight train tracks on the Hillsborough border — and a potential for the township to purchase deed restrictions to keep some of the 210 units at Pike Run affordable. If an agreement cannot be reached, those deed restrictions will expire soon and the units will revert to market price.

This is significant because if the township can re-up the deed restrictions, the township would not have to permit an unpopular high-density housing development at the Kenuve (J&J) site, located at the foot of the Sourlands on Grandview Road in Skillman.

While Kenvue remains in the plan for now, the mayor announced that a second town hall meeting will be held on August 25 and that she expects major changes to the plan.

A slide presented at the town hall meeting shows a concept plan proposal with 149 luxury apartment units on the "Transit Commercial Site" by the railroad tracks and Route 206 in Belle Mead. It is currently zoned for a park-and-ride with about 150 parking spaces and coffee shop.

Luxury apartments by Belle Mead railroad tracks in exchange for deed-restriction extensions on Pike Run affordable units

Montgomery Township Administrator and Planner Lori Savron gave a thorough slide deck presentation presenting the options and sites for the state-mandated Round 4 affordable housing units/credits.

"The new option of extension of credits is now on the table for Pike Run. Extension of affordability controls on existing units has always been our number one mechanism that we wanted to use in our plan," Savron said.

The Transit Commercial Site, which is now zoned for a commercial building, such as a coffee shop, and about 150 parking spaces for a park-and-ride with either bus or train service to New York City. The new concept plan submitted by Atlantic Realty (owner of Pike Run) calls for 149 luxury apartments, the 150 park-and-ride spaces, but nixes the coffee shop, Savron said.

"One of the things we've been working on [for the site] is a Coach bus service, which right now starts in Hillsborough [and goes to New York City]," Savron said. She added that New Jersey Transit has been trying to re-activate the commuter rail line with a stop in Belle Mead, using the old historic railroad buildings on the north and south sides of the tracks. The historic buildings would remain if housing is to be built on the "Transit Commercial Site."

The other part of the deal would be Atlantic Realty funding and re-upping the affordability controls on some of its 210 affordable units that come off deed restrictions.

Three affordable housing developments in Montgomery have units that will convert to market price if the township is unable to renew the deed restrictions. These include: 210 units at Pike Run, 95 unites at McKinley Commons, and 19 units at Montgomery Walk.

Imagine if Montgomery Township could satisfy its Round Four Affordable Housing obligation of 260 new units/credits by purchasing the 210 deed restrictions at Pike Run and extending them for at least another 30 years — if not indefinitely. This could leave just 50 units/credits that the township could creatively provide. Town officials are examining this further.

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. 

● 210 affordable housing deed restrictions are set to expire at Pike Run Village in Belle Mead ● NJ Round 4 mandate requires 260 new affordable units/credits in Montgomery ● Solution – Can Montgomery and a developer make a deal?

(Photo by Barbara A. Preston)

The deed restrictions of the 210 Pike Run 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.

Up until recently, the developer refused to sell the extensions to the township. The township and the developer are now in negotiations.

Mattawang golf course option is off the table

The township did 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. This option is now off the table, and Montgomery Township recently received word that Somerset County will help to preserve the golf course for community use.

Mayor Neena Singh told The Montgomery News after the town hall meeting that Somerset County has expressed a willingness partner with Montgomery Township to preserve the public golf course. Singh did not share details.

As previously reported in The Montgomery News, Atlantic Realty had submitted two concept plans to develop the golf course. “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.

>> Click here to read full article "1,014 Housing Units Eyed for Mattawang Golf Club as Part of Montgomery's Affordable Housing Plan, Now Off the Table."

A long line of Montgomery residents wait to get into the affordable housing town hall meeting on August 11.

Montgomery Residents' Concerns

Montgomery residents had expressed their disappointment in multiple components of their township's affordable housing planning — beginning with a lack of notification about a 45-minute public hearing on the 800-page Round 4 plan. It was not posted on the township website, nor was it promoted on the township's social media channels or weekly newsletter.

A article in The Montgomery News, posted online on June 17 about the public hearing, attracted many readers. A large crowd attended the June 23 meeting, which was lengthened from 45-minutes to present the 800-page plan, to a few hours. The meeting was carried over to a second day in order for all public comments to be heard.

To be fair, a second day was always in the plan — incase the initial 45-minutes was not enough for the Planning Board to present the plan, and for citizens to give feedback.

Since that time, two citizens' groups have formed, one raising more than $40,000 in just 24 hours to hire a lawyer to challenge the plan.

Many residents spoke at the meeting. Cliff Wilson, a former Montgomery resident who now lives in Princeton, spoke on behalf of the Sourland Conservatory.

"Montgomery has long been a strong advocate for protection of the Sourlands, which is the environmentally sensitive area that includes much of Skillman, and extends into six other municipalities. The area is will worth protecting, as it contains the largest contiguous forest in central New Jersey, and contains many rare species of animals and plants. Just this year, the township put up a sign to identify the area, and passed a resolution urging the state planning commission to include it as an area of special concern.

"In light of the township's history of advocacy, we are now deeply puzzled by the township's recently adopted plan, to put forward 417 units of high density housing as part of its affordable housing plan. We think the Sourlands is the wrong place for this kind of housing. We hope you can remove the Kenvue site from this plan."

Montgomery's Round Four Affordable Housing Plan

The Montgomery Township plan commits to the NJ Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Fourth Round prospective additional obligation of 260 units or credits.

The plan also calls for renovations to 73 existing units in town that might be in need of repairs due to their age, according to Township Administrator Lori Savron.

"A homeowner that meets the income qualifications could apply for assistance with renovations (new roof, windows, boiler, etc) and then the house becomes deed restricted for the income," she told The Montgomery News. "It’s a separate requirement than the production of affordable units."

Montgomery officials had to adopt a Round 4 fair share housing plan and file it with the state by June 30. This is a state mandate.

Montgomery's 801-page plan calls for an additional 260 affordable housing units or credits, to be provided between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2035. The "credits" include new construction, extending the affordability deed restriction on some existing units, and bonus credits.

In addition to the 260 units, the township plan calls for renovations to 73 qualifying homes in town that might be in need of repairs due to their age or condition.

News Articles on Montgomery Township's Round 4 Affordable Housing Plan

Click image to read articles.

23 Orchard Road Office Complex

23 Orchard Road Office complex at the corner of Route 206 and Orchard Road in Skillman.

Scannapieco Development Corporation of Philadelphia (the owner of 23 Orchard) approached township officials to redevelop a portion of the existing campus with an inclusionary housing development consisting of 180 units with a 20% set aside (or 36 affordable family rental units), according to the Montgomery's Round 4 Plan.

The inclusionary development would be located in the northeastern corner of the property. Scannapieco is in the process of renovating the existing research office building to attract new tenants and attain full occupancy. Their plan is to maintain the bulk of the existing facilities that constitute the research / office campus, but with the addition of the multifamily residential building, containing both market-rate and affordable rental dwellings.

Aerial view of the 23 Orchard Road concept rendering for the corner of Route 206 in Skillman.

Kenvue Office Complex

E Khan, the developer of the Kenvue office complex site on Grandview Road in Skillman, is asking town officials to build a 417-unit housing development. It would include 70 affordable units on site and an additional 54 units offsite (as an extension of affordable controls of existing units).

As Kenvue closes its corporate office complex at 199 Grandview Road in Skillman, a developer for the site has stepped forward. E Khan Development of Malvern, PA, has approached township officials to redevelop the site with an inclusionary residential development consisting of 417 total units with a 29.7% set aside (or 124 affordable units).

"Kenvue is planned as a non-contiguous residential cluster, which would include the redevelopment of the former Kenvue campus and the existing multifamily developments of McKinley Commons and Montgomery Glen, both [are located off Blue Spring Road] and contain existing affordable family for-sale units whose affordability controls will expire in the Fourth Round," according the township's plan.

"This linkage allows the Kenvue redevelopment to address its affordable set-aside with both onsite units and with existing units at the other two sites. This results in the creation of 124 affordable units as a hybrid that allows for the creation of more open space on the Kenvue site.

The 417-unit housing plan for the Kenvue site. Grandview Road is to the right.

"The proposed affordable units would consist of the following:

• 70 affordable family rental units constructed on the Kenvue site

• 54 extensions of affordability control: the developer will make a total payment of no less than $1,080,000 to fund 35 extensions of affordability control on the family for-sale units at McKinley Commons and 19 extensions of affordability control on the family for-sale units at Montgomery Glen."